As a reference, the date in this chapter is August 3, 1965.
~ ~ ~
France?! How could even think that? She wanted to get away from me that much? It seemed so since she hadn't spoken to me in two weeks, nor had Sam. Seriously, these girls were driving me nuts and were making a fool out of me. What was really making me curious was what Ignis was doing or what was going on when she was thinking about just going to France after this all was over.
I was sitting on a lawn chair in the back as I was thinking about this, and as the heat of mid-summer in Memphis surrounded me. I had my radio with me, playing some blues songs, and my man Billy Crudup was singing away. At least he was making me happy in this moment. I remade his song, and I shot into fame.
That fame could go away if these girls didn't get their acts together. But did I want to accept them? My heart was with the both of them. I saw Sam every day, so I was thinking about her all the time, and I was always demanding that Ignis say something to me, so I was thinking about her all the time, too. I was very conflicted.
Sam came out of the greenhouse, and she saw me. She stopped what she was doing and stared at me for a moment. Then she started walking up to me! My heart started racing, and I sat up in my chair.
It was about time she do something. Well, I could've, but I was a man of my word, and I never entered the greenhouse if she was in there... and she was always in there, even for her lunch break. She was there for the beginning of her shift to the end.
I couldn't help but admire her feminine form as I watched her walk up to me in a pretty bland outfit of a white shirt and brown shorts, and the white had some dirt stains on it. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and the sun caught the natural highlights. Her brown and blue eyes were, as always, an incredible sight. I smiled as she came up to me.
"Hey," I greeted her, and I turned down my radio on the little table next to me. "Long time no talk."
"Yes, and I apologize for that."
"No need. You've been busy."
She had her hands behind her back. "That's not an excuse. Um... listen..." Her face was turning pink, and I found that cute. "I wanted to show you the inside of the greenhouse."
"I saw it just yesterday, the inside. I think it's beautiful. You did a really swell job."
She had no idea I went in last night and looked around the greenhouse after she left. "Thank you. I didn't know you saw it."
"Looks just like Hawaii. I sure miss it there."
"Would you like to take a look at it again? There are things you might've not seen when you went into the greenhouse last night."
My mind started going with some thoughts, and I smirked and gave her a sly look and a raised brow. "Is there a reason you're insistin' on me takin' a look again? With you? You've been here half the summer, so I can read ya like a book by now."
She cleared her throat and looked off to the side. I snickered as I knew she was trying to think about something to say to that. Maybe I shouldn't make her too uncomfortable. She was willingly asking me to go take a look in the greenhouse with her. I stood out of the chair.
"Okay, okay, never mind. Let's head to the greenhouse."
She nodded, and we both started walking over there. I glanced at her and saw her ponytail bobbing. She sure was cute in a ponytail. What would Ignis look like in a ponytail? She always had her dark hair down and waving.
No, I shouldn't be thinking of that beautiful enchantress that entranced me, and not just from that literal spell she put on me.
"Wow-wee, it's a scorcher out here," I said, trying to make conversation.
"I'm surprised I didn't have to go inside to get you. You're usually in there enjoying the air conditioning."
"I wanted to be outside today."
"Even though it's probably around ninety degrees or more?"
I shrugged a shoulder. "Why not? I've worked on films in worse heat than this. For Follow That Dream, we had to be in Florida during the hottest part of the summer, and it was miserable. Worse than this. I thought I was gonna die since I had to wear jeans top to bottom. I like the billowy stuff, like this." I indicated my light-blue short-sleeve shirt and tan pants, both lightweight. "Thankfully, for my next film, Kid Galahad, we were in the mountains in the fall, and it was a lot cooler."
She said nothing for a moment as we came up to the greenhouse door, then, "That's really something. I have to remember that you were in a bunch of films. None of which I have seen yet."
"If I were to tell ya the truth, you're not missin' much. Well, my beginnin' films were alright, like Jailhouse Rock and King Creole, but... well, never mind. Everyone has their own opinions about my films. So, you wanted to show me somethin'."
"Right."
She opened the door and went in, and I followed. It was close to the same temperature in here as it was outside, but maybe five or so degrees cooler. I inhaled the tropical plant scents. "Oh, wow, I love that smell. Makes me wanna hop on a plane back to Hawaii."
"Are you not going back?"
"Maybe I'll be in a film that will take place there again. We'll have to see."
She only nodded. "Alright, so... did you walk through here yesterday?"
"I was just where we are now. I didn't walk all the way in. Let's go."
We walked down the single little pathway that she made through the plants, and it was like we were walking through a tropical forest with the tall plants, huge leaves and colorful flowers. I spotted a mango plant, and I pointed to it and its little fruit. "Hey, would you look at that, huh? Mangos."
"They have a long way to go. They're still green."
"I can't wait to eat 'em. I love mangos."
"They have more vitamin C than an orange."
My brows rose since I didn't know that fact. "Is that right? Well, all the more reason. My doctor tells me I need to eat more vitamin C since it helps ya not get sick. In my line of work, I can't get sick. Gets in the way of plans and films and whatnot."
"It's not like a person can help it if they get sick by chance."
"Yeah, but you can do your best to prevent it." She nodded, and I looked over at her. "So... what's this reason that you wanted to get me in here, other than lookin' at these plants? Don't get me wrong—what you've done here is amazin', and it's all beautiful, but... there's somethin' else."
She looked off to the side, down the little pathway that went into a little cul-de-sac of plants at the end of the greenhouse. "Um... well..."
Her face was turning pinker, close to the color of what I learned were hibiscus flowers. I stepped up to her. "What's goin' on, Sam?" I asked gently since she was clearly uncomfortable with whatever she wanted to talk to me alone about. "You can tell me anythin', you know that, right?"
"I should've just done this two weeks ago when we made that deal..." she mumbled.
"Come again?"
"Nothing. I just... I'm sorry I've been avoiding you and giving you attitude and not being very pleasant since I first started working here."
This was what she was so hesitant of telling me? I smirked. "Hey, that's okay. I admit that I was pretty pushy with certain things. I'm sorry, too." She still looked uncomfortable, looking at everything but me. "Is there somethin' else?"
"Have you told anyone else about... well, you know..."
I thought a moment, then I got what she was getting at—what was going on with us. "Yeah, a few people. And they won't tell no one. Are you afraid of what people will think about it all?"
She shook her head. "I was only curious. I guess it would eventually get out into the open, your feelings for me and mine for you."
She wanted to talk about us! Now I got it! "Listen, Sam, about that..."
"Elvis, I'm just going to say it... I'm crazy about you. There. I said it. Happy?" She met my gaze, and I saw that her eyes were a little bloodshot. "You were begging me to tell you, so there it is."
I couldn't believe this was happening. I was both elated and let down by her telling me this, finally. "Sam..."
She took hold of both my arms as she looked up at me with desperate eyes. "I love you, Elvis. Do you hear me? I love you! I'm so loony, crazily, losing my mind in love with you! I wanted to tell you this from the beginning, but then someone pushed me in the right direction, and... Well? Are you going to say anything?"
My heart was going crazy in my chest, and I was trying to force my mind to think of something to say to her. "Wow, Sam... It's about time you tell me this."
"I know, and I'm sorry."
All I would have to do to break the spell was tell her that I loved her back. Well, I loved her, but I also loved another girl. My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Sam suddenly wrapped her arms around my torso and hugged herself tightly against my chest, and I felt her own against mine, which made head sear my neck. I took hold of her arms. This was shocking, her doing this. Out of character.
"You heard me, didn't you?" she asked. "I love you, Elvis. I never thought this would happen to me, but it is. And... you feel the same way. It seems like a miracle."
"It really is," I said. "Sam... listen... this isn't like you, sayin' this."
"I'm letting my guard down. You wanted this, didn't you?"
What the heck should I tell her?!
She noticed that I wasn't doing or saying anything, and she instantly let go of me and stared up at me, and it tore my heart in two at seeing her striking eyes form tears. She said, "I think I just made a horrible mistake."
In a second, she turned and started to walk back to the entrance to the greenhouse, telling herself, "I shouldn't have made that deal. I shouldn't have listened to her. I just made a fool out of myself."
"Hold on, Sam! Wait a minute!"
I caught her arm at the door, and she yanked it away. "I completely poured my heart out to you like you wanted me to, and now you're not saying a thing. Maybe too much time passed. I should've known better than to tell the most famous man in the country how I feel about him when every other girl does the same thing. It meant nothing."
She about left, but I stopped the door from opening and gave her a stern and serious look. "How the hell can that mean nothing, Sam?"
"You didn't say anything! You were basically throwing yourself at me from the beginning, and now when I finally give in, you're the one who's shy. It was a huge mistake, telling you how I feel."
"No, it wasn't, Sam!" I said passionately, and I took her shoulders and pushed her against the door, and I leaned down to her face. Those tears leaked from her eyes. "I can't tell ya how happy I am to hear that you're in love with me, too. It's not like I didn't know, anyway."
She stared at me, her blue and brown eye wide. "You... said, too. You're..."
"I've told ya before, didn't I?"
"Say it. Please. Just say it."
My heart was hammering almost painfully inside of me, and the very real fact that this spell would be over took over my brain... as well as the fact that Ignis would leave for good when this was through. I didn't want her to leave.
"Why... aren't you saying it?" Sam asked.
A shocking thought entered my mind... "Sam, who's the person you were talkin' about? When you said you shouldn't have listened to 'er. Who were you talkin' about? Cilla? You still keepin' contact with 'er?"
Sam's brows creased. "Why are you asking who I was talking about?"
Ignis was full of surprises. Did she meet Sam and not tell me about it? "Did this girl have long black hair and big brown eyes?"
"How... did you know that?"
I let out a sigh and walked away from Sam, more into the greenhouse, and I planted my hands on my hips. I stared angrily at a big yellow flower of some sort. "I can't believe this..."
"Elvis! What's going on? Do you know Ignis?"
That was a stab through the back, it felt like. They really knew each other. "Yeah. I know Ignis."
"What? How? She's a recluse. How could you possibly know her?"
I turned around and demanded, "How do you know her? Please, tell me, Sam. Tell me where you met Ignis."
Sam seemed flustered now, about the same as me. "Well, at the grocery store a couple weeks ago. We talked and became friends. I've been to her place and she's been to mine."
"So you've met her cat Lux," I said, not happily.
"Yeah... Elvis, how do you know her?"
If Sam had been to Ignis's place, then she knew of her witchcraft. "What'd she tell you of what she does? Has she mentioned me at all?"
"No, she hasn't talked about you, but I know of her hobby. Elvis, what is this all about? How do you know her?"
I let out another huff through my nose and stalked out of the greenhouse, and I could hear Sam calling for me, but I continued on around my house and to my car our front. I got into it and zoomed off, and I saw Sam in the rearview mirror, running, trying to chase after me.
"Ignis, why the hell didn't you tell me you knew Sam, huh?! Did you know 'er when we went to France? Huh? Tell me!"
I stomped on the break when I hit an intersection and realized that I would've rammed right into a passing car going the other way had I continued on going.
Elvis, for the love of God, calm down! You're going to get yourself and someone else killed!
"Tell me, Ignis."
I already know you're on your way here, so I'll tell you then, but... now, I'll have to say that you're out of your mind leaving Sam like that after what she revealed to you. This spell would be over if you said it back. You love her, too.
"You know why I couldn't say it back. You know why I don't want this spell over. You'll be gone."
The spell would pass, and you would forget me.
"But you wouldn't forget me," I countered, and I drove on through the intersection. "You would go off to France and would not have to face me ever again. Is that what you want?"
Elvis, I changed my mind. Just go back to Graceland. I'll tell you everything on the way back.
I pulled over and shut off my cat. "Okay, tell me. How'd you meet Sam?"
She let off a sigh. Okay, fine, I'll tell you. It's the same as Sam said. Exactly. And it wasn't on purpose. I went to the grocery store with Lux, and we happened to meet Sam there. She was there to get her and her father some lunch that day.
The day she ran out of Graceland around eleven? I recalled that. "But you could've just walked away."
I was... curious about her. I wanted to meet her. I'm sorry for not telling you.
This was so insane, it was giving me a headache. "You two talked about me, didn't you?"
Yes, but I never used your name, and neither did she. I just told her to confess to the man she was in love with, and I...
"You what?"
Nothing. I just encouraged her. That's it. And it seems that she was encouraged.
Cars passed me, and I was thankful for the tnited windows. I didn't want to deal with fans right now. "I thought you were so upset about gettin' too involved with all this. Well, you are, more so than before. You told 'er to tell me on purpose just so the spell would be broken and you could leave for France. You wanna get away from me that much, don't chya?"
"No, I don't, Elvis!"
I nearly jumped through the roof of my car at Ignis suddenly appearing in my passenger's seat. I shouldn't be surprised that she just instantly showed up. I was used to it. "Lord, Ignis..."
"I told you, I don't want to get away, but it's for the best."
I looked over at her and saw that she was in her other appearance, with the brown hair and plain outfit and only a little bit of makeup. "Why do you look like that? You know this isn't you."
"It should be."
"No, you're you in all the black. Go on, change yourself."
"No. You need to go back and tell Sam that you love her, too, and the spell would end."
"I told ya I don't want it to end since you'd leave!" I hollered, and her big brown eyes brimmed tears.
"It's best if I leave! Elvis, I can't do this anymore. That's why I pushed Sam. I want to get away from this. Just go and tell Sam you love her, too."
"I'm not gonna since I love you, too."
Her brown eyes widened. "Elvis..."
"You already know this since you heard me say it in my head in that beautiful ballroom. Now, you should say it back to me. The spell would end, but you could still stay here. With me."
She shook her head as her tears escaped, and her eyes turned bloodshot. "I can't. You belong with Sam. She's better for you."
"You can't make that judgment." I more faced her and took her shoulders and said in desperation, "I love you, Ignis. I love you!"
She took my hands and released them from her shoulders. "That is the very thing that Sam told you twenty minutes ago. Go back to her. Choose her. I know you've been conflicted, just... choose her and let me go. I'm only the enchantress. I shouldn't be involved with you. I shouldn't have given you those grand visions of places in France, I should've just stayed away."
It was my turn to start developing tears, and they stung my eyes. "Please don't tell me you're gonna go again and not talk to me."
"It's for the best. Go make things right with Sam. You left her there after she confessed to you."
"I would have to tell her everythin', about the spell and... that I fell in love with the person who started it all who just happens to be her best friend. I'll be honest. It's gonna hurt 'er, but it has to be that way."
She shook her head. "You're so conflicted. Alright, fine. Tell her everything. Just... try and let me go."
"I don't wanna."
"You're so stubborn."
I smirked. "You know I am. This isn't over."
"For now, it is. At least this conversation. Until next time. No doubt Sam is going to be furious with me, knowing that we were talking about the same man this whole time."
"What do you mean?"
"We made a deal that we would confess our feelings for the man in our hearts. Well, it turns out it was the same man, and Sam was the one to do it first."
"So that's what she meant. I really can't believe this."
"Go to her. I'm leaving."
She was gone before I could say anything more. I slumped back in my seat, wondering how in God's name I would go about this situation. But I knew one thing: at least one of those girls would be hurt, if not both. I had to choose one or none. If I let the both of them go, I would have to find someone else to break the spell in the month-and-a-half I had left.
No, it was one of them, I just didn't know which one since I loved them both... and they loved me, too.
~ ~ ~
Lux jumped up onto my lap as I sat on my sofa after my talk with Elvis in his car, and I was back in all my black like he wanted. What a wild situation we were in right now. If I hadn't inserted myself in this whole situation and just stayed back after I performed the spell, this wouldn't have happened. Elvis wouldn't be conflicted. He would've chosen Sam a long time ago, and they would be together by now since she had feelings for him from the beginning.
"What am I to do, Lux? This is such a messy love triangle."
Like Sam, I wanted Elvis with every fiber of my being, and when he confessed to me in his car with those beautiful, desperate blue eyes, I wanted to give in... but I couldn't. For Sam's sake and for my own. Elvis was wrong about my ancestors being happy for me. I knew they were unhappy with my decision. If only there was a way to talk with them. People could communicate with the dead, but not in the way that I wanted to do it. I wanted their advice.
Knocking sounded on my door, and I knew instantly who it was. Lux jumped off my lap and went to the door, much like a dog would. I got up and went to the door and opened it to find Sam in tears, and they were sad and angry tears.
"Sam..."
"You know what happened, don't you?" she demanded. "Why didn't you tell me that you knew Elvis? Is he the guy you're in love with? Goodness, no wonder you never said anything. We were in love with the same guy!"
Those tears streamed down her cheeks. I motioned her in, and we sat on my sofa. Lux noticed Sam's state and hopped on her lap. Sam started petting her as she was crying and Lux was purring. It broke my heart seeing my friend like this.
"Sam, I'm so sorry that I didn't say anything."
"You found out that I was talking about Elvis a few days after we met. You should've said something."
"I know. I'm sorry."
She shook her head as she whimpered, and she pet Lux who was purring loudly in her lap. The comforting sound wasn't comforting for Sam at the moment.
"I confessed to him, and he didn't do anything. He didn't respond to me, just demand how I knew you." She looked over at me with her teary, bloodshot eyes. "I made a total fool of myself and spilled my heart out to him, and he was only focused on you. Tell me everything, Ignis. Please. I deserve to know, and don't you dare leave anything out."
She was angry. I could feel it and see it, and it was breaking my heart even more. Well, it was about time I told her everything. But should I? Elvis said he would tell her. Maybe it was me who had to.
"I don't want you to feel like Elvis started to feel something for you just because of something I did," I said, and she pushed her brows together.
"Why would you say that? What did you do?"
Only my subject and myself should know about the spell. If the subject said something to others, I couldn't control that, but I could control who I told. "I... well, you know that I practice magic."
"Yes, as a hobby."
"No... it's a way of life for me. The witches that were tried and hanged back during the Salem Witch Trials four hundred years ago were actually witches. They exist now, and I'm one of them. I'm related to them, only I call myself an enchantress."
Sam stared at me, taking that in. "Wait... you're a real witch? Or enchantress? Truly?"
I nodded. "I know it's hard to believe. Elvis had a hard time believing it until I changed a spider into a butterfly before his eyes."
"Hold on, what? Elvis knows this?"
There was no turning back now. "Yes. He knows because I put a spell on him."
Sam continued to stare at me, bewildered. She wasn't saying anything, so I might as well tell her everything. I started talking, and by the time I finished telling her what was really going on, she was slumped back in the sofa, not really staring at anything. Her chin trembled.
"You were right in your thinking earlier..." she started. "He felt something for me just because of something that you did."
Tears gathered in my own eyes as my chest pinched with hurt. "No, Sam. He would've fallen for you regardless. You're such a wonderful person with very spectacular attributes and fiery character. He couldn't resist that."
"A man who looks like that and is that famous wouldn't fall for me without a good reason."
"I just told you a good reason. He loves you for you."
"And from all that you've told me, he loves you. He loves you for you, too."
"I suppose he's a man who can look into the heart of a person. That an admirable trait. Really... Elvis is such a special person. That's why I chose him for the spell. Well, that, and the fact that the fame was getting to his head. This spell helped him focus on something else for a change."
"He focused on us."
I nodded. "Well, he fell for you, then..."
"He fell for you. I suppose I can't blame you since Elvis falls in love at the drop of a hat."
I let out a little giggle. "Yes, that's true." I took her hand and gave her a pleading look. "Please, Sam, don't let this be the end of our friendship. I don't think I've had a better friend."
"You have Elvis," she said dryly.
"Then I should be lucky that I have two people who care about me for me. My family and those who knew me shunned me back at home. I think I'm blessed to have at least two people who aren't afraid of me and aren't turned away by my ghastly appearance."
She kept my gaze, and our eyes were brimming tears. "You remember when I first saw your true look? I thought it was magnificent. Don't you dare take on any other appearance again."
A whimper escaped, and I brought her into my arms. "Thank you, Sam. And you don't change anything, either." I paused as she didn't respond to the hug. "You don't hate me, do you?"
"No, I don't. I'm a little hurt that you didn't say anything, but I think I'll get over it. I know now, and I think it's extremely incredible that you have actual powers. So... Elvis's fame will truly go away if someone doesn't love him for him and says it to him?"
"Yes, and he has to say it back to them. The spell is still in force now since he didn't say it back to you, and I didn't say it back to him when he confessed to me. I just wish that maybe a man would come into the picture and befriend Elvis, and you and I can be free of him."
"Do we really want to do that? We both love Elvis with a big intensity."
We came out of the hug as Lux was still in Sam's lap, eyes closed, and purring contently. "Yes. Boy, we're driving that man insane. It's a complement to us, isn't it?"
She giggled this time, and I was thankful that she was feeling a bit better. "Yes, we are. It's a confidence boost. I just wonder how this all will turn out. Really, you can't just take away the spell and pretend like this never happened?"
"I can, but the memories of it all will vanish for you and Elvis. I would remember everything, and... I wouldn't want that burden. Your friendship and his love gone? It would hurt more than my own family kicking me out."
She nodded. "I can understand that. Then... what do we do?"
"I really have no idea."
~ ~ ~
I love this version of "Can't Help Falling in Love"! I never heard of this artist, but he's pretty good. That's saying something since I'm not really a fan of rap. (Warning: Language)