Eliot is packing when Margo enters, wearing a purple robe that she lets fall off with flourish. "Does this say Ibiza?" Underneath she's wearing a bikini with gold chains draping her body. She looks positively queenly, and if he was interested in women, he's sure he'd be all over her.
"Yes, but this screams Ibiza," he says, putting on sunglasses and a frankly ridiculous hat with feathers that a lesser man wouldn't be able to pull off.
Todd appears from nowhere on the staircase, and Eliot can see he's trying to wrangle an invite. Maybe love has left him soft, because he says "Go away, Todd, and I'll think about inviting you."
Todd leaves like his shoes are on fire. Margo fixes him with a look. "That's just mean, getting his hopes up. Ibiza is our thing."
"About that," Eliot starts. Margo isn't going to be happy with this, but they will be growing pains. He and Margo need to learn to give each other space, occasionally. "I wanted to invite Quentin."
Margo blinks. "Quentin? He'd hate it."
She isn't wrong, but Eliot thinks he could manage to show Quentin a good time. They'd just have to cut back on the partying a little, and focus more on the fucking. The fucking was a big part of Ibiza. "I want him with me. Things are getting serious."
Margo takes his hands. "Ibiza is our thing."
"I know. It's one of the million things that are our thing. This year it can be me and Quentin's thing too."
Margo sighs dramatically. She's not one hundred percent on board, but she's willing to do this for him. Eliot loves her for it. "Fine, bring your boy toy."
"We could find you a boy toy of your own to bring," Eliot says. "I hear Todd's available."
"Don't even joke," Margo says. "So, how serious are things with you and Quentin?"
"I'm almost ready to call him my b-word."
Margo arches a brow. "Your bitch?"
"My boyfriend."
"That is serious. Is he helping us get a gift to the elders this year?"
Luckily, Eliot has this covered. "I have something. Part of something. We have to dig out the rest in the library.
/
"There's someone else."
It's the best way to do it, to rip the band-aid off. Julia can't keep pretending things are fine. Her guilt is eating away at her. She fucked with James' mind, she cheated on him; he deserves better than that. He deserves someone who loves him the way she used to.
"What?" James says, confused. He's in the kitchen standing over a pot of pasta. Julia wonders if he's trying to cook to be romantic. She found a ring in his pocket earlier this morning, when she was looking for a cigarette.
It was when she knew she had to end things. The idea of being James' wife would have once excited her, now it sent a dull horror through her, a fear of endless monotony and bland normality.
"I cheated on you," Julia says, voice flat. This isn't easy, but she wants to get it over with.
James' face drains of color. "Was it Q?"
The idea is so absurd that Julia has to laugh. "Q? You think I would—with Q?"
"He's always had a thing for you," James says bitterly. And James is more observant that she thought, because she never knew he knew. Or maybe she did, but she never believed he would acknowledge it. It would make things too messy, and James avoided messy. He didn't like confrontation.
"Had. Past tense. He's seeing someone."
James moves and sits across the table from her numbly. His movements are robotic and slow. "Who is it?"
Julia doesn't know how to explain. She can't tell him how she knows Marina. She can't tell him about magic. But she has to tell him something; she can't keep hurting him. The truth will set him free. "This girl I know, you don't know her."
"Girl? Since when do you like girls?"
It's a fair question. Julia doesn't have a good answer for it. "Since her."
James closes his eyes, breathes through his nose. "How long?"
"Not long. It only happened once."
James runs a hand through his hair and swears. "Why are you telling me this? What do you expect me to say? That I forgive you? That we can work past this?"
Julia reaches out and takes James hand across the table. "No, that's not what I expect."
James looks at her, understanding dawning in his eyes. "You're breaking up with me. For her."
Julia shakes her head. "Not for her, but because of her. If I loved you, if I really loved you, I wouldn't have been able to do that. You can see that, can't you?"
James snatches his hand away. "I loved you. I wanted to marry you."
"I know," Julia says softly. "I used to want that too, I don't know when I stopped, but...It's not what I want anymore. You're not what I want and I can't be who you want."
"Fuck, Julia." James rises to his feet. He looks wrecked.
"I'm going to go crash with Q for a couple of days. Give you time to get your stuff packed." She's already got a bag packed and waiting in their room. This is her apartment—technically her mom is paying for it, but it's in her name. James will have to go find somewhere else to stay.
Julia gets up and walks over to James. "I'm sorry I hurt you, but this is for the best."
"Best for who?" James says, something nasty in his voice.
Julia leaves without saying goodbye.
/
"What is this?" Margo complains.
"It's Arabic."
"I flunked Arabic."
"I got an A," Eliot says. "Well, partly because I paid for the exam answers in nipple clamps."
Margo holds out her hand to him. "A bag of dicks is sounding awful good." It was what they had brought as a gift last year. It was lame.
"Ooh, copy that," a man at the bookshelf says. Margo and Eliot look over. He's blonde and handsome, a few years older than them, Alumni, probably. Potentially useful.
"Whoa," Margo says, checking him out.
She'd have thought he was more Eliot's type, with the bag of dicks remark, but he makes a beeline straight for her. "Are you guys trying to translate Arabic, because I aced it here. I mean it was a couple years ago but-"
"Yeah, mh-mm, cry for help," Eliot says.
The man is still looking down at Margo when he says, "Answered."
He gestures at himself. "Mike."
"Margo," she says, holding out a hand. He takes it and shakes it lightly, then holds on a second longer, rubbing his thumbs across her knuckles all while maintaining intense eye contact.
Eliot feels a little annoyed and left out. "Eliot."
/
Marina barely has her door open before Julia blurts "I dumped James."
Marina leans against the door and eyes her critically. "So what? You want a cookie?"
"That's not what I want," Julia says, looking at Marina hotly. Marina can see the desire in her eyes.
Marina tilts her head and sweeps her gaze slowly up Julia's body. "Interesting."
"Are you going to invite me in?"
"Are you moving in?" Marina says, looking at the bag hanging on Julia's arm.
"No, I'm crashing with Quentin. I just...wanted to stop and see you first."
"Did you think you could leave James and I would take you in with open arms?" Her voice is slightly mocking. Julia feels stung; part of her had believed that.
"I think you want me as much as I want you," Julia says. She moves until she's nearly touching Marina, their faces a mere inch apart. "And if you let me in, you can have me. As many times as you want, any way that you want."
Marina grins. "That's what I like to hear.
/
Margo, Eliot and Mike are back in the cottage, working on making their magic gin. Eliot is trying to not be irritated that Margo and Mike have eyes only for each other.
He gets it, Mike is hot and Eliot himself has been spending more time away from Margo and with Quentin. And a lot of the time he is with Margo he spends talking about Quentin. So Margo is allowed to get swept up and ignore him, it's fine. Annoying, but fine.
"Why don't I take over here and let you two have some time alone?" he offers, because he is a king among men. Also, he's Margo's wingman come hell or high water.
Margo grins and holds out a hand to Mike. He takes it with a questioning look. "Let's bang. Now."
/
Eliot works on the gin while Margo has her way with Mike. By the time they come back downstairs looking disheveled and happy, he's all but finished the work. "While you two were doing each other, I did this." Eliot gestures with his hand.
"Eliot, I'm sorry I wasn't more help," Mike says, not sounding very sorry at all. "Listen, I really hope we get a chance to get to know each other."
Damn, Margo must have laid something on him. Eliot is impressed. "Maybe after Ibiza."
Margo links her arms through both of theirs. "Play nice, boys."
"Shall we magic some gin?" Eliot says.
"Please," Margo says, gesturing for him to do the honors.
Eliot does. The machine starts smoking and air hisses. "Well, that was underwhelming."
The machine rumbles and green smoke begins to fill the bottle attached to it. Which is a little weird, since last Eliot checked, gin was not green. He reaches for the bottle. Margo calls for Todd to get ice and olives. Eliot pops open the bottle. Green smoke fills the room and the lights flicker.
Standing in the room is a man dressed like he's in Aladdin, with yellow eyes and curious markings on his forehead. "Oh no. Oh shit. Not gin G-I-N, this summons a djinn, D-J-I-N-N."
"A genie" Mike says.
"Cool" says Todd, and who even invited him and the others that are standing around watching?
"Shut up, Todd," Margo says.
The genie speaks Arabic while looking at Eliot. "Wait, this could be great. I mean, if he grants wishes for real, and we bring him to Ibiza, I mean, that's a fucking regalo."
This is great. The only thing that would make it better is if Mike was gone and he had Margo to himself again.
The genie laughs and points at him. "Okay, this genie totally gets me."
The genie nods at him and begins speaking in Arabic. Suddenly he moves forward, waving a hand and knocking Margo out of the way. Eliot steadies her as the genie grabs Mike and disappears.
"What the fuck?"
/
Julia lays back on the silk sheets and looks up at the ceiling. She feels sated and breathless and her entire body is buzzing with the aftershocks of pleasure. Marina props up on an elbow next to her and traces a finger along the line of her jaw. "You're my girl now."
Julia turns her head to face her. "Am I?"
"Don't you want to be?" Marina says, all confidence.
"Maybe I do. But there are certain things I need first."
Marina runs a hand up her leg idly, back and forth. "Mm, and what are those?"
"I need you to let Kady go."
Marina freezes. "What?"
Julia links their fingers together. "She helped cure Q's dad. She's our friend, kind of. I can't be with someone who does that to my friends."
Marina is quiet a long moment before she speaks. "Any more demands?"
"Only that you're honest with me. About everything. No secrets."
Marina lifts their joined hands and kisses the back of Julia's. "I can do that, for you."
/
"The genie looked at you, he was talking to you." Margo is freaking out a little. Mike just vanished.
"I don't know what he said," Eliot defends.
"It was Arabic," Todd says. "He said 'yes master, I understand' and then something I didn't get, then 'I will do exactly that to him.'"
Margo glares at Eliot. "To him. To Mike."
"I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to. You uncorked him. He could read your thoughts," explains Todd.
"Rude," says Margo, somewhat calmer. She knows Eliot wouldn't wish harm on Mike. "What were you thinking?"
"Nothing, I just wanted him to be gone so it could be just the two of us."
"Gone where?" Margo asks.
Eliot shrugs. "Just gone."
"Try the first place you met him," Todd suggests.
They all head towards the library, Margo simmering. "You wished my b-word away."
"Your boyfriend?" Eliot says, feeling alarmed. That's fast. Too fast. He doesn't want to share Margo with a boyfriend.
"My bitch."
She says it lightly, but Eliot can tell she's thinking of the other b-word. She actually likes this guy. "What is so special about him?"
Before Margo can answer, Todd calls that he found Mike. Mike is standing in the same spot they first spoke to him, dazed and confused. "How did I get here?"
Margo moves toward Mike but the genie steps in front of her. "Seriously?"
"He'll only listen to you," Todd says to Eliot.
"Fine," Eliot says and uncorks the bottle. The genie goes back inside.
Margo dashes over to Mike and puts a hand on his arm. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just a little weirded out."
Margo nods. "Give me a minute." She goes and grabs Eliot by the arm, dragging him toward a secluded row of books.
"Eliot, I like this guy."
It's not exactly a ringing endorsement for Mike; Margo has terrible taste in men. But Eliot wants to be supportive. Margo is supportive of him and Quentin, mostly. "Okay."
"I want to bring him to Ibiza with us."
"You just met!"
Margo crosses her arms and gives him a look. "So what, I'm supposed to be third wheel to you and Quentin? No thank you."
Right. That makes sense. "Fine, you bring Mike and I'll bring Quentin. The more the merrier."
"As long as you don't invite Todd."
/
A pretty, dark-haired girl opens Quentin's door when he knocks. Julia. Quentin's bff. They met briefly. "Is Quentin home?"
Julia calls over her shoulder for Quentin. "I'm just going to take a walk."
Quentin meets him in the living room. "Where's Jules?"
"Took a walk. I think she wanted to give us privacy," Eliot says. He moves toward Quentin and backs him up until his knees hit the couch and he falls back. Eliot winds a hand in his hair and tilts his head back to mouth at his neck. "I've missed you."
"Mm," Quentin agrees, already starting to pant under him. His hands find Eliot's waist and grip on tight.
"Come away with me," Eliot says into Quentin's ear, biting it gently.
"Away?"
"Ibiza."
Quentin pulls back. "I can't. Not with my dad. We still don't know if the spell worked, we're waiting for the test results to come back and I don't want to leave him if-"
Eliot feels like an idiot. Of course Quentin doesn't want to leave his sick father. His probably healed father. But there's no way of knowing that for sure yet, so Eliot understands. "No, no, I get it. Sorry, baby, I wasn't thinking."
Quentin looks up at him, soft eyes and soft smile and it makes Eliot's heart ache with how much he adores this boy already. "Take Margo. You'll have more fun with her."
"Ugh," Eliot says, and throws himself down beside Quentin. "You'll never believe this, but Margo's found a new guy..."
/
It's time to leave for Ibiza, but the only person Eliot sees leaving is Todd. Who he definitely did not invite. He goes to Margo's room and finds her sitting in front of her vanity, fixing her make-up. "Running late?"
"Not going," Margo says. "Mike says Ibiza isn't his thing so..."
It's not like Margo to give up something she wants just for a guy. But here he is, about to do the same for Quentin. Maybe this is what growing up feels like. "I'm staying too. Quentin doesn't want to leave his dad until he finds out for sure the cancer is gone."
Margo sets down her make-up brush. "Look at us, giving up a party for a couple of nerds." She turns to face Eliot. "But we're okay, right?"
"Always, Bambi."
/
It's late. Margo feels the bed dip as Mike slips out. She's too sleepy to worry about it much. He's a big boy, he'll be back.
Mike pads into the kitchen to find a bottle of water. He hears a buzzing sound and looks up. There's a moth flying about, larger than most moths he's seen. It lands on the mirror. Mike walks over to look at it more closely.
He looks at his own reflection as his eyes glow blue.