It's a Brewtiful Day (The Coffee Loft Series: Fall Collection), page 16
“I know.” I put a breath of distance between us and took another sip. My tastebuds danced as the sweeter wine tickled.
Cassie removed the wine glass, without much effort either, from my hand. “What’s up?”
I sighed and sat on one of the stools, putting my head on my hands as I rested on the countertop. “I kissed him.”
“Who?”
“Elliot?”
“That night?” Her voice pitched.
“Yeah.” I lifted my head and looked into her eyes. “And Cass, it was … It was amazing.”
A slight smile tugged on the outer edges of her lips, almost as if she was fighting it. “That good?”
“It’s never been as good as it was with him.” I hated kissing and telling, but Cassie was my sister and for all intents and purposes, my best friend, too.
“I knew you two would be perfect together.” She nearly clapped herself on the back but restrained herself to a quick hand clap.
I sat more upright. “Yeah, except he doesn’t want anything to do with me. I tried to visit him at work today and was totally brushed off.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
“Didn’t you tell me that you had originally used him to get through the night and he knew that?”
I swallowed and rolled my bottom lip between my teeth. “At first, but after that, it became more.”
“So why am I hearing hesitation?”
I stretched across the island to grab my wine glass. “Because it’ll never work. He’s a guy, I’m a girl. When the going gets tough for the guys, they run, and usually into someone younger and prettier, although Dad’s pick was a dog.” I shook my head and took another drink, desperately needing to wash away that awful memory.
“But Elliot doesn’t sound like that type of guy.” She turned to the fridge and pulled out blocks of cheddar and mozzarella. “Not from your actions, or Alice’s words.”
“None of them do. They don’t wear it like a badge; it comes out after the fact.” The snotty and sarcastic words slipped out too easily.
“Sage. They’re not all bad. Do you think that of Chad?”
I shook my head, cringing from the inflection of pained curiosity in her words. “No, of course not. He worships you. Everyone knows that. You’d be more likely to cheat on him than he would on you.”
“And that would never happen.” Cassie cut the cheese perfectly into thin little strips and arranged them on the wood cutting board.
“Oh, I know. You two are meant for each other.”
“Maybe you and Elliot are too?” She took a sip of my wine and grabbed a few grapes from the bowl in the sink, adding them to her makeshift charcuterie board. “But you need to give him the chance. Talk to him.”
“I tried.”
“Did you really? Or are you just saying that?” That soul-piercing look she gave me was making my chest ache. “You know what? Give it time. Maybe a solution will come to you.”
“You think?” I hopped off my stool and rummaged through the pantry. “All we have are saltines.”
“Really? Where are the good crackers?” She said it hypothetically, and we both glanced out the window to where Chad was in the backyard raking the leaves, knowing he was responsible. “At least he didn’t leave an empty box in the cupboard.” She laughed.
I ripped open the sleeve of saltines and popped one into my mouth.
“Anyway, back to the conversation at hand. The talk, if you will, it happened between Chad and me. I had to suck it up, tell him everything, the good, the bad, the truly awful, and let the chips fall where they may. And you know what? He was all in after that.”
“But how?”
“Because we acted like grownups.”
A weird huffing sound rolled out of me. “I am being a grownup.”
“No, you’re not. We talked. We didn’t leave everything to fate, we made it work. And we still do.” She pushed the charcuterie board in my direction. “So talk to Elliot. Open up to him.”
I sighed, but she was right. I’d played the avoidance game for over a week now.
“Anyway, Alice has enlisted me to help out with the festival and…” The last word hung in the air like a giant question mark, begging to be asked for more information.
“Oh no, you don’t.” I grabbed a slice of mozzarella and sandwiched it between two saltines, taking a bite. “I see where this is going.”
“No, you don’t. Stop worrying.” She waved her hand through the air dismissively. “She’s having me assist her at Lake Annette.”
“Don’t you think for one second of asking for my help so you can force Elliot and I together.”
She set down the grape she was about to pop into her mouth. “Alice claims he’s working at the high school, getting people on the bus, and covering whatever needs to be done at the Coffee Loft. I am helping Alice at the first drop-off, near Lake Annette, where they have some telescopes set up and a variety of activities on the beach. I think there’s a tent set up too with a dark sky presentation.”
“That’s good.”
“They’re looking for more volunteers.”
“Can’t help. Sorry, I’m working.”
The look that came my way would’ve silenced her students. “I didn’t even tell you when or what time or suggest what you would even be doing.”
She had me there. “Fine.” I sighed. “When?”
“Friday night. Just that night. She has enough volunteers otherwise, but not on Friday. Oh, please say yes. We can volunteer together, like we used to with Mom when she’d do the Crusaders Music Camp.”
“And we were always paid in cookies.”
“Oh, there’ll be cookies. At least, so I’m told.” She pushed her glasses up with her knuckles. “Please? It could be so much fun.”
I inhaled sharply and took a drink of my wine. The bookstore closed at six, so it was doable, if I was up for it. “What would I be doing, exactly?”
She dug into her pocket and pulled out her phone, scrolling. “We’ll be guiding the people to the activities as they get off the bus. There are lit pathways, but it’ll be dark, so we’ll be offering any assistance to help them find their way. She has a box of red flashlights so the lights don’t take away from the night vision and the guests will still be able to see the stars. If they’re lost, we take them right to where they need to go; telescopes, tent, or treat.”
“And I don’t have to know anything about astronomy or the like?”
“I certainly have no knowledge of it, and I’m volunteering.”
It didn’t sound ideal.
“There will be hot chocolate on site as well to go with the cookies.” She flashed the recruitment flyer on her phone at me.
“Well, that does stack the deck somewhat favourably.” My shoulders rolled inward with defeat. “Just the Friday night?”
“Yes, please.” There was a begging tone to her voice. “Please. Please. Please.”
I shook my head. “Fine.”
“Yes!” She popped a grape into her mouth but it didn’t stop the smile in the least. “Dress warm and wear your good shoes.”
Chapter Thirteen
The day of the event arrived, teasing clear skies and decently warm temperatures considering October was well known for being cooler. I left the bookstore in Harvey’s capable hands when my shift ended and headed over to the open field near the high school. There was a bus there ready to transport the volunteers over to the lake and beach area.
I spotted Cassie covered head-to-toe in winter outwear. “Oh, c’mon. It’s not that cold.”
She looked down to her booted feet. “I was told to dress like it was ten degrees cooler than the forecasted low. We’re going to be around water, so it’ll be even colder.”
I was not dressed as warmly, but I was going to make it work. I had checked the activity list and there was a fire pit, so if I got too chilled, I could always stand there to warm up. Still, I tapped my pocket where I stored my toque and pulled on my gloves.
“Let’s do this.” I glanced around the crowd of people, searching for Elliot.
“He’s not here.” She shook her head while a smug smile stretched across her face.
Busted. “Oh?”
“Alice said he was working late at the Coffee Loft.”
“Oh.” My words fell like my shoulders.
Even though he clearly didn’t want to see me, my heart still picked up its pace when I walked by the shop, watching him wash the bar table by the window, or when he’d pass by the bookstore checking out the display, or was having dinner with the redhead as I was grabbing dinner to go.
Our bus ride was uneventful and relatively quick, considering the less-than-ideal mode of transportation. Alice stood by the driver and read over what was required of us, letting us know that busses were running every thirty minutes, so we’d always have a way to get back to our starting point. The task at hand was fairly easy—guide the visitors to their planned activity. That was it.
As a thank you, we all got badges to help identify ourselves, and we also had unlimited and free access to the hot chocolate and treats. As we motored along, she handed us each a travel mug with the Dark Sky logo on it, plus our badges, and thanked us for our help.
Lake Annette was a gorgeous beach location. During the summer months, it was warm enough to swim in the mountain feed lake. In the middle of October, it was a tad chilly, but thankfully, we still hadn’t had our first snowfall.
We exited the bus and familiarized ourselves with where everything was. The firepit was not as small as I’d thought, and in fact, was a decent-sized bonfire near the water. It wasn’t hard at all to spot but was far enough away from where the astronomers were setting up their telescopes at the other end of the beach. Beams of red light danced everywhere as tables were propped up, scopes positioned, and signs were erected.
Just off the beach on a pathway, I spotted Elliot’s star lights. Admittedly, they looked so much better than what I had created, and it was the perfect way to outline the paths. Beyond that, there was a tent and table set up with a giant carafe, a huge bin of cookies, and the Coffee Loft banner hanging across the back.
My heart skipped a beat, and frantically, I searched all around, trying to locate Elliot. I suspected Cassie was up to something and that he was really here and she was going to somehow get us together.
Nina sprang into view and waved me and Cassie over. “Hey, ladies. Can I fill your mugs?”
“Sure.” I handed mine over and she quickly wiped it out with a towel before filling it.
“No Elliot tonight?” I wasn’t sure why I asked, but the words rolled out before I could stop them.
“Nah. He’s stationed at the store, making the hot chocolate for me. Molly is transporting it here to refill.”
A sense of disappointment welled inside, and I took my filled travel mug from her hand with a heavy heart. “Well, tell him I said hi.”
“Indeed.” She filled Cassie’s mug too. “Hope you enjoy the festivities a latte.” A sweet snicker filled the air.
Cassie giggled. “Well, we’ll certainly try.”
We walked back to the beach, and Cassie pointed everything out that was tucked back off the beach into the forest area. “Path A leads to the hot chocolate station and probably the most important; Path B ends at a nature tent where they have all the info on the animals in the area.”
Black bears and grizzly bears had not settled down for their winter sleep, but with all the noise and bells hanging from the tents, they would avoid us.
Cassie pointed down a gravel path (lined with Elliot’s star lights—seriously, how many had he made?) edged with towering coniferous trees. Thank goodness the start of each path had signage to indicate what was where.
She carried on. “Path C is the arts and crafts area, and Path D has a giant dome set up to view different parts of the night sky that I guess they can’t see in the telescopes?”
“I have no idea.” I shrugged, only somewhat interested in what they could see.
“That’s what I think Alice said.”
“Okay. Understood.”
She nudged me. “Easy, eh? Like the good ole days.”
“Doesn’t sound too difficult.”
“I’m going to catch the bus back at ten. In case we get split up, meet me there,” she pointed to the loading zone, “and we can ride back together?”
“Sure. That works.” I took a quick sip of the hot chocolate. It definitely tasted like Elliot had had a hand in making it; it was perfectly sweet but not overpowering, and there was a hint of a spice which I knew he always added.
The first few buses arrived and unloaded without too much trouble. Guests—mostly those with young families—wandered around, preferring the snack station and the arts and crafts table and dome area over anything else. I tried to encourage them to actually check out the telescopes, but not many of the wayward guests did.
However, I spent a few minutes at the telescopes, and it was incredible what they showed me. Upon seeing the rings of Saturn and Jupiter’s giant red spot, it was unbelievably hard to not be excited about that. After that, I spent most of my time walking between the buses and the telescope area, the excitement in my voice drying out my throat.
Once my travel mug had emptied, I spied my sister under the Coffee Loft tent and headed over for a refill.
“How’s it going?” I asked Cassie.
“Oh my gosh, it’s been so busy, right?” She lifted her booted foot and rolled it in the air, a few inches above the ground, sighing heavenly.
“So busy. No doubt I have all my steps in just working this event, let alone all the steps I did walking to and from work.” I handed Nina my travel mug, ready for another refill. I was a tad chilled, but mostly, I needed the drink to keep my throat from drying out. “Been busy here, Nina?”
There wasn’t a lineup waiting for the sweet treats, however, it did look like she was low on cookies.
“Non-stop.” She slowly filled me up with another hot chocolate and offered me one of the last two cookies.
“I’m good, but thanks.”
“Oh, would one of you do me a huge favour?” Nina asked with a sprig of hope colouring her words. “It’ll take about half an hour.”
I set my travel mug down on the side of the table. “What do you need?”
“Can you watch the till while I run back to the Coffee Loft and grab some rolled coins? I’m out of loonies and toonies, and I need to pick up another carafe of hot chocolate and a bin of cookies.”
I cleared my throat. “I thought Elliot was doing that?” Because, deep down, I had hoped to see him in passing and had often checked Nina’s table just in case.
“He is, but Molly is doing the running between here and there, and apparently, she’s flaked off for the night and Elliot has another carafe or two, I guess,” Nina checked her phone, “and another bin of cookies ready to go. It should get me through the rest of the night.”
“Tell you what,” my sister said, her gaze flipping between me and Nina. “Why don’t we go pick up the items for you? That way you can continue to promote the Coffee Loft.”
“Um, we don’t have a car, Cass.” Surely, she was seeing right through her mistake. I know I was.
“You can take mine,” Nina said. “She’s a beater, but she’s solid.” She dug out her keys from her jacket pocket and handed them over. “I’d be forever grateful.” She nodded toward the group of people walking toward us. “It’s the brown Civic parked near the entrance with a giant Coffee Loft logo on the back.”
We stepped to the side as the people advanced and Nina served them. I overheard her tell the customers there were more cookies coming.
A heavy guilt pressed on my shoulders, and I swiped the keys from Cassie’s hands. “I drive faster.”
Cassie waved at Nina. “Be back shortly.”
We race-walked to the car and found it without issue. It started rough but eventually began to purr, so I put the car into gear, and we left Lake Annette behind.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.” I grabbed tight to the steering wheel as I navigated out of the parking lot and onto the road.
She had the audacity to look surprised. “What am I doing?”
I just shook my head. “You can go in and get the carafes and bins, and I’ll just wait in the car.”
“Do you really think that’s the best idea?” She cocked her perfectly manicured eyebrow. “You’re much stronger than me.”
“I don’t think any of this is a good idea. Elliot has a girlfriend and you’re just going to make us both uncomfortable by pushing me and him together.”
“Wait,” her voice pitched a whole octave, “he has a girlfriend? Since when?”
“Since like a few days after the storm. For all I know, he maybe had her before then too, but being all typical guy, he said nothing.” Suddenly, embers of anger ignited in my gut at a rapid pace. That would be how the story unfolded for me.
“And how would you know?”
“Because I’ve seen them together. Twice.” I didn’t even look in Cassie’s direction, but from the corner of my eye, she melted into her seat.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Alice never said anything.”
“Well, now you do.”
“I’m sorry.” Her voice was soft and genuinely apologetic. “I know you liked him.”
“Yeah, I did, but it was over before it started.”
We drove in silence the rest of the way back to the town and I parked out in front of the Coffee Loft. The lights were low and the sign hanging on the door said ‘Closed’, but just beyond, Elliot was walking around with his phone pressed to his ear. We waited until he pocketed it before getting out of the car.
“I’m really sorry,” Cassie said once more and patted my arm while we stood in front of the shop.
A heavy sigh rolled out, filling the space with doom. “Let’s get this over with.”
I knocked on the door and Elliot’s head snapped over in our direction. With a quick step to his pace, he dashed over and unlocked the door for us.
It was brief, but he looked quickly at my sister before focusing on me with a smile I could only describe as one mixed with confusing charm. “What brings you two by?”
