vncnus Episode Two Hundred and Twenty-Nine: More than donuts
Episode Two Hundred and Twenty-Nine: More than donuts
My eyes went wide as a frazzled woman came in with a cart stacked with boxes.“Oh, my god! It was a nightmare to find parking, but I made it!” She glanced around and her eyes landed on the empty table in the middle of the room. “Oh, I can definitely fill that. If we run out of space, I’d be shocked.”
We all stared.
I very slowly put the Cat down in front of Indigo. Then, I slowly pushed her back to the edge of the counter.
She understood the assignment as her form flickered and she took on the appearance of a cat, one with fur that almost looked dark purple. Then she blinked twice at me.
“Welcome to the shop! Can I help you with that?” I asked, as I hurried around the counter.
Both the Cat and Indigo watched.
“Oh, yeah, I think we still have plenty of time, but I’m definitely nervous as all heck,” she said with a grin. “Oh, I’m Bethany.”
“Sable, I’m the one running the shop tonight,” I said with a small wave.
“Oh, good. I think I spoke with your assistant. She said she wouldn’t be here tonight, but you would.” She set the first of the boxes on the table, then opened the cardboard.
Books. So many books.
All with pinks, whites, and lips on them. At least the donuts fit.
Three different books were in one series, and then the fourth book must be the new one. That one she had two entire boxes of. I quickly stacked them in aesthetic piles across the table, and, when she wasn’t looking, pulled some stands out of nowhere.
“I need to fix my hair and makeup,” she said with a nod, then she marched off to a doorway I hadn’t noticed. A bathroom sign hung over it.
I tossed the boxes under the table and finished up before rushing back to the counter.
“We have a book signing,” I mumbled to the Cat and Indigo.
Indigo curled up next to Betty, just watching, while the Cat sat rigid, his hair starting to puff out again.
“We need specials,” I said to myself, as I quickly searched for the book online and read a few reviews. My cheeks turned a little red as read. Not a spicy book, but a cute picnic scene with strawberries that was definitely suggestive.
That I could work with.
A chalkboard appeared behind me, and I wrote out two specials. A strawberry mocha, with whipped cream and pink sprinkles, and a strawberry-cream latte with tiny marshmallows on top.
If only I could draw a strawberry to save my life. Not gonna happen.
Still, it looked decent with some pink hearts around the outside.
“Good enough.” I stepped back and nodded, before making a sign for the donuts, this one on a much smaller chalkboard. “What do you think?”
The Cat remained sitting there, like no time had passed, except a little poofier.
I snapped my fingers in front of his face, and he jerked back.
“Okay, I get you had no clue this was happening. Neither did I. But Betty knew, and now we need to roll with the flow. I need you back here with me.” I stared at him as various emotions flickered over his face. “We did that other signing, remember? What am I missing?”
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It took him a moment, then he straightened his posture and stood on the counter. He glanced around at all I’d gotten done.
“What does the poster say in the window?” he asked.
I hurried to go check, and thankfully could read it through the back. “We have an hour until it starts.”
“Drinks?” he asked.
“Specials are on the wall. We should have everything we need for them. I just restocked the heavy cream, and we were good with the syrup.” I let out a deep breath. “Cookies and donuts are stocked, and we have plenty of backups.”
“Books?”
I motioned to the table, which looked good, but then the signing table caught my eye.
It was completely boring.
I grabbed a stack of books and set them up at the signing table, not for purchase, but for something to look at.
Letting out another deep breath, I headed back to the counter. “That’s all I got.”
The Cat nodded. “It is better than what we did before.”
Indigo wasn’t on the counter.
I pulled down the mental wall I’d put up and she registered in the kitchen. I hurried in that direction and paused just inside the door.
Frosting coated the black-purple fur around her head, and a donut was wrapped around her paw.
She jerked up as I approached, waving her paw at me. Several bites were taken out of it.
“You don’t want to get fur on the rest of them,” I said in a low voice. “I told you you’d like them.”
She nodded, and took another awkward bite.
“How about you head upstairs, since this isn’t a magical evening?” I asked.
Her eyes narrowed.
“You can watch from the balcony. The Cat sometimes does that, too, remember? It might be packed with people…”
“Sable?” The voice came from the front.
“Think about it, and stay away from the rest of the donuts,” I said lightly, as I headed back to the front.
Bethany turned in a circle, looking at the entire shop. She caught sight of me and smiled. “This looks so good!”
Twinkle lights had been strung up over the tops of the bookshelves and along her signing table. Boxes of old fashioned heart candy had been sprinkled around it as well. Extra boxes were stacked next to the books.
“Thanks, I had some help.” Betty was the absolute best. “Are you ready?”
The Cat stared at Bethany before curling into a ball.
Bethany’s hair no longer appeared frazzled, and instead she looked prepared. The Cat also seemed to have gotten a hold of himself, and looked a bit less freaked out. That was good.
“I think so,” Bethany said with a chuckle. “I don’t have much time if not. This is my first event, so nerves are expected.”
“If it's anything like the last signing we had, it will go by fast.” I pulled the strawberry syrup to the front, along with the thick chocolate. Just the basics, to move a little faster with the specials. “A walk around might help, or if you want a drink, now's the time.”
“I’ll get the mocha special,” she said, moving in front of the counter.
I quickly went to work grinding the espresso, then steaming the milk with some chocolate in it. The strawberry was last to get mixed in, before I added the milk mixture to the cup with the espresso. I went for stirring everything together versus having it look pretty, and I stuck it in a nice bright white mug.
Everyone else would get to-go cups.
“This smells amazing,” she whispered before she took a sip.
Instead of coffee for my self, I filled a glass with ice water and downed it before making myself a strawberry iced tea.
If a ton of people showed up, it’d get warm in here fast right next to the espresso machine, and something cool sounded good.
“So, tell me about your book,” I said with a smile as I sat down, probably for the last time this evening.
She blushed. “Honestly, I hate that question because I never know how to answer… The series is a romance set in a small farming town that the main character is trying to revitalize. Each book is a different couple.”
“Sounds cute,” I said honestly. “I used to live in a small town. Sometimes I miss it.”
“Same, girl. Same.” She motioned to the books on the giant table. “This is how I get that energy out. My life is built in the city now, but when I go back home there are things that I miss… Like picnics in the fields with no dogs interrupting, or amazing hikes without a ton of people. My family most of all, even if we don’t always get along.”
I nodded along as she spoke. All of that made sense. The city contained so many people, and activities within any reasonable day-trip distance were usually busy.
My home town felt the same way, and I opened my mouth to say as much, but the floor pulsed under my feet, stopping me.
The doorbell rang as someone pushed it open, an entire 30 minutes early. “Is this where Bethany… Oh, my, Bethany, it's you! You magical witch, you!”