“Oh my God, Georgia! What happened? Are you back? Are you okay? What’s going on?” Kenna’s words tumble out in a rapid-fire heap.
“I am back. I am fine. Hudson caught a cold. What the fuck is going on here? I didn’t realize it wasFreaky Friday.”
“More likeThe Parent Trap. We didn’t swap brains,” I point out. Georgia fixes me with her deadpan stare.
“So I take it you and Lorelei have met. Where are you guys right now?” Kenna asks.
I answer, “In the alley, where she mugged me.”
Georgia asks, “So does anyone want to explain what’s going on?”
“Well, Kenna and I—” I start to speak.
“Not you.” Georgia cuts me off.
Kenna groans. “Ugggh … I know this is going to sound weird, but we discovered how much we look alike, and we both thought it might be fun to trade places for a few days.”
“Fun? Trade places? That is not a real life thing, Kenna. That is something people only do in movies,” Georgia says.
“Movies are kinda my thing,” I volunteer.
Georgia looks both surprised and annoyed. “Why didn’t you call me? Why didn’t you even tell me about this.”
“You were unreachable,” Kenna pouts. “There’s been a lot of stuff I need to talk to you about, but you’ve been kinda busy.”
“Getting a body double seems like a bit of a dramatic overreaction to me leaving town for a few days,” Georgia says. “Anyway, gig’s up. Time to switch back.”
I object. “The hell we are. I’m just getting the hang of this barista gig.”
“Really?” Georgia raises her eyebrows at me. “On my way in, I heard two people talking about how shitty their coffee was this morning.”
“It’s just for a few more days, Georgia,” Kenna says. “I’m having fun. I’m going to the Arbors Day Spa tomorrow.”
“Oh, wow. Good for you. But how much longer were you two planning to keep this up?” Georgia’s brow is furrowed.
“Just through the weekend. We’re planning to swap back on Monday,” I say.
“You don’t honestly think you can pull off pretending to be Kenna till then, do you?” Georgia looks unconvinced.
“Maybe, with your help?” Kenna says. “Please, Georgia? I haven’t had a vacation in years. I really need this.”
Georgia’s entire demeanor softens when she hears Kenna’s request. She’s suddenly as soft as a shelled egg. “I don’t know how either one of you thought you could pull this swap off without my help,” Georgia says.
“So you’ll help?” I grin and bat my eyelashes at this marvelous human.
“I’m still not sure I understand why this is happening, and it’s probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever volunteered for. And mind you, I met my fiancé while impersonating a dog online. But if it’s something Kenna wants, then I’m here to help. Kenna, I’ll call you when I get back to the loft. Give me a bit. I have to get Hudson settled with his soup. Men are such babies when they get sick,” Georgia says. She turns to me next. “Stop by my shop tomorrow, and we’ll talk some more.”
“Deal!” I hold out my hand, and this time, she takes it, shaking it firmly.
kenna
I pourmyself a big bowl of Fruity Pebbles for breakfast. Eating them makes me nostalgic for my early childhood. My mom used to sprinkle them into pancakes when I was little. She’d call them fairy cakes. I’d been convinced she got the recipe from a real fairy—or at the very least, my fairy godmother—but it was actually Uncle Nick’s concoction. Fairy pancakes are still on the menu at the Ephron Diner and remain a town favorite.
Where are people going to get their fairy pancakes if the diner closes? I understand why the uncles want to sell, but a part of me is hurt that they didn’t consult me first. Or even ask me if I wanted to try and take it over.
There’s a soft knock on my door.
“It’s just me,” Rafe says. “And I brought you some coffee.” He’s standing at the door with two travel mugs—one with a donut, and the other with a big, old salmon on it. I will never understand why anyone would want to put a fish on a coffee mug. Who wants to imagine eating fish when they’re drinking coffee? Of course, it’s not Rafe’s mug.
