Twenty-Five
BesidesKaitappingalongto the loud music, the car ride to Morton’s Cafe was mostly quiet. Kai parked out the front, and I leaped out before the music stopped.
When I get inside, Laura greets me at the counter with the office laptop. “Are you ready?” she asks.
Dumping my heavy bag and removing my soaked blazer, I wince. “Barely.”
“Geez, it’s really coming down out there, huh?” Laura remarks.
I move into the office with my school stuff. “Yep. I’ll change into my work gear.”
I find a dish towel in a stack on a shelf, and use it to wipe my face and hair. After I change, I consider taking towels to the boys and Tabitha. I twist the towel in my hands. I’d rather just give one to Milo and let the other two suffer in wet clothes. Although, they did run. Maybe they didn’t get as soaked as us.
After getting changed, I move back to the counter and open up the chat screen.
“I can’t wait to see Aunt Maddy,” I say with a huff.
Laura pats my back as she passes with a tray of cappuccinos. “You’ll do fine. Maddy already worked everything out before she left.” She gestures at the screen. “And she’ll be right here with you.”
“How about you do the presentation and I wait tables?” I suggest hastily.
Laura sniggers. “Fat chance.”
I smirk as she walks away. My eyes drift to the long table Laura set up while I was at school. It’s set for ten people. Apparently the society group wants to conduct their entire meeting here after the menu tasting. I guess it’s good. Even if they don’t approve of us as caterers, they’ll buy some coffees and sweets during their meeting.
Kai and Tabitha have grabbed a booth on the left. Milo reluctantly sits with them, craning his neck to gain my attention. Before I can say anything, Laura is at the booth to take their orders.
I can’t worry about them right now. With a deep breath in, I click on Maddy’s contact name in the chat screen. My elbow rests on the counter, and my cheek sits in my palm. The calling icon spins around and around. Odd. This is taking much longer than I’d expect her to answer. Honestly, I thought she’d already be on the screen when I walked into the cafe.
My hands plant on the counter, and I stand tall, stretching my back. I bounce on the balls of my feet, unable to contain my excitement at seeing Aunt Maddy’s face. I’ve never missed her more than this exact moment. Too bad it’s a public setting so I can’t gush to her about my secret time with Milo.
After a few moments, the connection fails. What the heck? I check the Wi-Fi and dial again. The connection fails again. “Dang it!”
“Everything okay, Jamie?” Jake calls, popping his head out the food pass.
“Just this stupid computer,” I complain. “It keeps disconnecting before Maddy can answer.”
“It was giving me trouble while I was doing the meat and dairy orders,” Jake says. “It’s this crummy weather playing havoc with the Wi-Fi.”
I groan. “Ugh. I don’t need this right now.”
Before I go ballistic, I turn away from the laptop and look around at the tables. My gaze moves to the door, and through the glass, I spot the unmistakable silhouette of Christie Klein.
“Hi Jamie,” Christie says, entering the cafe with an older woman. They dump their umbrellas in a bucket by the door. “The rain is a total bummer. This is my mom, Mary Klein.”
I meet them halfway and shake her mother’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Klein.”
“You too, dear,” she replies. “Christie has raved non-stop about the milkshakes here. Honestly, I don’t think you need to give a presentation. I think you’ve already been sold on word of mouth.”
“Oh my gosh, really?” I gush. “My aunt would die if she heard that.”
Mrs. Klein looks over at the counter. “I heard she’ll join us via video link?”
“Yep. She wouldn’t miss it.”
“But she’ll skip time on her vacation for a business meeting,” Christie teases. “Talk about a workaholic.”
“I’m very jealous,” Mrs. Klein says. “I’ve never been to Hawaii.”
