Sure.Go ahead and give him your number.Then I’ll find it and burn it.
My cheeks ache from my forced smile as they step up to the register.“Welcome to Mugs.What can I get you?”
“I don’t supposehe’son the menu,” Tangerine says to the sound of her friend’s snort.Through the window, Ethan’s biceps flex as he helps move a picnic table so that Dad can get started on the roof.
“If he is,” her friend chimes in, “I’ll take one as well.”
Cue more giggles.
“How about an Americano instead?”I offer once I manage to unclench my jaw.
Tangerine shakes her head, tapping her glossy lips as she scans the menu.“No.I’ll have a chai latte.And can you add two shots of vanilla?Not one.Two.”
I heard you the first time, lady.“Two.Got it.Are these together or separate?”
“Separate, please.”She sets her purse on the counter and whips out a credit card.“Do you have a pen I can borrow?”
I key in her order, then unclip the pen from my apron and hand it over.She taps the card reader, stuffs her card back into her purse, and steals one of our new branded napkins to scribble on.
Oh, would you look at that?She wrote down her phone number.
“Can I get a name for the order?”I ask.
“It’s Melanie, dear.”With a flick of her ponytail, Melaniedearmarches back outside, then reappears through the side window, where she wiggles her fingers at Ethan until he steps around the cement mixer to where she waits.
A bell chimes, and I turn to find the other woman with her palm flat on the service bell.“Um… hello?Aren’t you going to take my order?”
Days like today make me wish that the customer wasn’t always right.“What can I get you?”
She orders the same thing as her friend, then proceeds to pay me with exact change, down to the penny.
Willow drifts over to where we stock the syrups and returns with two mugs—the beloved poop emoji and a black one covered with skulls.Both excellent choices.Although if I’d been the one to pick, Melaniedearwould’ve gotten the rooster-flipping-the-middle-finger mug we save for the most special occasions.
The second woman stares down at them like she’s never seen cups before.“We wanted these to go.”
Probably should have said that before you ordered instead of ogling my man.“Then you’ll have to purchase a reusable cup.”I gesture to the collection on display along the back shelf.
“Seriously?”
Yes, seriously.“I’m afraid the island banned single-use cups.If you want it to go, that’s your only option.”
I assume she changes her mind about wanting them to go because she loops her fingers through the mug handles and carries them out to where her friend is still chatting with Ethan.
I almost break my neck trying not to gawk at them.What could they possibly be talking about?From here, his scowl doesn’t even look that deep.Surely, he isn’tenjoyingher company.
Willow comes up to me, her teeth digging into her bottom lip.“Careful with that frown.You’re scaring the regulars.”
Sure enough, the barnacles are watching me from over their coffee cups, their wrinkled faces shifting from me to where Ethan hasfinallygotten rid of his fan club.
Of course, the women don’t come back inside.Oh, no.They’ve settled on one of my new picnic tables, watching him while he goes back to helping my dad.For the love of…
Harry’s chair screeches as he pushes back from the table, taking his cane and mug outside to where the work is happening.The other two shuffle along after him.
Bless those men.They stop right in front of the women, blocking their view.
I lovemy girls more than anything and, until this evening, I was looking forward to a night of junk food, giggles, and gossip.
Then the unthinkable happened.
