Page 73 of Meet Me in Ivy Falls

‘Hey.’ Lauren waved her hand in front of my face. ‘You’re not going to freak out on me are you?’

Passing out on her would not look professional. I steadied my feet. Looked her in the eye and said, ‘Tell me more.’

‘According to your town council, they’ve received numerous complaints about the production. How it’s causing traffic congestion.’

‘Traffic congestion? There are like only ten thousand people in this entire town.’

She shrugged. ‘That’s what they’re saying, along with us breaking noise ordinances and leaving out too much trash. The written complaint says we have to address all the issues at their next council meeting which is in two days. For now, they’ve put a hold on any and all filming so I had to send the crew home.’

I tried not to implode in front of the woman who held the future of our business in the palm of her hands.

‘Did you tell Manny?’

‘I informed him before he left to get his daughter. He wanted to tell you himself but I thought it was best for me to deliver the news.’

‘Why?’

‘Because more than any other person you understand how this town operates.’ She shifted back on her heels. ‘I need you to tell me what the weak spots are here. How we can get the council to lay off. Your father is the mayor. What do you think is the one thing that will turn the tide for us? Get them off our back so we can keep filming?’

My mind went blank. I needed to get out of my own head for a minute. Forget about the town’s anger with me and find the true root of the problem. Flashes of the empty shelves at the P&P, vacant seats at the Sugar Rush, flew through my head. The complaint was a smoke screen. They thought I was going to embarrass them again.

I pulled out my phone and a minute later Beck’s honeyed voice came through the receiver. Before he could say more than hello, I gave him the full story and told him it was going to take a lot more than money to fix the problem facing us now.

Chapter Thirty-One

BECK

I’m Pretty Sure They Think They’re Gonna See A Show.

The last time I was in the town council’s meeting chambers it was to receive an academic award alongside Torran when we were fifteen. It was still the same claustrophobic box with a large ten-foot wooden desk built in a semicircle at the front of the room. In one corner hung the town flag alongside the one for Tennessee. Twelve rows of chairs took up most of the space, which was filling up quickly with half the town.

Quietly each of the five council members filed into the room and took their seats behind the desk. Miles Wright sat dead center. The knot in his red-and-blue tie as stiff as he was.

Lauren took the seat on the aisle. A pile of papers sat nestled on top of her lap. Our game plan to fight the complaint. I sat beside her while Torran took the chair next to me with Manny flanking her other side. Tessa, who sat beside Manny, kept swiveling her head from side to side.

‘What’s the matter?’ Torran asked.

‘Do you smell popcorn?’ Her sister’s eyes narrowed like she was trying to find the source of the smell.

Manny’s mouth went firm. ‘Two rows behind us. I think the culprits are Ernie Fields and Brad Fulton.’

Sure enough the two of them sat, looking like twins in their matching John Deere hats, passing an oily paper bag back and forth. When they caught us staring they gave taunting smiles.

‘What the hell? Do they think this is the movies?’ Torran gaped at the men who then pulled out sodas and cracked them open.

‘No,’ Manny grumbled. ‘But I’m pretty sure they think they’re gonna see a show.’

Torran’s leg began to bounce. I wanted so badly to pull her in close. Press a soft kiss to her lips. Whisper reassurances in her ear, but I’d promised that we’d be friends, partners, so kissing her in front of most of the town was out of the question.

I leaned back and locked eyes with Tessa, silently pleading for her to do something. She gripped Torran’s hand and leaned in. They swapped quiet whispers. The only thing I could hear was Torran quietly saying the word ‘three’. Tessa gave her an empathetic smile and replied ‘four’.

Three. That was too far from eight for my liking.

The room quickly filled. Torran and Tessa whispered about Isabel from the bank who sat in the front row. Miss Cheri, Piper’s old acting teacher, stood near the back of the room. Her hair was the same cloud of big black curls as it had been ten years ago. Mrs Vanderpool sat primly in the back row with Baby tucked under her arm.

Lauren leaned in close to me. ‘Is that dog wearing a Gucci sweater?’

‘Do they make those for dogs?’ I asked.