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Maye poked her head in between Sandra and Laura, but Sandra gracefully stepped to the side, blocking her view. “Good,” Sandra said. “What else?”
“Oo, I have one,” Laura said. “They can be guest taste testers in the baking contest, and we can make a new rule that the tasters have to spoon feed each other.”
“No,” Maye interjected. “We are not—”
“Wow, that’s very specific,” Sandra said. “And also very intimate. Okay, these are good. What else?”
“If we sign them up for the three-legged race,” Laura said, “we can tamper with their ankle ties so they fall down together and get all tangled up and—”
“Okay, easy Laura…” Sandra interrupted.
“Sorry,” Laura said. “The book shop’s been getting a lot of hockey player romance lately.”
Sandra looked back and forth between Tracy and Laura. “Alright, I have an idea, but it’s not going to be popular.”
Tracy and Laura leaned in and Maye listened intently.
“We could bring back The Forbidden Fruit,” Sandra said finally.
The group gasped simultaneously. Estelle, who was standing within earshot, clutched her pearls.
“Wouldn’t that require a temporary override of the bylaw that banned the activity?” Laura asked.
“Bylaws,” Sandra said, emphasizing the s at the end. “They tried to make it virtually impossible to overturn the restrictions put in place to retire the contest.”
“I could try to talk to Todd at Town Hall?” Tracy offered. “Maybe enough time has passed and the Fall Fest Contest Subcommittee would consider it?”
“Right,” Sandra said. “You get on that and Laura and I will start working our networks.”
“What kind of grassroots uprising are you trying to start here?” Maye said. “We have actual work to do!” Maye turned to face all of the volunteers and announced, “New rule for volunteers. No conspiring allowed during your shifts!”
“Okay, everyone,” Tracy announced from behind Maye. “We’ll be meeting at Fitzy’s after to do some team building and stuff like that.”
“New rule!” Maye announced. “No conspiring allowed during Fall Fest at all! Period. No exceptions!”
But it was too late. The volunteers were no longer standing in organized groups based on their preferred task. Sandra, Laura, and Tracy had everyone gathered in an unarranged mass that would be working to undermine Maye’s every effort to move forward without any tomfoolery nor matchmaking antics.
Maye found a quiet spot and she texted Chris.
Maye:
Are you still planning to visit the Greenville Fall Fest?
Chris:
Abso-freakin-lutely!
Maye’s heavy shoulders felt lighter as a smile broke out across her face.
Maye:
Well, we might have a problem. Word may have slipped out that you’ll be here and the whole town could soon be conspiring to get us to fall in love.
Chris:
By pairing us up in activities and forced proximity tactics?
Maye:
