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He stands to his full height and looks at his watch. “That’s okay. I have to get to work. I just wanted to say hello before my shift started, but I’ll be by the library in a couple of days. I volunteered to help out at the fundraiser this year.”
The library has an annual fundraiser every fall to help with the budget for the following year. Funding has been dwindling for years, but the community of Balsam Ridge always steps up to help keep it running.
“Then, I guess we’ll be seeing a lot of each other,” I tell him.
“That’s the plan.”
I blush at his words, and he gives me a flirtatious wink as he backs toward the door. Just as he turns to leave, the door swings open, and Erin, Jena, and Taeli come barreling through with their arms full.
“Ladies,” he greets.
“Hi, Kevin,” Erin says as she slides past him.
“Hi,” Jena and Taeli say in unison.
Kevin looks back once more and waves before disappearing onto the patio.
They set their bags on the counter and take a seat on the stools.
“What was Officer Handsome doing here?” Erin asks.
“He just dropped in to see how the café was coming along,” I answer.
“Sure he did,” she mutters.
“What?” I ask.
“Girl, that man has been circling you ever since he and Jessica broke up and she moved to Georgia,” Jena says.
I shrug because it’s true. For months now, he has been coming into the library to browse the shelves and popping in to see if I need help at the café, and he has even given us girls rides home in his patrol car when we are out late.
“If he doesn’t get up the nerve to ask you out soon, you’re going to have to ask him and put him out of his misery,” Erin adds.
“Um, I don’t know,” I mumble.
“Why not? He’s hot,” Jena points out.
“I wouldn’t even know how to ask him out.”
“Are you serious? In this day and age, it’s easy-peasy. Get some KY and slide into his DMs,” Erin suggests.
“Ew.”
“Don’t be so uptight. That’s what people do now,” she insists.
“Uptight? I am not uptight. I’m the loosest friend you have,” I protest.
Laughter erupts from them all.
“Yeah, I heard it, and that’s not what I meant. I’m just saying that I’m easygoing,” I clarify.
Jena offers a more reasonable solution. “Next time he stops by, just tell him you’re hungry and ask if he wants to go over to Village Pizza and grab a slice with you. The rest will happen naturally.”
“Maybe I will,” I quip.
“You should. He’s a catch,” Taeli urges.
I look into the bags and start fishing out the wares. “What all did you guys bring?”
“Supplies,” Erin answers.
“I thought this was a working session, not a party,” I say as I pull out the chips, salsa, beer, and wine.
Taeli holds up the red Solo cups. “It can be both.”
“Fine, but no booze until we are at least halfway through our assignment,” I agree.
“Deal. Put us to work,” Jena says.
“Okay. Tell me when you’re ready,” Jena says.
“Now.”
She flips the overhead lights off, and the café darkens. A moment later, I click the remote in my hand.
“Oh, wow, Ansley,” Taeli says.
We spent the first few hours sanding and staining the old pallets. Then, we used my brand-new nail gun to stack them in an alternating pattern and adhere them to the wall behind the small stage platform I had made. Once they were secure, we wove remote-controlled twinkling lights through the planks, and I added some greenery to give it a fairy-garden feel.
The glow of the lights through the wood to backlight the tiny stage is magical, and I squeal in delight. “It’s perfect!”
“I swear, if this café thing doesn’t work out, you could do the interior design shit for a living. How did you even come up with this?” Jena asks.
“I saw a show on television where they were using old shipping pallets to make a privacy wall on someone’s back deck, and I thought, why not use them to make a cool accent wall? When I decided to put the stage in for live entertainment with local guitarists and singers down the road, I figured it would make for great mood lighting. Maybe shift the ambiance from a morning coffee rush to a laid-back meeting place or date-night option. I’ve even considered getting a license to serve wine by the glass after five in the evening.”
“That’s a fabulous idea. Graham and I are always looking for new places to hang out. People our age don’t want to hang out at the bars or go to the arcade. This would be the perfect after-dinner place to sit by the fire, listen to music, and get to know each other,” Taeli praises.
“I think so too. It will be a while before I can get it going. I’ll have to see how the café does first, but it’s definitely something I’m interested in expanding to later.”
Erin snatches a bottle and holds it up. “Let’s toast to that!”
We all take a cup. Jena opens the chips and salsa, and I grab the furniture catalogs.
I show them the pages I dog-eared with the sofas and chairs I liked.
“I say the leather wraparound sofa for in front of the fireplace and a couple of leather chairs on each side. Then, this big coffee table for the center,” Taeli suggests.
“The leather is so much more expensive,” Erin points out.
“Yeah, but think about it. People will be drinking coffee and eating sticky pastries. Children will have cocoa and be coloring and reading and spilling,” Taeli says.
“Oh, you’re right. Leather is much easier to wipe down,” Jena agrees.
