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Maybe I was too worked up to sleep any more than I had. I hadn’t really gotten a whole lot of rest for days, and by all rights, I probably should have stayed in bed until I heard Ryan rolling around outside my door. But the second my eyes opened, I was up and ready for the day.
I made my favorite cinnamon rolls to thank Ryan, taking one with me as I slipped out of the door and into the rideshare I was able to score for a normal price. It wasn’t until the car was pulling away that I realized I didn’t bring any coffee with me. Oh well, I thought. I’d already spent money on this ride anyway to get these errands done, I might as well swing by somewhere with coffee.
Driving into town, I asked the driver if there was somewhere I could get coffee, and he laughed. Apparently, the craze of a coffee shop on every corner hadn’t quite hit Murdock. However, there was a diner in town that served good, strong brew. It was a couple of blocks from my first stop, so that was helpful. All of my errands for the day could be taken care of in the small downtown area, which was very walkable.
The diner was exactly what I expected it to be, and a slight hint of nostalgia brushed me as I walked inside. I had the vague feeling I had been there before, probably with my dad or grandparents. I could almost see them sitting in one of the booths having breakfast, and I couldn’t tell if the thought made me happy or sad.
The waitress behind the bar gave me an odd look. Whether it was because I was a stranger or because of the giant cinnamon roll in my hand as I waited for the coffee, I didn’t know. Once I got it, though, I happily strolled out and over to the utility company office down the street.
As I walked in the door, the cinnamon roll was finished, and I was halfway done with my coffee already. The man behind the counter smiled in the way that people who have to deal with customers face to face do all the time. The barely concealed contempt for the public seething behind his eyes, he pulled himself up straight.
“How can I help you?” he asked.
“Hi, I need to get the electricity and the water turned on at my house,” I said.
“Do you have a delinquent bill?” he asked in a tone that said he was used to the request, but also used to turning people down for it.
“No,” I said. “Not as far as I know. The management company probably just turned them off.”
I gave him the address and he reluctantly typed it in.
“Ahh,” he said. “Yes, the services were turned off quite some time ago. There is a reconnection fee.”
“That’s fine,” I said.
“It is thirty dollars,” he said, emphasizing each consonant as if it was some exorbitant sum that he was sure I couldn’t afford.
“Yeah, that’s okay. Do you need cash, or can I pay with a card?” I asked.
“Cash would be preferable,” he said stiffly.
Rather than allow him to ruin my good mood, I just forked over the cash and listened to his spiel about their billing policy and how it could take an hour or so before services were restored. I nodded in boredom until he was done and then took the receipt and headed to my next destination.
The next stop was the bank, but as I walked, I followed the instructions on the pamphlet I’d picked up about getting some inspections done. It was designed for people who were in the market for buying a home, but the information would work for me too. I just needed someone to tell me what all was wrong with the house.
The bank turned out to be a bit of a bust for my main purpose. It was a local one, and while I was able to open up a new account there and deposit the check from the management company, the chances of getting a loan any time soon was pretty low. The manager told me the loan officer was out for the week on vacation, and they would get back to me soon. Shrugging, I figured that was better than them telling me no flat-out.
It was nearly eleven when my phone rang, just as I was leaving the bank.
“Hello?” I asked.
“Is this Ms. Daniels?” the voice on the other end asked. “This is Marvin from the auto shop.”
“Hi, Marvin,” I said. “Have you had a chance to look at my car?”
“I have,” he said, and the hesitation in his voice told me almost everything I needed to know. “Could you meet me at the shop today?”
“Sure,” I said. “I’m actually only a couple blocks from you right now. I will head right over.”
