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Chapter Fifteen
Claire grabbed a small shopping cart and made her way into the produce section of the grocery store. She slowly walked up and down the aisles, carefully inspecting the piles of fresh fruits and vegetables. The store was quiet this afternoon, with just a few other shoppers browsing nearby.
As Claire came upon a display of avocados, she paused to gently squeeze several, looking for ones that were perfectly ripe. Claire was focused entirely on her careful avocado selection, tuning out the soft background music and other ambient sounds of the grocery store. She was caught off guard when a delighted voice suddenly called out her name from the other end of the produce aisle, breaking through her concentration.
"Claire! Hey!"
Claire looked up from the avocados to see Eva grinning and waving at her from the other end of the produce aisle. Pushing her cart slowly in Claire's direction, Eva had a cheerful sparkle in her warm brown eyes. They'd only seen each other an hour before, but Claire was happy to see her again too.
"Eva! Hi!" Claire responded, unable to stop an instinctive smile from spreading across her own face. She hadn't expected to encounter anyone familiar during this routine grocery run, though it was a small town so she shouldn't have been surprised. "Are you stocking up for the bakery?"
Eva nodded, glancing down at her cart. "Yeah, just needed to grab a few things - milk, eggs, butter. The usual essentials to get us through to the next delivery in two days." She looked back up at Claire. "Are you finding everything you need here in town?"
Claire considered the question as she moved slowly down the aisle, Eva keeping pace beside her. She realized that aside from the downtown square, she actually hadn't ventured much into the surrounding community.
"I'm still getting familiar with the area," she admitted, searching for a head of lettuce that looked crisp. "Any recommendations on places I should check out?"
"On Saturday mornings, the farmer's market sets up in the park. It's a good place to meet people in the community, and there is some amazing produce there. When fruit is in season I try to get it there and use it in specials during the week."
When they reached the pasta, Claire grabbed a box of linguine. "That sounds delicious. I'll have to go there. I've been trying some new recipes lately," she explained. "It helps me wind down after a long day of painting."
"Pasta is amazing. You'll have to let me know if you discover any good recipes."
In the freezer section, Claire impulsively grabbed a pint of chocolate ice cream. When Eva raised an eyebrow, Claire shrugged and said "Sometimes you just need a little pick-me-up at the end of a long day, though I haven't had many of those lately. I'm getting back into it though."
"No ice cream judgment here." Eva laughed. "Chocolate therapy is totally valid. I'm partial to cookie dough though." She grabbed a pint for herself.
As they approached the checkout lanes, Claire felt reluctant for their grocery store trip to end.
"This was fun," Eva said.
"I thought so too," Claire agreed. They loaded their groceries onto the conveyor belt, both smiling.
Eva was an easy person to talk to. In fact, their conversation came so naturally that Claire felt like they had known each other for a long time. She couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed an interaction with a near-stranger as much as she did with Eva.
After chatting idly while waiting in the checkout line, Claire and Eva made their way out of the grocery store, both pushing carts laden with purchases. The sunny afternoon wrapped around them as they crossed the parking lot toward their vehicles.
When they arrived at Claire's older model sedan, she turned to Eva with a warm smile. "It was really nice bumping into you like this," she said sincerely.
Eva nodded, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "It definitely was." She met Claire's eyes. "Hopefully I'll see you again soon?"
Claire heard a hint of hopeful anticipation in Eva's voice, and she tried not to read into it. "Actually, what's the pastry special at the bakery tomorrow?" she asked. "I was thinking of stopping by in the morning. It's easily become my favorite part of the morning."
"Lemon strawberry scones," Eva answered, her face lighting up. "They turned out delicious - sweet and tangy."
"That sounds amazing," said Claire. "I'll have to swing by and try one. Save me one?"
"Absolutely," Eva replied. "I'll set one aside for you. Have a great rest of your day, Claire!"
They exchanged a final wave before Eva headed off toward her own car. Claire watched her for a moment before climbing into her driver's seat.
Chapter Sixteen
Early that evening Eva stepped back and surveyed the array of ingredients and equipment she had gathered on the counter - bags of flour and sugar, sticks of butter, bottles of extracts and spices, mixing bowls, measuring cups, whisks, and spoons.
Tying on a cherry-printed apron, Eva scanned her handwritten list of recipe ideas, feeling energized. She put on a cheerful folk-pop playlist before washing her hands and beginning to measure out the ingredients for an olive oil honey bread.
Humming along to the music, Eva focused on sifting the flour, whisking the wet ingredients, and kneading the dough. She added a drizzle of orange blossom honey and infused olive oil, inhaling the sweet, earthy aroma. If she could get the recipe right, it would be a special treat at the bakery soon.
