Page 65 of It's a Brewtiful Day
The first few buses arrived and unloaded without too much trouble. Guests—mostly those with young families—wandered around, preferring the snack station and the arts and crafts table and dome area over anything else. I tried to encourage them to actually check out the telescopes, but not many of the wayward guests did.
However, I spent a few minutes at the telescopes, and it was incredible what they showed me. Upon seeing the rings of Saturn and Jupiter’s giant red spot, it was unbelievably hard to not be excited about that. After that, I spent most of my time walking between the buses and the telescope area, the excitement in my voice drying out my throat.
Once my travel mug had emptied, I spied my sister under the Coffee Loft tent and headed over for a refill.
“How’s it going?” I asked Cassie.
“Oh my gosh, it’s been so busy, right?” She lifted her booted foot and rolled it in the air, a few inches above the ground, sighing heavenly.
“So busy. No doubt I have all my steps in just working this event, let alone all the steps I did walking to and from work.” I handed Nina my travel mug, ready for another refill. I was a tad chilled, but mostly, I needed the drink to keep my throat from drying out. “Been busy here, Nina?”
There wasn’t a lineup waiting for the sweet treats, however, it did look like she was low on cookies.
“Non-stop.” She slowly filled me up with another hot chocolate and offered me one of the last two cookies.
“I’m good, but thanks.”
“Oh, would one of you do me a huge favour?” Nina asked with a sprig of hope colouring her words. “It’ll take about half an hour.”
I set my travel mug down on the side of the table. “What do you need?”
“Can you watch the till while I run back to the Coffee Loft and grab some rolled coins? I’m out of loonies and toonies, and I need to pick up another carafe of hot chocolate and a bin of cookies.”
I cleared my throat. “I thought Elliot was doing that?” Because, deep down, I had hoped to see him in passing and had often checked Nina’s table just in case.
“He is, but Molly is doing the running between here and there, and apparently, she’s flaked off for the night and Elliot has another carafe or two, I guess,” Nina checked her phone, “and another bin of cookies ready to go. It should get me through the rest of the night.”
“Tell you what,” my sister said, her gaze flipping between me and Nina. “Why don’t we go pick up the items for you? That way you can continue to promote the Coffee Loft.”
“Um, we don’t have a car, Cass.” Surely, she was seeing right through her mistake. I know I was.
“You can take mine,” Nina said. “She’s a beater, but she’s solid.” She dug out her keys from her jacket pocket and handed them over. “I’d be forever grateful.” She nodded toward the group of people walking toward us. “It’s the brown Civic parked near the entrance with a giant Coffee Loft logo on the back.”
We stepped to the side as the people advanced and Nina served them. I overheard her tell the customers there were more cookies coming.
A heavy guilt pressed on my shoulders, and I swiped the keys from Cassie’s hands. “I drive faster.”
Cassie waved at Nina. “Be back shortly.”
We race-walked to the car and found it without issue. It started rough but eventually began to purr, so I put the car into gear, and we left Lake Annette behind.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’redoing.” I grabbed tight to the steering wheel as I navigated out of the parking lot and onto the road.
She had the audacity to look surprised. “What am I doing?”
I just shook my head. “You can go in and get the carafes and bins, and I’ll just wait in the car.”
“Do you really think that’s the best idea?” She cocked her perfectly manicured eyebrow. “You’re much stronger than me.”
“I don’t thinkanyof this is a good idea. Elliot has a girlfriend and you’re just going to make us both uncomfortable by pushing me and him together.”
“Wait,” her voice pitched a whole octave, “he has a girlfriend? Since when?”
“Since like a few days after the storm. For all I know, he maybe had her before then too, but being all typical guy, he said nothing.” Suddenly, embers of anger ignited in my gut at a rapid pace. That would be how the story unfolded for me.
“And how would you know?”
“Because I’ve seen them together. Twice.” I didn’t even look in Cassie’s direction, but from the corner of my eye, she melted into her seat.