“Did you sleep all right?” As a bold conversational gambit, it left something to be desired.
“I did. Floor notwithstanding.”
Viv smiled. “Someday, I’ll get around to that bed.”
* * *
When they’d finished,Viv rummaged for cheese in the cold box and grabbed a few linen-wrapped pastries from the pantry. Tandri joined her in the kitchen, and they engaged in the well-worn routines of the morning—firing up the stove, lighting the lanterns and chandelier, filling the machine’s oil reservoir, checking the cream, and arranging the mugs. They picked at the food and moved about one another in slow synchrony.
Then Viv opened the door, and the gentle spell was broken like a soap bubble.
The noise of the day overtook them both, the murky threat of Fennus receded, and the warm other place they’d occupied all morning became more and more dreamlike. The smells of Thimble’s baking and the clatter of his cheerful labors filled up the kitchen as they greeted regulars. Chatter rumbled from the dining area, and the clink of mugs and plates skittered below it.
Cal dropped by, and Viv showed him the stove she planned to order for Thimble. He read the measurements carefully and squinted at the wall and the stove, while Thimble rummaged in the pantry.
“Hm,” Cal said, stroking his chin with a thumb. “Well, s’pose you could fit it there, but goin’ to be mighty crowded. May be that you’d best make do with what you have. Auto-circulator keeps up now, but with two fireboxes? Could be you’re back where you started and sweatin’ when you’d rather not. Might be you have to look for a bigger place, an’ leave this one behind, if you’re set on it?”
That was frustrating, and of course, moving wasn’t an option. Viv glanced at the back room, from which Thimble hadn’t emerged. She didn’t look forward to seeing his disappointment when she told him. “That’s a real shame. But I guess I have one other thing you might help with.”
Viv led Cal into the dining area. “We’ve got a bard that comes in and plays back here.” She gestured toward the far wall between the booths. “I’m thinking maybe a little… stage? Something higher up, with a step.”
“Sure. Sure,” said Cal, happy to be able to agree to something.
They talked details, and he tipped his cap and went on his way, carrying a hot to-go mug and a Thimblet with him.
* * *
All too soon,the day was done.
"We’re not going to argue about the sleeping arrangements again, are we?” asked Tandri archly.
“Never let it be said that I don’t learn from my mistakes.”
Tandri hummed.
“Although maybe you can keep your tail to yourself this time.” Viv smiled, her back turned as she put away the last of the mugs.
Tandri laughed softly. “Dinner?” she asked, as though they often ate an evening meal together.
Viv glanced over at Amity, curled up under the trestle table. For a wonder, the beast had stayed in the shop the whole day. It was reassuring. “I should definitely eat something besides Thimble’s baking,” said Viv. She slapped her stomach. “My clothes are feeling a little tight these days.”
Tandri snorted and opened the door.
They locked up and strolled to the High Street, found a place that neither of them had visited before, and had a meal together. They talked about Laney’s latest wheedling attempts to extract recipes from Thimble, how to break the news of the scuttled oven plans to their baker, and about Pendry and a few of his more ardent admirers.
“His biggest fan was back again yesterday. Early, so she got a good seat,” observed Viv.
“The one with the hair?” Tandri gestured, miming windblown curls.
“That’s the one. I don’t think Pendry’s noticed yet.”
“Hmmm. Well, people tend not to notice what’s in front of them until it nearly knocks them down.”
Viv was about to reply with an offhanded quip, but something about Tandri’s expression made her reevaluate.
Eventually, she managed, “I guess that’s true.”
The conversation moved on.
