My experience was out of this world! The coffee took me somewhere I never imagined existed. It really opened my mind.
A rush of adrenaline flooded Greta’s veins, and she hugged herself, staring at the message until the words blurred. It sounded like Edgar had experienced something extraordinary in Iris’s coffee shop, too. If she shared her visit to Mapleville with Edgar, perhaps he’d believe her.
The phraseout of this worldtwinkled in her mind.
Greta clicked on his profile again, scanning for any red flags— shirtless selfies, posts on how to make lots of money, or claims of a former career as a doctor in the navy. But all she found were a couple of photos of an older man in a tweed jacket, smiling in front of a bookshelf. Nothing to set off any alarm bells.
Greta knew better than to trust a stranger outright, but the pull of Mapleville and the desire to connect with someone who might have had a similar experience was stronger than her wariness.
She replied,
Sounds like we’ve both been to the same coffee house. I need to return there soon for a cup of the ‘perfect blend.’
Edgar’s reply came almost instantly.
I can totally relate! It’s very rare to meet someone who understands. Feels like fate, don’t you think? When’s your next visit?
Greta’s stomach tensed.Fate?And asking when she was next going to the coffee shop? It felt a bit overly familiar.
Edgar was just a name on the screen, a stranger she’d only recently connected with. And yet, in a world where Nora, Jim and Lottie were forging ahead without her, there was something comforting about finding someone who might actually understand.
At the same time, a low, insistent hum buzzed in her stomach. A craving for another cup of Iris’s coffee? Thank goodness she could go back to the coffee shop tomorrow.
Since taking Jim to see the shell of a building, Greta’s doubts had crept in—not only about the shop, but about Jim, too. Had his disbelief in the café somehow made it disappear? Had his reaction to it caused something insideherto switch, too?
Greta slipped the phone into her pocket, still mulling over Edgar’s messages.
His enthusiasm made her want to visit Iris’s coffee shop even more. The thought of going back was starting to consume her.
The place seemed to offer so much more than just an extraordinary drink.
It felt like a lifeline.
Chapter 14
GRETA COUNTED DOWNthe hours with the eagerness of a teenager waiting for gig tickets to drop. She set an alarm, showered quickly and skipped breakfast on Sunday morning, determined to be Iris’s first customer of the day. Visiting the coffee shop again felt like an itch she had to scratch. It made her weekend feel not as long or as aimless. She could hopefully visit Mapleville again and still be home in time for dinner with Lottie.
She left a note propped against the kettle to let Lottie know she was going out for a while. Her daughter was still asleep in her bedroom and had plans with Jayden later to take Benji for a walk in the park.
Greta fastened her coat and slipped out of the flat. Her heartbeat skipped as she walked through the damp, deserted streets of Longmill. Most people were probably still in bed, enjoying a weekend lie-i n before getting up to eat bacon sandwiches and read the Sunday papers.
The town centre looked under threat from the dark sky hanging above it like a heavy blanket. The drizzle was almost invisible but left a sheen of droplets on her shoulders. It all added to Greta’s sense of anticipation. Would the coffee shop still be there, how she’d first experienced it? Or would it be the derelict shell she’d shown to Jim?
Edgar’s messages, seemingly confirming its existence, pushed her onward.
Greta made several circuits of the park to kill time. Her insides grew jumpier with each step she took towards the slender building.
When she saw a dim light inside the coffee shop, she gulped with relief. This time, the door wasn’t peeling, and there was no chain or rusty padlock. The weeds were gone, and the shop looked open. She checked her watch, and again, the second hand quivered at 11:00 a.m.
Her hand shook as she pushed down on the handle, a bell tinkling as she stepped inside. The air was warm, and the rich aroma of coffee and other infusions wrapped around her like a favourite scarf.
Iris stood behind the counter, just as calm and still as before. Her slight smile made Greta feel understood and mystified at the same time.
‘Morning, dear,’ Iris said, dropping something in her jade bowl and crushing it.
‘Morning,’ Greta replied, stepping up to the counter. ‘Am I the first one here?’
‘It certainly looks that way.’
