"And interesting theory," Eloise said to Bess. "That is kind of creepy. But maybe if you have the misfortune, or perhaps the honor, to be near someone when they pass, you can make sure the last thing they hear is something good and kind."
Tess rolled her eyes. "They wouldn't know the difference. They're dead."
The easy dismissal was grating and she watched Bess's eyes narrow.
"Your hair looks cute today, Tess," Eloise said brightly and Tess looked taken aback once again. Bess rolled her eyes before she started wiping down the bar.
"Oh, uh, thanks," she said with uncertainty as if the kindness was a style of clothing she'd never tried on before, and wasn't sure if it would fit.
"Delivery for an Eloise Willow."
Eloise smiled at the woman pushing a dolly with eight boxes through the front door. She carefully sliced through tape and cardboard and pulled out a heavy ten-pound black, sealed bag. When she opened it she closed her eyes slowly breathing in. Cherries, dark chocolate, an earthy undertone and a splash of whiskey filled her senses. She smiled at the joy filling her, letting the smell take hold. The beans were dark with a gleam of oil, the thickness of their aroma a prologue to what it could create by the art of her hand.
She walked back behind the bar where she had spent the morning setting up a new station with a few additions. She measured out exactly eighteen grams of beans before pouring them into the burr grinder where the freshly ground beans poured into the portafilter. The Weiss tool helped distribute the perfectly ground espresso before she tamped it firmly and slid it into the machine watching the calibration time. She steamed the whole milk, the sound of the wand frothing loud at first then softer, as the thick mahogany crema of the espresso was pulled down and into a mug. She poured the steamed milk and foam perfectly into the mug ; a beautifully plump white heart surrounded by caramel-colored foam.
"Come here, both of you," she said. She handed Bess the mug. "Taste this."
"I'm not drinking after someone," Tess said.
Eloise counted to five in her head as she started the process over. As the next cup was being made, Bess tasted it and she watched as the teenager frowned into the mug and looked up in awe.
"Holy shnike that's insane. Like, that's...what did you do to this? This isn't just espresso and milk."
"It is," she replied, then finished off the second mug before handing it to Tess.
"Okay, is this like magic coffee or something because that is the smoothest shit I have ever tasted."
Eloise smiled and Bess gave her a look. "I thought you didn't believe in magic."
"I don't," the blonde said with a shrug. "But you have to admit that was some potion stuff right there. This isn't like our usual coffee."
"That," Eloise said with emphasis, "is the difference of great coffee beans and using the right grinder and tools." She pointed to the now-fixed burr grinder. "If you take shortcuts with coffee, you'll taste it. I'm going to teach you exactly how to make this and that will be the basics. No drink will be made behind this bar without the attention it deserves. Yeah?"
Both girls nodded and gathered to where she started from the beginning.
The customers were coming in, the smell of coffee (good coffee) filled the cafe and soon the sounds of delighted customers could be heard all around. Compliments and questions, raised eyebrows and confusion to which the three women simply said, "We got better beans." The entire town of Salem shifted just the slightest as word spread from mouth to mouth, through text, and a few emails.
By the end of the morning rush, and as two other baristas came in for their shift, Bess and Tess were red-cheeked and elated.
"We've never gotten so many tips," Bess gushed, looking through the overflowing and stuffed jar.
"We're going to need a bigger jar," Tess's astonished words made her smile and Eloise reveled in her genuine joy sans attitude.
"Alright, I'm out."
Both of them turned to her, their faces of delight sliding into fear.
"Wait, you have to teach them how to make the new coffee."
"You just made about one hundred drinks. You teach them. You've got this. And tomorrow, we'll add in some pizazz."
"What's pizazz?" she heard Tess whisper.
"Hey, Eloise? What's pizazz?!" Bess called after her but she walked out the front door lifting her hand in a backward wave and smiled. As she pushed the glass door out, someone on the other side pulled, and the combined forces propelled her through the doorway and onto the sidewalk. She braced herself for a fall but hands wrapped around her arms holding her steady. The smell of sweet oranges and smoked hickory made her open her eyes to a smiling Detective Taylor White.
She extracted herself from his close proximity, which was warm and unnecessarily inviting.
"Look at you doing your good deed for the day," she said, readjusting her leather tote bag on her shoulder and trying to shake how her body responded to his.
