“Sure thing,” Mary calls over her shoulder as she walks between the counter and the bar and disappears behind a swinging door.
“Have a seat at the bar,” he advises. “I can fix you anything. Coffee? Milkshake? Name your pleasure.”
“Coffee, please.”
Jake grabs a mug and coffee pot and starts to pour. I watch him quietly as he works, shifting to the back bar and quickly gathering a ceramic bowl full of creamers, a spoon, and a sugar dispenser. He pauses to read a drink order that’s popped through on the computer screen by the cash, then places my coffee and the fixings in front of me and flashes me a smile before quickly filling the drink order.
“You’re good for a guy who just fills in occasionally.”
“I worked full-time here for years before I joined the fire department,” Jake says. I watch as his gaze shifts to the windows in the front doors. He frowns. “It’s chilly out. I need to get Mr. Butterfield a blanket. Terra will be out in a sec. Hold tight.”
He turns away from me and as soon as he disappears through the swinging door to the kitchen, a petite woman—I’d guess a few hairs over five feet—with dirty blonde, shoulder-length hair in a ponytail and wearing a Hawkins Lobster t-shirt walks straight over to me. “Hi. I’m Terra Hawkins. You’re Aspen’s friend?”
“Yes. I’m Chloe Hale,” I move to step off my stool, but she motions for me to stop.
“Please. sit. Enjoy your coffee. I need to do this very informally.” Terra leans on her elbows on the opposite side of the bar. I start to pull my resume from my bag, which I’ve hooked onto the back of my chair, but she’s motioning me to stop, so I do. I watch her eyes scan the room and then the parking lot through the plate glass window. “I’m the staff manager, head of payroll and the books, and I occasionally waitress.”
I nod as her eyes land back on me. “Handling the marketing stuff is new. And…I’m kind of doing this as a surprise for the rest of my family, so I can’t have them find out.”
“Terra Hawkins you sweet little thing!”
Terra’s eyes lift, and she chuckles at the female voice that just filled the room. I can’t help but glance over my shoulder. There’s a woman in her sixties standing behind me in head-to-toe denim with the curliest hair I’ve ever seen. It looks like she slept with rollers in and took them out without brushing her hair afterward…or maybe they’re still in there somewhere.
“Hi Mrs. Cofax! How are you today?” Terra says with a wide smile.
“Same ol’ same ol’ honey,” she replies. “How are you? Still seeing our fire captain?”
“Yes, Mrs. Cofax. Happily so,” Terra replies and gives me a look that says as much as an eye roll. “And he’s not Captain yet. Soon!”
“What about your friend? You single?”
I blink. Is she talking to me? Terra speaks again before I can. “You don’t have to answer that,” Terra whispers to me and then turns her head back to Mrs. Cofax. “Still looking for speed dating candidates? My mom told you, Mrs. Cofax, you can’t solicit our patrons.”
“Ah honey, come on. I’m like cupid trying to spread the love!” Mrs. Cofax walks right up to me, and I’m instantly overwhelmed by the scent of sickly sweet floral perfume. “Go see my daughter Priscilla in Freeport. She runs that speed dating night. Only five bucks a person to attend and a minimum two drinks, but they ain’t pricey. Scilla met not one buttwohusbands at these events, so there’s proof it works.”
I can see Terra bite her lip to keep a laugh from escaping. “That’s some food for thought. Speaking of food, how was yours today?”
“Excellent as always,” Mrs. Cofax replies and starts toward the door. “You tell your Mom hi from me.”
“I will,” Terra says as Jake comes out of the back with a gray fleece blanket, and Mrs. Cofax’s entire face lights up.
“Hi handsome. Any of those burly Hawkins boys hiding back there with you?”
“Sorry, Mrs. Cofax, but no,” he says as he walks to the door and holds it open for her.
She pats his shoulder as she passes and her voice carries as the door closes. “Well, be a dear and make sure they know about the speed dating. You may be taken, but those two are perpetually single, aren’t they? Perfect candidates!”
Terra lets out a breath and a soundless chuckle. I try not to join her but can’t hide the grin on my face. “We get all the characters in here,” Terra explains. “Ocean Pines has more than its fair share.”
“I’ve noticed,” I say and think of my neighbor, Mrs. Green, who is always in everyone’s business, and the Carter house at the end of my block that has so many lawn ornaments you can barely see their lawn.
Jake walks back in. “Mr. Butterfield will now have a toasty warm nap. Oh and Mrs. Cofax gave me her daughter’s number, in case you and I don’t pan out.”
“Lucky you,” Terra laughs, not the least bit bothered.
“So… I saw what you did to Aspen’s business website. It’s great. Professional without being boring. She raves about you. Told me you’re trying to build your freelancing career after moving here from Hawaii?” Terra says and I nod. I’m grateful Aspen didn’t give away too many details. Like the fact that I’ve been here five years and haven’t had a chance to get this business really going. Then she leans across the counter. “Why the hell does anyone leave Hawaii for Maine?”
“I inherited a house here. It would take me approximately seven hundred years to afford one in Hawaii, so I moved,” I explain, and while it’s true, it’s not the total truth. The total truth is too much for someone to handle in a job interview. And really, not something Terra needs to know about.
