Harper
“Morning, all,” he says, cocky and annoying. It’s not just the ego boost that he must get from having half the town in here just to watch him order coffee. Which, today, is everyone from yesterday, plus the aunts and Braxton and his buddies. I didn’t even know they could wake up this early.
I also feel like the Dark Lord knows I had grand plans to avoid him. But Madison is down with a stomach bug.
“Large black coffee, please, and today’s request is your bagel box.”
I just nod.
Everyone starts to gush about how great the bagel variety box is. Dad’s bread is really good, yes, but it’s my new cream cheese recipes that take them to the next level. I don’t comment though, I just grin as they sing the food’s praises.
“Quite a crowd this morning, Harper,” Aiden says to my back. I can hear him shift, addressing the room, “I expect you allpaidfor your breakfasts?”
Most of them didn’t.
I know it, they know it, he does too.
“Suppose it’s on me then,” he grumbles. I turn back and frown,you want me to ring up all their orders?“Yes,” he replies like I spoke out loud. “Ring up all their orders so far this morning plus the bagels.”
I narrow my eyes, but, feeling a bit like Stuart, I do exactly what he says. It takes a while and the whole group thanks him while hemming and hoeing about a “friends and family discount” that doesn’t actually exist. Aiden watches me with a severity that makes me itchy. And probably blotchy.
I turn the iPad to him and he reaches out to cover my hand with his.
My skin buzzes. Malfunction in the register?
“No more friends and family discounts,” he says. I…I can’t seem to react. I just feel like my hand is on fire. He pulls away and turns to the room, “No more freeloading. Here or elsewhere in town. You want to be profitable, the very bare minimum you can do isactually chargefor your wares.”
Everyone murmurs and looks down, like a kindergarten class that was just given a severe scolding by a grumpy principal. Including me. Minus the murmuring.
“It’s a common mistake,” his voice finds my back. “If anything, friends and family should pay double. You are each other’s…people, I imagine?” He asks it like having a village of support is a strange, unpleasant concept.
“Yeah!” Shelly and Betty say in unison.
Tyrone says, “Ya, dat’s right!”
Others chime in.
“Well, then bloody act like it. You’re not running charities here. Honestly. Think, people.” He scoffs back.
There he is.Thought for a second maybe he wasn’t an unbearable, rude tyrant.Ha!
I give him the most politePlease Get Out of My Storesmile that I can muster as I hand over the huge bag containing a bagel box and various cream cheeses.
“So? When’s the next little holiday?” He sneers the last word of his question.
I keep my face the same and lift my hand to point to the sign. Next up is our Easter Market with the usual farmer’s market activities, plus egg hunts, bunny races and whatever else Steven and I can come up with.
He scans the information then looks back at me. He lowers his voice, since everyone is absolutely listening to him and says, “You do talk sometimes. I’ve heard your voice, it exists. Surely you talk to customers? To Vendors? To your employees?”
I answer simply, my fake smile intact, “To friends.”
He freezes.
The whole room freezes.
“BUUUUURN!” Braxton breaks the silence. Then his friends chime in on top of each other,
“Bro just got roasted at theRoastedChestnut!”
