Page 26 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes
“You’re gonna tell me the story between you two, right? Cause I looked her up, and there’s no way Wonderwood’s Pier Princess woke up one day and decided to go to bat for you.”
“You’re reading into things.”
“Andyou’rea terrible liar. You’re both the same age. She didn’t go to Wonderwood Public, but her best friend did. And, judging by some past social media pictures where she looksverycozy with some pretty ladies, I’m gonna bet she’s in the rainbow brigade like us.”
“Ladies—?! Where did you see that? I mean,there’s nothing!”
Daisy snapped loudly enough that Candace paused her scrubbing. They all stared at one another for a beat. Blessedly, a customer chose that moment to materialize, and Daisy rushed to greet them.
The group was your average post-sunset roving band, a halfdozen college-aged fun-seekers. They looked like they might be with some kind of sorority, with a few of them wearing matching logo shirts. Their apparent leader was a tall, tanned, gorgeous young woman wearing a sheer white saran over an eye-poppingly red bikini. She tilted her head at Daisy, tapping a black painted fingernail against her plump lower lip.
“You’re not the person I messaged?”
“Um, no. But I can help you. What would you like? Our special flavor of the week is strawberry cream cheese, it’s homemade with local berries.”
“Oh, I’ll have one of those,” she said with confidence. “And three Bomb Bonanzas.”
Daisy stared at the girl. Individually, the words made sense. Yet, she hadnoidea what they meant in this context.
“Three… what?”
The group shared confused glances. The young woman frowned, saying, “The deal you have? The Memorial Day Bomb Bonanza, every flavor bagel you have for a discount. We talked to Candace online about how our sorority was throwing a breakfast party. These bombs are going to be perfect.”
Like a springboard, Candace popped up beside Daisy.
“Yes! Marta, from Delta Sigma Pi. I was starting to think you lost your appetite.”
“Never,mamacita! Especially if it’s cooked up by you.” She giggled at something her friend whispered, and batted her long, enhanced lashes at Candace. “But first, you promised to tell me about your sorority days...”
“Well, it was a little wild…” Elbows on the counter, Candace leaned in and dropped her voice low. Whatever she said next made ‘Marta’ throw her head back with laughter. The girl’s magenta, purple, and blue bisexual flag earrings jingled as she not-so-subtly played with one.
Daisy could not take any more. Scowling, she stepped back while the pair flirted through the painfully long order.
“Huh,” Rio once again Iago’ed in her ear, “that answers that question. Maybe I have a chance to be her Birdo after all.Unless… there are any other takers.”
“Hell no!This princess is staying far away from that castle.”
Daisy had been looking at Rio while she spoke, but she turned her gaze to find Candace right in front of her.
“Um…” Candace tried to sidle past Daisy, very deliberately avoiding her eyes. “Excuse me.”
She ducked into the back room and returned with three packed containers from the freezer. Marta and her friends took the boxes, but not before slipping in a few more suggestive comments Candace’s way. Meanwhile, Daisy ground her teeth.
When they were out of sight and, most importantly, fully paid, Daisy forced Candace to face her. Arms crossed, she demanded, “What the hell was that?”
“Hungry customers? I don’t know what the problem is. Are you mad at me for making a sale?”
Daisy stared her down, but the woman was unfazed.
Candace was a good liar. There was no quaver to her voice, no hint of doubt. Just confidence thatshewas the one being wronged and howdareDaisy for doing it.
“You’re my problem, you—”
“Oh, shit,” Rio exclaimed. They looked at their phone with awe. “Princess Peach brought us into the 2010s.”
“What?”
Rio angled their phone towards Daisy, who promptly snatched it. A vein throbbed in her forehead as she scrolled. Instagram, Threads, Facebook, BlueSky, TikTok… Bagel Bombs! had a profile on each app, and probably more.
