Page 7 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes
Daisy
The tide was a tricky force of nature.
Ebbing and flowing by the moon’s rule, it tugged at the world’s watery domains like magic. The gravitational dance was predictable, a known quantity to live and move by. Yet, in acts of prestidigitation, sometimes, the tide could produce unexpected curiosities.
Lost treasures from vessels sunk long ago…
Terrific creatures from unexplored depths…
Today, it brought trash.
Or, more specifically, a trash person named Candace Perry. Even after all this time, it was unmistakably her. For years, Daisy had the biggest crush on the girl and thought she could do no wrong. A mistake, as it turned out. That crush was dead and gone, leaving them here.
Salesperson andcustomer.
Daisy could count on her hands the number of times she turned someone away. Between vendor bills and the rent she owed King Wonderwood himself, Peter Perry, she wasn’t in a position to be choosy. It was a last resort reserved for the most irate, detestable customers—the bottom feeders and walking-algae scum that somehow ended up with sentience enough to place a coffee order.
So, Candace definitely qualified.
Saying nothing, Daisy started closing up shop while the trash stood there gaping.
“Excuse me? I asked for—”
“I heard you,” Daisy cut her off. “We’re closed.”
“It’s not even 9AM yet. Your coffee pot is still on, and you just served this man here.”
Daisy’s attention flicked to Norman, her die-hard regular seated atop the one stool that didn’t yet wobble. He was an old fart in the best way, always outfitted in a classic suit and tie because that was how people from his generation dressed when they came onto the boardwalk. He kept reading his newspaper, ignoring or, more likely, not hearing the exchange.
With a shrug, Daisy folded her arms and did her best club-bouncer impression.
“Well, we’re closed now.”
The woman switched tactics. She flashed a dazzling smile that had probably never failed to win someone over.
“Please? It’s not like I’m asking for much. I’d be grateful.”
Daisy scowled. Mainly because she knew that if it hadn’t been for their history, the plea would have worked. Candace Perry had grown into the gorgeous archetype of femininity and poise she was always meant to be. The creamy white, belted and collared romper she wore was a business cut, yet the material could not help contouring to curves that gave Sydney Sweeney a run for her money. Matching wedge sandals added a couple of inches to her height, but that pristine smile and all the warmth it radiated seemed to lift her up on a pedestal. Anyone would fall to their knees before such a sight.
Which made Daisy stand even straighter.
“I don’t care what you’re asking for. I said no. Why don’t you go to the fun pier,Candace? I’m sure your uncle will buy you a coffee.”
“You… um… remember me?”
Daisy scoffed. “Yeah. Yeah, I do. You were a mean girl bitch. Now, screw off to someone who will put up with your shit.”
Stunning eyes that used to make Daisy’s knees weak went wide with… anger? Shame? It was hard to tell because the woman’s expression remained the same. Still, her admittedly attractive face turned bright crimson.
Daisy almost backed down. Sure, she had daydreamed this hundreds of times. Seeing Candace Perry again, after all these years, and being able to turn her away. Just like she should have the last time they saw one another, when Candace broke Daisy’s heart.
But maybe Candace had changed. It was a small town, and locals gossiped about each other on the regular. Daisy heard that Candace went out of state for college, finally breaking from under her uncle’s thumb to make her own way. She got out, moved on, and was living her best life—an accountant or something that had to do with money. She likely did not remember the “bagel girl” she met so many summers ago. Not in the way Daisy remembered Candace.
The idea that Daisy could simply be forgotten stung. She hid it under a blank expression, determined not to fold.
And she didn’t.
Candace, however, did. Like a fast summer storm, a downpour descended on her cheeks. Full-on, uncontrolled emotion unleashed in a wild torrent. Passersby slowed to watch. If Candace didn’t pull it together soon, she’d end up as a meme on someone’s social feed. Worse, Daisy might, and her struggling business didn’t need that kind of exposure.
