Page 33 of The Good Luck Cafe
Moira didn’t often find herself nervous, but right now, she kept having to remind herself to breathe. Her palms felt slick as she rubbed them against the thighs of her black pants. She knew everyone in this room, and as far as she was aware, everyone here loved Sweetie’s Bakeshop. They’d stand behind her. She’d be fine. All she had to do was speak what was in her heart. It didn’t hurt that Gil was the town’s mayor, and he was on her side. Wasn’t that what he’d said last night? That he wasn’t done looking for alternative locations for the parking lot?
Moira was barely listening as the first community member took their turn at the mic. The woman was saying something about a neighbor’s free-range chickens going into her yard and taunting her fenced-in dogs.
“I don’t let my shepherds run around free range in the neighborhood. Why does she get to keep her chickens loose?” Mary Edwards wanted to know.
The neighbor in question made loud comments from across the room.
Mary turned to her neighbor. “It’s rude and inconsiderate.”
“You’rerude and inconsiderate!” the neighbor yelled back.
Then they started arguing in front of everyone. Moira’s gaze slid over to Reva, who was tapping away on her laptop.
“Hey. Sorry I’m late.” Tess slid into the seat that Moira had saved for her best friend. “What’d I miss?”
Moira was so relieved that Tess had made it that she wanted to throw her arms around Tess and hug her. Moira wasn’t much of a hugger though. Instead, she fidgeted nervously with the strap of her purse. “Free-range chickens that poop all over Mary’s lawn. I haven’t gotten a chance to speak yet.”
Tess reached for her hand. “You can do this.”
Moira nodded. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Of course.” Tess glanced at the other seat beside Moira, where Darla was not sitting.
“Your mom didn’t come?”
Moira shook her head. “Long story that I don’t want to get into right now. I’ll tell you over coffee tomorrow.” Which they would have at Sweetie’s like they normally did. If there was a parking lot in Sweetie’s spot, where would they go?
“Thank you for those very valid concerns, Mary,” Gil said, speaking into his microphone. He and several town council members were seated behind a long table on the stage upfront. “Who would like to talk next?”
Tess elbowed Moira. “Go for it.”
Moira sucked in a breath, but it didn’t seem to calm her nerves. Standing on shaky legs, she walked up to the microphone that was set up at the end of the aisle between rows of chairs. “I would like to talk,” she said, pinning her gaze to Gil’s. Her heart fluttered around nervously, and this time, it wasn’t because of public speaking or the topic at hand. It was because of Gil. She swallowed past a tight throat.
“Go ahead, Miss Green,” Gil said, addressing her more formally than he usually would. The other night on his boat, he’d promised to do whatever he could to support her. If he was on her side, she couldn’t go wrong.
“Um, hi, everyone.” Moira licked her lips, moistening them. Her throat was dry, too, and she wished she’d had the forethought to bring a bottled water. “I’m here because of the town council’s proposal to demolish Sweetie’s Bakeshop and put a parking lot for Hannigan Street there instead.”
Several loud gasps filled the room. The decision wasn’t public knowledge among the townspeople yet. That was one reason Moira wanted to be here tonight. She wanted to get ahead of the decision and reverse it. “Sweetie’s Bakeshop is one of the staples of Hannigan Street. Small businesses are crucial to towns like ours, and while parking is an issue, I can’t envision Hannigan Street or Somerset Lake without my mother’s bakery. Not just because the business belongs to my family, but because that’s where I grew up going after school. That’s where I still go to meet up with people. Sweetie’s Bakeshop is like a family member or friend in and of itself, and we stand up for our family and friends. We need to stand up for Sweetie’s Bakeshop too. If we don’t, what’s next?” Moira looked at Gil, but he wasn’t watching her. Instead, he had his head lowered, and he was staring at his clasped hands.That’s weird.
Moira looked around the room. “Who else here loves Sweetie’s Bakeshop?”
Applause broke out.
Moira returned to looking at the council. “So, that’s why I’m here. To appeal to you to find another way to build a parking lot on Hannigan Street. I don’t know how. I just know that’s what we need to do.”
Gil finally looked up, but he didn’t meet her gaze. “Thank you, Miss Green. Your concerns are noted and will be discussed at the next town council meeting.”
Moira blinked, waiting for him to say more. To verbally agree with her and give her his support the way he had last night. He wasn’t even smiling right now. “That’s it?”
Gil finally looked at her. “Unless you have something more to say.”
She felt like the breath had been knocked out of her. “No. That’s all I came to say.” She stood there a second longer until Gil said, “Who else would like to talk tonight?” That was her cue to sit back down. Moira turned and headed back to her seat next to Tess.
“Good job, Moira,” Tess leaned in and said.
Moira glanced over. “Why do I feel like it won’t make a difference in the long run then?”
Tess reached over and squeezed Moira’s hand. “At least you tried.”
