Page 10 of Love Me Tender, Love Me Brew
The light changes and she hustles across the street amongst the others headed to the casino. She continues to walk for another couple of blocks then turns down an alley towards an area she’s unfamiliar with. Looking back behind her, she can still see the gondolas moving to the top of the mountain, which is a little reassuring, but otherwise, she doesn’t have the faintest idea where she is. And if things weren’t already bad enough, she realizes she left her phone and purse back at the coffee shop.
The smartest thing for her to do is turn around and go back the same direction she came from, but when she stops to dry her eyes and wipe the moisture from her face, the sidewalk looks vastly different than it did a few minutes ago. To make matters worse, she isn’t sure if she should turn back to the left or the right.
With limited daylight remaining, she decides to walk through one of the parking lots designated for shipping and receiving. Surely, it belongs to one of the casinos.
It doesn’t take long for her to get cold, her long sleeve tee doing very little to keep her warm. Pulling the ends of the sleeves down over her hands, she folds her arms and presses them against her chest.Brrr!
Off in the distance, she spots a small car with flashing lights across the top and she begins to flail her arms in the airover her head. Security. The huge knot in her throat slowly starts to diminish.
The driver-side window rolls down as soon as the car pulls up alongside her. “Unless you’re making a delivery, you shouldn’t be in this part of the parking lot, ma’am.” The older man behind the wheel is a bit gruff, until he realizes her situation.
“Can you just tell me how to get back to the main road? I’m so turned around,” she says between sobs.
“Why didn’t you say so in the first place,” the security officer sighs, seeing her so distraught. “Come on, get in and I’ll take you out to the main road.”
“How far is theCoffee Loftfrom here?” she asks as soon as she climbs inside. The warmth from the heater is welcoming.
“Two blocks away. Want me to drop you off there?”
“Oh, would you? I knew I couldn’t be too far away, but I started to panic when I couldn’t figure out which direction I was headed.” Sighing, Charlotte is ashamed she got herself into this situation in the first place.
“Next time, I wouldn’t advise going for a stroll by yourself. It’s not safe, especially when it gets dark. Stick to the main road, okay?”
She knows that the older fella means well, so she doesn’t mind the lecture. Relieved that he came along when he did, she’s very much aware the situation could’ve ended a lot worse. She could still be wondering around, rattled and terrified to death.
“Thank you,” she says when he stops out front.
“Yes, ma’am. Now get inside where it’s warm.”
Edwin is the first to spot her as soon as she walks in the door. “Charlotte, we’ve been worried sick about you.”
She rushes into his arms and buries her face in his chest. “I feel so bad about what I did. Please don’t be mad at me.”
“You’re like a block of ice. Let me get my jacket.” Edwin hurries to the back and grabs his fleece coat. “Here, put this on.” Taking the seat across from her, he places his hand on top of hers.
Overcome with emotion, it takes Charlotte a few minutes to settle down. “I owe you an apology.”
Chapter
Nine
“Are you sure you don’t mind if I leave early?” Charlotte asks as she slips the apron over her head.
“Our boy needs all the support he can get.” Niecy and the other baristas gather at the end of the counter. “Tell him we’re pulling for him.”
“I sure will.”
Edwin’s parents are waiting out front to give her a ride to the casino. While it’s only a few blocks away, they wouldn’t take no for an answer, especially since she was still a little shaken about getting turned around a few days ago.
“How was he this morning?” she asks Vivian as soon as she’s buckled into the backseat.
“A lot better than he was yesterday,” Vivian says reassuringly. “One of his professors from school stopped by to give him a few pointers and to wish him well.”
Although Edwin had to be at the casino at eight this morning, his actual audition isn’t until two o’clock. She can’t imagine how he must be feeling, waiting for his turn to face the judges. She knows how nervous she is and she isn’t even the one going up on stage!
Leaning against the wall outside of Studio B, Edwin spots them first and waves them over. He removes his earbuds, a relived look on his face.
“How’s everything going so far?” his father asks, giving him a pat on the arm.
