Page 4 of Love Me Tender, Love Me Brew
“Edwin!” she says again, this time a little bit louder.
“Huh? What?” he jumps when a warm hand brushes against his shoulder.
Deanna nods her head towards the back of the shop. “There’s someone at the counter asking for you.”
Edwin jerks his head around and a smile immediately spreads across his face.
“I know I probably should’ve called first, but Reba was headed this way and didn’t mind dropping me off,” Charlotte says as soon as he’s within earshot. “I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”
“We had a pretty big rush earlier, but things seem to have settled down now. You’re timing is perfect.” Feeling the stares from his co-workers, Edwin steps a little closer so no one can listen in on their conversation. “I’ve got the book behind the counter. When I got here to start my shift, we were so busy, I never got a chance to take my things to the back. Let me get it for you.”
“I really appreciate this.” A look of relief washes over her when she sees the front of the book he’s carrying. “Yes, that’s the correct one.”
“It’s been taking up space on my bookshelf ever since I put it there last spring,” he chuckles. “Right along with the others.”
“How much do I owe you for it?” Charlotte sticks her hand inside the front flap of her purse and pulls out a small leather wallet. “I’ve got forty dollars on me right now. I can get you the rest this weekend if that’s okay. My parents don’t fully understand the whole transferring money thing, so my dad said he’d stop by the bank and add the funds to my account on Friday.”
“When I said you could have it, that’s exactly what I meant. When the semester is over, just pass it on to someone else that can benefit from it if you don’t want to keep it.”
“Are you sure?” Feeling a little emotional from his generosity, Charlotte holds off before returning her wallet to her purse. Little does he know, her intentions were to use the money for food for the remainder of the week. But she’d certainly give it to him if he’d take it.
Edwin doesn’t want to embarrass her by saying anything, but he can’t help noticing the moisture in the corners of her eyes. “I’m positive.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“Can I get you something to drink?” he asks, hoping she’ll stick around for a little while. “Another peppermint mocha?”
Charlotte thinks about it for a second before declining his offer. “The one from the other day was certainly delicious, but I should probably avoid any extra caffeine this late in the afternoon. I have a hard enough time going to sleep now.”
“Some other time then?” Edwin raises his brows while he waits for her to reply.
“I’d like that.”
Noticing the line of people beginning to form at the counter again, he excuses himself so he can get back to work. “Goodnight, Charlotte.”
“’Night.”
Chapter
Four
“Dinner was really good tonight, mom.” Edwin pulls his phone out of his pocket and places it on the edge of the table.
As far back as he can remember, Vivian Wesley has always prepared meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans for dinner on Sundays. Occasionally, she swaps the green beans for some other type of “green” healthy vegetable, but come five ‘clock, dinner is always ready and sitting on the table for him and his father. He’s hinted a few times that she doesn’t have to keep up with this tradition, but she insists on doing it.
“Did you hear what’s coming to town?” Vivian announces excitedly as she gathers the empty dinner plates.
“No, what? We’ve been so busy at the coffee shop these last few days, I’ve hardly had time to breathe,” Edwin tries to make a joke of it, but truth of the matter, the only time he’s been able to slow down is when he dashes off to the back for more supplies.
“Do you remember that talent show, oh, what’s the name of it, the one that has all these people audition? Some sing, some dance, and some do these weird tricks. They hand out purple tickets to the ones who advance. The name is on the tip of my tongue.” Vivian wrinkles her forehead while she tries to come up with the name.
“Are you talking aboutTahoe’s Got Talent?” Eager to hear more, he sits up straight in his chair.
“Yes, that’s the one,” Vivian’s voice is filled with excitement. “I always thought the guy interviewing the contestants was so cute.”
Edwin rolls his eyes. “You would think that, wouldn’t you?”
“They’re coming to the casino next month. We should get tickets to see the show. I bet it’d be a lot of fun. Better yet, you should audition for it.”
