Page 8 of Love Me Tender, Love Me Brew
“I’m pretty cozy right now,” Charlotte says, sliding over in the seat. She reaches down and takes his hand in hers.
“Do you think I’m good enough to try out for a show like this?” he asks after several moments of complete silence.
“The first time I heard you sing, I had to do a double-take. I was like, how does he get those words to flow out of his mouth like that? And the way you curl your upper lip…that’s talent. I definitely think you’re good enough.”
Though they’ve never really declared themselves anything more than close friends, Edwin knows she’s speaking from the heart. Charlotte’s not one to say something she doesn’t mean.
He releases a deep sigh. “I don’t know. I’m thinking about it.”
“Something like this could be life-changing for you,” she says, giving his hand a squeeze. “I know your parents would support you, too. What do you have to lose?”
“I’ve sang in church plenty of times, but never in front of a huge crowd. What if I forgot the words or I got so nervous I—”
“Edwin Wesley, I’m pretty sure you know the words to every Elvis song there is.” Reaching over, she gives him a hug.“Now, you might slip and say latte or brew, but you seriously need to stop making excuses. Just do it!”
Chapter
Seven
“Well, did you do it?” Charlotte asks.
“Nahhh.” Edwin continues to wipe down the tables without meeting her gaze. “I really don’t have the time to worry about it.”
“Fall break is coming up,” she points out. “So you’re out of class while auditions are happening.”
“Deanna really needs me here, and I’d feel awful if I put her in a bind.”
“But she also knows how much delight you get from singing. Every customer that walks out that door has a smile on their face and you’re the reason for it.” Charlotte doesn’t know what more to do to encourage him. Other than send in the audition form for him.
She stops for a moment, thinking a little more about what just crossed her mind. Having viewed a copy of the form online, all she needed to do was somehow get a picture of him and drop it by the casino. Edwin might get mad at her for doing it, but he couldn’t stay mad at her for long.
Walking to the back with a bag of trash, she stops at the bulletin board in the hallway, just outside of Deanna’s office. Even thoughCoffee Loftis part of a franchise, Deanna has some of the best ideas for recognizing her employees. Lookingover the pictures from the previous months, she’s not surprised to see Edwin’s photo for the very first Employee of the Month. The smile on his face is priceless.
Running her fingertips over the four-by-six image, she can’t help wondering…would anyone miss it?
Before she has a chance to change her mind, she grabs ahold of the clear thumbtack and removes it from the board. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one is watching her, she slips Edwin’s photo into her apron pocket then walks out the door to the dumpster.
The next day, instead of taking the shuttle all the way to the coffee shop, she gets off at the casino. She knows this has got to be one of the craziest things she’s ever done, but the fact that Edwin is letting this opportunity pass him by is even crazier.
She follows the signs down the hallway towards the theater. The lady sitting at the table in the vestibule looks up, a warm and inviting smile on her face.
“Are you here to audition?” she asks.
Charlotte nervously shakes her head as she removes the envelope containing Edwin’s information from her purse. “No, but I’d like to drop this off for a friend. He’s…he’s working and couldn’t get off in time to do it himself.”
“Hmm,” the woman says, scanning over the form. “Everything looks to be completely filled out. Do you happen to have a picture? We’ll need one to attach to the form.”
“Oh, yes. I almost forgot.” Reaching into her purse again, Charlotte pulls out Edwin’s Employee of the Month photo and hands it over. “I hope this one is okay.”
“The panelists will review each applicant and call them with a time for their audition. If your friend hasn’t heard from anyone by this Friday, please have them call the number on this card. Do you have any questions?”
Charlotte shakes her head. “No, I don’t believe so.”
Please don’t be mad at me for doing this, she mutters to herself as she walks out of the casino.I’m doing this for your own benefit. You’re missing out on huge opportunity.
****
“Did you take a cab here?” Edwin asks as soon as she walks in the door. “I could’ve sworn I saw you getting out of one. Did something happen to the shuttle?”
