Page 31 of Light My Fire Three Times
“You sure I can’t just stay here? You know, give me another hour or two of pretending the world doesn’t exist?” I ask, dragging my feet as I walk toward the car.
“Nope,” Ivy replies, dripping with mock authority. “You’re coming, and you’re going to have fun whether you like it or not.”
I groan as I get in, but, of course, she’s right. I might not be thrilled now, but I’ll be glad she dragged me out later. Besides, anything’s better than sitting around thinking about how much my life has changed.
As the car pulls away from the cabin, I roll down the window, letting the crisp air hit my face, and I feel like I can breathe again. Maybe this won’t be such a bad day after all.
The drive to wherever Ivy’s dragging me is a blur, but I catch glimpses of the town, the trees, the actual people who seem to be getting their lives together while I’m here questioning mine.
This town is supposed to be a vacation, a little escape from the chaos of my life, not somewhere I’m staying. But, well… what else can I do? It’s not like I have anywhere else to go, and I sure as hell can’t go back to my old life in that corporate cage.
Not after that argument with Richard. There’snogoing back now…
When we finally pull up to a dusty lot near the mechanic’s shop, I can’t help but stare.
“Welcome to your new future,” Ivy says, practically vibrating with excitement.
I look around, utterly confused. There’s an old, slightly beat-up coffee truck parked outside the mechanic’s place, looking like it’s seen better days. The sign in the window reads,For Salein blocky, no-nonsense letters.
I blink. “Wait. This is your idea of fun?”
Ivy looks positively thrilled, as if she’s just found a treasure chest in the middle of a junkyard. “This is your new business, Liv. It’s destiny. It's fate. It’s… okay, fine, it's a coffee truck, but seriously?—”
“What?" My brain takes a second to process. "This… this is your spontaneous plan? To get me to buy a… truck?”
She throws her hands up like she’s finally cracked some code. “Yes! The food truck that used to park by the fire station just left. The spot is open. It’s the perfect chance to take the plunge! You’ve always wanted to run a coffee truck. I recall you mentioning it before. And that dream got lost because of the corporate cage, but now… now’s your time!”
I look at the truck again. It’s got a certain… charm. Sure, it’s not the sleekest vehicle on the block, but it could be. The faded yellow paint, the little chalkboard sign in front that saysEspresso Love, clearly a work in progress, and the potential. Oh wow, the potential.
“Okay, but I don’t exactly have a ton of cash just lying around,” I say, laced with skepticism. “I just quit my job. I don’t even know the first thing about running a truck.”
Ivy grins like she’s already won. “Liv, this is perfect. You’ve been suffocating in that office job. You’ve always dreamed of doing something for yourself. Plus, that spot by the fire station is literally begging for a coffee truck to take over. I’ve negotiated a favorable price, and I’m confident you can afford it. You had a good salary and no time to do anything fun. Time to invest that in yourself.”
I chew on the idea for a minute. The more I think about it, the more this wild idea starts to feel… possible.
Maybe it’s the way Ivy’s looking at me like she knows exactly what I need before I even realize it myself. Or maybe it’s the fact that I can’t think of a single thing I’ve wanted more than to do my own thing.
“I don’t know,” I mutter, glancing at the truck again. “What if it’s a disaster?”
Ivy throws an arm around my shoulder, leaning in with that look on her face that I know too well. “Oh, honey. If you’re going to fail, fail spectacularly. And if you succeed? You’ll be living the dream. Coffee, freedom, maybe even a little romance thrown in. What do you think?”
I stare at her, almost laughing. “Romance? What, like, with the mechanic?”
“Sure,” Ivy shrugs, grinning. “Or maybe with Karl. That playboy fireman sure had his eye on you during the Halloween party.”
The wordsplayboyfiremanmake my heart skip a beat, and I must fight the urge to roll my eyes. Yeah, because that’s exactly what I need right now. A distraction like Karl Madden.
Or Jesse Fletcher.Notthat I’m talking about Jesse right now.
Or ever.
“Okay,” I say finally, taking a deep breath. “Let’s do it. Let’s see what this truck’s all about.”
And just like that, I’m imagining a life where I’m the one pulling up every morning, making lattes and croissants, and not answering to a boss who treats me like a machine. For the first time in days, I feel… hopeful.
Maybe this could work. This may be the beginning of something amazing.
Ivy practically skips over to the coffee truck, and I follow her, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’m aboutto step into this world of caffeine dreams and questionable decisions.
