4. Spinning Wheels #2
Sylvie’s waiting outside the café, and even though we’re a good few yards away, she’s already waving us over. The way she’s beaming at me makes my heart sink. Sylvie is one of the residents depending on me to save Bluepeak from Brody’s grubby paws.
I force a smile and lift my hand in a half-hearted wave back.
“Yes, it’s the point.” I finally concede. “I’m fine. I’ll be fine once we get to the café.” Fingers crossed coffee will soothe the pain from this crisis.
“Good.” Harper nods, offering Sylvie a wave as well .
She’s practically Bluepeak royalty. Her family’s been running Lakeside Café since the days of her great-great-great-grandmother.
Getting on in years, and with two daughters to continue in her footsteps, Sylvie understands the importance of preserving the Bluepeak way of life.
In some ways, she understands it better than most of the locals.
This has factored into my choice to have this community meeting in her café.
If anyone gets the stakes, it’s Sylvie. She is Bluepeak royalty.
“Thanks for opening early, Sylvie.”
Harper and I have been tasked with taking the chairs off the tables.
Sylvie is behind the counter, setting up trays of fresh muffins, chocolate chip cookies, English biscuits, and today’s special, baked cheesecake. I haven’t had breakfast yet, and my stomach growls dangerously at the mouth-watering aromas filling the café.
“Anything for you, my girl.” She smiles wide, carefully arranging the slices of cheesecake on the glass tray. “Besides, the sooner we get everyone on board with this petition, the better. Having that rich city boy in our midst feels wrong. Like we’re consorting with the devil.”
Harper stifles laughter at Sylvie’s dramatics, but I’m not about to trivialize her concerns. Not when I share them wholeheartedly.
“I know exactly what you mean, Syl.” I meet her gaze and hold it, hoping to offer some kind of silent reassurance.
Though I’m not sure I’m in the best place to reassure anyone when I can’t even stop imagining him naked.
What is wrong with me? “He’s making us feel like we don’t belong, when it’s him who doesn’t. This is our home, not his.”
She nods firmly, flipping the switch on the coffee machine to make it gurgle to life. In seconds, Lakeside Café goes from being fast asleep, to brewing with sights and smells that wake me up from the inside out.
“This is what brings people to our town.” I stretch out my arms to gesture at the whole café.
“You know, coffee, pastries, and beauty. It’s a feeling that can’t be bottled up or duplicated.
People come from all over the country to have what we’re serving, and I’ll be damned if some corporate no-good wants to swoop in and ruin all that. ”
There’s slow applause at the doorway, and we all turn to see my parents standing there. Behind them on the sidewalk, is a string of people waiting to follow them in.
“Keep this up, and we’ll be electing you mayor in no time,” my dad says, walking over to come and greet me. Oh gross. Mayor Chloe? Yeah, no thanks. That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.” I chuckle, meekly accepting the warm kiss he plants on my cheek.
My mother crushes me with a hug. “I missed you at dinner last night.”
“Sorry, Mom. Saving the town from corporate overlords takes a lot out of a girl.” I meet Harper’s gaze, and she smiles softly. She knows better than anyone that I needed her shoulder and those glasses of wine more than a perfunctory dinner with my parents.
“Your dad filled me in.” My mom pats my arm as she lets me go. “I’ll tell you what I told him—Stirling Tech is fighting a losing battle.”
“From your lips to the universe’s ears,” I say with a smirk, wishing I had her confidence. My energy’s more we’re screwed but let’s fake it. “Thanks, Mom. It means a lot to have your support.”
“Not just ours.” My dad steps aside as people from our community stream into the café.
They offer their greetings and find their places at the tables, and along the counter, that stretches the length of the café.
Those that can’t find seats simply mill around between tables and over by the back kitchen.
I love seeing how many responded to my urgent call for a meeting last night.
Even Mr. Parker made the effort for an early start this morning.
Eli stands posted at the door, arms folded across his chest. I notice the sideways glances some people are shooting his way, still not over his change in safety protocols for the Starlight Festival.
But he ignores them, and thankfully, they don’t get into it with him, allowing me the space to deal with the matter at hand.
“Thank you all for meeting with me here today.” I have everyone’s attention, but unlike yesterday, there’s something unsettling about it.
I think it’s because today there’s more pressure.
I’m more aware of the power of big corp, and its far-reaching consequences.
Most of all, today, I’m hiding a secret from them all, including my best friend.
A secret that involves a striking CEO who pulls me in every time I meet his gaze.
No one, and I mean no one, can know that Brody Stirling has even an ounce of control over my libido .
“As you all know, yesterday’s town meeting left a sour taste, to say the least.” I force myself to focus. There’s no room in this café for daydreams and lofty ideals. Those were better left behind closed bedroom doors.
“To say the least.” Mr. Parker shakes his head slowly. He eyes me with a look of disappointment that makes me think he’s here to watch me crash and burn, more so than to support the town. “First we lose the fireworks, now we’re losing Bluepeak to some corporate giant from the city.”
Typical Parker. Always rooting for drama like it’s a reality show.
Eli stomps over to Mr. Parker’s table, looking like he can no longer hold in whatever he’s about to say.
“We’re not losing fireworks. I kept saying that, over and over, yesterday.” Eli all but begs. “It’s just that this year, it’s safer if we have controlled detonation instead of—”
“You’re sucking the fun out of everything.” Mr. Parker pipes up.
Here we go. How did I get roped into a town debate that feels like babysitting?
“Hey!” My dad shoots up from his chair, and claps his hands together once, loudly. I swear, if my dad clapped his hands in the middle of a riot, the crowd would probably stop and apologize. He waits a second to make sure it stays that way, then sits back down with a muttered, “Thank you.”
“We’re not losing fireworks, and we sure as hell aren’t losing Bluepeak to Stirling Tech.” I state matter-of-factly, but with enough tenacity to drive home my point. At least, that’s the version of reality I’m trying to manifest. Still waiting on the universe to get the memo.
“As long as this town bands together, Mr. Stirling and his development minions won’t be able to move a leaf without our express permission.”
“All that money’s gotta count for something.” Sylvie’s sitting on a bar stool at the counter, closest to where I’m standing. She looks worried. “I’m with you, honey, but I’ve been around long enough to know some fights come down to whoever’s got the deepest pockets.”
“We need to get the mayor here.” Eli suggests, looking at my dad when he says it. “He needs to hear what we’re up against.”
My dad and I share a look, because he knows that his friend, the mayor, was the first person I invited to attend this meeting. If anyone can help wrangle these people into some kind of organized chaos, it’s him.
“I agree with you,” I say, acknowledging Eli’s urgency. “Mayor Dawson was asked to join us this morning, but the message went out late. He probably had something else going on—like golf during a crisis. Or, you know, literally anything other than his job.”
The bell over the door to Lakeside jingles, and all heads turn at the same time, but only one jaw drops to the floor—mine. Because standing in the doorway to Lakeside Café, wearing another expensive suit and shit-eating grin, is none other than Brody Stirling himself .
Oh, perfect. Right when I thought the day couldn’t get any worse.
“Looks like I’m just in time for breakfast.” he says, looking right at me.
Naturally, the universe delivers a fresh batch of hell.