Chapter 6 #2
I slide my fingers into my jean pockets and nod.
“Yep. Just helping out with the Autumn Harvest Festival,” I say.
“In fact, that’s what Aiden and I were just discussing.
” I see my chance and take it. “Give us your opinion,” I say.
“Aiden wants to keep the parade float hay bales and apples, and I think we should add beer growlers and donuts.”
“And a chandelier,” Aiden mumbles.
“A chandelier?” Mr. Parker says, scratching behind one ear. “Like the one in the inn? That sounds like a great idea. I say you combine all of that.”
“Compromise?” I say as if it’s a novel idea, making my eyes wide and turning to look at Aiden. “I like the sound of that.”
Aiden narrows his eyes on me. I can tell he hates the thought of compromising. He finally blows out a breath and says, “Fine. Apples and hay bales and beer growlers and chandeliers.”
“Only one chandelier,” I say cheerily.
“Good,” Mr. Parker says, clapping his hands. “Well, I just came to drop off Argos for the day. I’m meeting the seed distributor at the entrance in a few minutes. I’ll see you later.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Aiden replies, but he sounds a little grouchy. Probably because his dad sided with me.
After giving Argos a pat on the head and telling him to have a good day, Mr. Parker leaves the barn.
“So, you named your dog Argos?” I say after the barn door closes behind Kevin. “As in Odysseus?”
“Yep,” Aiden replies, nodding.
My brow rises. “Very academic.”
“What?” He laughs. “Surprised to learn I read the classics? I went to college, you know.”
“I know,” I shoot back probably too quickly.
But I’m glad he brought it up. I’ve been dying to find out more about him, because I apparently never listened to a word my mom said.
“Where did you go, again?” I ask, trying my best to be nonchalant as I grab the tape measure that’s lying on the side of the flatbed and begin measuring the space for the float.
Now that I’m getting my way, I’m ready to get going.
“Not Columbia,” he says quickly.
Oh, so he fully remembers where I went? Great. That makes me feel like even more of an ass.
“SUNY Edwardsville?” I ask.
He immediately rolls his eyes. “Wow. You really think highly of me, don’t you?”
“What? I had friends who went to SUNY Edwardsville.”
“Yeah, the ones who couldn’t get in anywhere else. SUNY Edwardsville is the biggest party school in the state.”
“Okay, then, where did you go?” I ask.
“Cornell.”
The tape measure snaps closed on the tip of my thumb. “Ouch.” I wave my hand in the air. “Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.”
“You okay?” he asks, stepping closer as if he’s going to take a look at my thumb.
“Yep.” I stick my thumb in my mouth. “I’m fine,” I mumble around my thumb.
I don’t want to admit that he’s just shocked me with his alma mater.
Do I remember him getting good grades? He wasn’t in any of the honors classes with me.
He did have legit scientists interested in his science projects, though.
“What was your major?” I ask after I pull my thumb out of my mouth.
“Agricultural sciences.”
Of course it was.
“Got my master’s there too.”
Wait. What? Mr. Farmer here has a bachelor’s and a master’s from Cornell? How did I miss that? So, he’s more like Professor Farmer than a mere mister.
“Ithaca,” I say, nodding like an idiot again. At least I’m not still sucking my thumb. “Another nod to Odysseus.”
“Yep, and a great place to learn about farming.”
Aiden picks up a stuffed toy in the shape of an apple that Argos brought in with him and tosses it far across the barn. The dog speeds off after it, clearly in heaven.
“Look,” I say, reminding myself yet again to stick to business. “We have a lot to plan. Do you want to go over my list?” I grab my cell phone from my back pocket. My notes app is filled with all the ideas I jotted down on the train ride out here.
Aiden rocks back and forth on his heels. “Uh, not yet. I was just going to show you the float for now. My list is in the apartment.”
Of course it is, because Professor Farmer wrote it on a piece of paper . “Okay, fine. Later, then?”
He nods. “Sounds good.”
“Great,” I say, giving him a smile. Thank goodness we’ve managed a truce.
Aiden seems willing to work with me now.
And I have plenty of experience showing other people how good my ideas are.
I’m not worried about that part. Debacle with Geoff notwithstanding.
I hook my thumb over my shoulder. “I’ll just head back to the apartment, then.
I have some, uh, things to do for work.” That’s not untrue.
I need to do a lot of things... to get a job. “See you later?”
“Yep.” He does a little finger-salute thing near his temple.
I am about to turn on my heel when I notice that Argos is at my side, and he has his nose in my pocket. The next thing I know, my apple cider donut and the napkin have disappeared down his throat.
Uh-oh.
“What was that?” Aiden asks.
I wrinkle up my nose and wince. Are dogs allowed to eat donuts? Or napkins? “Uh, an apple cider donut from the bakery.”
“Bad dog, Argos,” Aiden says, frowning at the Lab.
Argos looks slightly chagrined. Which, frankly, is more than Pumpkin would do. Pumpkin would either look entirely unconcerned or proud.
“No. It’s my fault,” I say. “I shouldn’t be walking around all short with baked goods in my pocket.” I am embarrassed to have been caught hoarding a donut. But not so embarrassed that I won’t stop by the food barn and get another one on my way back to the inn.
I make my way to the door, and Argos and his stuffed apple come to see me off.
I pet the dog on the head and say, “I’ll see you later too.
Don’t tell Pumpkin you got a donut, or I’ll never hear the end of it.
” I’m already planning to put an apple costume on this dog and have him on the parade float next to Pumpkin, who will be wearing a pumpkin costume, over his orange jumper, of course.
***
Fifteen minutes later, new donut in hand, I’m back in the apartment. I glance down at a yellow Post-it note on the kitchen counter. I can barely make out the scratchy words written there.
Float
Maze
Bobbing for apples
Archery
It’s obviously Aiden’s festival list. Hmm. This guy needs help, and he doesn’t even know it. First of all, no one’s bobbing for apples. That’s just gross. And I’m not sure what archery has to do with a fall fest. I think he’s confusing it with a Ren Faire.
All the signs are pointing to the fact that the inn and orchard may well be in some financial trouble. It might have taken me four years, but I’m here now, and I intend to help them all.
But the apartment is empty at the moment, so it’s the perfect time to jump on my laptop to connect with some former colleagues and get my résumé up to snuff.
I’ve always had a CV ready just in case, but I need to update it a little before I send it anywhere, because getting fired wasn’t on my bingo card for the year.
First, I do a search for an online dementia test and send it to Dad.
Can’t hurt to have Mom take it too , I write before forwarding the link.
Then I spend the next two hours emailing former work associates and scouring job listings as well as the websites of the other big event-planning firms in the city.
I am hopeful. With my experience and connections, I’m sure to get some interviews soon and will be back in the city living my real life in no time.
Not arguing with Professor Apple about the contents of a parade float.
And apple bobbing? No. Just no.