You Had Me At No

Quinn

Womp. Womp. Womp.

I groan and feel around for my phone on the bedside stand. WOMP. WOMP. WOMP. The alarm gets louder. Coming up empty-handed, I slowly peel my eyes open and sit up on my elbows. My phone isn’t where I left it last night. I move over to check off the side of the bed, and sure enough, it’s on the floor, still plugged into the charger.

“Dammit,” I mutter to myself. Now I have to get up to grab it because my bed has a tall frame. Maybe I can reach it if I’m careful. I want ten more minutes of sleep.

I slowly inch over the side of the bed and slap one hand to the floor, then reach with my other. Still too far. With both of my hands on the floor, I try to inch closer to the phone that is now blaring. Fuck. I’m going to wake up everyone in this house. I scoot one more inch and my arms give out. Plop . I fall face-first onto the floor. I roll over on my back, grab the phone, and turn off the alarm. “Might as well get up now. Fucking phone.”

I slowly get up, then grab my clothes and toiletry basket off the dresser as I head to the shared hall bathroom. I currently live in my parents’ bed-and-breakfast, The IOP BNB , on Isle of Palms. It’s a small beach town in South Carolina. Every year, a ton of tourists come through, but all the locals know each other for the most part.

The bathroom door is open. Most of the time, I don’t have to worry about someone being in here at 4:30 a.m. People who stay here are usually on vacation and sleep in till 9:00 a.m. or later. But there’s always a random occasion when someone has stayed out all night and they end up passed out by the toilet.

If I didn’t have a business to run, I wouldn’t be getting up this early either. I’m the proud owner of The Ugly Mug Coffee Shop , located a few blocks down from the bed-and-breakfast. I opened it two years ago after I got my bachelor’s degree in business.

When my grandpa passed away, he left me a chunk of money. I was able to pay for college and then used the rest to open the coffee shop when I graduated. It had always been my dream to own my own business.

The Ugly Mug Coffee Shop is my pride and joy. We serve coffee out of ugly mugs of all shapes and sizes. My favorite is the alien spaceship with the cow teabag. I found it at a thrift store on my vacation to the Florida Keys last summer. I also have portraits of adorable cats in suits all over the walls.

I finish getting dressed and make my way out, snagging a muffin off the counter. My parents order a couple dozen assorted muffins every week from a small bakery located in the bookshop a couple blocks down. The guests always love them.

Instead of driving, I choose to walk. It will be my exercise for the day.

I finish cleaning up from the morning rush as Millie, one of my baristas, clocks in to take over for the rest of the day. I usually open, then work until noon. Millie and Rose take turns closing. Sometimes I’ll stay later to do paperwork and help make the fresh dough for the donuts. Also, twice a week, I make biscotti; it just depends on how fast we go through it.

“Hey, girl. How has it been this morning so far?” she asks me as she ties her apron around her waist.

“It’s been steady. I’ve already restocked everything, so you don’t have to worry about doing that.” I smile at her.

“Thank you. Is Rose coming in today?”

I check the schedule. “She’s coming in for a few hours before closing.”

She nods and the door chimes, signaling another customer coming in. I tell Millie goodbye. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call,” I say over my shoulder as I walk out the door.

The blazing hot heat slaps me in the face. I dig my phone out of my pocket and check the weather forecast. It is ninety-eight degrees, to be exact. Tomorrow it’s going to rain. I should probably spend some time at the beach. The weather here is so wishy-washy. One day it’s hot, the next it’s rainy, then the following day will be chilly. I decide to make my way to the house to throw on my swimsuit and grab some beach supplies.

Time to get a much-needed tan.