Chapter 6 The Wi-Fi
The Wi-Fi
Ava sat at the bottom of the stairs attempting to watch a video on her laptop about repairing a broken step. Halfway through the guy’s explanation of installing a support board, the video froze for the tenth time. She let out a frustrated growl.
The downside of staying at her dad’s cabin was the internet.
Her dad had been a generous, yet frugal man who didn’t like to spend money unnecessarily.
One way he cut on living expenses was to have the cheapest internet possible.
Also known as the slowest internet possible.
It made streaming nonexistent in the cabin.
Ava desperately missed her fix of reality TV.
This town could use a hotel.
The thought came out of nowhere and took hold of her brain. That had been her dream at one time, to bring a bed-and-breakfast to Cedar Falls. So people like her could stay somewhere comfortable while visiting the area. Somewhere with decent Wi-Fi and stairs that didn’t break under your feet.
Ava sighed and clicked out of the browser, pulling up her work email instead. Later, she’d find somewhere in town to resume her research. Maybe the library.
She scanned her inbox, deleting what didn’t matter and flagging items that required her attention. Satisfied there were no unread emails left, she started to close her laptop when the telltale sign of an email notification sounded from the speakers. She paused and pushed the screen back into place.
Another notification pinged. This time a meeting invite.
Before she could get a good look at the email or meeting invite, her phone buzzed with a call. She checked the caller and immediately answered, seeing her boss’s name.
“Hello,” she greeted.
“Ava, hi. Have you checked your email this morning? I know you’re on leave and technically not supposed to, but I’ve sent you a meeting invite for today.
” Her boss, Jacqueline, spoke rapid-fire per usual.
She always had a lot of information to get across in a short amount of time before she had to rush to the next thing.
“I’m looking at my inbox now. Haven’t opened this latest email from an ‘Emily Peterson’ that just came in. What’s the meeting for?”
Jacqueline took a deep breath, as if inhaling as much air as possible for the stream of words she’d say next. “I have good and bad news. And no—you’re not being fired. Don’t worry. It’s the opposite. They shortlisted you for the Board position.”
A rush of excitement filled Ava. She resisted the urge to squeal in delight and settled for a smile to herself. This was good, no, great news. What could be the bad news?
“Are you serious?”
“Serious as a heart attack.”
There was an awkward pause after Jacqueline’s words. A wave of grief eclipsed Ava’s excitement. Followed by a flash of guilt at being excited in the first place. The emotions were brief, but intense, before she could push them down.
“I’m so sorry, Ava. That was in poor taste. I wasn’t even thinking,” Jacqueline rushed to apologize for her faux pas.
“It’s fine. You did nothing wrong. It’s a common phrase,” Ava assured her. Time to redirect the conversation so she didn’t have to talk about her dad. The one who died of a sudden heart attack. “What’s the bad news you have for me?”
“The other person shortlisted is Austin Whitlock. It’s between the two of you.”
Annoyance battled her excitement. She found herself caught in a whirlwind of emotions during their conversation, emotions she hadn’t prepared to deal with that morning. “You’ve got to be kidding me. That asshole? He doesn’t have nearly as much experience as me.”
She pressed the heel of her palm into her forehead, considering what this meant for her chances.
“Trust me, I know. I’m not the guy’s biggest fan either, but his dad is already on the Board of Directors, so it was a given this would happen.
The board’s focus is bringing on someone younger to balance things out.
Experience doesn’t matter as much as having good ideas and being aware of the latest hospitality trends,” her boss explained.
“Right. OK. I got this. So, what’s the next step in the selection process?”
Ava’s mind immediately shifted to problem-solving mode.
Competing against nepotism for the position wasn’t ideal, but Ava was competent.
Her track record spoke for itself. She’d worked her way up from an intern to Hotel Manager over the last decade.
The only position higher than hers at the hotel was her boss, Jacqueline, the Operations Manager, and the Board of Directors.
They’d nominated her for this position for a reason.
“In August, you and Austin will present to the board your proposed vision for the Grand Bohemian. The email from Emily Peterson has more details. I need to run to a meeting but read the email and let’s jump on a video conference this afternoon to talk strategy.
I’ve got some intel on the members. We can go over how to best prepare you. And Ava?”
“Yes?”
“You’ve got this.”
Jacqueline’s confidence in her boosted her own. “Thanks. I’ve got some ideas already and can do some prep before we meet later. I appreciate your help. There’s no way I would’ve made it this far in the process without you.”
Jacqueline laughed. “You’re more than welcome. Besides, I have my own motivations. It benefits me to have a Board Member on my side. I need to go. Talk later.”
The line went silent. Ava allowed herself a quick happy dance then opened the awaiting email and meeting invite. She scanned the contents for the next steps of the selection process and the specifics of the presentation.
August 15th.
She had just over eight weeks until her presentation. Plenty of time to finish the cabin and prepare to cinch her spot on the board. Right?
Now that Summer had forced Ava into town twice, the idea didn’t seem so daunting.
So what if she spent a little extra time putting on makeup and wore her hair down instead of its usual top knot.
It wasn’t on the off chance she’d see a certain single café owner.
She had a video call with her boss and needed to look presentable.
At least that’s what she told herself as she checked her lipstick in the visor mirror when she paused at a stop sign.
She turned onto Pond Road and neared the café, denying the impulse to look to her right and peek to see if Owen was working.
Instead, she cast a glance to the left, surprised by the small group gathered in front of the Agatha Building.
They held clipboards and gathered around a woman with striking red hair.
What’s happening at the Agatha Building?
She pushed the concern from her mind as she approached the library perched on a hill just outside of downtown.
At first glance, you wouldn’t expect the building to be the town’s library.
It wasn’t a typical dreary municipal building with fluorescent lighting and metal shelves, but a former private residence converted and memorialized.
Landscaped gardens surrounded the building, the colors of the flowers even more vibrant against the white stucco. Ava drove up the driveway to the top of the hill and right into an empty parking lot. Granted, there were only five parking spots in the limited space, but all of them were vacant.
She pulled into the spot right in front of the entrance. A sinking sensation took place in her stomach as she approached the doors to find the library hours.
Summer Hours (June - August)
Monday: 2 - 6 PM
Wednesday: 3 - 7 PM
Saturday: 9 AM - 3 PM
The library wouldn’t be open for another three hours. That was two hours too late for her video call. She was spoiled from years of living in Manhattan with its endless all-hours bars and cafés.
What is with small towns and their weird working hours?
Ava considered her other options. She could try the Mucky Duck, but it probably wasn’t a good look to work from a bar. There was Summer’s loft apartment, but she worked from home. Ava didn’t want to interfere with Summer’s own meetings.
Another idea came to mind. The least ideal option, but one she knew had internet and enough seating to find some seclusion to not bother other patrons. A more socially acceptable option than a bar or a friend’s kitchen table. The Early Bird Café.
Her watch buzzed with a reminder of her meeting. With a resigned sigh, Ava returned to the Subaru and drove back down the hill. She grabbed her laptop bag, but hesitated when she reached for the door handle.
Could she really go into Owen’s business by herself? He’d been friendly the other day, but they parted on a sour note thanks to her.
After another minute of self-pity, Ava forced herself out of the car. She could swallow her embarrassment. She was here to work, that was all.
Ava bent to check her lipstick for the third time in the side mirror. Then she smiled for good measure to check for lipstick stains on her teeth. All clear.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she crossed the street and walked into the café. The bell jangled above her, announcing her entry. A rowdy family of eight took up the long wooden table to the right of the entrance. Two people waited in line to order from the woman working the counter.
No sign of Owen.
She joined the queue and scanned the dining area for an empty table. Preferably in a corner that’d be easy to hide in. Her options were limited. She’d have to try her luck on the outdoor patio.
When it was her turn to order, Ava relaxed a bit when she still didn’t see Owen.
A woman a few years older than herself with strawberry blonde hair in a fishtail braid greeted her from behind the counter.
She seemed vaguely familiar. Ava wracked her brain and hoped this wasn’t the same person who’d worked on Monday when she ran into Owen.
Everything was such a blur after hearing his voice.
With a longing stare at the lone blueberry whoopie pie in the bakery case, Ava ordered a coffee and paid. She shoved an extra-large tip in the box by the register and went searching for a table on the patio.
Luck was finally on her side when she spotted a two-top table in the back corner that partially overlooked the lake.
Perfect.
She settled at the table, facing toward the lake to avoid the glare from the sun. She logged into her laptop and tried to join the café’s Wi-Fi. Ava frowned when it asked for a password.
“Blueberry pancake cold brew?”
Owen’s deep timbre sent a jolt of awareness up her spine. She turned toward him, his height forcing her to tip her chin up. From her seated position, he seemed even taller and broader. The scent of warm coffee, that was all Owen and not the drink in his hand, hit her.
“Should’ve known I was delivering this to you,” Owen said. His eyes crinkled as he gave her a smile and slid the cup onto the table beside her. “You always loved blueberry.”
“Still do,” she quipped. Ava grabbed the coffee to give her something to do. Her thumb traced the letters on the side of the plastic cup.
Owen didn’t leave right away. He shoved his hands in his pockets; the movement bunching his rolled-up sleeves around his elbows. Today he had a black t-shirt under his red flannel shirt. A couple wisps of brown hair escaped his bun and caught the wind coming off the lake.
He looked like her weakness.
“What’re you working on?” Owen nodded at her laptop on the table.
Ava followed his nod, as if she didn’t know what was directly in front of her. “I have a meeting with my boss to discuss a presentation strategy. For a Board Member position at the hotel,” she told him.
“Like an interview?”
Ava nodded, not taking her eyes off Owen, watching his face for any micro-expressions as they talked about her job. “Exactly. I have eight weeks to prepare for the final interview round. They want a new member in place by Q4.”
Owen’s eyebrows rose, and he let out a low whistle. “Not surprised. Always knew you’d do impressive things.”
He gave her a lopsided smile and turned his body away from her, getting ready to leave. His words left an uncomfortable pit in her stomach. They sounded nice. A compliment, really. But it also reinforced the distance between them.
“Before you go, what’s the Wi-Fi password?”
Owen paused in distancing himself. “Earlybird10, all lowercase and the number ten.” He cast a glance around the mostly filled patio. “It’s going to be busy the next hour. Have headphones?”
“Got it covered,” she said with a tight smile.
“I’ll let you get to it, then.” Owen rapped his knuckles on the table twice and walked away.
Ava stared after him, watching him thread between tables and customers with ease.
Everyone smiled at him as he passed. He fit perfectly here.
In the café. In Cedar Falls. She remembered a time when she fit alongside him, like two halves of a whole.
Shaking herself of the thought, she connected to the blessedly fast Wi-Fi and got to work.