6. Chapter Six
Chapter Six
Will
The workday flies by, but it’s not over yet. The sun is giving off a hazy reddish-pink hue, like it’s getting ready to turn in for the night, but it’s not quite ready.
I feel like the sun and I are on the same page. I stifle a yawn, readjust my apron, wash my hands in the kitchen sink, and mentally go over my notes for Jay and Nic’s pre-wedding donut tasting tonight.
They are newer friends but becoming good ones, especially Jay. He and I have formed somewhat of a guy crew with Edward alongside the girl crew of Nic, Lizzie and Jane.
So it’s part hang out tonight and part work, since the entire crew, both guys and girls, are getting together to help try out the options for the donut tower I’m making for the wedding.
The wedding is brunch-themed, so I’m going with a mix of flavors: blueberry cake donuts, apple cinnamon sugar donuts, and chocolate and vanilla-glazed donuts with sprinkles that match the wedding colors, sage green and cream.
Lizzie and I are both working in the kitchen. The cafe is closed and we both stuck around to prep for tomorrow and to get ready for tonight. I take my donut samples out of the oven to let them cool off.
Lizzie hums while she makes her special latte recipe for the wedding, complete with latte art on top. I watch her stencil the initials of Nic and Jay on each latte, topping off the foam. I love how focused she is.
She once told me that she mastered her barista skills while working at the cafe on her college campus before it closed down. She knew then that she wanted to open her own cafe so Selah Falls could have its own go-to coffee shop.
Her dedication and passion shine through her work. I love the way she zones out when she’s in full barista mode. She looks up, catching my eye with a questioning look on her face.
“What?” she asks, holding her stencil.
“Just admiring your art.”
She squints her eyes at me, suspiciously looking from me to the latte in front of her on the kitchen counter. “You’re judging me, aren’t you?”
“No,” I say, throwing up my hands, taking off the oven mitts and placing them on the counter. I move closer to look down at the latte. “I just love watching you do latte art. It’s like you’re a painter using a tiny canvas. It’s cool, that’s all.”
Lizzie gets that look in her eye, and I know she is about to tease me. “Are you fangirling over me right now, Darcy?”
“I’m just saying you’ve got skills,” I laugh, backing away from her. “Don’t let it go to your head, though. It’s already big enough, Boss Lady Bennett.”
“Oh no,” she says, cutting her eyes at me. “It’s bad enough you call me Boss Lady. Do not, under any circumstances, start using my last name too, Darcy.”
“But you call me by my last name.”
“It’s different when I do it, duh.”
I shake my head at Lizzie. Taking an extra apple cinnamon donut from the tray, I break it in half so we can share. Lizzie takes a latte she made without the latte art on it and pours half of it into a spare mug. Then, she offers the mug to me.
She asks, rhetorically, “Are we sharing now?”
“I always share with you.”
She cocks her head to the side, shooting me a stubborn look.
“Well, I do,” I say. “Mostly because I want your opinion on the things I make, but also because I know you’ll enjoy them.”
She takes a bite of the donut and rolls her eyes at me. “That’s pretty selfish if you ask me. But this apple cinnamon donut is actually pretty good.”
“Me? Selfish?” I ask, taking a bite of the donut. I shake my head. “Couldn’t be. But you are right about one thing: this donut is pretty good.”
“Be humble.” Lizzie finishes her donut and rubs her hands together to get rid of the crumbs. Then, she takes a sip of the latte and gestures for me to do the same.
I take a sip from my mug, now that it’s cooled down, and let the flavors dance on my tongue. My taste buds are met with a light, sweet cinnamon flavor.
To her, I say, “It’s not too strong or overpowering. It complements the donut really well. I think it’ll go well with the other donut flavors too. And, I think having a hot and iced option could be a big hit.”
She takes the feedback in stride, pulling the journal lying open on the counter closer to her and jotting down a few notes. “Thanks, Darcy.”
“See? I’m not the only one who is selfish. You’re just using me to taste-test your lattes. And I let you. Why do I let you?”
“Because you love my lattes, you weirdo.” She pokes me in the chest with the non-pointy side of her pen.
Feigning hurt, I clutch my chest and stumble backward away from her, even though it barely hurt. “Ow. You got me. I’m a Lizzie latte lover.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I reach for it. I’ve got a text from Jay.
Jay: We’re outside. Can you let us in?
Edward: Just pulled up with Jane, too.
“They’re here,” I say, announcing it aloud to Lizzie.
She claps her hands together excitedly, grabs the tray of drinks for everyone, and slips from the kitchen, through the door, and out to a six-person table in the cafe seating area. I follow suit, carrying my large tray of donuts with enough for everyone to try at least two of every flavor.
Lizzie spins around and almost bumps into me as I set the tray of donuts down on the table beside the hot lattes. “Can you grab the door while I grab some cups for the iced lattes?”
“Yes,” I chuckle, holding her upright so she won’t fall from the impact of bumping into me. “Can you not fall on me?”
“Can you get out of my way then?” asks Lizzie. She narrows her eyes at me, slips out from under my hands, and rushes back to the kitchen.
***
“This is going to be the wedding of the century,” Lizzie says to the table. Everyone raises a mug, “And I’m honored that you chose Bennet’s Cafe to be your sweets and drink caterer.”
Jay leads the toast, “To the wedding of the century!”
“Are we royalty?” Nic laughs as we toast.
She holds up an iced latte, while Jay has a hot latte. They look at each other, and I swear if romantic love had a poster child, they would be it. The look of love, of choosing to spend your life with that one person and giving love another chance, is all over them. It radiates from them.
“I think you are royalty here in Selah Falls,” I say. “You two are like relationship goals or something.”
“That is so cheesy,” Lizzie chimes in as everyone takes a sip of their lattes. “No one says that anymore, Darcy.”
I shoot her a playful glare. “You literally just said they are having the wedding of the century. And you call me cheesy?”
“You two are a hot mess,” Jane giggles, placing a hand over her mouth.
“I second that,” says Edward, raising his glass, not in a toast this time but in agreement with Jane.
“Hey!” Lizzie protests, obviously not too offended.
She smiles in the next breath, enthusiastically diving into some wedding details for the latte table setup. She discusses this with Nic and Jane, who sit on one side of the table with her, while Edward and Jay sit next to me on the other side.
“I’ve been meaning to talk with you two about this, but I didn’t want to do it over text,” Jay leans in, talking to Edward and me while the girls chat.
He looks nervous and happy, like a kid about to open a present on Christmas.
“I know we’ve only been friends for a short time, but it feels like longer.
You both have become my best friends. I know it’s last-minute with the wedding right around the corner, but I can buy your suits and anything else you need for the big day.
I know you’re both already planning to come to the wedding, but I wanted to ask if you’d both be in my wedding as groomsmen.
My Pops will be my best man, but having you two stand with me would be an honor. ”
I open my mouth to respond, but I’m speechless for a moment. It sinks in. Someone called me a friend. Asked me to be in their wedding.
I’d spent so much time without close friends. Without real guy friends. I never realized what I was missing until I moved to Selah Falls and met these two.
I swallow the lump forming in my throat. Then, I clear my throat so I don’t sound like I’m about to cry. Edward’s eyes glisten too, and I wonder if we’re feeling the same way.
“Dude,” Edward says, patting Jay on the back. “Of course, I’ll do it.”
I want to say that I’ve never had friends like this. That my father hates me. My mother is disappointed in me.
That my family would never approve of me being here in Selah, of my job, my new friends, and my new life. But I can’t say that.
Instead, I say, “Thanks for thinking of me. I’d be happy to do it.”
My phone buzzes. I reach for it, taking it out of my pocket. It’s a call from my sister, Georgiana. I send it to voicemail. Then she texts me.
Georgiana: You can’t run forever, Will. Dad is tripping. Mom misses you, but is too proud to say so. Call me please. I miss you too. Love you.
Me: Can’t talk now. Sorry. Miss you too. Love you too.
Another text comes through… this time, from the ex-fiancée…
Caroline: We could have made this work, Will. How long will you keep ignoring me?
I stare at that last text, all my fears catching up with me… what if coming to Selah was a mistake? What if I should have just stayed and gone through with the engagement?
“Everything okay?” Jay asks me.
I look up from my phone. I quickly rearrange my features and slip my phone back into my pocket.
“I’m good. But what I really want to talk about is what we’re wearing for the wedding?”
I don’t actually care about what suit we’re wearing for the wedding; I know we’ll look good either way. I clean up pretty well and know how to wear a suit.
I care about not making this moment about me, though. I nod and listen to Jay as he explains what tailor he’s using for the wedding, when we’ll go for fittings and the colors we’ll be wearing. For the first time in a long time, I almost forget about everything happening back home.