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5
Mysti
The tipof my shoe caught against the lip on the sidewalk, and I stumbled toward the front door of Whitman’s Cafe. I caught myself just before I could crash into the glass, and was tempted to look around to see who might have witnessed my faux pas. Instead, I stood a little taller, lifted my chin a little higher, and after sucking in a long breath, I pulled open the door.
Calvin stood with his hands on the front counter, a crooked smile on his face as I walked in. Junie was watching me too, and she lifted her hand as if to stop him from speaking as she let out a sigh.
“I know, I know. I need to get the sidewalk fixed.”
“No, it’s fine,” I tried to assure her, but Calvin cut me off.
“You’re not the first one to trip on that.” He picked up the towel off the counter in front of him and wiped his hands. “I’ve been telling her for years she needs to fix it before someone falls and gets hurt.”
Junie sighed again as she glanced at the clock on the cash register. “I’ll call them when they open.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” Calvin tapped her shoulder with the back of his hand, then turned on his heel. “Better get to work. Looks like our first customers are here.”
He hadn’t made it two steps when the door swung open and Clarence and Evie came into the cafe, followed by a handful of some of our other regulars. I got the ones dining in settled at their tables with menus and drinks, and my mouth watered at the smells coming from the kitchen.
I hadn’t eaten much for breakfast. I hadn’t had the time. I’d rushed out with a cereal bar hanging from my lips as I’d tried to tie the belt on my skirt while I raced to my car.
With a tray full of bottles and glasses, I made my rounds, dropping off drinks and promising I’d be right back to take orders. By the time I set my tray down by the back counter, Callie, and Junie’s wife, Corabelle, were both gawking at me like I’d grown a second head.
“What?” I asked, smoothing a hand over my hair.
Amusement colored Callie’s face, but Corabelle looked at me with concern.
“Are you alright?” the older lady asked while Callie grabbed a towel from the countertop and dabbed at a streak of juice that was dribbling down the front of my shirt.
“Dang it!” I sighed and snagged the towel from Callie’s hands as she slipped behind me. “This was my last clean shirt.”
“Got too busy last night to do laundry?” Callie asked, that amusement laced through her voice.
I aimed a pointed glare at her, but it didn’t stop her.
She put her hands on my shoulders and laid her chin down upon one of them as she peeked over my shoulder at Corabelle. “Our Mysti had a date last night.”
Corabelle raised an eyebrow, but her concern didn’t budge from her face. “What’s really bothering you?”
Dropping the towel, I pulled my attention to my boss’s wife. “My clothes were stolen off my line again last night.”
“Again?” both ladies asked at the same time, but their tones couldn’t have been further from each other.
“Again,” I told them as Callie rounded me and stood by Corabelle’s side. “I didn’t think much of it at first, but then I realized how low I’m getting on certain clothes.”
“She thought she was losing her mind,” Callie offered, when Corabelle’s brow furrowed. “Instead, someone’s been stealing her underwear.”
“And last night, my bra and shirt went missing. I couldn’t even find my underwear to hang them out.”
“How long has this been going on?”
A sigh left my chest. Before I could answer her, Calvin pushed two plates full of avocado toast, eggs, and potatoes onto the high counter between us.
“Been happening since you got here, hasn’t it?” he asked, that same concern clear on his face too.
I nodded, taking the plates from the counter and settling them on my tray. “It has. And before you ask, I’ve looked under the deck and in the bushes to make sure my things aren’t there. The only thing under there is dirt and weeds and someone’s old flip-flop.”
Before I could lift my tray, Corabelle stopped me with a hand on my arm. “Have you told anyone about this?”
