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“Oh my God, I didn’t mean it that way! You’re much more than just ‘there.’ What I mean is, I wouldn’t share a muffin with just anyone.”
“Nice. A compliment for me, too. Thanks, Buttercake.”
It occurred to her that she’d never offered half of a muffin to Dominic. For one thing, he didn’t eat carbs. For another, he paid very careful attention to everything she ate, too, so she tended to only indulge in baked goods when she wasn’t around him.
“So what should I do, Jason? You’re good at that sort of thing. I’m open to advice, and believe me, I don’t say that very often.”
“What sort of thing are we talking about? Not muffins anymore?”
“The job. How can I get them to like me and want to hire me?”
“Why do you think I’d know?”
“Because people like you!” She gestured at the busy street, where the first tourists of the season mingled with locals running errands. “How many people have you said hello to while we’ve been walking?”
He shrugged, even as he waved at Mrs. Halliday as she pushed her folding shopping cart down the street. “Need a hand over there, young lady?” he called.
“Maybe later, smokeshow.” She grinned from under her crocheted hat.
“Smokeshow?” whispered Kendra.
“Hey, I get nicknames too.” They both laughed. “But what she’s actually referring to is when I put out a grease fire in her kitchen, and I used the term ‘smokeshow’ to explain what was happening.”
“Huh. So if I counted right, Mrs. Smokeshow over there was the seventh person you said hello to in the fifty steps we’ve taken between the café and here.”
“It’s a slow morning. A lot of people are sleeping in.”
“How do you do it? How do you get all these people to fall at your feet?” She paused, thinking further. “Actually, that would be annoying. I just want the board to respect me enough to hire me.”
“Kendra, believe me, everyone in this town respects you. You don’t have to do anything. Just be who you are.” He took a bite of the muffin bottom and chewed for a moment. “Didn’t you offer to handle a big event?”
“Yes, but someone’s already doing the SweetSummer Fest, which is the next one coming up.”
“So add on to it. How about an outdoor concert at the Blue Drake?”
She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the fireman next to her. “Jason, you are a freaking genius.”
He laughed. “Funny thing to say to a guy you once tutored in history.”
“Oh my God, I forgot about that.”
He’d been struggling in the class, so she’d offered to help get his grade up. Then she’d been surprised by how interesting their discussions had been. He had no trouble with the concepts of the class. It was the amount of reading material that hampered him.
“You know,” she said sternly, “there are many forms of intelligence that don’t involve doing well in school. You probably have many of those.”
He finished the muffin by popping it into his mouth. “Is snack acquisition intelligence one of them? I’ve got that.”
“I’m pretty sure turning everything into a joke is a sign of lack of intelligence.”
“That’s too bad, since it’s my superpower.” His grin was so infectious, she had to laugh. They reached the corner where their paths would diverge, the Blue Drake one direction, the firehouse the other. She found herself slowing down so they’d have more time together.
“That concert idea is fantastic, but I’m not sure where I could find a band at this late date. Oh!” She snapped her fingers. “My dad’s jam session group. Didn’t you say you play with them?”
“Oh hell no.” He backed away from her. After a quick check of traffic, he bolted across the street. “Byeeee!” he called from the other side, then disappeared inside the firehouse.
She laughed long and hard, then hurried in the direction of the Blue Drake. Her father was in charge of that group, and she could get a “yes” from him with a snap of her fingers. Being a daddy’s girl had its advantages.
The biggest festival of the summer season in Lake Bittersweet, known as the SweetSummer Fest, was held on the first Saturday of July. The town always closed the downtown area to traffic, making room for food stalls and crafts tables and cotton candy and games and balloon animals.
