Chương 20: Episode Two Hundred and Sixty-Four: Cookies

Light drifted in from the front windows, and the shop already felt better. The space warmed a little, though the skylights weren't back yet. Hopefully, over the course of the day we'd bank some extra energy. We had plenty of coffee to sell, and maybe even some books. The only problem was that the front of the shop hadn't changed into what I mentally called the coffee shop layout. No nice long table, or sets of smaller tables. The shelves hadn't been pushed back yet.

I finished my latte and started on another, as Indigo continued talking about the hot springs in the Clan lands. Given her descriptions, it was a place only for those who could handle immense heat. She twisted about, and flew in circles high up in the air. Henry flew as well, but not as high and not as gracefully. He followed her for a while, before circling down and landing on the counter. At least my shoulders didn't ache this time. He tucked his legs under himself, closer to the espresso machine then I'd like.

"Flying is hard work," he muttered, watching Indigo twirl.

"It's something she loves," I said. I ground some espresso beans and exchanged my mug for a large mason jar with a lid for a straw. Then I added some cold milk, along with some vanilla syrup and chocolate. I mixed it all up before adding the two shots of espresso. Without the Cat here, I'd increased my caffeine intake. I needed it after the shock this morning. Already, I wanted to sink into the couch in the living room and just let the shop recharge, but given our location, we needed to open.

"How are you doing, Betty?" I asked quietly, as I took my stool. The oven dinged from the kitchen having reached temperature.

"Oh, do we need cookies?" I asked, not really expecting a response as I headed back to the kitchen. The oven blinked ready for a batch of cookies from the freezer. I quickly laid out an entire sheet of chocolate chip, and tossed them in. Baking from frozen only added a few minutes. Somehow, the amazing smell of cookies baking filled the shop almost instantly. By the time I reached the front again, the big table had appeared in its spot, along with the other tables.

There were less of them than usual, since the bookshelves hadn't moved. The skylights also appeared, and drenched the room in a perfect golden glow. When the timer went off, I headed back and pulled the pan out of the oven. They needed five minutes on the hot pan before moving to a cooling rack. Usually, Betty did these tasks, but with her energy being so low I didn't mind. A few different cake stands appeared that normally sat near the register.

Those I filled with cookies, and moved them out to the front after putting in a second batch. Now, we could totally open. Still, Betty made no move to unlock the front door. Indigo grew bored of flying around, and landed in the center of the big table before staring out the window. Her tail curled around her body, along with her wings. The second batch dinged and I took them out. This time, the oven shut off, so I took that as the sign that this would be enough.

By the time I put those cookies on racks, I wanted to be done with baking. I didn't mind baking, but it wasn't a passion of mine, and I hadn't realized how much Betty usually helped me. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Sweat formed along my hair line, and I brushed it away. My iced mocha helped that, at least. Finally, I sat. This time, the door unlocked and Indigo uncurled from her spot on the table. The first customer was a familiar one.

Fred came in, but without his girlfriend Samantha this time. He entered carrying a leather bag over one shoulder, along with a massive grin.

"Good Morning, Fred, can I get your Ameriano started?" I asked, as he approached the counter.

"Sounds good! Oh, plus two of those cookies." He smiled, leaning a little closer.

"They smell amazing."

"How did the parent meeting go?" I asked, as I pulled the espresso shot into the mug I always used for him.

"They approve," he said, with an even bigger smile.

"We're talking about getting engaged, and we'll both be done with school at the end of this year."

"That's a big step." I said. I tried to not let my shock show on my face, as I topped the espresso with hot water.

"We wouldn't be doing the ceremony for a long while." He tapped his card as I rang everything up. The two cookies I set on a plate.

"You don't want to rush it," I said, handing them over.

"We won't, though I know she is the one." He pressed his lips together, then leaned closer after checking to see if anyone was in the shop.

"One of our elders can see matches, and ours is the strongest in generations."

"Oh, wow." I didn't even know that was a thing.

"Better not screw it up."

"I won't!" he said. He grabbed the cookies and his mug, before heading to the big table. It wasn't that long ago that I'd finished school and needed to find a job. Thankfully, I'd landed here, and everything had worked out. I couldn't imagine getting married, but that might be a me thing. Finding someone I clicked with was hard, not to mention the travel with the job. Plus, I really liked having a small group of friends I stayed close with. I shrugged, and took one of the cookies for myself.

They were perfect and gooey. Of course, the door opened again as soon as I'd taken a bite, this time with a group of folks all wanting coffees to go. The young energy made me smile as they chatted about the end of year events. Allisa walked in carrying a sketch book, and a coffee mug in the other hand. Her eyes lit up as she glanced around the shop, seeing Indigo at the big table. She waved to the little dragon, and set her stuff down at the table near Fred before coming to the counter.

For once, she didn't have a heavier coat on.

"Hey Allisa, how are you doing?" I asked, leaning against the counter.

"Good, really good. Can I get one of those?" She pointed at my iced mocha. I nodded and got to work.

"How is your year wrapping up?" Time in this world must pass a little faster than my own, since I didn't think the end of the school year would be here already.

"Fantastic! I'm already signing up for classes next year, but I need to take a trip with my family to the Feywilds." The smile stayed on her face, but her voice lost some of her spunk.

"Worried?" I asked.

"Well." She rubbed her arms.

"I need to meet our Fey Lord, to make sure that my illness is actually gone, and that feels a little intimidating."

"Don't worry about it," I said, automatically thinking about the Cat.

"I bet he only wants what's best for his people." She glanced at me for a moment, like, really looked at me as I set her iced mocha in front of her.

"You say that like you know them." I froze just for a second, but she noticed. Her eyes widened, and she blinked a few times, like something had come to her.

"I drew that picture while I was here…"

"Picture?" This time I wasn't sure what she meant. Then it dawned on me. The picture of a dude that kind of looked like the Cat, when he hadn't been a cat. I'd only caught a glimpse of him before his form shifted back into his little furry black body when he'd come to visit, but it did look similar to what I remembered.

"Either way, I'm glad you are doing well, and I bet the meeting will be fine." Allisa nodded slowly. Indigo chirped across the room, and her head twisted to look.

"The drink's on me," I said with a nod. She headed to the table, where Fred started asking her questions.

"You recovered well there," said Henry, in a soft voice.

"I didn't think about the fact that the gaes is broken," I replied, keeping my voice down.

"I'll need to be careful about what I say."