I close my camera app and slip my phone into my pocket as I walk around the counter to join Reed. “Just taking advantage of the lull to capture some b-roll.”
A couple of regulars are sipping drinks while they work on their computers, but if the ambient noise of the coffee shop won’t bother them, then us recording a few videos won’t, either.
“I still don’t know what b-roll is,” Reed says under his breath.
I soothe him with a gentle stroke over his biceps. “Maybe you should log onto the internet someday.”
His mouth twitches, scoring another point on my mental tally sheet.
Lila walks up and sets her bag on the counter. “I feel I should warn you. My brother-in-law does all of Irwin’s social media, and he’s scheming ways to piggyback on your viral video.”
“Is it wrong that I’m looking forward to that?” I follow a lot of social media accounts for businesses around town. Some are pretty standard, but others jump on trending sounds and songs.Irwin’s has a nice mix of people outside using their gear and employees lip-syncing to funny audio.
“Let’s wait and see what Rhett lands on before you get too excited. Congrats, by the way.” Her smile morphs into a cringe, and her eyes go wide. “Unless what’s going around is just talk? Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. You never know with this town.”
“Oh, no. It’s happening.” I nudge Reed with my hip because apparently when he told me to act natural, what I heard was “be a massive dork.” He blows out a puff of laughter, and my giddy little heart kicks.
Lila relaxes, happy for us once again. “That’s really great. Could I get a brown sugar milk tea with tapioca pearls, please?”
“Of course.” I move on autopilot to make her usual, adding brown sugar syrup, boba pearls, milk, and ice to a cup. I open the mini fridge where we keep the premade drinks and take out the big pitcher of black tea.
“Oh, can I get that with decaf tea?” she asks, leaning on the front counter. “I keep forgetting.”
“Sure.” I switch pitchers and finish her drink, running it through the sealer. She’s already popped her jumbo straw through the top and taking her first sip by the time I spin the cash out tablet around for her to pay.
She sighs like she’s lowering into a warm bath. “I needed that. Between new bike trails construction, our parks department expansion, and updating our visitor’s guide, I’ve been in nonstop meetings today.”
“I saw the town council approved the new parks budget.” I only know about it because of Lila’s excellent work on Sunshine’s social media accounts. She runs at least three—one to keep track of the goings-on around town, one highlighting small businesses, and one featuring scenes of local outdoor attractions that could double as ads for her husband’s gear store.
“You’re in charge of all that?” Reed asks.
“No, thank goodness. I just have to market it.” She takesanother sip of her boba tea and chews for a second. “That, and hopefully draw in applicants for the new positions opening up.”
“I don’t know if you hear it enough, but Sunshine is grateful to have you,” I tell her. “We’re really lucky you came back.”
Like a lot of people who grew up here, she left for college and then stayed away. I heard she had some marketing job for a tech firm in Seattle before she came back a couple of years ago. She’s been whipping the town into an up-and-coming tourist destination ever since.
Her cheeks take on a pleased flush. “That’s sweet of you.”
“It’s the truth. You’ve made every festival ten times better than it used to be. And all the new events you’ve launched are so fun. I’m looking forward to the craft market on Sunday.”
“That one was inspired by my sister’s gentle nagging.” She takes another sip of her drink. “But that reminds me I meant to do some nagging of my own. I want to put a bug in your ear about getting involved in the Sunshine Small Business Society.”
Oh, hey. Another conversation I’ve had with Reed a dozen times.
She grimaces but still manages to look like a runway model. “‘Put a bug in your ear?’ That’s a gross phrase. Anyway, I’m sure you know it, but the small business community is really supportive and encouraging. And if you want to be included in festival planning or other events, it might be a good idea to join in the meetings.”
I turn to Reed, but he’s wearing his “done with this conversation” scowl. He’s not a community meeting kind of guy.
“We’ll talk it over,” I tell her.
“I’d love to get you down for the fall festival, too. I need to get all that sorted earlier than I did the summer concert stuff.”
“We just might. Since the coffee cart last week was abig success.” I nudge Reed again with my hip because I’m as subtle as Fran and Nora.
Lila makes a jazzy celebration with her free hand. “That’s great to hear.” She looks along the front counter as if it’s full of Blackbird’s pies and cupcakes instead of plain butcher block with just espresso machines and containers full of straws on it. “I could use a little something to eat. Like a pastry or a cookie. Or a ham and cheese sandwich. It’s been forever since lunch.”
I shoot a meaningful look at Reed, who stares back. She’s singing all my favorite songs. “It would be so great if we served something like that. Wouldn’t it?”