Page 17 of My Mistake To Make

‘Oh, hey, good morning. How’d you sleep?’

I shrug. ‘Okay, jet lag, and I think my neighbors had a bit of a party, so it was a mixed bag.’ I smile to let her know I am still a satisfied customer.

‘They did? Oh man, I am so sorry. I should have left you my cell number. Those guys are becoming a pain in my ass.’

I chuckle.

‘It’s okay, really. I was going to ask them to turn it down, but I was awake anyway, so it was no harm done.’

She straightens and fixes her gaze on me for a moment.

‘Where are you headed?’

‘Oh, um, I need to get something to eat, and then get some groceries, a sim card, and to find the bank.’

‘Ah, well, you won’t find the bank open on the weekend—that will have to wait until Monday. Everything else, you’ll be just fine. First off, the diner has an amazing all-day breakfast you should check out.’

‘Oh, that sounds great.’ I nod and turn to walk away, then realize I have no idea where I’m going. ‘And where exactly will I find that?’

Zoe laughs, then closes the boot of the car.

‘Tell you what, gimme a sec to load in these boxes and clear my schedule, then I’m all yours. I’ll be your personal tour guide.’

‘Oh, you don’t have to do that.’ I exhale the words, my relief evident and in contrast to my protests. The idea of having someone show me around calms the nerves I hadn’t realized I was feeling.

‘Uh uh, we don’t get a lot of newcomers around here out of season, and once they all hear about you, they’ll be on you like bees ‘round a honey pot. I want to be your first official friend in Forest Falls.’ She beams, and it’s a playful, fun smile that I can’t help reciprocating.

‘Okay, that would be amazing. Let me help you with these.’ I step forward, grab a box, and let my new friend show me where she wants it.

The walk through town was lovely. People smiled and said good morning to Zoe and to me by association. I noticed them looking at me with curiosity, but Zoe and I were so caught up in conversation that I hardly took any notice.

The town is so cute with its historic buildings, ornate moldings, different colored render, and cute little awnings over the windows and doors of the businesses.

When we reach the diner, my stomach grumbles so loudly that Zoe turns to me and laughs, then pushes open the door.

‘Merv, two all-day breakfasts, stat. This girl’s about to cause a quake.’

I would usually be so embarrassed by that sort of comment, that sort of attention, but Zoe’s demeanor is so friendly and fun that I just laugh and follow her to a booth.

‘This place is great.’ I cast my attention around the diner. It’s clearly an old building, but the décor is modern and sleek. I was expecting something straight out of the movies, all retro androller skates, but instead, it sort of feels a bit like a pub. The long wall that runs the length of the building is bare brick, the others are wood paneled and painted dark blue, and there are framed photos of people inside and in front of the diner, spanning across what looks like decades, all black and white, and adorning all the walls. There’s a fancy coffee machine behind the counter with a barista who would be more suited to a city coffee shop than this sleepy little town, with her tattooed sleeves and bright pink Faux-Hawk. ‘It’s not at all what I was expecting.’

‘We get that a lot.’ Zoe nods, a smile curving one side of her mouth. ‘Tourists come by here all summer, stay out at the campsites by the lake, rent out my cabins, or the couple of guesthouses in town. You got here just in time. In about six weeks, this place will be crazy busy.’

‘With tourism comes the need for fancy coffee,’ I muse, and she nods again.

‘Exactly. Most of the summer services we offer are just for the season, but the coffee stays year-round, and boy am I glad about that.’

‘Ladies.’ An older man in a shirt that says ‘Merv’ on his chest and ‘Merv’s Diner’ across his back places two plates down in front of us, and my mouth waters.

‘Oh, my goodness.’ I breathe, my stomach growling even louder now.

‘Dig in,’ Merv laughs, and I notice him squeeze Zoe’s shoulder affectionately as he walks away.

‘You heard the man.’ She picks up her cutlery, and happily, I do the same.

‘Oh, my god. I won’t need to eat for a week.’ I lean back against the leather seat and put my hands on my stomach. Zoe mirrors my posture.

‘Good, right?’ I nod, and she drops her napkin onto her plate. ‘Okay, what’s next on the list?’

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