Page 122 of Instant Karma

This has been just the distraction I needed after my trip to the pawnshop. Every time I find myself with a quiet, idle moment, my mind goes straight back to the envelope of money in my bag, and the family silverware that will never again be placed on our Thanksgiving table.

I’ve always known we aren’t rich. I know there have been financialconcerns with the store since Jude and I were kids. But this feels like a desperate act. After all, what happens when they run out of things to sell? They’ll still have bills to pay, and a record store that isn’t making enough money. This is only a Band-Aid solution. They must see that.

But then… what’s the real solution?

I can’t think of it right now. I have the center and the gala to worry about, and that’s plenty to keep my mind occupied.

Quint reaches me and, to my surprise, starts dancing. An over-the-top victory dance, right there on the boardwalk, that paper flashing in and out of the sun. He might have just scored a winning touchdown for all his enthusiasm. “Blue’s Burgers is donating not one, not two, butthreegift baskets for the silent auction, including gift cards, branded T-shirts, and travel mugs. Plus they will be supplying coupons for the goody bags,and—wait for it…”

He stops dancing and holds the paper out so I can see, even though it’s the same sponsorship contract we’ve been using for all the businesses. He taps his finger against a line at the bottom, where he’s handwritten an extra note.

I shrug. “I can’t read your handwriting.”

He whips the paper out of view. “They’ve agreed to cater the meal! Cheeseburger sliders, baby!BOOM.” He starts to dance again, then to my surprise, he grabs my hand and pulls me off the bench. I yelp as he spins me once beneath his arm. “We are so good at this!”

Laughing, I allow myself to be spun around a couple of times before dropping my hands on Quint’s shoulders and forcing him to hold still. “Okay, calm down. That’s excellent work, but there’s still a lot to do.”

His face is positively glowing. His hands, I realize suddenly, are on my waist.

Something passes between us. An electric current. A snagged breath.

I quickly pull away and turn my back on him. Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I turn back to the bench and gather up my notes, pretending like that moment, whatever it was, didn’t happen.

I’m sure it was mostly in my imagination, anyway.

Quint hops up onto the bench in one graceful bound—gah, he makes that look easy—and sits down on the backrest, his elbows settled on his knees. “Okay. What’s my next mission? I’m on a roll.”

It’s a beautiful sunny day, with a salty breeze coming in off the ocean andfluffy clouds speckled along the horizon. Weather reports have been saying we’re in for a big storm this week, but there’s no sign of it now—just sunbathers on the beach and roller skaters on the boardwalk, ice cream sundaes and the cry of seagulls and everything that makes Fortuna Beach a paradise this time of year.

I scan the list of businesses and put a smiley face next to Blue’s Burgers. “That was a really generous offer from them. They’re not charging us anything?”

“Not a dime. I think they’ve been hit hard lately with all that animal-cruelty stuff that’s going around, and they think this could help them start to recover their reputation.”

“You mean those rumors that they were getting their meat from some factory farm?” I step up onto the bench and sit beside him, the notebook on my lap.

“Turns out, not just rumors,” he says. “They were importing their meat from some factory farm, despite their whole advertising schtick—grass-fed, pasture-raised, free-range… whatever. But it’s more than that. That farm was just fined for some pretty big health-code violations.” He shudders.

I’m staring at Quint, but all I’m seeing is that billboard and the spray-painted X.

LIES.

“Morgan actually helped draw attention to the story,” Quint adds. “Remember that petition thing I was telling you about? I guess activists have been trying to get these farms shut down for years, and it’s finally paid off. Pretty cool, right? It’s like all that social-studies-in-action stuff that Mrs. Brickel is always talking about.”

I tap my pen against my lip, staring out at the ocean. “So, don’t be mad. I appreciate your hard work with Blue’s Burgers, and this is an awesome donation they’ve agreed to. But… do you think it will look bad for us to partner with them so soon after they’ve been involved with this huge scandal? I mean… animal cruelty, health violations… and we’re an animal rescue center.”

“I know, there’s an irony here,” says Quint. I look at him. His eyes are on my pen, on… my mouth. They shift immediately out to the ocean. “But weweren’t planning to do a vegetarian menu, other than for guests who request it, and Blue’s assured me that they’ve already established some new relationships with local farms. Farms that have been certified humane this time. They want to move on from this as quickly as possible.” He shrugs. “They’re a landmark business. They’ve been here since the sixties. They deserve a second chance, right?”

His gaze returns to mine. I smile. “Everyone does.”

He shifts an inch closer and looks down at the notebook. “So, how are we doing?”

“Great, actually. Kwikee’s Print Shop agreed to print all our flyers and posters pro bono, I’ve got tons of people giving us stuff for the silent auction, and the folks at Main Street Bakery are already dreaming up dolphin-shaped cookies and starfish-topped cakes for our dessert.”

“Sweet.”

I roll my eyes at the pun, though I’m not entirely sure he was trying to make one. “That pretty much takes care of the auction and catering. Which leaves only entertainment, rentals, decorations, AV equipment, and… the big one.” I look up from the binder. “A venue. Oh! And we still need to decide how we’re going to handle ticket sales, and how much we’re going to charge for them.”

“I know there are websites that handle tickets for things like this, and I think you can set it up to deposit straight into your bank account,” says Quint. “I’ll talk to Shauna about it and see about getting something linked up on the website.”

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