Page 17 of Horn in My Side
JASMINE
Jasmine peeked out of the window for the hundred and twenty-fifth time, waiting for any movement from the main house.
Nothing.
She’d been watching it like a hawk since she woke up at six that morning, vigilantly scanning for signs of life.
Maybe Mal was a late riser.
In any case, the coast was clear.She grabbed her purse and keys and hurried to the door, relieved that she would not be running into him.After what happened last night, she needed to spend as little time with him as possible.
A bat, really?
The memory of it made her cringe so hard she had to stop and brace herself against the doorjamb.Once again, Mal had berated her for her foolishness, and while her automatic response was to take a defensive stance, he had been right as she could have gotten hurt if it had been a real robber inside the house.Hopefully, this was not a sign of things to come for the next six months.
Still, for this morning at least, she wouldn’t have to see him.
Straightening her shoulders, she marched down the stairway leading out of the garage apartment, locked the door behind her, and made her way to Main Street.
Another beautiful day in Dewberry Falls.
The sun was out, the birds were chirping, the air was crisp and fresh, and she still had time before opening to grab a cup of coffee.As she entered Brew-tique, the comforting smell of coffee tickled her nose.Now that she was on a tight budget, she really should be making her coffee at home.
Just this one time.
And by buying a cup, she would also be supporting a small, woman-owned business, which Fantastic Tails would be soon.
As it was the morning rush, the line to order was long, but moved briskly, and so she was at the front in no time.“Hey, Minerva,” she greeted the owner who stood behind the counter.
“Morning, Jasmine.”Minerva Morrigan flashed her a bright smile.“Your usual?”
“Yes, please.”
“One flat white, coming right up.”The screen lit up with her order and Jasmine tapped her debit card on the terminal, adding in a generous tip.“Thanks.”
“How’s business?”
“Great.Busy, but all good.”The witch took a to-go cup from the stack next to her before snapping her fingers.The paper cup floated to her left, toward the espresso machine, which blew a steady mist of steam as the lever moved on its own.While it looked as if the shop was manned by an army of invisible employees, it was actually magic that powered the operation, from the oven that warmed all the pastries and hot breakfast sandwiches, to the tables that bussed themselves.
“You know where to grab it,” Minerva said.
“I do.Thanks so much.”
She slid down to the end of the counter where customerspicked up their finished drinks.There were a few people lingering waiting for their orders, most of them she recognized as employees of other shops on Main Street.She nodded at them in greeting, thanking her ancestor spirits that it was much too early—and everyone still much too uncaffeinated—to be in the mood for a chat.As she waited, something caught her eye on the bulletin board on the wall—a brightly colored flyer for the upcoming Founding Day Festival.
“Oh Mother Goddess.”She slapped her forehead.“I can’t believe it’s almost Founding Day.”
“I know, right?”said the mousey—as in, she had big mouse ears, a black button nose, and whiskers—young woman next to her.Jasmine recognized her as the high-school kid who worked at the frozen yogurt shop on weekends.“It’s in a couple of weeks.”
The Founding Day Festival was the main summer social event of the year for the residents of Dewberry Falls.For one weekend, the entire Main Street was shut down to vehicle traffic.There were games, rides, and various food trucks set up all over the street.Businesses were also encouraged to set up booths outside their shops, and thus it was the biggest weekend for sales for many of them, including Fantastic Tails.She made a mental note to start stocking up on their best-selling accessories and start planning their specials.
“Jasmine, medium flat white!”Gary, the only other employee who worked in Brew-tique, called.
“Thanks, Gary.”She picked up the cup he placed on the counter and headed out with a final wave to Minerva.
Hmmm.So good.
The coffee was hot, and the micro foam perfectly creamy.As she entered Fantastic Tails, she was in the middle of savoring another sip when she nearly choked on the brew.
