She tipped her head in the direction of the glass door to the bookshop, and Molly followed her gaze. Opal, Mavis, and Ethel were headed straight toward Turtle Books, their walkers plunking in unison against the wood surface of the boardwalk.
Molly rushed to hold the door open for the older women as they filed inside, still dressed in all manner of neon spandex from their morning yoga class at the senior center.
“Thank you, dear,” Opal said, pausing to pat Molly’s cheek.
“Anytime. This is a nice surprise.” Molly grinned. “I didn’t expect you three to pop in today.”
“Well, the activity bus was heading this way to take some of the residents to doctor appointments across the bridge, so we thought we’d hitch a ride and come support you at your first day on the job.” Mavis parked her walker at the counter. As usual, Nibbles the Chihuahua sat in a shivering heap in the walker basket, nose twitching at the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the air.
Ethel nodded. “We didn’t want to miss your ballistic debut.”
Molly and Caroline exchanged a bemused glance.
“Barista, not ballistic,” Opal corrected, enunciating each syllable with exaggerated care. “She’s making coffee, not blowing her top.”
“I don’t know,” Mavis muttered under her breath. “She seemed awfully annoyed last night at bingo.”
Molly’s face went warm. “What can I get you ladies this fine morning?”
Of course she’d been annoyed. For all intents and purposes, Max hadre-fired her. Anyone would be miffed, having been fired twice in a single day.
Molly refused to take the bait and get into another conversation about her grumpy neighbor.
Neighbor.Gah! Molly died a little bit inside every time she remembered that she and Max now shared the same pristine stretch of sand and sea.
“Whatever you’d like to make is fine.” Opal winked. Bless her and her flexibility, yoga-esque and otherwise.
Ethel and Mavis rattled off their orders, both complicated flavored lattes that Molly had enjoyed many times but had zero clue how to make. She poured Opal a plain, basic drip coffee and began wrestling with the espresso machine while Caroline rang up a few book and newspaper sales.
“This is delicious, dear,” Ethel said, pulling a face as she sipped her drink.
Delicious, my foot.Molly gave her older friends a weak smile. “I’m still learning.”
“You’ll get the hang of things in no time.” Mavis nudged her barely touched latte away from her with a push of her bony pointer finger.
On the other side of the bookshop, Sebastian hissed. A stack of children’s picture books fell from a shelf and narrowly missed conking Ursula on the head. The puppy yelped, ran toward Molly, and pawed at her shins to be picked up.
Molly tried to resist, but Ursula was relentless, so she caved. Maybe she could start carrying Ursula around in one of those slings across her chest so she could work hands-free. That was normal, wasn’t it?
None of this is normal. You belong at the aquarium.
Molly wondered how Rocky, the oldest turtle in the sea turtle hospital, was doing, or if Silver, the pregnant seahorse, had given birth yet. She missed the animals even more than she missed her clamshells.
“Are you okay, dear? You seem sort of—” Opal looked Molly up and down. “—bland.”
“It’s the apron.” Ethel picked up her latte, took a sip, and blanched.
“She’s right.” Mavis nodded. “It’s far less flattering than your mermaid costume.”
“Hey.” Caroline looked down at her own apron, bottom lip turning down into a pout.
“Don’t be silly. Everything is fine.I’mfine.” Molly forced a smile. “Just peachy.”
She had a job, albeit one she was terrible at and that would barely cover the cost of the rent she paid to her parents. She had her perfect cottage, although its serene ambiance was now ruined by the grump next door. And she had parents who loved her so much that they would probably try to physically wrestle her away from Turtle Beach once they found out that she was now fully wasting her education degree.
Okay, perhaps she wasn’t completely fine, after all. But at least she had Ursula, the most loyal creature to ever set paw on the planet.
She snuggled the puppy closer. Then Molly remembered how Ursula had launched herself at Max last night the moment she’d seen him, and she almost felt like crying.