Chapter 3: Chapter 3

The café was woodsy and homey with a touch of floral prints and lots of chalk-style fonts. It was a decent size for the small buildings downtown with its five tables, two booths, and an order counter with a full expresso bar, tea collection, premade sandwiches, and baked desserts. River passed through the door behind the bar to trade his sneakers for non-slip shoes and to sign in on the shift clipboard.

“You’re early. Everything okay, kiddo?”

“Dandy,” he replied flatly to Ben, sliding up beside him behind the bar. Ben took a teenager’s order and River knelt to fish his scone out from the sliding glass display case, while Ben poured his large black coffee to-go. College kids and their iron stomachs.

“Oh, I know! Your favorite customer came in this morning. You know, Agatha, the one,” Ben started laughing and had to try and catch onto his words again. “The one who always tries to order stuff that isn’t on the menu then fights us about it! Guess what she tried ordering today.”