out of my system.
Genevieve Harper was a game changer, and I couldn’t put my finger on why. Maybe it was all the spiritual wackadoo stuff she spoke of that actually played into the connection. Maybe it was the simple fact that she was ridiculously hot and had the hands of a goddess—one that could remove pain with a single touch. That had to be it. Regardless, I was looking forward to my session tomorrow.
As I left the yoga studio, the California sun shone bright, warming my face while I inhaled the Bay Area air. My stomach growled since I’d skipped breakfast this morning. I could hit the bakery and chat up Dara if she was working the counter like yesterday, but I didn’t want to have to do the extra reps at the gym that a plateful of pastries would demand.
I checked out the other businesses across the street. The New to You Thrift Store was on the opposite corner from the café. Next to it was a full-on paraphernalia and tobacco store cleverly named Up in Smoke Shop. Man, that movie was a classic.
Continuing on was Reel Antiques. The display window featured rocking chairs and dressers that held clothes for tiny people. I snickered. That dresser wouldn’t hold a single pair of my folded jeans. Maybe it was children’s furniture. The size of the little old lady sweeping the front walk told me otherwise. Gnarled fingers gripped a broom while she worked. A young-looking fellow interrupted her work. His apron had the same logo as the bakery. To my surprise, the young man took the broom from the old lady’s hands and proceeded to sweep the entire porch as I stood in awe. When he finished, she patted his cheeks and hugged him. I had entered the land that time forgot. Were people really that nice? Not in my experience. Had to be a fluke.
I scoffed and limped along the street until I stopped in front of Rainy Day Café. Place looked as good as any. When I walked in, I maneuvered around tables where patrons were chatting and chomping away at some seriously large salads and sandwiches. Like the bakery, the place had an L-shape bar-style counter. Next to the register was a glass case with pastries that looked suspiciously like those sold at Sunflower. Instead of a long display case on the other side, it had a single wooden countertop that ran the length of the side of the building to the back. The wood looked as though a log had been flat cut in half and someone slapped some serious glaze on it. I could even see the lines from the tree’s growth rings.
I felt like I had walked into the heart of a forest. The walls were covered floor to ceiling with wood panels. Potted trees were set in each corner, the branches reaching out into the open space. Vines ran along the ceiling, making me feel like I was in a cocoon. I could easily see why this place was filled with customers. Above the register area was a huge chalkboard where the day’s special was written next to a listing of salads, sandwiches, and soups.
Reviewing the menu, I went up to the counter and met the eyes of a thin strawberry blonde with pale pink lips and a smattering of freckles along her nose. She wore a gold necklace that said “Corinne.”
“Hi, I’m Coree. What can I get for you?” She smiled, and her soft blue eyes lit up.
I glanced at the chalkboard again. “I’m going to go with the turkey and hummus sandwich, a spinach salad, a cup of your potato soup, and a bottle of water.”
She tapped some numbers into an iPad. That surprised me because everything else was so far removed from technology. I raised my eyebrows, and she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear rather shyly.
“These things are so fast, and they catalog our orders, the pricing, and do our accounting for us,” she said.
I snorted. “I feel ya. Don’t go anywhere without my handy dandy all-in-one.” I shook my iPhone.
She laughed. “My sister Bethany was against the transition to technology at first, wanting to stick with our roots, but the fact that it does the
Genevieve Harper was a game changer, and I couldn’t put my finger on why. Maybe it was all the spiritual wackadoo stuff she spoke of that actually played into the connection. Maybe it was the simple fact that she was ridiculously hot and had the hands of a goddess—one that could remove pain with a single touch. That had to be it. Regardless, I was looking forward to my session tomorrow.
As I left the yoga studio, the California sun shone bright, warming my face while I inhaled the Bay Area air. My stomach growled since I’d skipped breakfast this morning. I could hit the bakery and chat up Dara if she was working the counter like yesterday, but I didn’t want to have to do the extra reps at the gym that a plateful of pastries would demand.
I checked out the other businesses across the street. The New to You Thrift Store was on the opposite corner from the café. Next to it was a full-on paraphernalia and tobacco store cleverly named Up in Smoke Shop. Man, that movie was a classic.
Continuing on was Reel Antiques. The display window featured rocking chairs and dressers that held clothes for tiny people. I snickered. That dresser wouldn’t hold a single pair of my folded jeans. Maybe it was children’s furniture. The size of the little old lady sweeping the front walk told me otherwise. Gnarled fingers gripped a broom while she worked. A young-looking fellow interrupted her work. His apron had the same logo as the bakery. To my surprise, the young man took the broom from the old lady’s hands and proceeded to sweep the entire porch as I stood in awe. When he finished, she patted his cheeks and hugged him. I had entered the land that time forgot. Were people really that nice? Not in my experience. Had to be a fluke.
I scoffed and limped along the street until I stopped in front of Rainy Day Café. Place looked as good as any. When I walked in, I maneuvered around tables where patrons were chatting and chomping away at some seriously large salads and sandwiches. Like the bakery, the place had an L-shape bar-style counter. Next to the register was a glass case with pastries that looked suspiciously like those sold at Sunflower. Instead of a long display case on the other side, it had a single wooden countertop that ran the length of the side of the building to the back. The wood looked as though a log had been flat cut in half and someone slapped some serious glaze on it. I could even see the lines from the tree’s growth rings.
I felt like I had walked into the heart of a forest. The walls were covered floor to ceiling with wood panels. Potted trees were set in each corner, the branches reaching out into the open space. Vines ran along the ceiling, making me feel like I was in a cocoon. I could easily see why this place was filled with customers. Above the register area was a huge chalkboard where the day’s special was written next to a listing of salads, sandwiches, and soups.
Reviewing the menu, I went up to the counter and met the eyes of a thin strawberry blonde with pale pink lips and a smattering of freckles along her nose. She wore a gold necklace that said “Corinne.”
“Hi, I’m Coree. What can I get for you?” She smiled, and her soft blue eyes lit up.
I glanced at the chalkboard again. “I’m going to go with the turkey and hummus sandwich, a spinach salad, a cup of your potato soup, and a bottle of water.”
She tapped some numbers into an iPad. That surprised me because everything else was so far removed from technology. I raised my eyebrows, and she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear rather shyly.
“These things are so fast, and they catalog our orders, the pricing, and do our accounting for us,” she said.
I snorted. “I feel ya. Don’t go anywhere without my handy dandy all-in-one.” I shook my iPhone.
She laughed. “My sister Bethany was against the transition to technology at first, wanting to stick with our roots, but the fact that it does the
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