Most of the meeting was spent just
talking and catching up on each other's lives. There were fourteen official
Guzzlers, but only five met tonight. The others were busy with last-minute chores
for the street festival. Set-up would commence tomorrow, starting with the
official placement of the barricades along Center Avenue. Kai anticipated extra
business in the coffee shop from the workers setting up the booths, and then
the people who would be occupying those booths, when they took breaks from the
August sun and heat. He already had dozens of water bottles jammed in all the
refrigerators getting cold. The water would be free, as a good will gesture.
And not just because he knew those who came in for water would be tempted by
the pastries and sandwiches and candy he offered, or browse in the bookstore
side of the shop. When he was feeling especially crabby, he was willing to
admit that the good will gesture irritated Cadburn and his group of cynics and
sourpusses. Knowing that was reward enough.
Even though he thought it might turn
out disgusting, Kai whipped up a concoction of frozen crème de menthe, swirled
into the glass with chocolate and peppermint syrups, with chocolate whipped
cream on top, and sprinkled with crushed peppermint sticks. He hoped no one
would ask how old the peppermint sticks were. They had actually been on a shelf
in the back room, waiting to be tossed. Olivia, his chief barista, had found
them during the regular ridding of the storage room. He had saved them just
because he knew Curtis liked anything peppermint, especially if they were green-and-white
striped. The timing was perfect.
His choice was also perfect. The syrups didn't melt together into a disgusting brownish-reddish-greenish mess when he put them into the glass.
Curtis' eyes got wide and his mouth dropped open like a little kid. He even bounced in the booth seat a few times when Kai put the glass in front of him.
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