now or never.”
“Good writing.” I sounded like some crazed motivational coach. I went back to my reading and ignored the cups that needed refilling.
Near the end of my shift my cell rang just as I finished the chores. Aunt Jackie had set up for each shift ending and beginning. She was a firm believer that systems worked in running a business. I think she must have read it in some business book and simplified it for our situation. I checked the caller ID, then answered Amy’s call with a smile. “Hey, don’t tell me you’re free for lunch. Or are you standing me up for brunch?”
Sundays were our standard brunch days. Just the two of us. We’d done it for years and having at least a weekly connection had kept our friendship strong. Strong enough that Amy’s crazy bridezilla act of the last year hadn’t made me run screaming.
“What? Lunch today, no, sorry. Look, I’m trying to find Justin. I haven’t seen him since Wednesday and we were supposed to go finalize the catering today, but he’s not at his apartment. His mail is just scattered all over the floor. Do you think he ran?” Amy’s questions got faster and faster as she asked, but the last one made her stop talking. I could hear the sharp intake of breath as she considered the answer.
“No. He didn’t run. Maybe he just went to take care of something and forgot about the caterer. Can you postpone it or does it have to be done today?”
“It can’t be postponed. If we’re having this wedding at the end of the month, we have to finalize today. I don’t want to just choose for him, especially in the state I’m in.” She laughed harshly. “Yes, I know I’m being impossible. I could be so bad I’d cause the caterer to fire me as a client. Then what would I do?”
“What time is the tasting and where?” I glanced at my watch. If I left now, I could get to Bakerstown in thirty minutes. But any later and I’d run into traffic that slowed to watch the ocean.
“Twelve thirty. I’ve only got twenty minutes to find him and get to the caterers. They’re over by the supermarket in that same building. Why?” I could hear the panic in Amy’s voice.
“Because I’m coming to help you finalize the catering. If I’m right, Justin will meet you there and I’ll just go do my shopping for the week. I have to come into town anyway. And if he doesn’t show, we can get this done, then go sit at a bar and talk about where he might be and what a jerk he was for not coming.” I glanced at the table where Deek had been writing, but he was already packed up and walking to the counter. I covered the mouthpiece, but he waved me away.
“Go save Amy. I was stuck at a spot anyway. Sometimes I don’t know if I wrote something or not, so I have to go back and check the last few scenes. Writing is a lot of hard work.” He tucked his tote under the counter and slipped on an apron, starting his shift opening list of to-dos.
“Thanks.” I went back to the phone. “Okay, Amy, I’ll meet you at the caterers. Call me if you run into Justin before I get there.”
“I’m heading there now.” Amy paused, then said, “Thanks, Jill. You’re the best.”
“Don’t I know it.” I tucked my phone into my tote and headed home. Today was one of those days I wished I’d driven to work, but no luck. Josh stood at his door and tried to wave me down. “Sorry, Josh, I have an emergency.”
“We can talk later,” he called after me. “I hope Greg’s all right.”
I hadn’t said it was Greg, but if I didn’t correct him, by the time I’d gotten back from Bakerstown, rumors would be flying of Greg’s accident. “It’s Amy. She has a wedding emergency.”
“Oh.” Now Josh looked green. “Go, fix her. Brides-to-be are scary.”
As I hurried home, I wondered if Josh and Amy had had an encounter in the last few weeks. I’d have to get the story from Amy. Josh didn’t know a lot about women, so he was scared of most of them. Except me. Me, he hated, and pushed me to do what he thought was my job as coordinator for the business community. I just had different ideas that he didn’t like.
Josh didn’t flinch from talking