I stumbled in to my afternoon shift at the bakery, feeling miserable. I’d had to miss my usual morning shift to attend the appointment with the loan officer. That meant I also had to miss my afternoon class so I could work this shift. With the bakery about to close, I couldn’t afford to miss even one day of work.
When I arrived, Murray was sitting at his table. He nodded at me as I headed to the counter. “What’s Murray doing here?” I asked Diana as I tied on my apron. “I thought he only came to the bakery mornings.”
“He only comes when you’re here,” she said. “He’s been waiting for you. That’s his third cup of coffee.” She lowered her voice. “How did the appointment with the loan officer go?”
Before I could answer, the bell over the door tinkled as someone came in. It was old Lucy. “We’ll talk about that later,” I told Diana.
“Beautiful day,” Lucy said as I brought her tea and shortbread.
I looked out the window. The fall colors only served to remind me that the bakery was about to close. “I guess,” I said.
“Why are you so sour today?” Lucy asked. “I’m the cranky one, remember?”
I forced a smile, but Lucy knew something was up. “What’s happened?” she asked.
“It’s nothing.”
As I turned back to the counter, Murray waved me over. “You want a refill?” I asked him.
“No, thank you. I’ve had more than enough coffee today.” He stood up too quickly, nearly knocking his cup off the table. When he steadied it, I noticed his hands were shaking. “I was hoping to talk to you though. I was wondering—” He cleared his throat. “Would you like to have dinner with me sometime? Maybe this weekend?”
The café suddenly went quiet. I looked around. Not only Diana, but Lucy and several of the regulars had turned to watch us. It seemed Murray and I had been of interest to everyone more than I knew.
I stood there for a moment uncertain what to do. Murray had caught me off guard, and now all these people were watching. “I’m sorry, Murray,” I said finally. “I just don’t have time. I’m working morning shifts. I’m in class during the day. Then I have homework evenings and weekends—” When I saw the look on his face, I stopped. I had hurt his feelings.
“I understand,” he said. He glanced around at the other regulars and put on his hat. “I’ve got to get back to work.” He fled from the bakery.
I had embarrassed him in front of everyone. I knew I might never see him again. The café would close in a few days. He was unlikely to come back now.
I went back to the counter with my head down. The conversation in the bakery picked up again. I saw old Lucy push herself up from the table and toddle toward the counter with her cane. “What the hell did you go and do that for?” she asked me.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Why did you say no to that man?”
Diana put a hand on my arm. “You know how long Murray’s been working up the nerve to ask you out.”
“You put him up to it,” I said. I suddenly felt angry at Diana. “You told him to ask me out.”
Diana put her hands on her hips. “I did no such thing. He did that all on his own.”
“You didn’t talk to him about me, how I feel about him?”
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t have to.”
I crossed my arms as I watched Murray drive away. I felt so foolish now. “It doesn’t matter,” I said. “It’s just not meant to be. I really don’t have time for dating right now.”
“That’s baloney,” said Lucy. She waved a cane at the regulars at their tables. “We can all see how much you like him. You light up when he comes in every morning.”
Several of the old men nodded.
“What’s going on with you today anyway?” asked Lucy. “I’ve never seen you snap at Diana like that.”
I sighed. “I got some bad news this morning. I wanted to keep the bakery open. I tried to get a loan today, but my teacher was right. The loan officer said she wouldn’t lend me the money to buy the bakery.”
“I was turned down for a loan too,” Diana said. “I had to go back to work and save up. Then I tried again, and I got my loan. It took me a couple of years before I could afford to open this place.”
“But you’re about to close the bakery,” I said. “I don’t have a couple of years.”
“There must be another way to get that money,” said Lucy. “Can you take a mortgage out on your house? Use the value of your home to get the loan?”
“That’s the problem. I rent. I’ve never made enough to own my own home.”
Diana put her hand on my arm. “I’m so sorry, Eva. I wish I could have afforded to pay you more all these years. You’re not just an employee. You’re my friend.”
“So you’re just giving up?” Lucy asked me. “I never pegged you as a quitter.”
“What else can I do?”
“Why not ask lover boy? Murray’s made a pile of money off his business. Why not ask him for a loan? I’m sure he’d love to help you out.”
“I don’t want to owe him money.” I paused. “Especially if we ever do start to date.”
“You’re a wise woman, Eva,” Diana said. “I wouldn’t want to put myself in that position either. Not a good way to start a relationship.”
“How about you then?” Lucy asked Diana. “Can you give her a loan?”
“I wouldn’t want to owe a friend either,” I said.
“Don’t think of it like that,” said Lucy. “Diana would invest in your business. You would make money here in the bakery. Diana would get her share, based on how much money she put into the business.”
Diana shook her head. “Like I told Eva, I barely have enough to retire. I may even be looking for work myself down the road.”
“I’d invest in your business if I had any money,” said Lucy.
I smiled sadly. “Thanks, Lucy. That’s kind of you to say.”
“I’m serious,” she said. “I’ve been coming to this bakery for years. And I’ve been watching you, Eva. You’re a smart cookie.” She laughed at her own pun. She knew Murray and almost all the regulars called me Cookie. “You could run this place as well as Diana. Better.”
“Hey!” Diana said, grinning.
“No offense,” said Lucy. “I just think this bakery could use a new owner. Someone to put energy into it, freshen up the place. I know Eva would do that.”
“You’re right, Lucy,” Diana said. “She would.”
“A community needs a business like this one,” said Lucy. “Attract enough customers with this bakery, and other business owners would want to open their stores here too. Close the bakery down, and the last of the businesses here are likely to close too. We’d lose the heart of our village. People will start to move away.”
I hadn’t thought of it like that. I knew our customers wouldn’t have a place to meet once the bakery closed. But I hadn’t thought about how much the community would lose once this bakery was gone. Keeping it alive suddenly wasn’t just a personal dream. I needed to find a way to reopen the bakery here, not just for Katie and me, but for this community.