Come As You Are Ch. 10

Vienna headed straight for the counter while Garrett followed, turning in place and walking backward to admire the decor. "Did you do all this yourself?"

"Most of it. I hired pros for the important stuff, but I did as much of it myself as I could. Spent today putting the final touches on everything. Grand opening's tomorrow at 10 AM."

Garrett whistled softly. "Your grand opening is on the first day of the Ski Festival?"

"I wanted to do a soft opening this week but the timing didn't work out. But hey, go big or go home. So how was your first day back in town?"

"Long," he said, mixing a sigh and a chuckle. "But I got to spend all day catching up with Vienna. That's always good."

"We spent all day moving Garrett's stuff into his parents' garage and talking about his life choices." Vienna smiled at her best friend. "So my boy's physically and emotionally ready to crash but we're going for a late-night drink. Want to grab your coat and come along? Just one beer, promise."

Colette shook her head. "I'm going home to get some sleep. I have to pick up the baked goods from Mile High at 8 AM and bring the fudge out from the coolers in the back."

Vienna nodded at her friend's statement. "We'll raise a toast to your grand opening then."

"What about Sadie?" There was a hopeful tone woven into Garrett's words as he asked Colette, "Think she'd be up for a quick nightcap?"

"She's out of town. She's doing a West Coast convention swing and meeting up with some fellow content creators. She's not supposed to be back until next Friday."

Colette caught a crestfallen look on Garrett's face that quickly passed. "I'll try to stop in tomorrow," he offered.

"Hopeful to spend some money," Colette teased.

"Depends. Do you have taffy?"

"Oh, I've got taffy. Laffy Taffy, saltwater taffy, English chews..."

Vienna lightly tugged on her friend's parka. "Come on. I'm putting on weight just standing here. Good luck tomorrow morning!"

Colette waved to the pair as they headed out. After one final check of the store, she turned off the lights and followed in their footsteps.

X X X X X

"Can I take my break?"

"Go ahead!" Colette yelled over her shoulder to Ryan. "Fifteen minutes!" The young man nodded as he made his way towards the swinging door leading back into the storage area.

After quickly tying a white ribbon around a pink box full of fresh fudge, Colette handed the freshly wrapped package over the counter to the customer. "That's eight dollars and thirty-seven cents please."

The middle-aged man handed over a credit card. As Colette ran the credit card through the machine the man handed the package down to a young brunette child standing next to him. "Can I have a piece now?" she asked, fingers already toying with the bow.

"Not until after dinner sweetie," he answered with a smile on his face and a ruffle of her hair. "And then you have to share some with your sister."

While the little girl pouted, Colette glanced out over the crowded shop. Her sigh was either one of pride or one of apprehension. Perhaps a mix of both. "OK... OK, there's nothing on fire," she quietly told herself, ignoring the marble-sized ball of nervousness in her chest. "That's a good sign."

Candy by Colette was packed by a good-sized crowd. The mixed smells of chocolate and pastries, along with the general scent of sugary sweets, drifted into the Colorado air each time someone opened the door. It was enough to entice the hungry and the low-blood sugared among the throngs of skiers and tourists who had descended upon the town for the first day of the week-long Ski Festival. Adults bent over to look in the glass cases filled with confections while children did their best to pack as much bulk candy into the plastic bags as they could.

Even as she took it all in, Colette saw a young redhead in the corner of her eye holding a hand in the air. The next few minutes saw Colette quickly adopt a routine -- help a customer, grab some candy, grab a box, fill the box, tie the box, receive payment, help a customer, grab some candy, grab a box, fill the box, tie the box, receive payment...

When Ryan tapped her on the shoulder, she began reaching for a piece of dark fudge on reflex before catching herself. "I'm back," he told her. "Grab your break." He stepped into her spot, already acknowledging a customer who was flagging him down, while Colette came out from around the counter. She wove her way through the crowd, making as a direct path as she could towards the front door. The loud chatter of the customers and the sounds of the candy being poured into plastic bags seemed to get louder the closer she got to the door. Her heartbeat seemed to get louder in her ears as well. Colette focused on the brass handle attached to the front door, grabbing it and stepping out onto the sidewalk.

The noises faded away immediately, replaced by the general sounds of Emerald Pines. Leaning back against the pink wall and glass window of the storefront, she took several deep breaths to quell her heart before it could begin to beat rapidly. As she calmed down, however, Colette realized that she had forgotten her coat, leaving her in only a gray sweater and blue jeans. Still, the cold air felt great in her lungs as she took a few more slow and deep breaths. The sidewalk was packed with both tourists and locals. Colette watched as several more customers entered the store... her store... some going in right away and others, often the younger crowd, looking through the window before heading inside. Opening Day and her candy store was a rousing success. "Almost too rousing," Colette said quietly. "Is that a bad thing? Is that even the right way to use the word?"

"Wow." Colette turned her head at the sound of the amazed female voice. "I didn't think it was going to be THIS crowded."

Coming down the sidewalk towards her, bundled up against the cold, was a wide-eyed Vienna, accompanied by Garrett. "It's been like this since noon," Colette proclaimed before crossing her arms to ward off the cold. "They started coming in and haven't freaking stopped!"

"I thought you'd get a couple of guests from Sapphire Drop, maybe some curious locals," responded Vienna. "Not every freaking tourist and townie!"

"Seriously." Colette ran a hand through her short black hair. "Oh, boy. Oh, boy."

Garrett looked confused by the slight panic in Colette's repeated words. "This isn't good?"

"Yeah, it's good," Colette answered. "It's just... I don't do crowds. I'm normally Little Miss Introvert unless I'm having a really good day. I... you hope you get busy, and being on the other side of the counter, I was good. Then I stepped out onto the floor and..."

"Hey," Vienna said, cutting her off, "you'll manage." She gently squeezed Colette's shoulder. "Keep doing what you're doing. You got a good staff and you prepped the hell out of this place. All you have to do is keep calm and not get thrown off your rhythm."

Colette nodded. "Yeah... play the hand you're given. Yeah." She smiled at Vienna. "I can do it. Hell, what kind of small business owner complains because it's busy?" She took one more deep breath before nodding to herself. "OK, I'm good. Just a moment of being overwhelmed. Now I'm only whelmed."

"How about an extra pair of hands?" Vienna offered. "Like, some part-time help?"

"We'll manage," Colette answered. "Why, you volunteering?"

"Nope. He is."

"He is?"

"He is."

"I am?"

"You are."

Garrett looked at Vienna with definite confusion on his face. "Vienna..."

"No arguing." The dyed blonde stepped towards her friend as she spoke. "I am voluntelling you. Colette needs help and you're going to give it to her." She stopped in front of him and looked him directly in the eyes. "You're either going to spend the next two weeks sitting at Pike's drinking your ass off watching sports on TV or locked in your parents' house and going feral in the process. This way you're keeping busy. You and I both know the best thing is to keep busy. Trust me... no, this isn't even a 'trust me' thing. You're doing this Garrett. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"Doesn't Colette get a say in this?" Garrett motioned towards the owner of the candy shop. "It's her place."

Colette glanced over at Vienna. The determined look on the blonde's face told Colette she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. But still...

"I really could use the extra hands," Colette admitted. "I'll pay you under the table. No free candy though. Can't have you catching diabetes."

Garrett glanced up at the winter sky while running a hand through his brown hair. For a brief moment, Colette considered turning down Vienna's offer for the young man's sake, but the blonde spoke up first. "Garrett and I need a minute." Vienna motioned to the front door with her head. "Go inside and get warm."

Colette nodded before walking back inside the store. The cacophony of noise wasn't as grating after getting some fresh air. Colette took a few steps forward, heading for the bakery counter before curiosity got the best of her. Turning around, her eyes were immediately drawn to Garrett and Vienna. The pair was standing where she had left them. Garrett was pointing over Vienna's shoulder as he spoke in the general direction of downtown. He wasn't yelling but there was a definite passion in his body language. On the other side, Vienna stood quietly as Garrett talked to her, her eyes focused directly on him.

The crowd brushed around Colette, jostling her. She moved to a better position to keep an eye on the conversation. Garrett's gestures slowly grew wilder. He patted himself on the chest, eyes wide, before finishing by throwing his hands in front of him to emphasize his final point.

Vienna's response was to nod once, step forward, put her hand on the back of Garrett's head, and pull him close. She pressed her forehead against his. Colette continued to watch as Vienna talked to him in what she imagined was a quiet tone. Her body barely moved as she spoke with her hand holding him in place. She saw Garrett begin to nod, talking quietly as well. Vienna nodded in response, one firm, sharp motion of her chin. A small smile was on her face as she pulled away before lightly smacking his cheek. The action drew a chagrined look from her friend. In unison, they both turned to the shop, with Garrett holding the door open for Vienna before following her inside.

"You got yourself one volunteer for the duration," Vienna said with an excited clap of her hands. Garrett nodded in agreement, already shrugging off his parka and taking off his purple knit hat.

"You sure about this, Garrett?" Colette asked. "I'm getting the feeling you got talked into this."

"There was a little arm twisting. But I'm in. Just tell me what I can do to help."

Colette looked over her shoulder. "The blonde guy behind the counter, that's Ryan. He'll tell you where to hang up your jacket and get you started. Tell him I said it's OK." Garrett nodded. He sent a sheepish look in Vienna's direction before turning and winding his way through the crowd towards the raised area. As soon as Colette was sure he was out of earshot she turned to Vienna. "What the hell was that all about?" she asked. "I just watched you press-gang someone into working for me."

"That's exactly what happened. You're too stubborn to ask for help and he's too stubborn to admit he needs to help. I just played facilitator and saved everyone some time." She held up a hand, cutting off Colette before she could protest. "Look, it's obvious you're going to need the extra hands over the next week. The last thing Garrett needs is to be sitting on the couch wallowing. It's a win-win for both of you. You get help, he gets something to do."

Vienna lowered her voice. "I don't want to see you get freaked out? You're going to be stressed and overworked for the foreseeable future. I'd rather have you ticked at me right now than overwhelmed down the line because you're shorthanded and start trying to do everything yourself."

Colette swallowed her immediate response that she didn't need Vienna's advice. Instead, she took a few seconds to clear her head before nodding. "You're right. I need the extra help, at least for right now. Still feels like you forced Garrett on me though."

"I could have done that more tactfully," Vienna admitted. "OK, you need to get back to work and I need to go home and nap." She continued stepping towards the door, raising one hand towards her friend. "Good luck, and try to get some sleep yourself. You still look like hell."

"Thanks," Colette said with a sarcastic smile while giving Vienna a friendly wave at the same time. A blast of cold air filled the shop for a moment as Vienna stepped through the front door only to hold it open for a group of three young women.

Colette turned towards the counter. As she approached she saw Garrett, with Ryan pointing the way, backing through the storage door with an empty tray in his hands.

"All good?" Ryan asked as Colette stepped behind the counter.

"Yeah," she answered. "Just needed some fresh air."

The young man motioned towards the kitchen door. "Who's the new guy? Didn't realize you were conducting job interviews on the sidewalk."

"Someone I graduated high school with who volunteered to help..."

"Hey, miss! Can I get a hand over here?"

With a sigh and a smile, Colette proclaimed to Ryan, "No rest for the wicked."

X X X X X

"Damn," Sadie said. "No wonder you were kinda incommunicado the past two weeks if it was that freaking busy."

"Was?" Colette laughed quietly as she poured herself a fresh glass of wine. "When I left to get ready for tonight there was still a pretty decent crowd. Might have to borrow from Mile High Pastries and run a late-night special on weekends."

Michelle held her glass out towards Colette, who refilled it as Michelle asked her question. "How badly did you want to stay behind and help out?"

"And blow off dinner?" Colette shook her head. The urge was there, but there was no way in the world I was going to miss tonight. Or tomorrow night for that matter. I told Ryan that unless the place is on fire or under attack by zombies, I'm off limits from tonight until Sunday when I open."

"How close have you and Vienna gotten?" asked Brenda. "You're showering at her place, she's dropping by the store, she's pushing you to take it easy... I guess I didn't realize how much you're hanging out with her. You've mentioned it before, but only in passing."

"You're still my girls." Colette looked at each of the three women at the table, settling on Brenda last. "No one's being replaced, no one's getting pushed to the side. I love you all, but it's nice having a physical friend to talk to." She motioned to Sadie as an example. "And Vienna became one of those kinds of friends."

Brenda put a hand across the table, grasping Colette's hand as she reached out in return. "I'm not judging, and I'm sorry if I came off that way. I'm jealous, but I'm not mad." A small smile crossed her face. "Who do I look like, Danny?"

"OK, OK," Colette grinned as she pulled her hand back, "I'm getting off track here. Bear with me a little longer and I'll answer your question, Brenda. Back to the story, so we managed to survive the opening night without anything going wrong..."

X X X X X

"Take the cash off the bar," the barkeep said as she handed a pint glass of red ale to Garrett and another to Colette. "First round's free for employees, you know that."

"It's been ten years," Garrett responded. "I don't work here anymore. You even got rid of the pool table!"

"You stick your face in that kitchen right now, half the crew is going to yell your name and buy you a beer." The barkeep smiled at both Garrett and Colette. "The first time you're back in seven years and you're in with a regular. So wallet away. And you know as well as anybody that pool table was threatening to fall apart back when you were hustling customers for their car keys so they wouldn't drive home drunk."

Pike's was packed with locals and a few tourists. Most eyes were locked onto the television screens hanging from the ceiling, one showing the Denver Pickaxes' basketball game while the other had the Blizzard skating their way to another loss. Colette and Garrett had managed to squeeze their way into a pair of seats at the end of the bar and were now sitting bent-elbow-to-bent-elbow as they drank their beers.

Garrett gratefully accepted the cold brew with a resigned smile. "So," he said to Colette, "here's to a successful first night."

She hoisted her glass into the air. "Week 1, Day 1 complete. Cheers"

After tapping them together each took a deep sip from their beers. "I forgot how much I love Ruby Red," he sighed.

"Thanks for tonight, Garrett," Colette told him. "Having an extra pair of hands was a huge help. I feel bad that Vienna kind of forced you to help though. You said you were taking the next two weeks to figure things out, and instead you're hauling peppermints and restocking plastic bags."

Garrett waved a hand. "All good, as long as Vienna didn't twist your arm in getting me to help."

"There was a little arm twisting," she admitted. "Sometimes I'm too proud to accept help when I need it. But it all worked out for the best."

"Vienna's good at convincing people to do what they need to do, not what they want to do. Almost twenty years of friendship and it almost always works out somehow."

"I am well aware of Vienna's persuasion skills. What did she mean when she said you were going to spend the week sitting on the couch going feral?"

He explained, after taking a sip of his beer, "I tend to pull in on myself if I don't have a schedule or a to-do list. A couple of days by myself without anything to do and I go full-blown basement neckbeard - wear the same clothes, don't shower, order delivery and not clean it up, stop answering the phone. I introvert as hard as I possibly can. Like, I'll be watching TV but I'm not watching TV. I'll putz around online all day and not remember what I looked at. The days will turn into one long, continuous blur until something happens to kick me out of it."

"I've been there."

"And considering I'm jobless and aimless, going feral would not be a good thing for me right now." He spread his arms, taking in as much of Pike's as his wingspan would allow. "Hence, Vienna putting me on task, in a freaking candy store no less, and making sure I renewed my membership at the YMCA so I could go swimming in the mornings. Speaking of which, what time do you need me tomorrow?"

Colette rubbed at the back of her head as she went over the roster in her head. "Could you be there at 9 AM? I could use someone to run to the bank to get change and then to Mile High to pick up the day's order."

"My second day on the job and you're already trusting me with the money and the baked goods? What if I try to make a run for Mexico?"

"Vienna knows where you live. Where are you living, anyway?"

"My childhood home." He motioned towards Pine Street. "I'm off Granite Way. The house in the back right next to the cliff, behind all the pine trees."

"How did your folks handle you moving back in with them?"

Garrett made a noise as he sipped his beer. "They're in New Mexico. My Dad retired a few months ago, and both my folks decided to trade the cold for sunshine. They packed up the house and moved to Santa Fe after New Year's. Right now I'm living out of boxes and on my futon." He shrugged. "It'll make do until I figure things out."

"Are you thinking about staying in town past the reunion?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. My folks are trying to figure out if they want to sell the house or rent it out, so I'd have to move either way. I'll burn that bridge when I come to it. I've got enough money tucked away to give me some breathing room." After taking a drink, he said, "Vienna told me that your parents passed away. I'm sorry."