Like Bees to Honey | gxg

10. A Modern Rivalry

By the start of her second week in charge of the market stall, Sabina's confidence had officially been shaken. In one week, she'd lost her family's spot in the market, helped cause a minor crisis by handing out alcoholic beverage samples, and her parents were talking about doing business with their mortal enemies. At this rate, she was going to have to spend her autumn walking resentfully around that beautiful oceanfront university campus she didn't want to go to.

On the other hand, she had always been stubborn. She still had her plan. She wasn't anywhere near ready to give up.

She tied the last knot in the twine holding up the beautiful sign Christina had drawn for her and stepped back. With the rest of the new signage in place and some tasteful accents of burlap and soft yellow ribbon placed artfully around the table, the new aesthetic was rustic, cozy, and, in her opinion, very appealing. She'd even dressed to match, in a ruffly yellow blouse. On a white plate with scrollwork around the edges (borrowed from her grandparent's wedding china) she arranged bite-sized bits of honey cake. The mead was firmly lidded.

"It looks amazing." Riley struck a pose. "Better take some pictures for the socials."

"You know I'm not a social media person."

"But the farm has a couple accounts, right? If you're serious about this award, why not use every tool you've got?"

They had a point. "I could ask Helena to give me some tips," she mused.

Together they took a couple pictures: Riley posing in the stand, some product close ups, Sabina showing off the plate of honey cakes.

"Smile," Riley encouraged.

"I am!" She bared more of her teeth.

"Okay, smile less. We don't want to scare people."

Across the way, Marie pulled up in her SUV, saving Sabina from the humiliation of being photographed.

"Take the table over with me?" she asked.

Riley helped her heft a plastic folding table, this one borrowed from the church, and waddled across the lane with it. Then the two of them draped it in a white tablecloth and worked with Marie to set out her jewellery display.

"I can come by this weekend to help you repair your table," Sabina told her, as she hooked necklaces over a wrought-iron stand shaped like a branching tree.

Marie patted her hand. "That sounds perfect, dear. I'll have some treats ready for you and your friend to say thank you."

Riley wiggled their eyebrows at her.

"Don't make that face at me," Sabina muttered as they crossed back to their own stall.

"You're not gonna try to fix that thing alone, are you? You were grievously injured just trying to lift half of it. And that was with help."

"No thanks to you."

"You two looked like you had it under control."

"You could come with me."

Their expression said otherwise.

The sliver wound was no longer itchy, but Sabina rubbed at her palm anyway. "I'll tell Mel to meet me there."

Heat rose as the sun crept up to its peak. Customers came and went. Sabina sent her photos to Helena and asked her to post them. When she got no reply from her youngest sister, she did her best to put together a post herself.

"I don't understand hashtags," she complained to Riley. "And have you seen these other farm accounts? They look like they're run by marketing professional."