You, Me, and Her

Chapter 8: On The Road

"No, no, no. That's all wrong. Don't try to fit that there, you need to put it way over to the right," Sam commanded. A group of workers hauling in a large piece of equipment followed his instructions and shuffled in the direction he pointed.

It was hot in the vast field where contractors buzzed with activity, dissipating the typical blissful aura of the countryside and replacing it with a flurry of commotion and noise. Heavy machinery roared as it churned up the earth, while workers hurried to and fro, their voices blending into a cacophony of urgency. The once serene landscape now bore the scars of development, with mounds of dirt and construction materials scattered haphazardly across the field.

Despite the excitement I felt for the Silverlight festival, I couldn't help but be slightly put off by the consistently chaotic atmosphere consuming the town. I never realized how much I secretly enjoyed the valley's tranquility until it was overshadowed by the relentless hustle and bustle of event planning.

I navigated through the maze of activity, dodging workers and machinery as I approached the yapping young blond. His hair was messily spiked up in a way that would make the members of Blink 182 proud and his baggy red shirt and ripped jeans stood out like an eyesore among the crowd of blue and grey uniforms of the Silverlight workers. Even I blended in more than he did, opting for a simple pair of jean shorts and a white tee this morning.

"Hey," I said, catching his attention. "We need your opinion over here."

"Right! Let me just—" he sat his megaphone down on a workbench and sent a thumbs up to the site manager. "Okay, let's go."

I led him out of the work zone and across the street where Emily, Abigail, and Elliot waited in front of the brand new cafe in town. As part of the Pelican Town Restoration Committee, Emily and Elliot had spent the past month educating local business owners and entrepreneurs in the valley about the Silverlight festival and all the tourists and opportunity it was about to bring to our humble little town. They were natural charmers, leveraging their incredible people skills and word crafting talents to encourage businesses to set up shop before Pelican Town's real estate skyrocketed following the festival's debut.

The first business to take the leap was one that had been on the fence for a while now. The owner of the Stardrop Saloon, Gus, had a friend who owned a chain of cafes in the valley but was always hesitant on opening a location in Pelican Town in fear that there wasn't enough business for it. Gus slipped the Silverlight news to his friend right away and that was all he needed to lease out a vacant property in the town center's strip.

It had once been a convenience store, but didn't survive long with Pierre's General Store and JojaMart carrying higher quality versions of everything the townsfolk shopped for. Now, it was the prime spot for a cafe specializing in coffees, teas, and sandwiches. After years of complaining about the lack of good food in this town, I could not be more excited for a new dining option.

The owner gladly accepted the committee's offer to help get the cafe ready to open ahead of the festival. While he handled all the technical and expensive things like permits and equipment and furnishings, Emily and Elliot had the freedom to decide on the more aesthetic details to make the business match the town's vibe in a way both the Silverlight team and the Pelican Town council would approve of. This morning, they had wrangled in Abigail and I to help with setting up the dining area on the front patio.

I had to admit, even for a place belonging in a dingy town like this one, it was a fairly cute cafe. Gentle lilac hues painted the brink exterior, complimenting the light gray signage and windowpanes. The patio furniture matched the cafe's pastel color palette, placed strategically under a sweeping awning to shade customers from rain or sun. A row of planters stuffed with greenery and herbs caged in the area, making it feel like a proper dining section.