Milton : A BxB Story

5: The Next Day

Chapter Five: The Next Day

Case loved riding his bike. Anywhere was good, but here in their new home, it was the best it had ever been. Milton had long paved lanes, through the small town itself, out almost to their front yard, around the schools and college, and even out around the different small farms. Smooth, only gradual easy hills. And thankfully, so few people, less than three thousand, that he never felt pressured or concerned by cars that drove too close.

It was a dark ride, and a little chilly, but that was nice too. Riding in cold weather was the best, in his opinion. Nothing worse than sweating. Not many people were up this early, or if they were, not many people out and about. Perfectly quiet. Everything hidden by the slightly faded shadows of predawn.

Jeremiah gave each of his three brothers a set of keys to the coffee shop. He and Andrew would get here in about an hour. Case enjoyed time alone, and as much as he loved them, he was glad to get the morning's baking done before they arrived. The shop opened at 6:30 am. Since today was their opening day, they'd wait a few weeks to see if it was worth being open that early. Maybe. Maybe not.

Always methodical and safe, regardless of the somewhat ludicrousness of it, Case unwound his chain and locked his bike up around a street light. Looking up, he smiled a little, approving of Andrew's work.

The sign above the store was painted blue with simple gold colored lettering.

Six Shillings and Eight Pence Coffee

Kind of a long name, but an inside joke for the Michaelsons. Probably stupid, really. Cumbersome. But who knows, maybe people would be attracted to the novelty of it.

Inside, he found the light switch with ease. Yesterday afternoon, Case set up a couple of batches of croissant dough to proof overnight. So he knew the general layout of their new place.

A small dine in area. Only three square tables with sturdy chairs. The walls were painted the same blue as the sign. A few framed pieces of art, one a sprightly sailing ship, the other a rose garden. In the corner, one more, a more esoteric piece of an ocean wave made of stars. It was an original work that Jeremiah purchased on a trip to Canada, and he fell in love with it instantly. In the corner were three small initials.  NTN

On the edge of the long counter was a small, three tier, wire shelf they'd bought to display his daily baked goods. The menu, hand painted again below. Coffee, hot or iced. Case had suggested they do their own small batch roasting, but they all decided it would be too fiddly. Instead they sourced beans from some specialty roasters around the world. Tea, hot or iced. Variety of varietals. True teas, matcha and herbals. Cider. Juice. A soup and sandwich pairing for late morning, early afternoon. Nothing fancy. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Chicken noodle and shredded turkey on seed bread.

A shelf with cookbooks and board games for their customers to enjoy. A potted plant on either side of the door. A bench piano against one wall. A small electric wood stove, for ambience and a pocket of heat for those sipping their drinks on a snowy morning, some time in the future. 

Simple, cozy, clean.

The kitchen behind the front of the shop was small, but serviceable. He'd spent yesterday organizing the supplies he'd ordered. Everything with its own place. Nothing he disliked more than chaos and clutter.

The island in the middle of the room had a quartz countertop to keep dough cool while making pastry. Wooden counters along the walls for Andrew's sandwich and soup prep. The appliances set them back a pretty penny, but now they owned a commercial grade refrigerator, convection oven and a four burner gas range. Overkill for their little start up, but better to spend the money now for good equipment.