Backroads

Chapter 1

"Have a good day, sir." I smiled, handing a customer his receipt. I sighed as I walked back towards the cafe's kitchen to get a drink of water. Maisie smiled at me and flicked her eyes towards the clock.

"Almost time to go, Char!" She piped with her country twang. I gave her a fake little smile and quickly went back to my sour expression. "Oh come on, it won't be that bad. I promise!"

I glared at her and sipped my water. Today is my little sister's bridal shower and to be honest I'm not very excited. Social gatherings aren't really my cup of tea. Who wants to spend hours with people you have nothing in common with? Not me. 

"You're looking extra gorgeous today, Ms. Charlotte. What's the occasion?" Mrs. Sullivan asked. Mrs. Sullivan is an older lady who comes in every Saturday afternoon to get an apple pie for her husband. She used to teach at the elementary school in town so everyone knows her and she knows everyone. That's what happens in small towns.

"Daisy's bridal shower is this afternoon. I was told I had to get extra gussied up because I'm her maid of honor. It's just a bunch of hocus pocus to me though. Everyone that'll be there knows me so who am I impressing?" I shook my head and Mrs. Sullivan chuckled.

"I did hear little Daisy was gettin' hitched. Baby sister...must be hard..." she said with a pitied look and her hand on her chest, "bless your heart." What's that supposed to mean? I thought. "Well you look beautiful, darlin'." She said taking the receipt. "See you next week and try to have fun today!"

"I'll try." I said as she left the cafe waving. Must be hard. Just because my little sister is getting married before I am doesn't mean I have to be upset about it. I'm happy for her. This is what she always wanted, not me. It was always her plan to get married and start a family straight outta high school, whereas my plan was to open a cafe with Maisie. Of course I've thought about getting married and having kids at some point but now isn't the time for that. 

Maisie came walking with a skip in her step. She handed me my purse and car keys. "One thirty-five! You best be going or you're gonna be late!"

"Are you sure you can't come? I could really use some support." I begged, giving Maisie puppy eyes.

"You know I would love to go to this ritzy bridal shower with all your family's ritzy ditsy friends but I have to work, hun. Gotta make my millions too somehow!" She winked. 

It was no secret that my family had money but it was my choice to take a step away from that and work for myself and make my own money doing something I love. Which happened to be working in a small town cafe with my best friend.

Now you would think that with a rich family and everything you have the popular girl too. Just because that's how every movie works doesn't mean that's how I was. I wasn't popular but I wasn't unpopular. Some of my friends were popular and Daisy was popular, therefore people at least knew who I was. I wasn't a cheerleader and I didn't date anyone on the football team or anyone for that matter. My focus wasn't on high school, it was on the future. I took all the business classes and all the Home Ec. Classes I could to prepare for the cafe. Maisie and I had been planning this since eighth grade Home Ec.

My immediate family isn't very big. Daisy is the baby, I'm the middle child, and my brother, Eric, is the oldest. Us three are fairly close, though we haven't seen Eric since the holidays because he lives in Texas now. We are all close in age too. Eric is twenty-three, I'm twenty almost twenty-one and Daisy just turned nineteen. It was nice when we were little so we always had someone to play with but Daisy and I drifted apart through our teen years. We fought a lot and we still do. That's girls let alone sisters for ya though. But back when we were both in high school, we fought over boys and clothes. After high school, we fought more because I mothered her when it came to boys. Telling her to be careful and whatnot. Of course she didn't take it very well but it's only because she didn't fully understand why I did it.