Fantasy Farmstead: Modern Benton Cove (Finished)

Summer

Note: This story has been completed an Exists as a downloadable PDF on my website
https://rcdaviswrites.com/2020/04/12/fantasy-farmstead-modern-benton-cove/

The sound of the cicadas was drowned out by the roar of a hundred or more people talking, laughing, and making all the other noises that came with a mob. While most of the local booths were set up yesterday, a semi and a bus rolled in earlier in the morning filled with people and gear. Suddenly the town square was a small fairground filled with game booths, outdoor kitchens, art displays, and the smell of overly priced and overly greasy fair food. Hot on the heels of these people came the busses full of city people either for the summer festival itself or the sandy beach of the Big Lake.

Jay's original plan was to serve coffee samples and hopefully sell off some of the twenty dollar bags he had stocked up. He soon found himself in a non stop rush to serve overpriced cups of coffee to people who wanted a drink right now, not tomorrow. At some point Lilly and Nohana started helping. Well, Nohana was helping. She was wearing light grey cargo pants, a yellow tank top that had open sides, a sports bra or something of that sort to hide what the tank top wasn't, and a red baseball ball cap. She was looking good and Jay was sure it was helping sales. Lilly was in a light blue summer dress that showed a lot of shoulder and leg as well as a wide brimmed straw hat with openings for her horns. She was doing the far less important job of sitting in a canvas chair in the shade with her bare feet propped up on Nohana's chair. Occasionally the Tel'ani girl would shift or twitch, Nohana would glare at her, and Lilly would give the blonde a shit eating grin. Jay was missing something, but he was too damn busy to ask about it.

Jay flopped down into the grass with his back against an oak tree. "Holy hell." He said, slouching into the trunk and hanging his head.

"I can't believe we sold that much coffee." Remarked Nohana.

"I can't believe I'm out of coffee."

Lilly, still staring at her cellphone, gave them a thumbs up. "Great work guys."

"Fuck you." Nohana spat back.

Lilly looked up. "What? Right here?"

Nohana glared at her.

Lilly grinned.

Jay looked to Nohana. "How much?"

"One thousand seven hundred and four."

"Wow. I should give up roasting coffee and be a barista."

"Not here." Mumbled Lilly. Benton Cove's only barista, if someone working a single coffee machine at the general store counted as a barista.

"Keep two hundred for yourself."

"Ooo, That's more than I make at work. Are you hiring?"

Jay shook his head. "Maybe next year."

"What's my cut?" Lilly asked.

"You didn't do anything!" Snapped Nohana.

"I brought the cups."

"I already paid for the cups."

"Yeah, but not the service of purchasing them from a closed store."

She technically had him there. "Five dollars."

"A pleasure doing business with you."

Lilly stretched. "Lots of clean up tomorrow." She said, breaking the moment's peace.

Nohana nodded.

"You might be out of coffee, but that stand over there still has funnel cakes."