The Day the Tables Turned

 

Mason couldn’t decide what to do, and felt time slipping away. What would he do when she arrived? Part of him was excited and part of him was nervous and the other part of him didn’t know why he was even worrying about Amanda. Why was he letting a woman confuse him so much?

When she left, he had been a little disappointed, but then Lexi came along. She was nice enough, but they never really hit it off. After a couple dates things just ended. He had called her once about going out, after feeling a little guilty for not calling sooner and she said she needed to give her cat a bath. No more needed said as he scratched her name out of his little, black book. That left only Amanda’s name, which had been scratched out and then written again.

He thought she had chosen to go live in the castle that she had inherited, but according to Cara and Sarah, she was coming back to Bittersweet Creek. She had a wonderful time living with her grandparents for a few months but she wasn’t ready to settle down there yet. 

Mason had felt some hope rise in his heart when he heard the news, and that’s what had him so confused. Did he really like her? Was she coming back to Bittersweet Creek because of him? Would their friendship progress into something more? 

“Hey day dreamer, are you okay?” Cara asked. She had walked into the back to get  some more of her coffee mix and found Mason staring with a blank stare at the paperwork in front of him. 

Shaking his head, he stammered out, “I am fine …. no problem!” and he looked back down at the paperwork, “Just putting together a list of things to order.” 

Cara gave him a doubtful look, but didn’t say anything. 

She grabbed the “Black Raspberry” coffee mix and headed back out. “By the way you should add SUGAR to the list! I am thinking that perhaps you were distracted with thoughts of Amanda coming back, and that’s why you ordered Sweet and Low before. Thinking the word for that type of confusion may be due to being twitterpatted perhaps?” 

Mason heard her laughing as she left. He knew someone as smart as Cara would figure out the switch he had made from sugar to Sweet and Low before too long. So much for him trying to keep the townspeople from sugar overload! Those crazy people were addicted, especially Cara! 

He looked back at the list he was making. Cara may have figured out the sugar switch but she didn’t know what she was talking about when she called him twitterpatted. Yes, Amanda’s blue eyes sparkled like diamonds on the sea, and her hands were so soft. Yes, he liked the way she tilted her head to the side when laughing, and when she …” 

“I see you are still working hard on the list, may help to put the pen on the paper, instead of holding it in the air. Do you need help with spelling? T-w-i..” Cara caught the pen that he threw at her. ” Thanks for the pen! Here are some fresh chocolate chip cookies I made. Maybe they will help you think. They aren’t quite Tollhouse cookies, but…” and she walked back out to wait on the customers. She smiled thinking how much fun it would be when Amanda came back to town.  

Mason decided to go home. He would think better there without Cara laughing at him! He gathered up the papers and stuffed a cookie in his mouth while walking back out front. 

Cara saw the look on Mason’s face. “So did you like the cookies? ” 

He shook his head grabbing a napkin to spit the cookie out in. “They are a tad salty! I thought cookies were supposed to be sweet!” 

Cara feigned an innocent expression, “Oh dear! I must have accidentally replaced the sugar with salt! Can’t have too much sugar you know. Sorry, got to go, Miss. Frumpleberry and Miss. Hennyfeathers are waving their coffee cups at me.” 

Mason sighed, Ooh she thought she was  “funnny!” he thought, and he poured himself some black coffee to get the salty taste out of his mouth.