Chapter 776: Roasters
Tuesday, March 28th, Morning
The morning went well for her. The grounds of Airlie Gardens were what she needed. The walk made her clear her mind and think about many troubling things. Once satisfiedd, she walked the gardens again and cleared her mind. This second stroll through the gardens allowed her to find a bit of inner peace.
Once she finished her walk through the garden, Christy returned to her rented car and left. Being closer to lunch than breakfast, she knew she would be hungry soon, but she only wanted coffee. Christy drove to the nearest coffee shop, the quick search told her. The local place called Roasters, which strangely sounded familiar to her. Once at the shop, she went toward the front door.
She was mulling it over in her head, a smile on her face. After she finds a parking spot right in front and heads inside, she approaches the counter, the smell of coffee invigorating and intoxicating all at once. She looked around the shop and found someone standing near the counter waiting for their coffee.
"Hi," she said so casually she even surprised herself.
"Hello," the woman in the latter half of her thirties said and looked at Christy, a little confused.
Christy looked around, "I guess life is a waiting game. I stopped in to get some coffee," she said.
"This is a coffee shop, after all," the woman said. Christy noticed this woman's face was beautiful and would've been stunning in her early twenties. This woman had tanned, round green eyes, medium-length dark chestnut-colored hair, a heart-shaped face, and button-nosed, and wore a blue sweatshirt and skinny jeans.
"What's your favorite blend here?" Christy asked the other woman.
"I'm an Americano Black fan, as large as possible," the woman said.
She was looking at Christy like she was strange.
"Do I have something on my face?" she asked, a raised brow curling in the other woman's general direction.
"I'm trying to figure out if we know each other," the woman said.
"I've been told I have that face that tends to look very familiar to people, even if we've not yet met," Christy smiled.
"I was thinking it was you staring at me," the woman said, with a slight curl to her lips.
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," Christy winced slightly, turning back to the counter to see the barista make their way back.
"Aly," the woman said.
"Christy," Christy smiled.
Aly smiled, "I figured since you were staring at me, you should have a name to go with the face, Christy," she said with a laugh.
Christy chuckled, "Fair enough. It's been a long few weeks at home, so I decided to come down here to see the sights."
"Okay, so that explains why a New Yorker would come down here in the winter," Aly said and picked up her coffee from the barista.
Her eyes widened, "How did you...?"
"Your voice, Sweetie," Aly said with a smart grin.
Christy laughed, nodding, "Yeah, it does kind of give me away a bit, doesn't it?" She ordered a large cup of the house blend, smiling as she dropped her change into the tip jar.
"Houseblend? Seems rather tame," Aly said, taking a few steps towards a table.
"Eh, just not in the mood for something too strong, I guess," Christy admitted.
"Yeah, and I'm straight, so please don't eye me up for lunch," Aly said with a laugh.
Christy just takes her coffee and sits down, trying not to laugh. She'd made it obvious she thought Aly was attractive by staring far too long, but Christy wasn't that embarrassed; she was just flustered.
"I'm used to it; I have been eyed up for years," Aly said, sipping her coffee.
Christy just smiled, nodding; clearly, there was a reason for that, and she, too, had dealt with being eyed up and ogled at times.
"So, it's still early; what brings a tourist out this crisp morning?" Aly asked.
"Coffee," Christy replies, holding up her cup with a grin.
Aly looked at Christy, "Your face is too red just for coffee," she said.
"I didn't really want to sit idle all day, so I went to the Gardens and walked around," Christy said.
"That narrows it down," Aly said.
"It's really the only thing I've done today," Christy laughed, "well, minus the stop in here for some coffee."
"Did you enjoy the gardens?" Aly asked.
Christy nodded, "They're beautiful."
"So, what else are you planning to see around our quaint little town?" Aly asked.
"The Battleship, and maybe a few things recommended to me by a friend before I left," Christy smiled.
"Such as?" Aly asked.
"There are stories about the nearby basketball court," Christy said, "I played the sport myself."
"It's along the river, in River Side Park, but never ask a local where the park is; just ask for the River Court," Aly said.
Christy smiled, "Noted."
"So, let me guess, you are a fan of Nathan Scott or James Scott," Aly said.
"Both of them are incredibly gifted basketball players," Christy nodded, smiling.
"Yeah, that's what I heard," Aly said, "Never mind."
Christy laughed, "Never mind what?"
"It would tarnish their images," Aly said.
"I mean, you rarely see the same family bless the world with what's supposed to be once-in-a-generation talent," Christy said, "But I also know it has to do with hard work, too."
"I was saying that there are whispers that neither of them can do more than tie their shoes and play basketball," Aly said.
"If you ask me, people spend far too much time whispering," Christy said.
"It's a southern thing, Sweetie," Aly said.
"I wouldn't know," Christy laughed
"So, what do you think of our quaint little town?" Aly asked.
"I think quaint is an adequate word to describe it," Christy smiled.
"If you live in the right part," Aly said.
"Isn't that the truth about every small town, though?" Christy asked with a grin.
Aly looked at her watch, "Look, I have an appointment I need to get ready for; I'll give the low down on who you need to see for what," she said, "To see good music, go see Chase, to buy good music see Mike, to find a good book, see Jolie, for a good diner, see Kady, for drinks and good Tex-Mex see Rerun, for good seafood see Anna, and for a good accountant see me," with a glint in her eye she stood up. She dropped her business card on the table and left the coffee shop.
Christy smiled, securing the business card; she'd have to add that to her digital address book.
The card said Alyssa Morris, CPA, and Morris Accounting LLC.
Christy smiled; it had been an eventful start to the day, and she was ready to get back and rest. All of her streaming services were calling her name.