Free For Better or Worsted by Betty Hechtman

another customer and I got Kirsty.
    “I’m not sure you can help me,” I said. Kirsty did a double take. She had dark brown hair pulled back with a headband that showed off her dangle earrings.
    “You don’t need the boss to put some cupcakes in a pink box,” she said, making a tsk sound and rolling her eyes. She waved her hand over the counter. “Tell me how many you want total so I know the size box and then you pick what kind you want.”
    “That’s just it. I’m not here to buy cupcakes, well, maybe one, but what I really want is advice,” I said.
    Kirsty gave me an odd look. “What? You think cupcakes have taken the place of cocktails, and us counter people are like bartenders who you tell your problems to?” Then she apologized for being short. “Too many jobs, too little sleep,” she said with a yawn. “I guess I might as well get used to it. Med students are notoriously sleep deprived.”
    All ears were on me now and eyes, too, though everyone was trying to act like it wasn’t so.
    I began the story about the Parties with a Purpose, explaining that the first one was for an eleven-year-old’s birthday, and I was trying to line up the food and thought cupcakes might be the way to go.
    “Absolutely,” Kirsty said. She pulled out a menu of party options and slid it across the counter. “Our newest are the filled cupcakes. They look nice, but they are a little pricey.”
    “I’m not sure what Emerson wants to spend,” I said.
    “Emerson Lake?” Kirsty asked, and I nodded. She looked toward the crowd. “She did the flowers for the wedding you’re all talking about.”
    The woman behind me spoke up. “That’s right. She’s the hot flower person for events now. She’s known for her personalized service. Her trademark is decorating the cake with fresh flowers. She always does it on-site.”
    “Even so, she had to dress like the rest of the servers,” Kirsty said. Caitlyn looked up from her customer and gave Kirsty a sharp look. Kirsty flinched and got back to business. “So, do any of those cupcakes work for you?”
    All the choices were a little overwhelming, so I asked if I could take the menu and discuss it with Emerson and Lyla. I asked about how much time they needed and other details, and then bought a cornbread cupcake that almost passed as lunch.
    One of the seats became available, and I sat down to eat my cupcake before going back to work. I was surprised when Kirsty abandoned the line and came out from behind the counter and over to me.
    “Could you do me a favor?” she said, waving to the line that she’d be back there in a moment. She held out an earring. “Could you tell Adele I want another one like this?” She tried to hand it to me, but I was concerned that I might lose it. Instead, I offered to pass on the information to Adele. “Fine,” she said in an annoyed tone. “I’ll keep it in my cubby if she needs to see it.” She rushed back behind the counter, telling the fussing mob not to get their shorts in a knot. The blond woman who’d been behind me came up to me while she was waiting for her order. This time when we looked at each other, we recognized each other, at least sort of. She knew I worked at the bookstore, and I remembered her as the cookbook collector, but until now there had been no names involved. I gave her mine, and she introduced herself as Isa Susberg.
    “Isa?” I said. “That’s an unusual name.”
    “It’s really Isabella. I went by Bella for years, but then it became too common, thanks to some vampire books. I sure hope nobody names a character Isa,” she said with a smile. “I couldn’t help but overhear what you said about the parties you’re putting on. I’m hosting a baby shower and I was looking for something different. I think everyone is tired of the silly games. The idea of learning how to do something and actually making something sounds great. Could you handle a baby shower, or are you strictly kids’ parties?”
    “We can