Dogs and Goddesses by Jennifer Crusie

Author:Jennifer Crusie
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780312944377
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

ELEVEN

When Shar got to the coffeehouse, she stopped to consider the big blank white wall she’d painted to the left of the door. They’d talked about what they were going to do with it, but now as she stared at it, she could see figures there, three of them, and a sky, and…

“I’m going to do a mural on that wall,” she told Abby, who was filling the cookie case.

“Cool.” Abby closed the sliding glass door just as Daisy came out with her laptop.

“You know, we could make this place hugely successful,” Daisy said, sitting down at a table next to where Shar was working. “I accidentally charged some people two bucks for a cookie on Friday and they paid it. And they’ve been lining up every morning since then.”

Abby took the other seat, brushing powdered sugar off her hands. “I’m out of cookies by eight every morning. If this keeps up, I’m going to need help.”

Shar picked up the thick cylinder of charcoal she’d bought on her second trip to Mr. Casey’s. I want those three goddesses on here, she thought, seeing them float on the wall before her still. And the outside of the coffeehouse behind them. And behind that I want an amber sunrise that starts on the left and then turns into the heat of day with a cinnamon sky and then ends in a blue night sky. I want suns and flowers and stars.

And a frieze with dogs. Lots of dogs.

And I want Sam.

No, not Sam.

Daisy frowned at the figures on her laptop. “It’s a shame we can’t hire more bakers, but you know, not many goddesses are looking for work.”

“There’s Gen and Bun,” Abby said. “I don’t know that fertility and birth cookies are a good idea, but maybe they’d be … inspirational.…”

“Shar?” Daisy said.

“I’m listening,” Shar lied, and began to draw, big sweeps of the charcoal on the white primer, tracing the goddesses that floated there, clear as day, the contrast between the charcoal and white startling, the lines rough and crumbly as they curved and scraped and made her breathe faster, and her spirit lifted as she drew because it was the right thing to do, this picture, this wall, this coffeehouse, these people.…

She leaned against the wall until the spasm passed, while behind her, Daisy outlined the plan for the coffeehouse: a website, a logo, a signature drink, souvenir mugs, T-shirts, the works.

“Sounds good to me,” Abby said. “Maybe I can figure out Kammani’s tonic recipe, too.”

Shar kept drawing. “That might be good. If we could figure out what was in it that kicks up our powers without having to get it from Kammani…”

Abby nodded. “I’ve found Granny B’s notebooks, and it was clear she was trying to figure it out herself. I’m not sure how she even knew about temple tonic, but I’m guessing there must be some sort of racial memory going on. Anyway, the stuff would sell like crazy, so I’m all for making this place a real business.

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