WIP Wednesdays -Beauty and the Brit teaser (Patreon)

Enjoy this teaser from Beauty and the Brit that is setting up for a magical and mysterious event to come!

“Good afternoon!”

“Good afternoon Mrs. Bridgestone. How are you doing?” Paige asked warmly as the nurse entered the shop and came straight for Paige at the cashiering desk.

Mrs. Bridgestone was a regular in Quiet Village; always wanting a new read for her shifts at the hospital. Paige knew that ‘Mary’ as she liked to be called was retiring later this year but she had assured both Paige and Cornelia, the owner, that she’d still be coming in weekly for something new to read. “Well what else am I going to do but read and keep active with my hobbies?” she’d stated as though it were the simplest thing in the world! How could one disagree with that?

“Oh I’m just lovely dear; I’ve really been enjoying that book you recommended last week— I’m halfway through now!”

“I’m very glad to hear that!” Paige grinned. She’d often been told she had a way of picking out books for people as though she could foresee the future and predict exactly what they needed to read at that moment in their life. This was another reason that Mrs. O’Dair had been happy to make Paige her ‘successor’ in buying out Quiet Village. Cornelia O’Dair knew the store was going to be in good hands!

“I’ve actually got a favour to ask you and Nee,” Mary went on a moment later, using Mrs. O’Dair’s nickname. The two were old friends from many years before Paige had been born, never mind moved to this town! “Would it be alright to put up some of these posters asking for volunteers for the hospital’s fundraiser coming up? It’s in less than a month.”

“Oh sure of course!” Paige nodded immediately.

Mrs. Brickstone grinned making her many wrinkles stretch out along her cheeks and deepen around her eyes. She pulled a few papers from her canvas bag on her shoulder and began to hand them to Paige as she spoke, “It’s the benefactors’ gala but we all just call it ‘The Gala’. I think you must’ve heard about it last year even—” Paige nodded at this. “Anyhow we just need volunteers for the night of the event to come and be service staff basically. There will be a brief training and sandwiches and juice beforehand so there’s no experience needed just a willingness to help and represent the hospital,” Mrs. Brickstone explained, “They need both men and women for wine waiters and hospitality waitresses. Anyone who volunteers will be serving the benefactors and their guests; for lack of a better word: the rich so the volunteers are going to have to be hard-working and presentable. You sort of need to present two character references beforehand and they’ll let you know the dress code when you are accepted: basically wear black slacks and white button-down blouses or shirts with black pumps or other presentable close-toed shoes.

“Oh! Anyway I don’t know why I’m explaining the whole thing but anyone who is interested just has to give that number a call!” Mrs. Brickstone concluded as she tapped a finger towards the phone number on the sheets Paige now held in her hands.

Paige smiled. “It actually sounds really lovely,” she expressed as her eyes skimmed over the information as the woman finished talking and she looked back up at the nurse with a smile, “I’ll probably volunteer myself then!”

“Oh would you? Oh that’s so kind— oh they’d love to have you Paige! Thank you so much!”

“You’re very welcome. And I’ll put these posters up right away and leave a couple here at the counter for people to take. I’ll make copies here myself no need to worry,” she assured when the elderly woman went to reach again inside her bag.

“Oh you’re just a dear! If Nee doesn’t like them around she can call me it’s no worries,” Mary Brickstone expressed with a tap of Paige’s arm.

The young woman smiled wider in return. “I’m sure it’s no problem,” she answered. “Anything we can do to help! The hospital is an important part of our town and our community!”

“Ah yes that it is that it is! Well I’d best be off to get these up at those coffee shops and such before going off home. You take care Paige and I’ll be back in again my usual time!”

“See you then Mary,” Paige responded warmly –knowing she’d get chastised if she used ‘Mrs. Brickstone’ again.

Once the woman was off, Paige made a few more copies of the information and set it out as promised before calling the number and volunteering herself.

Later, she’d take home a photocopy to show Rae in hopes that her friend would volunteer her time too to the worthy cause.