CHAPTER 3
“Wow!” Charlotte’s eyes grew as big as saucers as the trio entered Bite Me.
Sara couldn’t say exactly what she’d expected from the sandwich shop, but this wasn’t it. Every wall was painted with scenes from Alice in Wonderland. All of the characters were depicted in various scenes from the movie. The tables were all themed featuring one of the characters. There was a Queen of Hearts table, Mad Hatter table, Cheshire Cat table, Blue Caterpillar, White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and of course an Alice table.
“Sit anywhere ya’ like!” A woman that looked like the spitting image of Flo from the television show Alice called out from behind a glass case that held desserts and sandwiches.
“Mama!” Charlotte tugged on her arm. “I wanna sit there!”
Sara glanced over to where Charlotte was pulling her and saw that there was a table that was set up like the tea party. She had a feeling that the high backed pink chair was what had caught her daughter’s eye.
“Okay.”
As they walked to the table, Sara noticed that at the top of the glass case there was a large tag that read: Eat Me. Beside it there was a refrigerator that held juices, bottled waters, and sodas with a large tag that read: Drink Me.
This place was next-level adorable and Sara was already writing a post in her head to include in her favorites.
The three of them had just settled into their seats and were looking over the menus when the waitress that hand to God looked like she’d been plucked straight out of Mel’s Diner set three tumblers filled with water on the table. Sara looked up, half expecting the woman to be cracking her gum and telling her to kiss her grits.
“So are y’all here for the summer festival?” The woman whose nametag read Deb asked.
“Um, no. We’re just…” Sara had no idea how to explain what they were just doing. We’re just here because I found an old picture of my grandmother and I wanted to come see where the photo was taken, so I threw my kids in the car and drove for three days on a whim, sounded crazy. She settled on, “Here on vacation.”
“Oh well, you picked the right time!” Deb enthused.
“What’s a festival?” Trevor’s curiosity could rival twenty cats.
“Well, it’s kind of like a party that goes on for a week,” the waitress answered. “It kicks off tomorrow, so you’re just in time.”
Her son’s eyes widened. “Whoa, cool!”
The woman continued, “There’s going to be a parade. Fireworks. Musical acts. A boat show. And even a kissing booth.”
Trev’s face scrunched up. “A what?”
“A booth where people pay money for a kiss,” Sara explained.
“Ewww, gross.” Trevor’s reaction was not unlike when he’d seen his sister’s tongue filled with remnants of her Goldfish crackers. “Who would do that?”
“Well, now. It’s not your typical kissing booth. You see our booth is manned by dogs.”
“By dogs?” Sara smiled as her forehead scrunched.
“That’s right. People line up for a smackaroo from a pooch.” Deb added with a wink.
Charlotte and Trevor looked at one another before simultaneously cracking up.
The corners of Deb’s eyes crinkled as she grinned at the kid’s enthusiasm.
“That’s amazing.” Sara shook her head slightly. This town was seriously overflowing with quaintness.
“Yes, it is.” Deb agreed as a few more customers walked into the sandwich shop. They were immediately greeted by name from Deb and the other patrons in the eatery as they took their seats, just like Norm from Cheers.
It seemed as if everyone knew everyone here. While she and the kiddos were waiting in line for the bathroom at the gas station, the cashier had called each customer by name. On the short walk from the car to the sandwich shop, Sara had witnessed not one but two encounters where people she passed were shouted out by name from passing cars.
“Well, now I better stop yapping and get back to work. What can I get y’all?”
After taking their orders, Deb stopped over at the new table that had just been seated. Both of the kids began coloring on their paper menus, and Sara took the rare moment of no-questions, stories, or fighting to try to process what had just transpired at the gas station.