The gift basket was heavier than Jessie expected. It didn't help that it was raining, so she had an umbrella in one hand while trying to balance the gift basket in the other while navigating wet pavement in high heels. Thankfully she had experience balancing drink trays at The Buzzed Bee for so long. The experience served her well now.
Jessie stopped outside Uncle Sam's Coffee Emporium long enough to snap shut the umbrella and shake off some of the rain. She left the umbrella outside the door unconcerned whether it might be stolen. If someone had farther to travel than her, they needed the umbrella more. She would consider the theft as playing a good deed forward.
A burst of cold air chilled her when she opened the door as did the hard stares of the clerks behind the counter.
