Chapter 6

Saturday returned to Zephyr Town with bells, voices, and more customers than Hans could count.

By late morning, the Grand Bazaar was in full swing. The peaceful marketplace Millie had seen after their tour was gone, replaced by the wonderful chaos that descended upon Zephyr every week. Colorful awnings fluttered overhead while customers flowed continuously between the stalls, baskets hanging from their arms and bags already filled with purchases. Merchants called out their specials, children squeezed between adults in pursuit of whatever had caught their attention, and somewhere beyond Hans's stall came the unmistakable smell of freshly prepared food. The Grand Bazaar had awakened once again, and Hans stood directly in the middle of it with his hand bell raised above his head.

Ring-ring-ring!

"Fresh produce! Eggs, milk, vegetables! Come take a look!"

Several customers already stood near his counter, and Hans moved quickly between them. One wanted milk. Another needed eggs. A third had somehow managed to forget what she'd originally approached the stall to buy and was staring at his vegetables in the hope that one of them might remind her. Hans took payment, packed purchases, answered questions, and rang his bell whenever the crowd in front of him thinned enough to justify attracting another one.

It was exhausting work. As always, Hans loved it.

"Thank you! See you next week!"

He handed a bag to his latest customer and watched her disappear into the crowd. The person behind her stepped forward, and Hans immediately prepared himself for the next order.

Then he recognized the high brown ponytail, "Hi, Hans."

Hans smiled. Millie stood on the other side of his counter with a small shopping basket over one arm and a folded piece of paper in her hand. She wore the same familiar country dress he'd come to associate with her, the pale-yellow sleeves visible beneath her green laced bodice and the white apron falling over her long olive skirt. Unlike her unexpected visit to his farm, however, there was nothing hesitant about her arrival this time.

Hans rested his hands on the counter, "Look who finally figured out which day the bazaar happens."

Millie's mouth fell open, then she laughed, "I was only four days early!"

"That's almost an entire week."

"It is not."

"Close enough."

Millie shook her head and unfolded the paper in her hand. "Well, this time I'm here on official business."

Hans glanced at it, "A shopping list?"

"My family's shopping list."

"Very serious."

"Extremely."

Hans straightened and adopted his best professional expression. "In that case, welcome to my humble establishment. How may I help you?"

Millie looked at the enormous Grand Bazaar surrounding them before returning her attention to Hans's decidedly successful stall.

"Humility suits you."

"Thank you."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"I'll take what I can get."

Millie giggled and began reading from her list. Fortunately, Hans had most of what her family needed. He gathered vegetables first, selecting several from the baskets behind him while Millie checked each item off. Eggs followed, then a bottle of milk and several other farm goods that would survive the journey back to Moondrop. Hans packed everything carefully, particularly the eggs, remembering that Millie's purchases still had a coach ride ahead of them after she left Zephyr.

When he finished, Millie inspected the contents of her basket.

"That's everything."

"Perfect." Hans began calculating the total.

Millie reached for her purse. Hans glanced at her. She immediately narrowed her eyes.

"I'm paying."

Hans raised both hands. "I didn't say anything."

"You were thinking it."

"I was calculating."

"You gave me the flowers last time."

"Those were different."

"And I'm paying this time."

Hans studied her determined expression for a moment before nodding solemnly. "Business is business. Fair enough."

Millie smiled with satisfaction. "Good."

She counted out the money and placed it into his hand. Hans accepted it without argument and passed her purchases across the counter.

"There. Official paying customer."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Come again."

"I probably will."

"I'll try to contain my excitement."

Millie laughed and tucked her shopping list into her apron. She should have stepped away then. Other customers were moving around behind her, and there were still plenty of stalls she could visit before returning home. Instead, she remained at the counter.

Hans noticed. "Need something else?"

Millie adjusted the handle of her basket, "Actually…"

Her tone had changed. Hans leaned slightly closer so he could hear her over the bazaar.

"What?"

Millie hesitated, and for just a moment Hans saw the bashful young woman who had approached his stall near closing time asking whether he had any bouquets.

"Were you serious?"

Hans frowned. "About what?"

"Atland."

The noise of the bazaar continued around them. Hans's expression softened. "Of course I was serious."

Millie looked relieved, although she quickly tried to hide it. "I wasn't sure."

"I promised, didn't I?"

"You did."

"And I keep my promises."

Her fingers tightened slightly around the basket handle.

"Well…" Millie began. "I have this Wednesday off."

Hans blinked, "Wednesday?"

She nodded, "My family doesn't need me at the market that day, and I don't have anything else planned." Her cheeks gained just a little color. "So I thought that maybe…if you're free…"

Hans already knew where the sentence was going, "We could go to the city on Wednesday."

Millie's face brightened, "Really?"

"Really."

Her excitement appeared immediately. Millie drew the basket a little closer against herself, her smile widening as though she'd just received something considerably more valuable than a day trip.

"Then we're actually going."

"We're actually going."

"To Atland."

"Yes, Millie."

"The Great Mall of Atland too?"

Hans laughed. "Especially the mall. I clearly failed to explain that one."

"You absolutely did."

"I'll show you."

"And the skyscrapers?"

"Hard to avoid them."

"And the harbor?"

"If we have time."

Millie looked positively delighted. Hans couldn't help smiling at her.

He'd visited Atland countless times. He had lived there. He knew its crowded streets, enormous buildings, railway stations, commercial districts, restaurants, and shops well enough that none of them seemed particularly remarkable anymore.

But looking at Millie, Hans found himself unexpectedly excited to see them again. Wednesday.

He was about to ask what time her coach arrived when he noticed something beyond her shoulder. Several people were standing behind Millie. Then several became five. Five became six.

One man was holding an empty basket and staring directly at Hans with the weary patience of someone who had already been waiting longer than he intended.

Hans looked back at Millie. "So, Wednesday."

"Wednesday," she agreed happily.

Hans nodded toward the people behind her, "And unless you'd like to spend the rest of it helping me sell vegetables, you're holding up the line."

Millie's eyes widened, "What?"

She turned around. The line had grown considerably.

"Oh!"

Millie immediately stepped aside, clutching her basket against herself, "I'm sorry!"

The first customer laughed. "Take your time."

"No, no, I'm finished!"

Hans bit his lip. Millie looked back at him and saw the grin he was failing miserably to hide.

"You could have told me!"

"I just did."

"Before there was a line!"

"I was enjoying the conversation."

That stopped her. Hans realized what he'd said at almost the same moment Millie did. A faint blush touched her cheeks. Hans cleared his throat and reached for his hand bell.

"Anyway! Wednesday."

Millie smiled, "Wednesday."

She gave him a small wave before disappearing into the crowd, her shopping basket hanging from her arm. Hans watched the brown ponytail vanish between the passing customers.

The man waiting at the front of his stall cleared his throat. Hans turned, "Sorry."

The man smiled knowingly. "Good conversation?"

Hans picked up his bell, "Are you buying something?"

The customer laughed. Hans rang the bell considerably louder than necessary.

"Fresh produce! Eggs! Milk! Come take a look!"

The Grand Bazaar continued around him as though nothing unusual had happened. And perhaps nothing had.

Hans had made plans with a friend. On Wednesday, he was taking Millie to Atland. That was all. Except this time, neither of them had accidentally called it a date. They didn't need to.