by Annora Green
¨°¨
“Ms. Little, I apologize,” Sophia’s voice rang out above the din of conversation during the busy rush the next morning at The Little Cafe.
Sophia was ordering an Americano.
“For what?” Ari asked as she worked to fulfill coffee orders on one of the machines, trying to juggle three different requests for espressos and lattes at once.
“For bothering you. It was unprofessional of me to ask you for a favor when you were at work, and send you all the way to my house, no less.”
Ari looked up from pouring creamy hot milk into the cups, surprised. “Forget it. It was no big deal.”
“It was a ridiculous thing for me to ask you.”
“It wasn’t.”
“Yes, it was.”
Ari used a rag to wipe some errant drips of milk off the counter. “Look,” she said, studying Sophia. “I don’t do anything I don’t want to do. Well, except for pick up tables outside my shop that don’t meet city code. But I wanted to help out. I didn’t mind. It wasn’t a problem.”
Sophia pursed her lips.
“I won’t ask for anything again,” she said, taking the Americano and handing Ari a five dollar bill.
“It’s on the house, remember? Neighbors, and free coffee, and all that.”
“Just take it. You run a business, not a charity. You can’t give away things left and right,” Sophia said, practically scolding her.
“I don’t,” Ari said tersely, but took the money.
“Good day, Ms. Little.”
Ari rolled her eyes as she watched Sophia march out of her store.
Ms. Little. After the informality of the previous evening.
And she had been silly enough to think that they had finally made progress.
What an impossible woman.
5. Strawberry Turnovers
Percy was back on his feet within a few days, and Ari noticed him once again coming into the cafe regularly after school. He lingered in his usual booth in the corner, playing video games or reading comics, passing the time until his mom finished up work.
Percy still insisted on ordering cinnamon sugar donuts, coconut-caramel squares or any one of Rachel’s daily dessert concoctions, but Ari, feeling a bit guilty about promoting so much sugar to the kid, began to push a few more grilled cheeses his way instead.
“Just for you, I’ll give you any one of the grilled cheeses on our menu for the same price as a donut,” she offered one day.
“I’ve never seen so many kinds of grilled cheese,” Percy said, studying the choices listed on the chalkboard menu. “Um, how about the Nutella grilled cheese?”
“Good choice,” Ari said, nodding seriously. “Sourdough bread, banana, cream cheese and Nutella. One of the best recipes Rachel’s ever come up with.”
Well, maybe it was not exactly a huge step up from a donut after all, Ari thought, but at least it was a little bit more substantial and that assuaged her guilt somewhat. Not that she was one to try to control her customers’ eating habits - hell, she could not even control her own less-than-healthy eating habits - but she was definitely starting to get a sort of protective instinct when it came to Percy. At least the sandwich had a bit of fruit in it, right?
As for Percy’s mother, to Ari’s pleasant surprise, Sophia was following in her son’s footsteps and becoming a more regular customer at The Little Cafe.
Now, nearly every day, Sophia came into the cafe in the mornings, ordered an Americano or cafe au lait (or sometimes both) before heading to work. Sophia was always cool and curt and insisted on paying, but Ari couldn’t help but smugly take note of how indispensable her coffee seemed to have become in her morning routine.
Once or twice, Ari considered going to see what Sophia’s store was all about. But as soon as she stopped in front of the big glass doors leading into the boutique, she always hesitated and jetted away. She had no reason at all to go into the place. She did not like frilly, fussy underthings... and somehow, even if she did need a new pair of underwear or a bra, it seemed way too awkward to get them from Sophia’s store. Nope, she would rather just stick to ordering that kind of thing online or picking up something from a big-box discount store.
That was, until a phone call pressed the issue, and Ari decided it was time to suck it up and drop by Sophia’s fancy boutique.
¨°¨
“I’m looking for something... um, still kind of casual, but you know, nice.”
Sophia’s ears picked up the sound of Ari’s voice at the end of the day one Thursday. She had been shuffling through papers in the back room of the shop near the stairs, behind the velvet curtain.
“We just got these in, a brand new design for the spring.” Sophia overheard Elle say.
“Fifty dollars for a pair of underwear?” Ari asked, sounding scandalized.
Sophia shook her head as she eavesdropped on the conversation. Go figure. Of course the woman who wore only jeans and t-shirts wouldn’t have an appreciation for design, craftsmanship or quality in fashion.
“I understand the concern,” She overheard Elle say in her usual easy, sweet way. “I mean, before I worked here, I was a girl who loved a good half-off sale, or 2 bras for $35, that kind of thing. But to add some context, Sophia’s regular customers come here because of her exquisite designs, attention to detail, and especially because of the luxurious fabrics she selects. They are carefully chosen for both form and function. They drape beautifully, are silky and elegant, but also comfortable to wear and not too difficult to maintain.
“Yeah, but fifty dollars... seriously?” Ari asked, still hesitating.
“Here, I can suggest something else, over here, you might find these more reasonably priced...”
Sophia decided to emerge from behind the curtain. She was curious about why Ari would come in. To her knowledge, she had never been in the store before. And something about her presence made her nervous. Or suspicious.
“Is it for a special event?” Elle asked Ari.
“Yeah. I’m going out with a friend. Perhaps, well, you know. More than a friend? I don’t know. It’s complicated.”
Well, well, well. Ari did not just live and breathe coffee and pastries, then, Sophia thought to herself.
Ari had not yet noticed Sophia’s presence in the shop. Sophia stepped behind the counter and pretended to be rummaging through a binder while she eavesdropped for another minute or two, listening as Elle struggled to get Ari on board with FORBIDDEN lingerie.
“I’m not sure this store is really for me,” Ari said apologetically. “I didn’t know. I just thought I’d check it out. I’m sorry if I bothered you.”
“Not at all,” Elle said.
Sophia decided it was time for her to rescue Elle from the impossible situation that was Ari. She walked over to the two women.
“Elle, it’s nearly time to close. Feel free to finish up your things for the day,” she said.
“Sure,” Elle nodded, relieved, and slipped behind the counter and began working on the iPad.
Sophia then turned to Ari. “So, Ms. Little. What a surprise to see you here.”
“It’s Ari.”
Sophia pursed her lips and tapped her toe impatiently.
“Welcome, Ari,” she said.
“Nice store you have here. It’s... modern. Sophisticated.” Ari said, clearly struggling to articulate her thoughts on the store, which were obviously not to her taste.
“Can I help you find something?” Sophia asked politely.
Too politely.
Ari shook her head and took a step back. “I was just browsing. Maybe looking for something, but, um, this isn’t really my usual thing to shop for.”
“I can help,” Sophia said smoothly, growing more confident as Ari tried to timidly back away. “In fact, why don’t you come upstairs? It’s far more interesting up there, it’s where I keep most of my items, new designs, featured pieces on my website, and things that never even make it down here to the shop. We might be able to find some
thing that suits your particular tastes.”
Ari reluctantly followed Sophia upstairs, debating to herself whether the way Sophia had said “your particular tastes” was an insult.
“Welcome to the heart of my business,” Sophia said, stepping into her workroom to give Ari a bit of a tour. She turned on the light. “It’s a little late, my staff have all gone home, but normally we have a few people working here making patterns, sewing prototypes of my new designs or working on custom orders, inventorying fabrics and other bits and pieces, and helping me place orders from our suppliers.”
“There’s a lot more up here than I expected,” Ari said, looking around at the machinery, the mannequins, the endless garments in various states of completion.
“It is a studio, workroom, brainstorming room, and corporate headquarters all in one place,” Sophia explained. “But this isn’t what I meant to show you, necessarily. I wanted you to see that I have many more pieces. Hopefully pieces that you would be more comfortable with,” Sophia said, stepping toward a section of the room that was half-hidden behind heavy velvet floor-to-ceiling curtains.
“You don’t need to take the time to do this,” Ari said, feeling a bit like she was intruding.
“Nonsense. Actually, your lack of interest in what Elle was showing you downstairs was making me curious. I want to know what you like. For market research. If a woman - a potential client - isn’t interested in what I’m selling, I want to know how I can do better.”
“I highly doubt I’m your target market,” Ari said.
“Perhaps not, but I am still curious, Ms. Little,” Sophia said, stepping behind the curtain with rows and rows of clothing racks, pieces of undergarments, bras, camisoles, chemises, pajamas and robes hanging on nearly all of them.
“I only select a few items in my collection to put downstairs in the boutique. Most of my pieces are sold online,” she explained.
Ari nodded, feeling supremely out of place. “Makes sense.”
“Here,” Sophia said, walking over to a small rack, and pulling a few pieces including a simple navy blue bra, a black silk robe, and, to Ari’s surprise (and slight relief), a pair of navy blue, long-sleeved satin pajamas that was much closer to her kind of style.
“These are really nice,” Ari said, instinctively reaching out to touch the pajama top, which was cool and smooth to her touch, almost like a liquid, she thought.
Sophia smiled proudly.
All around, Ari saw camisoles and brassieres, endless rows of every type and shape of undergarment. Some she understood, but others - like one nearby, with multiple strings that crossed and tied and crisscrossed again - she wouldn’t have the least clue about how to put on. Or take off.
“You’ve got a lot up here,” Ari said. “And to think I really only stopped in for a bra that would look decent under the blouse I want to wear tonight.”
“Oh. If that’s what you’re looking for, then here...” Sophia waded into the racks of clothes and picked out a few bras in a variety of colors, covered in lace. Ari had to admit they were pretty, though a bit outside of her comfort zone.
“I’m used to things that are a little less fussy,” she admitted.
“This one is our absolute best selling design. Everyone finds it is a flattering fit, and it looks lovely under any kind of clothing,” Sophia said.
Ari glanced at the sizes and selected the plainest one.
“I could try this,” she said reluctantly.
Sophia pointed her towards a screen that was off to the side of the room.
“Look around. Then you can try anything on behind there,” she said. “There’s a mirror back there, too.”
Sophia left Ari alone with the racks of lingerie, letting her know she would be in her office. Alone in the vast space that still smelled faintly of Sophia’s perfume, Ari felt slightly more relaxed as she searched through the endless rows for a few reasonable pieces to try on. In the room nearby, she could hear the muffled sound of Sophia talking on the phone, her shoes click-click-clicking across the floor as she paced.
Ari felt awkward in the space alone. It was strangely intimate, being in the heart of Sophia’s world, a world that at once felt creative, a bit provocative, but also, perhaps paradoxically, quite serious.
Intimate was also the obvious way to describe a room full of lingerie. She decided to try on three of the bras she found. Hopefully one would be decent so she could pay for it and get out of there.
She had never afforded herself the luxury of picking out nice undergarments. It was not the worst, Ari thought to herself, trying the pieces on, looking at herself in the mirror.
“Did you find something?” Sophia asked a few minutes later when Ari stepped into Sophia’s office with her choices.
She had chosen a bra, and had also held on to the blue satin pajamas.
“I don’t think I’ve ever taken the time to pick out underwear and sleepwear like this,” Ari said.
Sophia stood up and they went downstairs.
“Usually I just go to some big box store and grab whatever’s on sale, then wear it for, like, 3 years,” Ari explained as they walked downstairs.
When they were downstairs, Sophia took the pieces from her and began wrapping them in black tissue paper.
“I love these pajamas,” Sophia commented as she wrapped. “I suppose most people assume I wear all of the elaborate, lacy things that I design to bed. But in reality, I wear these most nights.”
Ari swallowed heavily.
“You said this is for a special occasion?” Sophia asked casually as she continued to delicately wrap up the pieces.
Ari vaguely noticed that Sophia even had tape with the FORBIDDEN logo printed on it in silver, which she used to close the tissue paper like a present.
Ari nodded. “An old flame asked me to be her date at a wedding this weekend.”
Sophia didn’t reply, placing the gently wrapped bra and pajamas in a crisp white paper shopping bag with the stark black FORBIDDEN logo printed on front.
“Well. It’s a good idea to look your best when seeing old acquaintances,” Sophia said matter-of-factly.
“Also a lot of pressure. I want to look better than ever.” Ari smiled coyly.
Sophia handed the bag to her.
“I doubt you will have any problem with that,” Sophia said, her eye catching Ari’s for a flicker of a moment.
Ari sucked in a breath. “What do I owe you?”
“Nothing. It’s on the house.”
“What? No. You pay for coffee when you come into The Little Cafe.
Sophia shook her head. “You look out for my son. He goes into your cafe all of the time to wait for me.”
“But he pays.”
“I know. But it means something to me, for you to keep an eye on him. He tells me you do. I think you may have even started to encourage him to eat more grilled cheeses and fewer donuts, and for that I am grateful.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing. Have a good time on your date,” Sophia said, smiling and pushing the shopping back to her.
Ari sighed, resigned, and took the bag. “Thanks. But I’m giving you free coffee for at least a week.”
“It’s a deal, Ms. Little,” Sophia said, cracking a smile.
“It’s Ari,” Ari reminded her with a smile as she left the shop.
¨°¨
The next night, Sophia was looking out of her upstairs office window absentmindedly, tired after a long day of phone calls and meetings, when she saw a car pull up and park along the sidewalk outside The Little Cafe. A pretty dark-haired woman got out and walked into the cafe. She was wearing formalwear, which was unusual for the neighborhood, especially on a Friday when people were typically dressed in jeans for a casual dinner or movie night.
Moments later, the dark haired woman emerged again, accompanied by a chipper and bouncy Ari, also dressed up.
Must be the big date,Sophia thought. They were going to something formal. A Friday night we
dding? Could be.
On Saturday morning, Percy was invited over to a friend’s house and Sophia decided to go into work. She went to The Little Cafe to get her usual morning coffee. There no Ari in sight, she noticed, just Rachel this morning.
She chatted with Rachel about the unusually rainy weather they were having. Rachel was never the warmest or friendliest towards her, but she talked with her politely while navigating the espresso machine, preparing her Americano. Sophia got out her designer coin purse and paid.
As she turned to walk away with her coffee, she bumped into a flushed Ari, wearing the same outfit Sophia had seen her leave in the evening before.
“Oh, hey,” Ari said to her. “Good morning.”
“And good morning to you,” Sophia said brusquely, quickly scanning Ari from head to toe, an eyebrow raised.
“Had to stop in this morning to grab something I left in my office,” Ari said to Rachel, although it sounded to Sophia like she was trying to explain to her, too.
“Have a good day,” Sophia said sharply and left.
“What’s up with her being all judgey this morning?” Rachel asked Ari after Sophia walked out.
Ari shrugged as she ducked behind the bar and then into the back room.
“I know you two have been getting along better lately, but once a bitch, always a bitch,” commented Rachel, wiping her hands on a tea towel and following Ari.
Ari didn’t reply.
“But enough about her,” Rachel said. “I take it you had a good night?”
Ari just smiled.
Rachel grinned, leaning against the doorway of Ari’s office, a hand impatiently resting on her hip.
“Spill.”
¨°¨
Sophia didn’t go into The Little Cafe for coffee on Monday or Tuesday the next week. But by Wednesday, she had a lack-of-decent-coffee tension headache that was so bad, she gave up, grabbed her coin purse, and dashed down the stairs and into The Little Cafe.
The aroma of perfectly roasted beans, banana bread, chocolate muffins and a slight tinge of cinnamon hit her nose as soon as she walked in, instantly soothing her pounding head.
