A Tiny Little Favor

Chapter 1

Tachina Winston finished smoothing the throw pillows on the studio’s display sofa, stepped back, and assessed the ensemble like she was a judge in a television design show challenge.

“Perfect,” she murmured. Even though she knew she’d be readjusting or swapping out the pillows by tomorrow.

And maybe again the day after.

Perfection was a journey, not a destination.

Her phone buzzed on the worktable beside the countless amount of swatches and sample boards she’d been working on.

Hungry. Borderline faint. Get your ass here.

Tachina chuckled at the text message from her best friend. Another message popped up.

Hurry. I can sense in my spirit that you have got some good gossip to spill!

Tachina rolled her eyes at her friend’s silliness. Addison always could sense something was going on, when there was nothing to ‘sense’. It was crazy to think that she wasn’t a journalist or something.

But today…well, okay, maybe she did have something to share with her nosey buddy.

A tiny little something.

A thought.

A…craving, so to speak.

And it wasn’t food she was talking about.

Hold your horses. I’m on the way now! she replied.

Tachina grabbed her jacket and purse then shut off the lights of the studio.

She locked up her office and headed out.

She had plenty to do when she returned and didn’t want anyone messing with her projects.

She glanced down at her watch and noted the time.

She was running behind for her lunch date with Addison.

Her heels echoed on the tile floors as she navigated through the old warehouse that had been restored into a design studio.

She ducked out of the building without catching sight of anyone, which was great. She didn’t want to feel obligated in asking any of her coworkers to join her for lunch. Not that she didn’t like them. It was just today she wanted it to be just her and Addison.

She stepped out into the brisk Cleveland afternoon air.

Autumn was upon them, and the temperatures were screaming sweater weather.

The breeze lifted her dark hair as she crossed the parking lot toward her car.

She kept her hair cut in a bob that brushed her shoulders.

She had been keeping it shorter but had decided to allow it to grow out a bit.

She took in her reflection on her driver’s-side window and made a mental note to add a cut to her next standing salon appointment.

She didn’t want it getting any longer right now.

She hopped in her luxury sedan and blew out a deep breath.

Her gaze landed on the building where she worked.

Form and Function Studios. The company was well respected in the design world.

She’d worked for them for ten years and had made a name for herself there.

She had earned the position of lead designer which was no easy feat.

Her phone buzzed again. It would be no one else but Addison. She started her car and pulled out of her spot. It wouldn’t take long for her to reach the café. She probably could have walked, but the breeze off Lake Erie was just a tad too chilly for her liking.

During the drive, her stomach fluttered. Her nerves were in overdrive, not because of Addison’s text but because she had been keeping a secret for a while. Addison had a knack for sniffing out confessions like a bloodhound.

But Tachina wasn’t sure she wanted to say the words out loud. They would probably sound borderline unhinged, but Addison would let her know if she was crazy.

She finally reached The Iron Kettle. It was one of her favorite places to eat because the pastries were sinful and the iced tea was brewed by the angels.

She found a parking spot on the street and hurried inside.

Addison was already at their usual booth by the window, impatiently tapping a straw on her glass.

“You’re late,” she announced. She held the straw like a weapon directed toward Tachina. “I could have died of starvation.”

“You are literally halfway through your drink.” Tachina chuckled at her. She slid into the seat across from her.

“That’s hydration, not food.”

“You can live longer without food than you can without water.” Tachina arched an eyebrow at her.

“Don’t try to come at me with of that sciencey stuff. My brain is barely functioning without the calories and energy it needs.” She leaned back in her chair with her hand resting on her forehead.

So dramatic.

“Girl, whatever. What do you want?” Tachina picked up the menu and opened it. Not that she would be ordering anything new today. She was hungry and didn’t feel like trying a dish she hadn’t had before. She was going to go with what she knew.

The Iron Kettle was a popular spot that was nestled in the heart of Downtown Cleveland near West 4th street.

It was a bustling area with plenty of restaurants for Clevelanders to choose from.

Today, it would seem their favorite café was extremely busy.

Most of the tables were taken, and they now had a line at the door.

She glanced down at the menu and bit her lip. She was in between two of her favorites. Which one should she choose?

“Okay. What is going on? You’re in a mood!”

“A mood?” Tachina looked up from the menu at her longtime friend. There goes that nose of Addison’s. She had figured out that Tachina was keeping a secret.

“A mood. An energy. An aura. Something is going on in that big, beautiful head of yours.” Addison folded her arms across her chest and stared at Tachina.

“My head is not big,” Tachina muttered. She shrugged. “I’m just hungry.”

“Nope. That’s not it. You’ve got that look on your face. It’s the ‘I’ve been thinking too much about something’ expression.”

“Do I really have a ‘I’ve been thinking too much about something’ look?” Well, that was news to her. Tachina reached up and tucked her thick hair behind her ear.

“Yes, ma’am. Your forehead gets all serious. A long line appears across it.” Addison drew a line across her own forehead.

Tachina grimaced and waved her off. “Stop trying to read my face.”

“Just spill it already.”

Monica, one of their favorites waitresses, arrived at the table. She wore bright-pink lipstick, short pixie blonde hair, and had a personality big enough to fill the café. She pulled out her notepad and flashed them a grin.

“What can I start you with, darlin’? Tea? Coffee? Wine? A little Jack?” She chuckled and motioned to Addison and Tachina. “You two are over here whispering fierce, and by the looks of it, you should order the Jack.”

“It’s her.” Addison pointed to Tachina. “She’s the problem.”

“Woooow…” Tachina shook her head. How was she the problem?

“She sure threw you under the bus. Bless her heart. What’s wrong, babe?

” Monica turned her kind eyes on Tachina.

She had been working at The Iron Kettle for as long as Tachina and Addison had been coming there.

She always tried to help and offer motherly advice.

She was in her early sixties and didn’t bite her tongue when it came to nonsense.

“Nothing is wrong,” Tachina said quickly.

Two sets of eyebrows lifted at her.

Liars were rarely safe around women who made it their business to be in other’s people’s business. A best friend and a waitress were two of the most dangerous species to try to get away with something. They would figure it out.

“It’s no big deal,” Tachina stressed, but it seemed neither of them believed her.

“Well, I see she doesn’t want to talk in front of me. Let me take your order so she can spill her guts to you, Addy.” Monica turned to Addison who promptly gave her order.

Tachina glanced back down at the menu. Mind made up, she waited her turn.

“And Miss Tachina, what will you be having?”

“I’ll take the Reuben with extra cheese, extra mustard on the side, make sure they give me the biggest slice of pickle they have, and no chips, I’ll have the house fries instead, please.

” She placed her menu back down on the table and again found two sets of eyes on her.

She shrugged, unapologetic. “I said I was hungry. Oh, and for a drink, I’ll have a Diet Coke. ”

“Really? A diet?” Addison muttered.

“Shut your face.” Tachina blew a kiss at her bestie who rolled her eyes at her.

“I don’t judge. I’ll get your order in and I’ll be back with your drink, babe.” Monica offered her a wink as she collected their menus. She spun on her heel and beelined it through the busy establishment.

“Okay. Now spill it.” Addison was not going to let up on her.

Tachina blew out a deep breath.

It was now or never.

“I need to speak with Vic.”

“Vic?” Addison blinked. “As in Victor Maxwell, your perfect co-parenting partner? That rich, handsome, emotionally stable unicorn that you procreated with?”

“Addison…”

“I’m just making sure I have the correct Vic in mind.

” Addison swirled her straw in her iced tea.

“Why do you need to speak with him? Don’t tell me you are finally going to ask him for more child support.

Because you should. That man has a literal mansion in a ritzy suburb.

He can afford to upgrade Kian’s daycare snacks. ”

“Addison!” Tachina gasped. She clutched her nonexistent pearls.

“What? If Kian wants organic strawberries and special fruit snacks then he should have them.”

“He already has them,” Tachina replied dryly.

Her son didn’t want for a thing. He had two highly successful parents who provided for him.

“Exactly. And Vic should foot the bill.”

“It’s not about child support.” Tachina laughed.

What was she going to do with her friend?

She and Vic had an arrangement that worked out well for the both of them.

She hadn’t shared with Addison that Vic had tried multiple times to increase what he paid in child support, but it was she who refused it.

She was an independent Black woman who could provide for her and her child.