12. Sense of Betrayal
TWELVE
Sense of Betrayal
TARA
Tara greeted Celeste with a big hug the next night at Jo’s Bar & Grille, the favorite hangout spot on the square. TV screens hung above the large, rectangular-shaped bar in the center of the large dining area and in all the corners. A small dance floor near a jukebox was in the corner opposite their booth next to the front windows on Adams Street. A couple of men were shooting pool at one of the two billiards tables in the back.
“Are the Cubs playing?” Tara asked the server, who promised to change one of the sports bar’s many TVs to the baseball game.
“The Cubs?” Celeste brought her hand to her chest and feigned shock. “Who are you, and what did you do with my best friend?”
“Ever go to Wrigley Field?”
Celeste shook her head and muttered a negative response. “Mmm… no.”
“Go there, and you’d convert, too, Gloria Celeste. It’s a great stadium.”
“I’m worried about you, Tara Roxanne.” Celeste narrowed her eyes as she added Tara’s middle name in response before reaching out with her hand to feel Tara’s forehead for a fever. Tara playfully knocked her hand out of the way, but Celeste continued. “First, you moved far away, and now you’re a Cubs fan? Your Ohio roots are feeling a strong sense of betrayal right about now.”
Tara laughed as the server returned with their drinks, happily announcing the Cubs game was now on a TV above the bar in perfect view of their table. They placed their orders and relaxed.
“Ahh. Perfect.” Tara pointed toward the TV showing the Cubs running out onto the field to start the inning.
“Tell me about your dad.” Celeste turned serious. “Is he doing better?”
“He is.” Tara pressed her lips together. “It’s just slow, you know?” She gave Celeste the rundown of all his injuries. “He’s probably going to be in the hospital for another week or two, at least. They’re planning his knee surgery for the end of this week, which means it’s going to be a while before he’s back on his feet. And with the broken arm, he won’t be able to use crutches, so he’ll be in a wheelchair.”
Tara stifled a giggle.
“What’s so funny about that?”
“Mom joked that she’d be able to get a good parking spot at the grocery store since Dad will get a temporary handicapped tag.”
“Forever the optimist, that one.” Celeste laughed.
“Yeah.” Tara stared into her drink.
“What is it, Tara? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“You say she’s an optimist, but I don’t know. I’m worried about her.”
“She’s got a lot on her mind. With your dad in the hospital, she’s having to split her time between him and running the shop on her own. That’s understandable.”
“You’re right.” Tara forced a smile. “Let me ask you something, Cel.”
“Sure.”
“Your coffee shop. How do you make it work?”
Celeste let out a long sigh. “It’s tough, let me tell you. I took over the space of an antique shop that offered tea and coffee on the side, so people were used to coming for a warm drink. I inherited that much.”
“That’s great.”
“Great, except… the previous owner…” Celeste held up her hands and rolled her eyes.
“What? What did they do?”
“They never officially set it up to serve food and drinks. That’s part of why they closed down. They would have to be reclassified as a coffee shop, but that required a slew of inspections they weren’t prepared to take on. It was a real dump when I got the keys. But, since a coffee shop isn’t the same as a non-food serving retail outlet, but it’s not entirely a restaurant either, I had an early inspection before I finalized my offer on the space. Obviously, Uncle Nate was patient and didn’t sell it out from under me, but it took a little while. The guys from the fire station came out and inspected it before I even signed on the dotted line to buy it. They said it would never have passed as it was.”
Tara’s eyes went wide. “Yikes!”
“Exactly.” Celeste took a drink as she thought back to the days when she worked day and night fixing up her café. “They gave me a long list of everything I would have to update or change to fit the needs of my business. As the building owner, Uncle Nate ensured the plumbing and wiring were up to code, but the rest was on me, so I had to build that into my business plan and loan application.”
“What did you do first?”
“I gutted it, then modernized it.” Celeste shrugged. “I had to.”
“How?” Tara wondered. “I saw the original space, but I was back in Chicago when all the magic happened.”
“We added a pass-through in the wall, made additions to the plumbing, you name it. It was a mess.” A twinkle appeared in her eyes. “We weren’t dating yet, but you know how Kiro and a few of the guys sometimes do construction work for Mitchell’s Contracting?”
“I think I remember you mentioning something about that a while back.”
“Well,” Celeste broke into a grin. “Derek’s dad owns it.”
“Derek Mitchell?”
“Yeah.”
“I remember him, I think. Wasn’t he in the Army for a long time?”
“Yes. Kiro said he’s been having a tough time adjusting since he’s been back.”
“How long has he been back?”
“Since Christmas, I think?”
Tara nodded.
“Right. Anyway, Kiro recruited him and a couple of other guys from the fire station to help me completely gut it and fix it up. They’re getting free coffee while on shift for six months, which,” Celeste looked at the ceiling as she lifted her fingers one by one as if counting, “should end soon.” She jiggled a happy dance in her seat, which made Tara laugh some more.
“I hired professional contractors for the additional shop-specific electrical and other hard stuff, but those firefighters were immensely helpful. Plus, it let me make it my own. I couldn’t have done it without them.” She sat back in her seat with a droll expression. “Kiro makes it a point to remind me of that from time to time.” Celeste laughed.
“I think men just like to feel needed.”
“You got that right.”
“I remember all that took a while.”
Celeste pulled her head back. “Gurl, you’re not kidding, but it was actually the easiest part.”
“How so?”
“Even though I’m open, I’m constantly putting in effort to promote the business. It never ends.” She paused as she took a sip of her drink. “Having an excellent website is a lifesaver. Selling coffee and tea online is a huge part of our business. People may not want to spend time in a café, but they want to drink the coffee we sell. And everyone knows my uncle’s shop. Knowing I make my drinks with chocolate from Jelly Rolls Confectionary is a big draw. I get some of his customers by referral and send some of mine to his shop. We work together that way, and I really think it helps.”
The gears in Tara’s mind started turning with ideas for her parents’ bookstore.
“Why are you so curious?” Celeste leaned forward when Tara didn’t respond. “Tara?”
“I don’t know. It’s just…” Her voice trailed off.
“Just what?”
“I have the feeling my mom’s heart isn’t in the shop anymore.” Before Celeste could respond, Tara continued. “It’s not just since Dad’s accident either, though that doesn’t help. I know they want to pass it down in a few years, but…”
“What happened?”
Tara explained to Celeste about how boxes of books sat unopened in the back rather than on display for sale, slowing down their potential cashflow.
“Well,” she reached across and squeezed Tara’s hand. “Whatever I can do to help, I’ll do it.”
Tara breathed a sigh of relief, feeling some of the tension leave her tired muscles. “Thanks. I like what you and your Uncle Nate are doing. Referring customers to each other. You can do that since you’re not in direct competition with each other. Plus, it creates customers for two shops instead of just one.”
“It really is a positive for both of our businesses,” Celeste agreed. “Wait. Your wheels are spinning. What are you thinking?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I’ve got an idea. Something that will help us all out.” Tara raised an eyebrow. “Let me put some thoughts together first.”
“I love it when you start scheming.”
They clinked their glasses together, then Celeste cocked a brow. “Now, enough about work. What really happened with Ethan?”
Tara held up her hand to draw the attention of their server. “Let’s order another round of drinks, first.”