Second Ave Offices: Labor Day (WLW)

A Bit Pickled...

Maya rushed into Pickles and felt her face heated with how hurriedly she tried not to miss her lunch with Kanda and Fiona. She hoped it would become a regular occurrence every Thursday and she flickered her eyes over its interior, hearing a tapping behind herself. Staring wide-eyed at the window facing through the shop's front, she spotted Kanda and Fiona enthusiastically waving her back outside. With a sigh of exasperation, Maya went outside and joined them, sitting across from Fiona with a huff.

"That bad, huh?" Fiona asked as she sent her a sympathetic gaze. "The workload, I mean. I know it can be hard getting back into it."

With a sideways grin as she set her purse down between her feet and picked up a menu, Maya nodded. "Without a doubt. And my first official client is...very time consuming."

"But you're still going to your meetings?" Kanda chimed in, then took a bite of her sandwich, receiving a gentle smack on her shoulder from Fiona.

"Of course, she is." She gazed at Maya with fondness that she couldn't help returning. Her new flourishing friendship with this couple, despite their rather sordid past, was something actually keeping her together. True, Kanda had a habit of trying to micromanage her, but Maya knew it came from a place of love. "So, do you mind us asking about how the case is going?"

"Not at all, though I can't really give a lot of details since it's a closed session situation. And it's going...as well as I expected." Paul, the deli owner, came out and leaned atop the grated table as she added, "Her mother is a piece of work." Glancing up at the owner, Maya smiled. "Business going well, Paul?"

"Very. Thank you all for recommending the store to everyone in your building. The foot traffic's been great!" He pulled out a notepad and a pen. "Now what sando were you on this go around?"

"Number twelve." Maya had been ordering the sandwiches by order of the menu listing at every visit to the quaint family owned and operated deli and was loving each new, extremely healthy meals. "I've never actually had a pepperoni sandwich. Is it very spicy?"

"Not at all. The sauce helps with that." After writing down her order, he left with the ringing of the chime above the door and Maya turned back toward her lunch buddies.

"So, how is work for the both of you? I hear you're joining Kanda for her trip to New York City?"

"I am, but I'd much rather talk about your work." A deep blush drifted across Fiona's cheeks and Kanda sent Maya a knowing look.

"Still a bit wary of flying?" Maya took a sip from the water bottle sitting beside her hands on the table and eyed Fiona as she groaned, taking a sweet potato fry into her mouth.

"Yes, but I'm coping. I'll manage." She leaned along Kanda's side and Maya watched her wrap her arm around the backs of her shoulders as she kept devouring her extra long sandwich. She always got the biggest thing on the menu and Maya snorted before returning her eyes to Fiona. "Back to what we were discussing, 'cause I've always found law quite interesting, why do you look so irritated when mentioning your client's mother?"

"My client, Rose Johnson, is a peach. She's one of my most intriguing people I've ever met and to see who she came from is actually quite jarring. I met her father before he passed and he was just as lovely as her, so to see her mother in such stark contrast is rather mind boggling." Maya sat back as Paul came back out and set her food in front of her, sending a smile his way. "Thanks. I'm literally starving. Didn't get a chance to eat anything before my meeting."

After the owner left, Kanda leaned forward. "Maya, you have to take care of yourself properly. Don't skip meals."

"Yes, mom." Fiona chuckled at Maya as Kanda twisted her face into annoyance, only making them both laugh. "Anyway, I didn't get a chance to eat since I was rushing out of my loft. Been doing a lot of that today..."