Tori Lynn has one dream - to grow her sweets shop into a New York dessert landmark. She expects there to be competition, mischief, and hard work when opening up a store front. What Tori doesn't expect is to join the ranks of the nation's top bakers...
The shop was an overwhelming sea of baking dishes, decor pieces, and crumbled up sheets of packing paper. Tori was thankful to have the help of her best friend and business partner. It was Chantal's idea to rent property in the city, and Tori agreed, the growing frustration with working out of her brother's garage causing endless migraines. It wasn't easy running a dessert business out of a cluttered, one-car garage. Running any business in New York City wasn't easy in general. When Chantal pitched the idea of moving, it all seemed exhilarating. Now that her legs were covered in bruises, and her watch said it was a quarter past midnight, the excitement in Tori's chest had flopped. It showed in her dark circles and messy top-knot.
"Is it time yet to call it a night?" That was Chantal, kneeling over a box of utensils. In contrast to Tori's exhausted posture and sweaty face, her friend looked as if she didn't belong in this dark and drab room of clutter. Instead, Chantal looked like she came from brunch at L'Assiette. Her hair was pinned up into a fashion that Tori knew must have took Chantal a whole fifteen seconds to accomplish, but looked as if it was done in front of a mirror for hours. Her pale skirt was wrinkle free, even as she folded her legs on the dusty floor.
"This place opens in T-minus nine hours," Tori was cutting through tape on a box. By the size of it, she guessed it was the box that held the trendy new vase she ordered specially for the shop. "We are working through the morning if we have to. You got me?" she pointed a finger at her friend and shot Chantal a look that said DON'T-TRY-ME.
The finishing touches were coming together quickly. The furniture was in place, and the counters behind the register were decorated. The boxes cluttering the floor were the baking dishes and tools from Lucas' garage.
Chantal dropped a handful of utensils in a pile beside her. "Can't you call your brother for some help?" With one look over at Tori, Chantal could guess the answer. She continued sorting through the box until its contents were scattered around her. "We've spent all month getting this shop ready for its opening. Can we take a break and have a little bit of fun?" she huffed, making a motion with her arms toward the window.
Outside, the world was alive. Tori looked out at the street, girls in party dresses and heels strutted the sidewalk with older-looking men. Taxis and buses were buzzing in place, horns being honked in the distance. Behind them, she noticed that the shops were still open, their lights mixing with the glow of the headlights. The door to the coffee shop across the street opened, the girls in their dresses disappearing behind it.
"You can leave if you don't want to help. I guess I'll finish up the rest of the boxes and you can come in early tomorrow." Tori unwrapped a vase and placed it on a table-for-two that was dressed with a menu and napkins.
