One Funeral (No Weddings #2)(17)

“It’s going great. I have no idea what I want to major in. I love art, but my parents are pushing for a more sensible career path, like law or medicine.”

“Don’t sound so excited.”

“Oh, should I tone it down some?” She sighed. “At what point in our lives do we finally get to do exactly what we want to do with the unwavering support of our parents?”

Unable to relate to having parents, let alone them pushing me toward their wishes and not mine, I searched for something consoling to say and came up empty. Instead, I spoke from my meager experience. “I didn’t always know I wanted to bake cakes and cupcakes. But one day in the kitchen, after cooking and baking up a storm for my grandparents and having the time of my life while doing it, I thought maybe I could do what I’m good at and make a living at it.”

She leaned back in her chair. “You’re lucky. I’m still waiting for my epiphany.”

“What about baking? When you interviewed with me, you said you’d been baking since you were twelve. No interest in a career path like mine? Or staying on with me forever?”

She shrugged, then smiled at me. “Maybe. No offense, but I’m not sure I could be happy only baking. I think I need to be out there, interacting with people more. Like today.”

“No offense taken. Everyone has to find their own passion. It’ll come. Just give it time. What about your friends? Do they support you?” She and I hadn’t ever talked much about her personal life, and I had no idea how many friends she had or what they were like.

Chloe laughed. “That bunch of derelict misfits? They’re as undecided about what they want to do in life as I am. We commiserate about it at bars while scoping out men.”

Quick math reminded me that Chloe was only nineteen, maybe twenty. “You go to bars?”

Chloe leaned forward and whispered, “Fake ID.”

Lila brought our sandwich orders before I could respond, giving me a chance to process all that information. I picked up my chicken salad croissant and took a bite, reassessing my friend-selection strategy. With Chloe, I’d randomly chosen someone I knew but actually knew nothing about.

Chloe and I didn’t talk about much more as we ate. She didn’t ask me about how my life was going outside of work, and I didn’t feel comfortable offering. And she had no clue that I’d had an ulterior motive for our outing today. Which was fine. How would that disclosure even go?

I’m on a therapy homework assignment, and you’re my first attempt at making friends.

The entire idea sounded ridiculous and lame. Plus, our worlds were too different. I was a new business owner. She was just starting college and hung out at bars, scoping out guys with her fake ID.

Nice miserable attempt at making friends, Hannah.

By the time we finished eating, only two more customers had wandered in, both with to-go orders. The restaurant had ten tables inside and two small bistro sets on the porch.

Lila came up to our table, a stainless steel carafe in hand. “Can I freshen your coffees?”

“Sure.” Chloe slid her cup closer, and Lila topped her cup off.

I held mine up for her. “Is it usually this slow?”

After pouring my coffee, she put the carafe down on the table behind her and turned a chair toward us, taking a seat. “Not usually. One of the customers who came in reminded me of a local restaurant-crawl event happening today and tomorrow. My place is scheduled for tomorrow. I suppose I should rest up before the mad rush. It can be like that sometimes, feast or famine.”

I turned more toward her. “You opened a few months ago, right?”

She nodded. “Two. But this is my second café. First was in Sedona.”

“Arizona?” Chloe asked.

“That’s the one. Opened a place about this size with my daughter fifteen years ago, and the business kept us hustling from the moment we opened our doors.”

“What made you come out here?” I lifted my cup and took a sip of coffee.

“My baby brother, Willard, lost his wife. They never had kids, and he grew despondent when she died. So my daughter stayed in Sedona with her family, and I came here to gripe at Willard until he agreed to open this place with me. First he helped me fix it up, and now I got him workin’ back in the kitchen.”

I smiled. “Ahhh, his is the deep laughter we heard. Didn’t sound too depressed to me.”

“No siree. Turns out, he just needed someone else to put a fire under his ass. I’m widowed going on ten years now, so I was more than happy to fill the position.”

As I looked at Lila, similarities jumped out at me. She reminded me of my Gran. And we both had start-up businesses within blocks of one another, even if she had fifteen years of business experience on me.

“Hey, Lila? What do you say we get together sometime to talk about our businesses?”

She gave me a warm smile. “I’d like that a lot.”

I grinned. The friend attempt had been salvaged. And it happened the moment I stopped trying so hard.

Chloe’s phone chirped, and she pulled it out. “Uh-oh. A Brownie troop has descended on the shop.”

I stood, sorry to see the conversation with Lila end so abruptly. “Looks like we need to rescue my other employee.”

Chloe shook her head. “I’ve got this. I can jog there in just a few minutes.” She pointed to her running shoes.