Chapter Text
Glimmer ran a finger through the dust that coated just about everything in the small space. The light from the dirty windows filtered in the afternoon sun and made the dust in the air sparkle. This cute little brick store was a fixture in the downtown area. It had been a bar once, and a bakery, and far back in the day, apparently a donut shop. There was a large picture window facing the street with a vintage neon open sign hanging there, left for whatever new business that would be taking over. Behind Glimmer, Adora was humming and rambling on about the next steps she would be taking. She was practically vibrating and glowing with excitement. She had finally made the first step in making her dreams come true. Adora could almost smell the rich earthy scent of the coffee and the sweet treats that would soon fill the air. Her very own coffee shop at long last.
“It’s gonna be amazing, Glimmer. Just imagine… We can hang art from local artists on the walls here. I can reach out to the university and let students display their work maybe.” She spun and pointed at another wall. “Perfuma can bring in her baby plants and we can put them here and in the windows.” She spun again and widened her arms, gesturing at the old bakery case. “And look! This will be perfect for Bow’s goodies. His goal of being a real patissiere can really happen!” She said patissiere with a god awful accent that made Glimmer’s nose twitch. The blonde didn’t notice. Adora took a deep breath and beamed at her dear friend. “Soft purple walls you think? That would be very calming..or maybe stimulating? Gosh and what about gold accents? Well…what do you think?” She looked for all the world like that cat from that old meme, her lower lip practically quivering.
Glimmer smiled. “I mean, it looks like a lot of work but…” she paused. “It’s going to be amazing, Adora. Truly.” She turned in a slow circle and closed her eyes to imagine what it would look like. “Do I think it’s a wee bit crazy to open your own coffee shop just to find your soulmate…. Well yeah maybe. But if I know anything about you, it’s gonna be the most successful coffee shop in town. So now for the big question. What are you calling it?”
Adora beamed back. “Soul-Brews“
***
Almost everyone has dreams about their soulmates, often starting in childhood. Adora was no exception. She was too young to appreciate the taste of coffee when she started dreaming about a pair of mismatched eyes and hands that she would touch for the first time in some small cafe somewhere, but she remembered that smell. She just knows that the smell of coffee means love to her. So the minute she was old enough to walk herself home from school, she would stop at a local coffee shop and do her homework, just to be there, just in case today was finally the day.
As she grew older, she would explore every little shop no matter where the winds took her. In college, she practically lived in cafe’s. Her eyes darting up every time the doors chimed, hoping to catch someone’s eye. It was a bit of an obsession sure, but most people in college spent a lot of time in coffee houses right?
She decided in 9th grade that she would open her own place one day. Razz, her grandmother who raised her, just smiled and nodded. “It’s a beautiful place, this cafe of yours. Full of magic and a family you choose for yourself.” With at least most of a major in business complete, she knew what it would take and started to search for the perfect location. And with the inheritance that Mara, her mother, had left her, she had the ability to get things started. So all through college she worked at and managed the campus coffee chain and learned from her managers, paying attention to things that worked and things that really didn’t.
It didn’t hurt that her friends were so supportive. Bow screamed and bounced in place as he rambled on about baking for her cafe. His fathers and all 12 siblings had all gone into law and the pressure to do the same had been driving him crazy. All he really wanted to do was go to culinary school and create mouthwatering pastries and confections and here was his chance!
Perfuma giggled with joy and instantly offered to decorate the place with her many beautiful plants. They would indeed “add life to the place and I could come in and make sure they stay healthy and well, I suppose I could put a price on them if people wanted to adopt them.” Adora had practically glowed with excitement of how lovely the place was gonna look.
Glimmer had pretended to be worried but then went off on some tangent on being her duty to keep our little family together and how of course we could make it work. But also sat Adora down to have a serious talk about how not finding your soulmate was not the end of the world and not to wrap up her entire life in doing so. And sure…that was easy for Glimmer to say. She had found Bow as a child, barely four years old. Both had melted into each other’s arms, their parents awed at the sight of such an early match.
***six months later***
The smells of baked goods and coffee drifted down the street, tempting people to give the new place a chance. The paper streamers around the entrance blew in the breeze as the cool October winds stirred and conveyed the amazing scents travel through the small downtown. A chalk sign board on the sidewalk declared the grand opening of Soul-Brews, and the chiming door had not remained silent for long. Adora was practically glowing. It was going well. She was surrounded by her friends that loved her and customers who sighed with contentment as they tried her wares. Bow was happily humming in the back as he pulled another tray of cinnamon rolls out of the oven - ready for cream cheese icing. He could barely put them in the display case before they were gone. Glimmer was dancing in front of the espresso machine, a whir of action. She was throwing her all into helping. Perfuma had outdone herself, bringing lots of blooming mums that she lined the sidewalk with and tending to the many indoor plants that she had placed around the place.. Adora took order after order and order, smiling at everyone and thanking them for coming. It was everything she had dreamed of.
Well almost.
She looked carefully in everyone’s eyes, hopeful for that rare combo of amber brown and tropical ocean blue. And well, she had not seen them yet. But what were the odds that she would find her soulmate on opening day? She refused to dwell on it. This was her big day and nothing was going to ruin it.
The chime went off again just after the last bit of a rush and a large imposing woman shouldered her way past the door. She stormed over to the counter and looked up that menu, her face angry looking. She was at least 6 feet tall, muscles on muscles, a scorpini with a rich carmine shell and long swinging tail that Adora knew could put people on their ass. She had a thick tuft of white hair that flopped over as the woman scanned the menu with her dark eyes. Adora took a deep breath and smiled, greeting her new guest and hoping for the best.
“Hello, and welcome to Soul-Brew. Do you see anything you would like.?”
The woman glanced down and suddenly beamed, her face lighting up like the sun at dawn.
“It just all looks so amazing. I have had a terrible day and gosh…everything here looks better than the last and I have no idea what to try and it smells so good in here and man…it’s been a day, did I say that? I probably did..whew, I know it’s probably been a day for you too, grand opening and all and I sure am glad I beat the crowds but gosh…what is…” Her voice trailed off as her wandering eyes caught the sight of Perfuma watering the english ivy she had trained to trail up the frame around the menu.
The woman’s breath hitched. “Ummm I umm.”
Adora grinned. “Why don’t you try out hot chocolate and maybe a brownie? If you like chocolate, that is?” Without waiting, she turned and called out to ‘Fuma. “Hey Perfuma…could you help this lovely patron pick a sweet treat while I make her drink?”
Perfuma turned and stared at Adora, opening her mouth to no doubt ask why she would ask for her help when she was clearly doing something and she wasn’t really prepared to work the counter…but then closed it with a click at the sight of the imposing beauty standing there. Adora winked and walked towards the back to get out of the way. She knew exactly who her dear friend’s type was. And big beautiful himbos…definitely fit the bill.
The day ended with a new number in Perfuma’s phone and a possible future date in the works; a pile of cash in the till, an empty case of treats and a very tired happy crew. Adora was high off the excitement of such a great day. There were already positive reviews online and the future was looking pretty hopeful for her dream project. And sure…it would have been nice to have met her match today, but well, it was so busy, she wouldn’t really have had time to get to know that person anyway so you know, it’s for the best that today wasn’t the day.
The next day wasn’t the day either.
Nor was any day that week.
Or the next week.
Or the next.