A Fresh Start

Song: cozy coffee shop ambience by Relaxing Jazz Piano

The bell tinkled as Lilah stepped into one of her cafes. The line was so long that it curved and people were pressed against the wall. Lilah tightened her grip on her vintage messenger bag, forgoing the line and settling in a booth. Her fingers shook as she opened the handmade leather bag and fished out her laptop. While it turned on she opened her sky blue notebook and flipped to the last page she'd been jotting on.

Black ink and bullet points littered the lined page. Half of the list was crossed out in blue. They were ideas she had pitched to Mattie and the people that worked under them in an email. Most were rejected and with good reason. It sucked, at first, but the feedback was solid. Now Lilah had a clearer vision of the new strategies she wanted to implement. There was just one issue now.

She couldn't focus.

Brown waves fell over Lilah's face, masking her midnight eyes as she peered at the new barista. It was difficult, with her head lowered and the hustle and bustle of the loud cafe overwhelming her. The most she saw was a glimpse of fair skin and striking hazel eyes. Then someone would move and cut her line of sight off. Leaving Lilah to feel ashamed when she ducked her head to force herself to get back to work.

It never lasted long before her traitorous eyes drifted past Cole and back to Jill.

In the week that passed since she last saw Ambrose, Vincent told her bits and pieces about Jill. Nothing too personal, but enough for her to know that not only was she an important person to Vincent. But probably one of the most important people in Ambrose's life as well.

She was the one to convince Ambrose to allow Lilah to give him a genuine apology. Lilah hadn't worked up the nerve to do it yet, taking Vincent's advice to give him time to cool down. But she still felt indebted to the other woman and wanted to thank her in person.

But now that she saw Jill, Lilah found herself deprived of the necessary courage to approach her. She couldn't even order a cup of coffee and a yummy treat under an anonymous pseudonym. Lilah felt...

Intimidated.

The crowd finally parted as waiting customers got their orders. Half of them stayed and the other half left. At least a good portion of them went with starry eyes or glanced over their shoulder to look back. Lilah had knots in her stomach. She wondered how the hell she was gonna approach someone that left her patrons looking like that.

A bubbling laugh caught her attention. When she looked back towards the register Jill was beaming. Positively radiant as she joked with the woman before her.

Her makeup was simple and light, making the crimson red lip she sported and strokes of gold highlight pop. Loose strands framed her angelic face and she had her chestnut hair wrapped into a low bun. Lilah noticed no ring on her finger as Jill made bold gestures and wrote the customer's name on a tall white cup.

Jill was like the sunlight that sunflowers were drawn to and Lilah...

She felt like she paled in comparison to Jill's cheery voice and sweet attitude. Every customer that left her presence left in a daze. Coins and bills splashed into the tip jar after almost every transaction. Then when Cole took over for her and it was her turn to make the drinks, Lilah could see her swaying to the calm jazz music. It was her first shift working and yet she was practically a pro as she whipped up order after order of coffee and tea.

Their eyes met and Lilah jolted when Jill raised a hand in greeting. She peeked over her shoulder just in case the wave wasn't met for her. Her face flamed when she was met with the back of a man's head. His dark curls were tightly coiled and strongly perfumed. When she turned Jill ducked her head, reaching for the whipped cream then calling out a name.

Lilah chastised herself, pulling up a document and perusing through it. She fell into her work face first. Analyzing graphs and responding to emails. Checking which cafes were doing well and which ones were struggling to make the cut. She made a note to check on the status of her cafes in the North. Lilah was curious as to whether or not the sudden plunge in sales was due to internal reasons. Or if the new chain encroaching on her niche played a bigger hand in the issue like she thought it might.

Crossing her ankles, Lilah took out the Harvard Business Review and thumbed through the magazine. Her detail orientated eyes scanned the paragraphs detailing leadership skills and management practices. She made notes as she thoroughly consumed the latest business-related academic research.

From Forbes she generated another list of ideas, inspired by the world's top entrepreneurs. Inc. provided Lilah with the in-depth special reports, startup case studies, and guides. Black lines of cursive littered the margins. She highlighted the current trends prevalent within the startup ecosystem.

Absorbed in the magazines and the knowledge they offered, she didn't notice as the afternoon rush died down. The cafe was still packed, the constant buzzing in her ears told her that much. But she didn't notice the empty line or the way Jill walked towards her until a white cup and a slice of cake was placed before her.

Startled, Lilah looked up and met Jill's warm eyes. Her hands were behind her back as she untied her dark red apron. It was long, going past her knees and had the cafe name written in gold calligraphy. Then a strawberry cake and coffee cup were at the center with cute chibi faces embroidered on.

She folded it over her arm, exposing the fitted black turtleneck she wore. A silver necklace with a snowflake pendant hung over her ample bosom. The shirt was tucked into a long brown skirt with big, round buttons going down the middle. It looked like it was pleated and linen. There was a leather, light brown belt that cinched her waist. And she wore comfortable black shoes with dark gray socks, wool, rolled past her ankles.

"Can I sit here?" Jill asked. "I'm on my break."

Lilah blushed as she was yanked out of her observation and nodded. "Sure," she stuttered, pulling the magazines and papers closer to her side. "Sorry."

Jill gave a dismissive wave of her hand and slipped into the booth. "It's no problem."

Lilah rubbed her sweaty hands on her black dress, the wool fabric soaking up the excess moisture. Her Mary-Jane style pumps clicked together as her feet shuffled under the table. She let out a breath then offered her hand and said, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Delilah Carmichael but everyone calls me Lilah."

Jill took in the sight of the nervous woman before her with an amused smile. The white bow she wore at the back of her head was so big that it was visible even though she was facing Jill.

"It's nice to meet you, Lilah. I'm Jill." Jill shook her hand firmly, holding back a laugh when Lilah's eyes bugged from the force of the handshake. "Sorry. I was raised to always give a firm handshake."

"Oh." Lilah's face twisted into something odd then she chuckled. "I was raised with the opposite. A woman's handshake was supposed to be gentle and delicate. Or, something like that."

Jill nodded in understanding, seeing the pieces of her that Ambrose disliked so much. As well as the parts of her that made Vincent love her dearly.

"Ambrose's dad wasn't big on gender roles," Jill explained, folding her hands in her lap. "So everyone had to have a firm handshake. Everyone learned how to clean. Everyone cooked. There was no man's role or woman's role in that household. Just a lot of shit that needed to be done."

Lilah was taken aback by the way Jill spoke so fondly of Ambrose and her upbringing. It clashed with the less than flattering image she had of the man in her own memory.

"You must know him really well then..."

"Of course I know him well." Jill smiled softly, undeterred by Lilah's fidgeting. "We grew up together."

Lilah gripped the edge of her dress. Nervous and insecure in Jill's calm presence.

"You convinced him to hear me out." Lilah tilted her head to the side. "I actually came here to say thank you."

"Really?" Jill laughed and her face softened even more than Lilah thought was possible. "I came here to do the same." Her gentle stare sank lower. Lilah followed her line of sight so that they were both looking at the food and drink. "Cream cheese coffee cake and a piccolo latte. My first espresso and steamed milk drink of the day."

Lilah grinned, endeared by the panda drawing in the milk foam. "No way Cole taught you that. I like the guy, but he's horrible at drawing in the foam."

Jill giggled, placing a delicate hand over her mouth to hide her wide smile. "I remember how to do it from before. It was the best part of the job and my favorite part. Guess I never really forgot."

Lilah hummed, taking a sip from the hot coffee. "This is good."

"Thank you." Jill laced her hands together then perched her chin on the makeshift "table" as she studied Lilah. "And thank you for the job. It really does mean a lot to me."

Lilah offered her a tight-lipped smile, feeling shy from the gratitude that Jill oozed. "It's no big deal—"

"It is to me," Jill interrupted. "This job means more to me than you'll ever know. I haven't had this much fun working in so long. You gave that back to me. And you didn't even know me."

"Well," Lilah picked at the cake, "It was really Vincent that—"

"Lilah, shut up and accept my gratitude."

Lilah shoved a chunk of creamy coffee cake in her mouth to hide her sheepish grin. "Alright," she mumbled around a mouthful of food.

"Great!" Jill clapped then inched forward as she leaned on her forearms. "Now, let's deal with Ambrose."

Lilah hid her face behind the coffee cup as she took a large gulp. "Um, what about him?"

"Your apology," Jill said in a "duh" tone. "Keep it short and sweet. He doesn't like it when his time is wasted and the longer you talk the more he'll zone out. Also, it's best if you go right after lunch. He's alway less grumpy after eating and ten times more likely to listen to what you have to say on a full stomach."

Lilah pressed her hands to her cheeks. She suddenly had the odd feeling that she should be taking notes as Jill pushed on, unbothered.

"Vincent already told you not to bring anything, right? Ambrose doesn't really like empty gifts."

"Empty gifts?" Lilah repeated. "What's that?"

"Uh, gifts that have no meaning to who they're being given to."

"Like 100 roses?"

Jill snorted, face contorting as she held her laughter in and her cheeks puffed up. "The more I think about it, the funnier it becomes."

"That I sent death roses?" Lilah asked in disbelief. "I don't think Ambrose shares that sentiment."

Jill patted her hand, waving off her words like she didn't almost kill her friend with a bouquet that was supposed to be a peace offering.

"Ok, first of all, they weren't death roses," she said. "He gets a pretty shitty allergic reaction but it's not death." A dejected smile killed her happiness and Jill's apologetic eyes met Lilah's. "I am sorry about what happened at the shop. I completely forgot about them the day that I left. I'm sorry that you got mixed up in that."

Lilah shook her head. "You don't have to apologize for that at all. That man, Noah, he's..."

"An asshole? Monster? Worse than dick cheese?"

Lilah huffed out a laugh, finding humor in the way Jill made light of the situation and wiggled her brows. "Yeah. All of the above."

"Well, he got arrested either way. Probably the best news of my life. And my lawyer's already got plans to, well, manhandle him into accepting a no-fault divorce. Irreconcilable differences." Jill's playful gaze forced Lilah to meet her eyes and she said, "My lawyer, the one that Vincent said owed him a favor. Her name is Fallon. Fallon Carmichael. I couldn't help but wonder how you guys were related."

"Ah. She's my aunt."

"She's kinda..." Jill trailed off, unsure of the right word to pinpoint to the ruthless woman.

"A shark?" Lilah smirked, a bit proud to know her aunt's reputation still held up. "The lawyers in my family usually are. They're sweethearts outside the courtroom though!"

"I know. She's taking my case pro bono and she's been really nice to me." Jill chewed on her bottom lip. "I've seen her rip into Noah's lawyer once, though. I guess Noah is fighting the divorce and pushing for a face to face meeting. Is it bad that I enjoyed watching her cuss him out in a bunch of legal jargon that I really don't understand?"

Jill had never seen a woman so fired up in her defense before. It gave her hope that even though Noah was putting up a bit of a fight now, she would be able to get him to back off soon. The mandatory waiting period for a no-fault dissolution of a marriage was 90 days. That was the shortest time period available in the state of Pennsylvania.

If Noah contested or Jill went with a fault-based divorce, then things could get dragged out for up to 12 months. That was a lot of time and energy wasted on Jill fighting to prove that the hospital visits were Noah's fault. Or that the police that she sent away the rare times her neighbors called had been right to suspect Noah of foul play.

She lacked the evidence and the will to be attached to him and his surname for any longer than it was necessary. She wanted to be Jill Maclachlan again.

So the alimony and the potential ruling of the judge didn't matter to her as long as she could get away from Noah ASAP. Jill wasn't interested in proving to the courts that she was a battered woman. She already knew that herself. All she wanted now was to be free.

Lilah lifted her shoulder in a half shrug, curious about the myriad of emotions that flitted across Jill's face. "I don't think so. I think justice in any form must feel good after not having it for a long time."

A loud beeping interrupted them and Jill scrambled to turn the old watch off. "Sorry, my break is over."

Lilah couldn't help but deflate a little when Jill stood and fastened her apron back on. She'd enjoyed talking to her. Once Lilah got over her own silliness she found that their conversation flowed well. She appreciated the company.

"Right. Well, thank you for the coffee and cake," Lilah said.

"No problem!"

Jill vanished behind the counter and resumed working alongside Cole and Jace. Lilah tutted, shaking her head at the way the younger men stumbled over their words. Or knocked things down when she flashed them a small smile. How adorable.

Hours flew by with Jill pumping out order after order and Lilah dived deeper into the world of business. By the time Jill was clocking out she was on her eighth cup of coffee and third slice of cake.

"Bye guys! See you tomorrow!" Jill zipped up her black jacket and waved to Lilah. "Make sure you eat something besides cake!"

Lilah waved, watching as Jill skipped out into the chilly air. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Ambrose leaning on his black bike, looking bored. Lilah slumped in her booth, earning her a few odd looks but she didn't care. She didn't want him to see her before she had the chance to iron out a short and sweet apology!

Ambrose's stern expression melted once he saw Jill. His sharp face transformed into something boyish when he smiled. It was the same smile he gave Cameron on the day that they argued in this very cafe after the farmers market.

Jill took the black helmet he offered her, letting her long hair flow freely and secured it over her head. She swung a leg over the bike and wrapped her arms around his waist, clinging to his jean jacket. They zoomed off in the blink of an eye, leaving only a plume of black smoke in their wake.

"Damn. Of course she'd already have a boyfriend." Lilah glanced up at Cole's dejected face as he gathered up her dirty dishes. "Anything else, Miss Carmichael?"

"No, that's ok." Lilah sat up straight and passed him a fifty dollar bill then shoved her things in her bag. "Keep the change and good luck on your test tomorrow!"

Cole grinned, lifting his silver snake bites. "Thanks, Miss Carmichael."

Lilah waved goodbye to Jace as she threw on her trench coat and stepped outside. The early evening air chilled her face and she all but ran to her black Tahoe. As the car warmed up she replayed the conversation with Jill over and over again. She chastised herself for not getting the other woman's phone number so that they could talk later.

Jill intimidated her, there was no doubt about that. She even made her feel a little insecure. But she was so lovely and funny that Lilah found herself drawn to her. She wanted to be friends with her, if she could.

Then the image of Jill riding off with Ambrose came to mind and she all but slumped over the steering wheel. "No way he'd want his girlfriend to be friends with me," she muttered. "He probably can't even stand the fact that she's working for me."

Lilah sighed, reading the incoming texts that bombarded her phone. Her mom was staying late at work and wouldn't be home in time for dinner. And Lonnie...

Lonnie was having Adrian over for dinner.

At their townhouse.

Lilah frowned.

None of her siblings, except for Lonnie, had made peace with the arranged marriage. Caius escaped back to New Haven and focused on school, ignoring the siblings group chat. Lilah pretended that it wasn't happening. Childish, she knew that. But it protected her heart from feeling guilty that the one in the marriage would have easily been her.

Kiki was the only one of them to verbally voice his discontent at any time. Whenever, wherever, he had no shame whatsoever.

Their mother was amused but Lonnie? Not so much.

The phone rang in her ear and Lilah thrummed her fingers on the steering wheel. "Hello?"

"Hey," Kiki answered. "What's up?"

"Do you have plans for dinner?"

Kiki hummed. "Not really. I've got a couple of sketches I need to flesh out, though. Why?"

"Can I come over?"

"Sure." There was a pause and then he asked, "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah. I just didn't feel like eating alone later." Lilah glanced at the time. It was too early for dinner but she knew there was no harm in coming over early. "I'll be there in twenty minutes. Can we order food later?"

There was a shuffling of papers and then Kiki cursed. "Might as well. I haven't gone grocery shopping lately and I've been craving Korean food anyways. See you soon."

The call ended and Lilah drove towards Kiki's first apartment. The one he lived in alone in case any of his friends or family stopped by to see him. It was their secret, the siblings, that Vincent's apartment was only two floors above his...

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QOTD: Do you think Jill and Lilah might be good friends one day despite her beef with Ambrose? What do you make of their first meeting and Jill's first day at work?

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