Author's Note: Hey all! This is the first chapter, so it's a bit longer than what you would normally see. I also have this story up on AO3, but I had a few requests to have it over here to. I hope it's enjoyed! Obviously I'm a bit of a review whore, so let me know what you think :) I have the first nine chapters written. I'll decide in a bit whether I want to throw them all up here right away or space them out.
For the first time in a good long while, nothing about what should have been a typical Thursday morning for Ainsley May Reyes was all that typical. First, the alarm she had on her phone was accidentally set for 4pm rather than am. So instead of waking up with plenty of time to shower, eat, and mentally prep for the day to come, she was forced to use dry shampoo on her hair (which hadn't been washed in three days), scarf down half of a leftover banana nut muffin, and panic through the entire bus ride to the bakery.
Not only was she going to have to open later than normal, but she also had to deal with the Wyrzkowski Order. Four hundred cupcakes, four types of cakes, and two types of icing in just three days. Ainsley tried to tally who she was going to have to call in and offer overtime. Lettie was out – the girl couldn't pipe a straight line to save her grandmother and God help her should she be asked for sugar lace. Beth was worthless for efficiency; it should not take someone half an hour to make thirty rosettes. It would have to be Bennett. She was only eighteen, but damn if the girl couldn't make a royal icing to rival Ainsley's own.
As the bus shuddered to a sudden stop, Ainsley made her way down the shallow steps. Nearly losing her three bags to the streets, she stepped over the curb and made her way down the sidewalk. It may not have been a long walk, but after the morning she had had so far, Ainsley was ready to get to the bakery, get the kitchen prepped, and start working.
"G'morning Miss Annie!" Ainsley glanced up toward the voice calling out and grinned. Harry had been staked out on this sidewalk since Ainsley had first arrived in New York four years previous. He was homeless and not all together upstairs if Ainsley had to take a guess…but he was sweet and helpful and
never failed to offer assistance.
"Hey Harry, how're you today?" She stopped and set down two of her bags. Harry stood from his beat up lawn chair and ran a hand through his messed hair. He would have been rather handsome, Ainsley thought, had it not been for the obvious effects from years of alcohol and drug abuse.
"Oh just d-d-dandy, Miss Annie, y'all need any h-h-help with those? They look r-r-real h-heavy and you're lookin' r-real tired this morning." Ainsley sighed and flung her long red hair over one shoulder. Harry never beat around the bush.
"That would be lovely, thanks Harry." He quickly picked up the two bags that had been on the ground and waited to follow. It didn't always work out, but Ainsley tried to let Harry help her out whenever possible. He would let her pay him for his services in breakfasts and lunches. She had once tried offering money, but he had protested vehemently.
"Oh n-no Miss Annie, that's too much…I'd j-j-just end up somewhere I shouldn't be with all that – I d-d-don't wanna be in trouble n-no more." She never offered cash again.
Upon arriving at the bakery, Ainsley was pleased to see Carmina had already come downstairs from the small apartment above the shop. If she had been thinking, Ainsley would have called the young woman who was renting the space to let her know she was late. With a soft push. Ainsley entered the cozy bakery with Harry on her heels.
"Carmina? Sorry I'm late!" she called out into the shop.
"In the kitchen!" a heavily accented voice replied from the back.
Ainsley turned toward Harry who was already opening up the curtains to let in the early morning sun. "You want to sit down, Harry? I'll get you some breakfast." She offered up a grin as he turned and made his way to a small corner table.
"And some h-ot cocoa?" he asked, a blush rising to his cheeks. Ainsley knew how much he hated out right asking for anything extra.
"Of course!"
She left the younger man behind as she made her way into the kitchen where Carmina was pulling a fresh tray of various types of muffins from one industrial oven and inserting loaves of different breads into the second.
"Buenos Dias Boss Lady!" Carmina greeted her, smiling widely. "A little late this morning, are we?"
"God, Carrie…it's been a mess. I may have to run up to your apartment after Lettie gets here to use your shower. Would you mind?" Carmina agreed readily as Ainsley herself started making a breakfast of eggs, pancakes, bacon, and toast for Harry.
"Hey, throw a couple of those banana chocolate chip muffins in a to-go box for Harry, would you?" She plated up the breakfast and poured a glass of orange use before tucking the full box of muffins under one arm and carrying the whole lot out to the main room.
"Can I g-g-get it all in a b-box, Miss Annie? I g-got to g-g-o check on Perry and I d-don't want h-him to think I forg-got him." Ainsley frowned but nodded. Harry always spoke about Perry, but the name was all he ever gave. He never offered up more information, and Ainsley knew better than to ask.
She handed all of his food, stuffed into two boxes, over to Harry and walked him to the door. "Now Harry, Saturday's going to be a really busy day here, so remember. You can help us clean up after 10. Not before then, okay?" She appreciated Harry's hard work, but she couldn't have him alone in the shop. He quickly agreed and headed out, beaming all the while.
Ainsley smiled too and then sighed. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun, grabbed a hair net, and headed back into the kitchen. "All right, Carrie, where are we at?"
Ainsley stretched as she set down the blow dryer and looked in the mirror. It was always weird using someone else's products; you never knew how your own hair would react. This, however, wasn't too bad…a little frizzy maybe, but nothing to write home over. She just felt lucky Carrie lived up here and was so willing to let her landlady use her bathroom.
Ainsley frowned at her bag and swore. She had thought she had grabbed her go bag with an extra set of clothes when in all actuality, she had snagged a bag of dirty aprons she had forgotten to wash. Glancing over at Carrie's closet, Ainsley debated her options. If she was just spending the day in the back kitchen and not dealing with people, she would have hands down just put on her janky pair of leggings and SOA t-shirt again. Alas, hiding in the kitchen was not on the docket for the day. She had two meetings and was planning on visiting Olivia that day, so it looked like borrowing from Carrie was going to have to be okay.
With a sigh, she made for the dresser while stripping the towel. Carrie wouldn't mind, but Ainsley wasn't overly fond of Carrie's wardrobe. At twenty-six, Ainsley was a good seven years senior. Luckily, the only real difference apart from inherent stylistic choices was that Ainsley was a solid cup size larger that Carrie. Oh well, as long as she picked something with a higher neckline and wasn't a button up, no one would be any the wiser.
Satisfied that the chosen red skirt wouldn't be considered too short, Ainsley rifled through the extensive collection of shoes and settled on a pair of brown booties. She wouldn't be in the kitchen much, so she could afford to treat herself. No one she knew had a shoe selection like Carmina Magdelena Moralez. She finally pulled on a beige and brown sweater set before tying her hair into a thick braid over one shoulder.
Ainsley did her best to tidy up before heading back downstairs. She glanced at her phone and grinned. It was only just past 7am. Lettie, like the sweet angel she was, had been able to come in almost two hours early to help Carrie while Ainsley got her life together. People could say what they wanted about the youth of today, but God help anyone who tried to tell Ainsley May Reyes her girls weren't the hardest working or most reliable employees in New York. Even Bennett who was just eighteen and a high school dropout was someone Ainsley had come to rely on in even the stickiest of situations.
She shuddered thinking about the Ellis/Wyndstrom Reception of 2010. Who could have imagined a little sixteen year old kid with three days on the job as cashier would have been willing to break into her place of employment, hotwire a neighbor's car, and drive two hours to a country club in upstate New York all because her moron of a boss forgot to bring the designated service uniforms ordered by the bride's anal retentive mother from Hell? Not Ainsley, that's for sure. Luckily, the neighbor was blind and hadn't driven in sixteen years and so was completely ignorant of what had transpired.
Upon reaching the main landing, Ainsley locked the door up to Carrie's flat behind her and strode into the kitchen. "Lettie, you are a true gift from God. The next time you want a day off, you've got it ahead of everyone else," she gushed upon seeing the young college grad kneading what appeared to be a sweet sourdough.
Lettie laughed and gave a shrug. "No problemo, Boss Lady. Remember that when I ask for the day before Thanksgiving off."
"I stand corrected," Ainsley chuckled. "You are Satan in a Sunday dress."
"So my mother always told me," she replied with a smirk. "Carrie's got your box of goodies for the Detective and her friends up front."
"Great thanks; I should be back around three."
"Oh, and Ima called out…lice…all three kids. Outbreak at the school, I think." Lettie shuddered.
"Oh Hell no…okay. I'll call her. She is not returning here until her whole family and house checks out as clean. I'll call someone." Ainsley copied Lettie's shudder. "Blegh! Anything else? Who did we call in?"
"Kimmi just got back from seeing her family in Japan, so she'll be in at two."
"Perfect. Where would I be without you guys?"
"Probably married to Harry and living in a box," the younger woman giggled. Ainsley shot her a playful look and swatted her arm.
"You be nice; he's a sweetheart and you know it."
"Yeah yeah, now go on Boss Lady. Let me work in peace, will you?" Ainsley shook her head and moved into the main shop where Carrie was helping a short line of customers.
"You lookin' hella sexy, Boss Lady!" she cried, handing over a box of muffins to the customer before her. Ainsley rolled her eyes and smiled.
"Thank you Carrie for the loan of clothing I didn't bother to ask for. I'll get them back clean." She grabbed the large box of assorted muffins, rolls, bagels, and spreads before slipping on her sunglasses.
"I've got that final meet before Saturday with the Wyrzkowskis today at 1. Before that I'm heading over to the Precinct, and I'm meeting an old friend for lunch. Call me if anything goes horribly awry!"
"Yes, Maam!"
With one last wave, Ainsley weaved her way past the short line and through the tables filled with a scattering of customers to the door.