The bartenders were so excited about hearing all about Alex and Piper's honeymoon. Nicky kept pushing for the more salacious details and of course was ignored by both newlyweds. So she resorted to teasing Alex relentlessly about her lobster sun burn. Piper could barely keep her eyes open, but if it was important to Alex's team that they were there, then she was game to visit for a bit.
The bell of the door tinkled to signify the arrival of another person. As everyone turned, Alex launched herself at the individual who entered. "Mom! What are you doing here?" Alex gingerly put her arms around Diane.
Diane looked at her daughter concerned. "Alex, what a sunburn you have. I'm almost afraid to touch you."
"Why are you here?"
"I haven't seen my daughter in two weeks. Do I need another reason to be here? Besides, I hear there is a celebration?"
Piper looked at Alex perplexed but greeted Diane warmly. "We missed you, too, Diane. Unlike your daughter, I can get a proper hug." She wrapped her arms around Diane and squeezed tightly. "Hey guys. I know you are dying to hear about our trip, but we haven't even looked at our pictures. Let me get them all dumped to my computer and processed then we can have a proper celebration. But first I would love to check on Popi's then my wife and I need to go home. You know – get some rest from the vacation!"
Hearing no complaints, Piper slid off the barstool and turned to go out the door. Nicky gave a thumbs up to Poussey and motioned towards her phone. Poussey grabbed a phone and thumbed out a quick text. Then Nicky herded everyone out the door. Piper was so tired she didn't even notice that Diane and most of the bartenders were following her and Alex across the street.
As they approached the building across the street, Piper stopped. The downstairs window of one side of the building was covered in butcher paper. Just now realizing that there was a crew of people with her, she slowly looked around. She slowly approached the door then saw the window with two signs. One said "Welcome Home Piper and Alex". The other… "Future Home of Popi's Soaps, Handmade Soaps with All Organic Ingredients". Stepping up the step, she reached for the door and pushed it open. Polly waited for her inside. "Welcome home Pip."
Motioning around the open space and to the sign in the window, Piper asked, "Pol, what is this?"
"Well my best friend, this is our new storefront. What do you think?"
Piper squealed. "Polly! I love it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"I didn't exactly get you guys a wedding present, so I hope this will suffice."
"You didn't have to but yes! And wait until you hear about my expansion ideas. I brought home some really good ideas."
Polly smiled at her best friend. "Well if you are planning on expansion, I'm glad there is more to show you then."
"More?"
Polly lead Piper upstairs and revealed the additional workspace. As predicted, Piper oooh'd and ahhhh'd about the spaces. Alex was surprised, too, so she was perhaps as excited as her wife. Diane, Nicky, and the rest of the crew that had joined them obviously knew of the surprise, mostly because they had helped set the spaces up.
"Polly, this means more to me than any other present that you could have ever bought me. We are going to take this little soap company to great heights. I am not sure how to properly show my gratitude. Please don't think that I don't appreciate this because I do." Piper hooked her arm into Alex's. The rest of her words were directed at everyone. "But my wife and I need to get some rest. We still officially have a few days before we are back to work, however I'm sure you will see us as we get recovered."
Lorna slipped the bar of Popi vanilla scented soap out of its packaging. The bartender who called herself Taystee had given her a bar each of her personal favorites – vanilla, lavender, and rosemary mint. "But Taystee, I can't take your soap. You said this was good stuff."
"It is girl, believe me. But like I said, I pretty much have the inside track on supply. Take these - on the house. I'll make Piper give me more."
Natasha let herself into the carriage house and found her girlfriend sitting at the kitchen table, design books piled high to the side, fiddling with some soap. "Hey doll, whatcha got there?"
"Oh hi. Well remember the trip I took into the city for my last client?" Lorna's nasal accent had not lessened despite living in Donovan for a long time. "I came across this soap place. The strangest thing happened. It wasn't open, but the bartender at the dive hamburger joint across the street told me about the artesian soaps and how they are made. And then gave me some of her favorite scents." She slid the bar of vanilla across the table towards Natasha. "Smell that. Those are some very strong smells. High quality. That also tells me it should last a while."
Lorna retrieved a chef's knife from the butcher block and cut the soap into half. "Look at the smooth consistency through and through."
Natasha played with the packaging. "Simple heavy, recycled paper. Popi's Handmade Artisanal Soap. Nothing Artificial," she read. "Damn, they mean it."
"I met the owners. It was really strange though. They look just like Taylor and Laura." Again, Lorna did not mention the flirty bartender. "I got Taylor's card. I think I'm going to e-mail her. They had just gotten home from their honeymoon. Isn't that sweet?"
"Yeah toots." Natasha reached over for a cream cheese pastry from under the globe on Lorna's table.
Lorna swatted her hand. "No Natasha. You know you can't have that. How about a nice carrot muffin instead?"
A few days after their return from their honeymoon, both of the brides were back to work. Polly had set up a small office with room for two computers in the new upstairs workspace. Piper was setting up her area. She had met the new employees and was quite impressed with the quality they brought to the operation.
Booting up her computer and launching her mail, there were only a few e-mails that Polly hadn't already taken care of in her absence as she had her e-mail forwarded to Polly's. There was a new one, however, that had arrived just this morning.
Subject: Donovan Inn Bed and Breakfast
Body:
Dear Piper,
I am Lorna Morello. I met you the day you returned from your honeymoon. Again congratulations on your nuptials. I spoke with the bartender that calls herself Taystee at length about your soap company. I promise she didn't give away any secrets! She told me how you make your soaps by hand and even gave me three bars of her favorite scents. (She said you call them flavors. That's so cute.)
As I mentioned at Alley's, I manage a bed and breakfast on Lake Donovan which isn't too far from you. I am in the process of looking for a new soap supplier. I would like to talk to you and your business partner about this.
Also I am curious if you have thought about expanding your line to other products. We not only utilize the products in our business, we also offer our customers opportunities to purchase the same.
When would be a good time for us to meet? I would be happy to return to your business, or you are welcome to come here.
Sincerely,
Lorna Morello
Proprietor Donovan Manor
Lake Donovan
Piper leaned back in her chair. She needed to talk to Polly about her lotion and candle ideas before they met with this Lorna. Maybe this would be a great opportunity for a test market for her ideas. She typed out a quick e-mail to Polly asking to meet the next day. Meanwhile did a brief bit of research and then went shopping.
Alex's first day back was excruciating. Not because of the burn as the salve Piper had gotten from the resort had done the trick in healing the tender skin. She just had to continually moisturize her skin. What was tormenting was being separated from Piper. She knew Piper was only yards away at her store, but they had spent the last two weeks inseparable and trying to get back to normality was agonizing. She wanted nothing more than to be with Piper constantly.
"Hey boss, you keep looking out the window. You expecting someone?" Nicky nudged her boss with her shoulder. "Got a girl on the side already?"
Alex shoved Nicky away then snapped her in the side with her bar towel. "Hell no. I miss my wife. Is there something wrong in that?"
"Not at all boss. I kinda like this new mellow you." Nicky waved her hair around. "You wanna go over the numbers from when you were gone?"
Alarmed, Alex said, "Why? Where they bad?"
"Pshaw, hell no. The place ran like a charm. I just thought maybe you wanted to see for yourself seeing how you are always such a freak about doing things for yourself."
"Maybe I have changed Nic. Mellow – just like you said. Hey, I have a vid to show you. Don't say anything to the crew first. I wanted to run it past you and see what you think."
Alex pulled out her phone, thumbing through to find the right clip. "Check this shit out. I think we can do this here. Thing is, I don't know if we should."
"You are always afraid of messing shit up boss. Let's see that vid." Alex held her phone up and pressed play. They watched as a trio of bartenders flipped bottles and glasses as they made drink to the cheers of the crowd. "Boss that's dope. We definitely should do this."
"Nic the tips were like you've never seen. I mean, I don't think this should become our new regular but perhaps during certain songs or time periods."
"Or if a hot chick comes in." Nicky waggled her bushy eyebrows.
Alex tossed her hair back as she laughed. "Yeah or that. You are incorrigible."
"It's something you should consider. Again it is something that sets us apart. I mean you have this new swank interior. Still have the most awesome burgers in town. And gee – you have Joan Jett toking a fatty on your wall. Why can't we do Tom Cruise?"
"Who?"
"Nothing Alex. Let's look into it."
By the time Polly arrived for their meeting the next day, Piper was almost finished, or as finished as she could be at this point.
"Hey Pol, I know you need some days off after covering for me. Thanks for coming up here." She tossed a small screw-top bottle towards her best friend. "Try that."
Polly unscrewed the lid and smelled. "Nice. Smells like our soap." She squeezed some out on her hands and massaged into her skin. "Piper this is smooth, like butter. Is this from your resort?"
Piper grinned broadly. "No I made it. That's our soap recipe transformed with cocoa butter into a lotion." Polly's shocked look told Piper all she needed to know. "I know we can do this Pol. We can start with just a few flavors and see how it goes. And check this out. It's a little more complex, but it's the perfect complement." Piper reached into her drawer for a pack of matches and lit a wick protruding from a small nub of wax like substance. As it began to take hold, the strong yet familiar vanilla fragrance filled the space.
"I couldn't find the right mold last night, but this is again our vanilla recipe transformed into a candle."
"Piper this is amazing. How hard were they to make?"
"Let's just say that I didn't need long gloves and protective eyewear. Polly this is so possible."
While impressed, Polly didn't seem quite as ecstatic. "Piper our rent just tripled. We need to make sure that can meet the bottom line. We have new employees and a storefront to open up. All this takes money. I'm afraid to take on more than we can handle. I mean two more products. We don't even have a test market, other than those fools across the street."
"I think I have a solution to that as well." Piper handed Lorna's e-mail. "Right there is market expansion for the soap and our test market for the lotion and candles. Plus, we can use the storefront in a limited manner."
Polly read through the e-mail a few times. She sighed deeply before agreeing. "Okay Piper. This is going to be your baby though. It's all on you. Set it up the meeting for Monday. Meanwhile I'm going back home." Polly grabbed the small squeeze bottle. "And I'm taking this magical stuff with me."
