Monday morningstarted with an early morning run by the side of the river. She felt rested after the weekend in the countryside and it had been nice to spend time with people she felt so comfortable around. It was like it had given her extra energy this morning and she clocked up 7k before heading back to shower and change.
Piper sent Steve a text to tell him he was excellent company at the weekend and to call if he ever got brave enough to leave Connecticut. Then she sent Polly a quick text from the subway to see if she was in work and if she wanted a coffee from the shop on the corner. There was an immediate beep to reply "Yes and God YES!", so she picked up two coffees on her way. Polly was already in the back office with her face in an order book when she out the cups down.
"Hey, I missed you - and your coffee buying habit. Mostly your coffee buying habit if I'm honest. It's good to have you back, it was really busy this weekend." Polly hugged her quickly before hustling Piper through the door to sit down. "We have to get our ads in the Christmas edition of the local news magazine this week if we still want to pay for a quarter page spread. It's five hundred bucks if we do, but we don't have an ad design yet. Do you think we should?"
"Five hundred is a lot for just one magazine. Do you think we could get that much business from there to cover the costs? We wanted to do some of our own leaflets to post locally, so maybe that would be the same amount but our ad gets its own page?"
"Yeah, that sounds good. But only if we pay someone else to post them. There's no way I'm dragging my ass all over this freezing city to post papers in every high rise block as well as full time hours here."
"Hmm, that's a good point."
"Why don't we do both? Print the ad in the magazine and pay someone to post some flyers for us too? We could pay someone to design a decent advert and print the same one for both."
"Because that's going to cost a fortune Pol. I like the idea, but we aren't making that kind of money yet."
"I'm sure our investor will cover it."
"What makes you so sure? And haven't we already got all the investment money when you signed the contract with them?"
"Yes, they gave us a lump sum, but we can make a case for getting more as we need it I think."
"You think? What kind of an investor lets you keep coming back asking for more money for extra things you didn't include in the original proposal? He's going to think we are a couple of idiots who can't plan ahead."
"She will think we are idiots. But she won't. I'm sure she will be cool about it."
"She? Oh I like that we are two women starting in business supported by an already successful business woman. That's awesome Pol! But let's not make her think we are not capable of doing this by asking her for more money right now. I'm sure we will come up with something."
"Fine. By the end of the week though Chapman. That's the deadline. Let's get the doors open for business before the Great Brooklyn Soap Riot starts."
Piper sat with a blank pad of paper on the counter to note ideas for the advert in between making sales while Polly was looking at supplies to make some new Christmas gift sets to feature in the promotions from the back office. Just before 1pm, Polly came through to ask if Piper wanted something picking up for lunch. She glanced down at the empty pad of paper "Well, our shelves aren't as empty as your ideas book, so I'm guessing it wasn't the queue of customers preventing you from finishing up our advertising campaign. Unless the 'CAMPAIGN IDEAS' heading and four little coloured in stars count?"
Before the blonde could make a reply, the phone rang and Polly headed out of the front door as Piper answered. "Good afternoon PoPi, this is Piper speaking how may I help you?" There was an immediate click as the person hung up. A wrong number then. A few minutes later, it rang again and it was NY Logistics this time.
"Is Polly there please?"
"No, I'm afraid she just popped out for a moment. Can I help you?"
"Erm, I think we are only supposed to talk to Polly, so maybe I should call back later."
"Seriously? It was a silly mix up last week. Polly can deal with any contract stuff, but I'm perfectly capable of taking your calls. I'm not a complete idiot you know, we are PARTNERS in this business so I'm equally able to make decisions. Wait. Did you just call a few minutes ago and hang up when I answered?"
"No. Don't be ridiculous. This is the first time I called you today lady, scouts honour."
"OK. You are right, it would be ridiculous to hang up just because I answered and not Polly...anyway why are you calling?"
"Right. Well, you blew a gasket last week when our delivery driver turned up without your prior permission, so I'm calling to let you know we would like to try to deliver again today. If that meets with your approval Ma'am."
"I did not 'blow a gasket' last week. Believe me, you'd not mistake it if I did. And yes, a delivery today would be fine. What is he delivering again? "
"The stuff we replaced when you blew a gasket the first time. I'll book him for today then. Sorted."
Infuriatingly, the line went dead again. She didn't even know this woman's name, but she recognised her as the same person she had spoken to every time she called the company. Terrible telephone manners. Oh God, she sounded like her Mother.
Polly returned with a coffee and a brown paper bag with lunch. She placed them on the counter before heading back into the office, shouting over her shoulder "Looks like that fifth star is really taking some time to develop into a brilliant idea eh Chapman?"
A couple of nice old ladies came into the store after that and Piper took her time showing them lots of different products that might meet their needs. Their needs being defined as 'something nice for the daughter in laws that we done like enough to spend a lot of money on, but it looks like we did'. They bought some body lotions and bath salts, but we're disappointed that Piper couldn't gift wrap everything too. Another sales idea they had to get sorted out before Christmas came and went.
The NY Logistics delivery truck arrived in the afternoon, with the supplies they needed. There was an extra box on the inventory and Piper wouldn't let the driver leave before she opened it in case there was another mix up. It contained a box of chocolates with a printed note attached 'Sorry for the damage I caused, NY Logistics'. The damage 'I' caused? Was it from the delivery driver, but he was too embarrassed to say so? How cute! She loved dark chocolates, they were her absolute favourites!
She walked into the office to show Polly the gift, grinning from ear to ear. "You see what some well worded complaints get you? Look at these!" Polly looked perplexed "Who sent those?"
"The logistics company sent them, with a note - see?" Polly took the note from her and read it, raising her eyebrow. "Well, I think you should send them back."
"What? Don't be ridiculous! Why?"
"Because we have a professional relationship with this company, nothing more."
"Er, I don't think they are asking us out on a date Pol. It's just an apology for the damaged supplies. They are trying to make it up to us."
"You Piper. They are trying to make it up to you." Then she walked out of the office, saying something about needing to leave early tonight,leaving Piper quite confused.
She went to say good night to Polly as she was putting her coat on and she heard Polly on the phone "Yes, tonight. I need to speak to you right fucking now. No excuses, make it happen" before she hung up and walked out of the store.
Right, well I guess that was goodnight then. And no way were those chocs going back, they were perfect for the bottle of wine she would be opening when she got home later. "Thank you NY Logistics. I appreciate the sentiment, even if Polly doesn't."
Piper was already in the office when Polly arrived the next morning. She had to get some ideas down on paper for the advert that was due on Friday. That was 3 full days plus contingency on Friday then. She always worked better under pressure anyway.
"Hey Pol, how was your evening?"
"Hey, it was fine. Nothing exciting."
"Really? I thought I heard you going out to meet someone when you left."
Polly looked like she was thinking back to the events of yesterday. "Oh it was probably Pete. I went round to his last night."
"Did you guys have a fight or something? You seemed pretty mad when you were talking to him."
"Um, yeah. We're over it now. Just something stupid, you know how it is when you're stressed." Polly put her bag down and headed out to open up the store, signalling the conversation was over. "Well the chocolates were fab!" Piper spoke more to herself as Polly had already gone.
She really ought to thank them and tell them there was no need. Polly got pretty wound up by them being sent, so probably best that she warn them. She picked up the phone and dialled the number.
"Hello, NY Logistics. How can I help you?"
"Oh, hi. Its me, Piper Chapman. I own PoPi. Well I co-own PoPi, with my partner Polly. Well, partner in a business sense I mean..."
"Hi Piper Chapman. Did you call to tell me about your life story? I'm kinda busy here, so if it's going to be a long one..."
"What? No. I just called to say thanks for the chocolates, they were lovely."
"Er, are you sure you called the right place Piper Chapman? I mean, I had a LOT to drink on Friday night and I had a swell time and all, but I'm pretty sure I'm not the chocolate sending type lady."
Piper laughed at the sudden defensive tone of the person on the phone, whose name she still didn't know.
"Who are you? I've spoken to you several times this week and you never introduce yourself. It's kinda good manners you know."
"Whoah there. A bit forward aren't you? You pretend I sent you chocolates so you can call me up and ask me out on a date did you?"
"Sorry to shatter your dreams, but you're not my type and you still haven't told me your name."
"How do you know I'm not your type? You haven't sampled the goods yet."
"My type has a name, for starters."
"OK, you got me. I'm Nicky, but I didn't send you any chocolates Piper Chapman. I wish I had, if this is how to get your attention."
"Well, now you know. You should ask your driver for tips on the type I prefer as he chose perfectly."
"Maybe I will do that. But I won't mention it to Jake's wife that he bought you chocolates as that might be weird. And I absolutely won't mention it to my boss that I spoke to you today. It is more than my job's worth. See you around Piper Chapman, partner of Polly."
Piper hung up the phone, smiling to herself. Was Nicky flirting with her just now or teasing her? God she was so out of practice with this that she didn't even know anymore. Well, at least she knew her name now.
She walked into the store to find Polly was serving a customer, and there were a couple of others wandering around browsing. She went to see if they would like any help and managed to get a sale for over $50 from them by the time she had added the complementary lotions and scents. Feeling very pleased with herself, Piper remembered to talk to Polly about what they could do about a gift wrapping service.
"Do you think we could charge a little extra for Christmas gift wrapping or maybe set up some ready done gift boxes for different prices? We could promote them in the advert that I haven't written yet."
Polly rolled her eyes. "You mean the supplies list I put together yesterday while you were making zero progress on the advert that you insist on writing yourself?"
"Oh, you already did it. I have another 3 days for the advert, so stop worrying."
"Piper, you have 2 days now as the finished version has to be with them on Thursday night to go to print on Friday. Why don't you just let me speak to our investor and see what she says? She might say it's no problem and we can get other people - experts - working on the adverts. That way, I know they will get done on time and we can focus on getting the new gift packs ready. Please?"
She really wanted to do this herself. Polly had done so much to get the business up and running already and she felt silly asking for more money from a business woman who had probably made a success of her own businesses with her own hard earned cash while raising 2 kids. But, time was already against her now.
"Maybe I could talk to our investor and see what she thinks of our ideas? I'd feel better that she didn't think we are not capable if I could see her reaction."
"No Piper, absolutely not."
"Well that sounded pretty final. Are you ashamed of me? Do you think she will be less likely to lend the money to an ex convict?"
"That's not it at all. She knows you have been in prison before she even agreed to invest anything. She is fully aware of your background Piper."
"Fully aware of my background? What does that mean? Has she done some sort of a background check on us without my consent?"
"Kind of. Look, let me handle it. I will call her later and test the water so we can get started. One less star for you to draw hey?" Polly smiled weakly before hugging Piper. "Thanks for not being ridiculously stubborn about this." She kissed her on the cheek and went to make the call.