Chapter Seven

As Cherry had predicted, wooing a Taurus proved tricky. After several false starts, Gray finally zeroed in on Riley, a thirty-four-year-old lesbian born and raised in New Orleans. She seemed to take herself pretty seriously, based on all the jokes Gray had unsuccessfully tried to crack in their Mercurious chat, and was a bit more masc than the people Gray usually found herself crushing on. But wasn't the point of this whole experiment for Gray to think outside of her dating box? Who knew what her type was anyway, besides the one person she'd dated for a decade?

The national parks question, while good in theory, hadn't been as productive as Gray hoped. She'd given her own lengthy answer about Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, where she'd assisted in planning a wedding for a couple of outdoorsy lesbians a couple years ago. All of the permits and noise restrictions and complicated rules had been a headache, but the stunning beauty of the caverns and surrounding desert had made it all worth it. Meanwhile, Riley had given a dispassionate answer of New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park because it was closest to where she grew up. But after a few days of casual chatting, Riley seemed to crack open a bit more, sharing her passion for coffee and espresso. She'd spent years working at the same coffee chain, moving her way up to manager and later being tapped to help open new locations and train staff. Recently, she'd left the chain to start her own shop, which was slated to officially open in a couple of weeks. Gray had responded with enthusiastic support, impressed by the kind of determination that led Riley from barista to entrepreneur. And that conversation had guided them to what Gray truly sought: a chance at a date.

Riding high on the thrill of a recently delivered espresso machine, Riley invited Gray to the shop early on Friday morning for a test run. Gray knew she was testing fate by scheduling a date right before her makeup meeting at St. Charles Collegiate Academy, but this date was entirely different. It was for coffee, not potent cocktails. Even better, the caffeine combined with the early start time would ensure Gray was awake and alert before her meeting with Principal Taylor. That is, as long as she didn't get carried away with any surprise bathroom rendezvous.

Still remembering Principal Taylor's eyes raking over her informal outfit on Monday morning, Gray veered on the side of overdressed on Friday. Most of her work at the queer-wedding-planning business in Tulsa had been away from the altar—advertising, budgeting, business planning, et cetera. Still, she had a few nice suits for ceremonies and receptions that required all hands on deck. She'd picked out one of her favorites for her date with Riley: a deep-forest-green suit paired with a crisp white button-down and silky white pocket square. To complete the look, she'd matched her shiniest brown oxfords with a belt and briefcase, then slicked the longer part of her hair back in a style that was undoubtedly dapper. No one could mistake her for a middle school art teacher in this outfit.

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon when Gray arrived at Riley's coffee shop. It was a cozy space on the street level of a new condo building in the trendy Warehouse District. When she'd moved to New Orleans, Gray had pictured the whole city looking something like the French Quarter. She'd quickly been proved wrong by neighborhoods like the Warehouse District, which blended eclectic Southern architecture with sleek modern design. Despite its seemingly mismatched styles, the whole city was tied together seamlessly by the grand oaks, Spanish moss, and Big Easy attitude.

Riley greeted Gray at the door with a firm, if somewhat formal, handshake and an inspection of her outfit. "Nice suit. Tom Ford?"

"Yeah, actually. Thanks," Gray said, pulling on the hem of her jacket. "I like your glasses."

"Thanks. Gucci." Riley adjusted her boxy tortoiseshell glasses, then ran a hand over her braids to where they met in a bun at the back of her head.

A moment of silence ensued, neither sure where to take the conversation next. God, why was Gray so awkward on dates? Talking to strangers was never as difficult when she was doing it in a professional capacity, excluding her introduction to Principal Taylor. She looked around the shop, trying to shake her nerves. "So, this is the new place?"

"Yes! Here, let me take you on the tour." Riley opened the glass door into a small space with chairs and café tables pushed to one side and a pile of boxes to the other. "This is Demitasse Café, or at least it will be by the time it opens in a couple weeks. Tables will be spread around here. I ordered some carpeting to show where the line goes around this wall." Riley pointed out a path along the white subway tile from the door to the counter.

"I love the flooring! Really makes the dark wood of the tables and chairs pop," Gray said, following Riley toward the counter.

"Thanks! I had my eye on this nice white-and-gray marble, but it would have blown the budget. And I was saving for this baby," Riley said, arriving at an enormous copper espresso maker.

"Damn," Gray said, stepping back to admire the machine. "That looks intense."

"It is!" With her hands gently running along the top of the espresso maker, Riley dropped her chill distance and glowed with enthusiasm. "Semiautomatic brass heat-exchange boiler for temperature stability, three-way solenoid valve to keep the shots coming…It doesn't get better than this, my dude."

Gray nodded, feeling a bit like they were two bros bonding at a car show. "It's, uh, very shiny."

"Copper is great at conducting and retaining heat, and it's antimicrobial," Riley said, gazing fondly at the machine. "Shall we fire it up?"

"For sure!"

"What's your drink of choice?" Riley asked, already twisting and pushing the various controls on the espresso maker.

"Caramel latte," Gray said, bewitched by the sounds and smells emanating from the machine.

"Sorry, no caramel syrup."

"Oh. Vanilla latte?" Gray tried.

"Actually, I don't have any flavorings," Riley said, twirling a dial that caused a burst of steam to appear. "I've had way too much of the cookie-dough-butterscotch-toffee-nut madness. Now that I'm in charge, I'm getting back to basics. Enjoying the perfect simplicity of the coffee bean."

"Right," Gray said, feeling a bit embarrassed by her pedestrian coffee preferences. "Then…I don't know, whatever you're having."

Riley grinned. "Two macchiatos, coming right up."

Watching Riley work the espresso maker was like being in the audience for performance art. She was masterful with the copper beast, her capable hands making it seem like she'd spent a lifetime with the machine instead of only a day. After a few minutes, Riley came around the counter with two ceramic mugs and placed them on a café table, then gestured for Gray to sit.

Once they were both seated, Gray felt the pressing weight of being on a date. She took a sip of the drink in front of her, wincing as it seared the roof of her mouth. "Delicious," she said, lisping to avoid exacerbating the burn.

"Thanks," Riley said, then held her mug up to blow across the steaming surface.

"So, uh…Tell me about yourself," Gray said, still struggling to get her feet under her at such an early hour.

Riley shrugged. "Not much to tell. Born and raised in New Orleans. Into coffee, obviously." She sipped her espresso. "What about you?"

The answer didn't reveal anything Gray didn't already know. "Born and raised in Tulsa. Just moved to New Orleans. Into…public relations, I guess? God, that sounds boring."

"No, not boring at all," Riley said. "I feel like I've been trying to learn PR and marketing on the fly for the past few weeks and I'm way out of my depth."

"Really? It's not so hard." Gray crossed an ankle over her knee, settling in. "I mean, we've all had commercials and sales pitches shoved down our throats our whole lives. The best ones just don't feel like it."

"I haven't thought of it like that. You make it sound so easy."

"It is easy most of the time. You just think about what would make you want to buy something, or one of your friends or family if they're more of the market," Gray said, now fully in her lane. "Don't tell my boss I said that. Us PR professionals have a big con going where we pretend it's not common sense ninety percent of the time."

Riley laughed. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Tell me more about the coffee shop," Gray said. "Maybe I can hit you with some ideas."

Riley's eyes lit up beneath her tortoiseshell glasses as she shared her plans for Demitasse Café. Before long, Gray was struggling to keep up with the descriptions of single-source organic coffee beans and steeping methods and sustainable supply chain politics. Riley's passion for her work was so palpable that Gray couldn't help but get excited too. When Riley shared her plans to promote the store leading up to opening, Gray's mind came alive. Now that she felt the caffeine from her macchiato lifting her out of the morning fog, she dove into her ideas for advertising on local blogs and positioning the café as socially and environmentally conscious. Riley whipped out a pad and pencil, taking notes as Gray suggested offering catering services to local offices to drum up attention in the neighborhood, partnering with organic food co-ops, and leaning into the space's retro vibe by decorating with antique photos of famous people drinking coffee.

Their brainstorming session was interrupted by an alarm on Gray's phone. Gray silenced it, then took the last sip of her drink. "Sorry to interrupt, but I have a meeting to get to. This was really cool though. I love the shop."

"Thanks, man," Riley said, rising from her chair and collecting both of their mugs. "Hey, I believe in being up-front whenever possible, and I know that often comes off as harsh, but…" She paused, pushing her chair against the table. "I'm not feeling much of a romantic vibe here. Nothing personal, just want to be real with you."

Gray let out a relieved laugh. "Totally on the same page. Way more of a friend vibe, right?"

"Exactly!" Riley said with a genuine smile. "And, like, maybe a business partner vibe? Your advertising ideas could be huge for me. I can't afford a PR consultant or whatever just yet, but if things go well…"

"Absolutely!" Maybe Gray had veered a little too far into professional networking territory. She'd be more cautious of that on future dates. But in this case, it had helped her break the ice, and she genuinely enjoyed talking shop with Riley. Gray pulled a business card from her briefcase and, seeing Riley's hands still full with the mugs, dropped it on the table. "Happy to chat whenever. I hope this place blows everyone away. The coffee was fantastic." She looked at her watch. "And actually…any chance I could buy a macchiato for the road?"

Riley returned to the shining espresso machine and placed the mugs beside it. "After all the advice you just gave me pro bono? It's on the house."

Having allowed ample time to park, sign in, and navigate the winding middle school hallways, Gray knocked on Principal Taylor's office door fifteen minutes before their scheduled meeting time.

"Come in," the principal's voice sounded through the thick wooden door.

Gray strode into the office and Principal Taylor looked up over the rim of her glasses, taking in Gray's pressed suit, polished shoes, and carefully styled hair, and then looked at the clock. "Right on time," she said smoothly. "I take it you've had your coffee this morning."

"I have," Gray said, walking toward the large desk at the center of the room. "In fact, I brought some for you too. A macchiato from Demitasse Café. Organic, fair-trade, ethically sourced, and delicious."

Principal Taylor accepted the cardboard cup from Gray with an approving nod and…was that a bit of a smile? She pointed to the chair across from her. "Have a seat."