Sugarplum Bakery

[The Exodus]

OOC: Solange/Devi! BIC:

Devi Kumar

Sometimes, it shocked Devi that she didn’t weigh three hundred pounds. Today, she’d been cake tasting with a client and after the eighth type of white cake, Devi’s entire mouth felt and tasted like frosting. This was her second cake tasting of the week and it was only Monday. After her client left, though, Devi lingered in the Sugarplum Bakery for a while longer. She leaned against the glass display case, pressing her hands to her temples.

“What do you usually prescribe for sugar overdose?” she asked the server behind the counter, looking up with a grin.

“You aren’t going to find anything without sugar here,” the server said sympathetically. “Unless you take your coffee black.”

Devi pulled a face. She wasn’t a coffee drinker by nature. Never had been. The server standing before her had been on the clock overlapping Devi’s appointments for the last few weeks. She wished she knew his name, this sandy haired guy who’d had to put up with her demanding clients almost as much as she did. He was probably one of the few people in the world as sick of wedding cakes as Devi was. They had this conversation five times already this month.

“Do you have tea? Darjeeling?” she asked, fishing through her purse for her wallet.

“I’ll see what I can do,” the server said with a wink, disappearing into the back.

Devi put her hands back to her temples. Cake testing was all about moderation. But the bride she’d been working with professed to have a sweet tooth. No kidding.

The other server behind the counter was writing names on some Styrofoam coffee cups. Her name, Devi knew to be Josephine because she’d overheard her getting scolded by the owner yesterday.

“Solange de Grace?” Josephine asked Devi.

Devi peered at her. She’d been coming here for years and never had anyone get her name or order wrong. But that didn’t confuse her near as much as the name Josephine had called her. It set a whole symphony of bells ringing inside her head. She mouthed the name.

“No,” she said, looking around. And then, seated near the window, Devi saw a vaguely familiar figure that gave her pause. Paris was a big city, so it wasn’t surprising that it had been five years since she’d seen Solange. What was surprising was that she’d lost the black lipstick and thick eyeliner. “But I can take it to her.”

Devi took the coffee from Josephine before she could protest and she walked over to Solange’s table.

“Well, well,” Devi said, grinning and setting the drinks down. “I almost didn’t recognize you in grown up clothes, Solange.”

[blueeyeddevil]

Solange de Grace

It hadn't been that great of a morning. She had spent almost and entire service on the phone to the floral shop after they had failed to deliver one of the arrangements. Apparently the person who had sent it really wanted their condolences known and had gotten quite upset when they saw that it was not among those at the front. Somehow this mix up had become the funeral home's fault. She had been left to try and track it down. Eventually she found out it had been sent to the wrong funeral home...because the sender had given them the wrong address. Again there was more outrage when she tried to explain this.

After that whole ordeal, she had decided that she couldn't go through something like again...not without coffee in her system. She hadn't even asked Tristan to leave, just told him she was going for coffee. All he'd said in return was, "Bring me some." With a sigh, she'd agreed and rushed out the door and to the bakery.

She ordered a Salted Carmel Mocha for herself (because this day was going to require extra sugar strength) and plain black coffee for Tristan. She never did understand how he possibly drink coffee straight like that. She was debating slipping a sugar packet or two into it and the waiting to see if he noticed.

She sat down at a table to wait for her order. She had gotten so caught up in trying to answer emails via her phone (making sure there wasn't too much to get done before the next service) that she completely failed to notice her name being called. It wasn't until someone came to stand in front of her, holding two coffee cups, that she even looked up.

“Well, well,” the pretty young woman said as she set the drinks down. She looked very familiar but Solange couldn't quite place it. “I almost didn’t recognize you in grown up clothes, Solange.”

Suddenly it clicked and a bright smile spread across her face...Devi! "I'm sorry. I can't hear you over all of the color you're wearing now, Devi," she responded teasingly. With a laugh she rose to her feet and reached out to embrace her old friend. "Look at you! You're gorgeous! God, how long has it been?! How are you?!"

[The Exodus]

Devi Kumar

There was a moment – no more than two seconds – where Devi felt certain she’d approached the wrong person. She could feel the air in the bakery go still, hear nothing but the whirr of the coffee machines across the room. And then the woman turned to look at her.

And there was no doubt in Devi’s mind that this was her Solange de Grace.

Solange had always had the most startling eyes of anyone Devi had ever met. Even without gobs of makeup circling them, they were unmistakably the eyes of her best friend from her wild and crazy teenage years. And to Devi’s relief, they sparked with instant recognition.

"I'm sorry. I can't hear you over all of the color you're wearing now, Devi," said Solange in the same, wicked teasing tones Devi had used only moments ago. Devi clapped her hands together and laughed.

And then Solange stood and the pair hugged each other, the way most people hugged when they’d been expecting each other. Five years ago, they wouldn’t have hugged. They’d been too hardcore for that. Which was laughable if you saw them today in the café. There was so little “hardcore” about Devi’s life these days; from the looks of it, Solange had mellowed out, too. Unreal.

"Look at you! You're gorgeous!” Solange said.

“Look at me? Look at you!” Devi said with a laugh, pulling out of the hug to do just that. The years had been kind to Solange. She wasn’t as waifishly gaunt as she had been in school, but she was still thin. Devi seldom ran into their old crowd. But when she did, the others didn’t look this healthy or happy.

“God, how long has it been?!” Solange asked. “How are you?!"

“I’m good,” Devi said, nodding almost eagerly. “Working as a wedding planner – of all things! – but can’t complain. What about you? I thought you were living in England these days. What on earth are you doing back in this sleepy little town?”

Devi grinned at the last sentence; Paris was anything but a sleepy little town. Unless, of course, you were a native Parisian as she and Solange were. But England had sounded even duller. Solange had gone to some fancy school there – Cambridge or Oxford, Devi forgot which – and other than old, crumbling buildings there seemed to be nothing across the channel until you reached London. Lots of sheep. Lots of rain. God, Solange must have been glad to be back in Paris, back in a city where interesting things actually happened. It was good to have her back in Paris; the city had always been infinitely more interesting when they were tearing it up together.

[blueeyeddevil]

Solange de Grace

She hugged Devi to her in a way that would have been unthinkable to the two of them five years ago. They'd been too tough for hugging and were most likely to be the ones making fun of the cheerleader types who were constantly hugging and holding hands with their 'besties'. Devi had been her best friend practically the whole way through her secondary school years. Solange had always felt somewhat more connected to the girl in front of her now more than other members of the group.

But the lovely woman in front of her hardly resembled the Devi she remembered. Back then her beautiful tan skin was colored in pale white makeup and accented with black lipstick and black eyeliner. Now she looked much less like one of the dead bodies Solange saw rolling through the funeral home each day and much happier. It felt like forever since she had seen and wanted to know how her old best friend was doing these days.

“I’m good,” she said with a nod. Solange grinned happily and motioned for her to take the other seat at the table she was sitting at. “Working as a wedding planner – of all things! – but can’t complain. What about you? I thought you were living in England these days. What on earth are you doing back in this sleepy little town?”

A light blush colored her cheeks. Honestly, she was a little embarrassed to tell Devi what she did. She wasn't minding her job so much now, but she didn't want to say that with her education she was working as secretary! And she really didn't want to tell her she was working at a funeral home and have her think she was still doing the goth thing. Still, she took a breath and prepared to answer.

"Kind of doing the opposite of you, actually," she said. "I'm a secretary a funeral home. I came back after college when my grandmother got sick. She passed several months ago and I sort of inherited her old job." She shook her head, staring at the cup in front of her with her name on it. "But enough about that! You plan weddings! What about you? Wedding bells ringing for you any time soon?" The grin was back on her face as she looked at Devi again now.

[The Exodus]

Devi Kumar

Solange flushed when Devi asked what she’d been up to. Devi didn’t know why. They’d been idiot kids together; nothing she could do now was worse or more embarrassing than anything she’d already done.

"Kind of doing the opposite of you, actually," said Solange. "I'm a secretary a funeral home.”

Devi bit back a laugh. Leave it to Solange to end up working in a funeral home. At least she was working in one and not there prematurely. In the last few years since they’d spoken, at least two of their friends from the “good old days” had ended up in the local morgue for all the wrong reasons. An overdose here and there. She wondered if Solange kept in touch with anyone from back then; Devi hadn’t. Not really. There’d been no good reason to. Everyone else was leading such dead end lives.

Well, except Solange, it seemed. Who, despite her morbid sounding career, seemed livelier than Devi could ever remember her being.

“I came back after college when my grandmother got sick,” Solange continued. The laugh in Devi’s eyes died. She remembered Madame Jacqueline and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know where this part of the conversation was going. “She passed several months ago and I sort of inherited her old job."

“Solange, I’m so sorry…” Devi murmured, unsure what else to say or do. Madame Jacqueline had raised Solange; several months ago was recent. And unlike Solange, Devi had no experience around grief. She didn’t know if you were supposed to bring casseroles and condolences this late in the game or what. But Solange shook her head and refocused.

"But enough about that!” she said, attempting high spirits. “You plan weddings! What about you? Wedding bells ringing for you any time soon?"

“Same sarcastic sense of humor I see,” Devi said, sliding into the chair across from Solange.

Her parents were forever insisting they could fix her up with a nice boy from India. She was forever saying “no thank you”. She’d take them up on it if she was still single at thirty or thirty five or whatever. But Devi was young, spent too much time around weddings to want one of her own anytime soon. Too much hassle, too much stress. Nothing special about them, either. Not really, anyways.

“What about you?” she asked. “You seeing anyone?”

[blueeyeddevil]

Solange de Grace

She missed her grandmother dearly. It had been a while since she had passed away and Solange was starting to get use to it, but there were still times when the slightest thing would remind her of her grandmother and she'd completely fall apart. She didn't really talk about her with anyone. Not even Tristan who had known her better than most anyone other than her. It was a healing process and she wanted Devi know that. She decided it was best to steer the conversation elsewhere and asked Devi if she was planning a wedding of her own soon.

“Same sarcastic sense of humor I see,” Devi said, making Solange smile.

"Some things never change," she said with an innocent shrug as Devi sat across from her. She found herself rather glad Devi hadn't made some excuse to leave after finding out about the funeral home. She supposed if there was one person it wasn't going to scare off that would have to be Devi Kumar.

“What about you?” she asked. “You seeing anyone?”

Solange laughed lightly and shook her head. "I don't think you quite answered the question, Devi, dear," she said in a teasing voice. "I'll let it go though. I can understand wanting to avoid the topic. No, I'm not seeing anyone. Even if there was a guy who wanted to date a girl who worked at a funeral home, I hardly have the time. I'm guessing you don't either. Your job must run you ragged!"

[The Exodus]

Devi Kumar

"I don't think you quite answered the question, Devi, dear," Solange said lightly.

Devi pulled a face, like she was sixteen again, and stuck her tongue out at Solange, just a little.

"I'll let it go though. I can understand wanting to avoid the topic,” said Solange fairly. “No, I'm not seeing anyone. Even if there was a guy who wanted to date a girl who worked at a funeral home, I hardly have the time. I'm guessing you don't either. Your job must run you ragged!"

“Mostly it just leaves me desensitized to weddings,” she said, shaking her head. “Once you’ve seen everything that can go wrong... you’re in absolutely no rush to have one of your own. I guess you get that, though, working in the funeral home. How do you do it?”

[blueeyeddevil]

Solange de Grace

As Devi stuck her tongue out at her, Solange couldn't help but grin. Despite how much the both of them had changed it was clear that nothing between the two of them had changed. Five long years and they were still teasing each other and cracking jokes like they had never grown up. Like they didn't both have professional jobs now. After so much changing in her life over the past five years with Caleb and with her grandmother, it was definitely a nice feeling to have one thing in her life still be the same.

“Mostly it just leaves me desensitized to weddings,” Devi said about her job. Once you’ve seen everything that can go wrong... you’re in absolutely no rush to have one of your own. I guess you get that, though, working in the funeral home. How do you do it?”

Solange shook her head and sighed. "Honestly, I have the easier job. All I do take care of flower arrangements and setting up appointments. Things like that," she said. "But it is hard to see people at their absolute worst like that. It wasn't exactly what I had planned on doing when I graduated college, but it is what it is, you know? I do like getting getting to bring comfort to people and I'm getting a little better at it." She wrinkled her nose with a grin. She wasn't sure if this was entirely true.

"How has your family been," she asked, switching subjects again. "Your sister officially Dr. Know-it-All yet?" She grinned at the oh-so-clever nickname they called Padma behind her back during thier rebellious years.

[The Exodus]

Devi Kumar

They’d been mostly talk as kids. I’m dark. I’m edgy. I’m hardcore. No. They’d been sarcastic, disenchanted teenagers like the rest of them; they’d had problems like the rest of them and the intense need to be something special, different; the desire to escape the mundane. But really, Devi would have been hard-pressed, even at the zenith of her goth phase, to imagine herself working with the dead. Or any of her friends handling dead bodies, for that matter. Kudos to Solange for being the only one who could probably stomach that line of work. It made Devi’s job look like a sugar-spun candy castle next to the Gothic architecture of Solange’s career.

The phrase “better you than me” came to mind at times like this.

Solange shook her head and sighed.

"Honestly, I have the easier job. All I do take care of flower arrangements and setting up appointments. Things like that," she said. Devi leaned forward. Their jobs weren’t so different after all. Fascinating. "But it is hard to see people at their absolute worst like that. It wasn't exactly what I had planned on doing when I graduated college, but it is what it is, you know? I do like getting to bring comfort to people and I'm getting a little better at it."

Solange grinned then, wrinkling her nose as she did. It was an infectious smile, one that had Devi grinning right back. When Solange put it that way, she made the job almost sound appealing. Almost. Devi still wouldn’t be ready to trade if this was a reality game show.

"How has your family been?" Solange asked. "Your sister officially Dr. Know-it-All yet?"

“Ugh,” Devi said, rolling her eyes playfully. “Padma has always been Dr. Know-it-All.”

She hadn’t forgotten the hours spent mocking Padma that had brought her so much joy as a teenager. Mocking Padma still brought a smirk to her face these days. Especially since she was just a semester shy of earning her doctorate these days. Devi knew it was only a matter of months before the whole family came to Paris to celebrate Padma’s latest victory.

“She’s still got a semester left before she’s official,” Devi said. “But that doesn’t keep her from giving me the WebMD treatment every time I see her. If I have to hear one more time what kind of shape my liver must be in from her, I’ll send her on a one way trip to the ER.”

Not much there had changed. And her parents were dull. Happy, healthy. Nagging, worried, pushy. The way parents the world over always were. Devi shook her head. The sandy-haired cashier materialized beside the table with Devi’s tea.

“My hero!” she told him. She handed him a bill from her purse that covered for drink and tip; it satisfied him enough to wander off. While her hand was still in her purse, Devi had an idea. She pulled out two business cards from her wallet and a pen.

“Keep the first one; it’s got my cell number. And on this one… Write your number down,” she told Solange. “We’ll have to stay in touch.”

[blueeyeddevil]

Solange de Grace

In a way Solange had always been a little jealous of Devi's family. Solange had loved her grandparents dearly and was so grateful for the way they had taken her in and raised her. But Devi had the kind of family she had always wanted. She had a mother and father who cared about her and wanted to see her be happy and successful. She had a sister, who though she fought with and made of, was still her sister and they loved each other.

She asked how Padma was doing, wondering if she had achieved doctor status yet. “Ugh,” Devi groaned and rolled her eyes. “Padma has always been Dr. Know-it-All.”

Solange couldn't help but laugh. That sounded like Padma all right.

“She’s still got a semester left before she’s official,” Devi said. “But that doesn’t keep her from giving me the WebMD treatment every time I see her. If I have to hear one more time what kind of shape my liver must be in from her, I’ll send her on a one way trip to the ER.”

Solange laughed again and shook her head. "I'm sure you will. Try not to be too rough on her though," she teased playfully.

Devi's drink finally came and suddenly Solange was reminded that her's was not the only coffee she had gotten. She had better get it back to Tristan before it cooled. Devi paid the waiter and came out with two business cards and a pen, shoving them towards her.

“Keep the first one; it’s got my cell number. And on this one… Write your number down. We’ll have to stay in touch.”

"Of course," Solange declared, scribbling down her number on the card and handing it back to her. "We'll set up a date for dinner sometime! Then we can actually catch up! I'm really sorry, but I do have to get back to work." Standing her reached around and gave Devi another hug. "It has been so great to see! I'll give you a call, okay?! Bye!" She grabbed her drinks and hurried out to her car, hoping Tristan's coffee wasn't getting too cold.

OOC: END SCENE