Altering the Plans Ch. 03

"Okay." She nodded and closed her computer. "Thanks."

Toby waited for her by the door. "Listen, Maya, I'm not great at this stuff, but—you don't have to be afraid of us, of any of us. We're your friends. You're always invited."

She dabbed at her eyes. "Thanks," she said.

Toby caught Krista's eyes when he and Maya returned to the table, and shook his head. Krista gave him a curious look, then shrugged and went back to the meal.

"Oh, good, Maya's here," said Clara. "Now, you sit here and tell me all about yourself."

"Auntie Clara, give her a minute," said Lacey. "She's probably hungry."

"I'm not surprised." Delia gave a Maya a quick but thorough scrutiny. "Sit down, honey, and have a biscuit or two. You're too thin."

Toby held Maya's chair as she sat next to Clara. She looked up and nodded her thanks.

"Here, Maya," said Krista. "Hand me your plate and I'll scoop some out for you. The dish is too hot to move."

Toby watched as Clara and Delia drew Maya out of her shell. He couldn't get over that she thought she wasn't allowed to come to dinner in her own house with her friends. That was just crazy. He was pleased to see her grow more animated during the conversation, and even laugh a few times.

"Is there pie?" asked Jackson. "For dessert? Please?'

"Oh, for Christ's—I mean, for goodness sakes, Jackson." Krista caught herself at the pointed looks from Lacey's aunts, then sighed at Jackson's puppy dog eyes. "You're such a mooch. Yes, Lacey made pies."

"Lacey, you're a goddess, and you make the best pies," said Jackson.

"You only get some if you help clear the table," said Lacey.

"I can do that. Do I get more if I do it quickly?" he asked, and Lacey rolled her eyes but smiled. Jackson grabbed a pile of plates and followed her to the kitchen.

Toby winced, hoping the pile wouldn't fall.

"So, Maya, what is it you do?" asked Clara.

"I'm working with Lacey at her coffee shop. I originally came here for a job but it fell through."

"That's a shame." Delia patted Maya's hand. "What kind of job was it?"

"Kind off the beaten track," said Maya. "I'm a dressmaker."

"Oh, are you really?" Clara's eyes widened. "You design clothes? I love clothes."

Delia snorted. "Yes, she does. There's hardly room for me in our apartment with all her clothes."

"Hmph," said Clara.

Maya laughed. "No, I don't design them. I can put something together if someone else has a picture or something like that. I'm not much on improvising or designing myself, but I can follow instructions."

"Oh, my, then can I ask a favor?" said Clara.

"Of course," Maya said.

"We, I mean, my arts council, are having a gala in about three months. Could you make me a dress? Is that enough time?"

"Oh." Maya blinked. "I mean, I can, but are you sure you want me to? You haven't seen anything I've done."

"Show them," said Toby, hoping he could help this happen. He knew that Maya wanted to make dresses; perhaps this was a foot in the door.

Maya looked at him, uncertainty in her eyes.

"Oh, yes!" said Krista, who'd come back to the table. As the cook, she was off cleaning duty. "Maya, you should! You'll love them, Auntie Clara."

"Y-yes. Okay. I'll be right back." Maya went upstairs.

"Where did you find that child?" asked Delia in a stage whisper. "She's lovely but she seems so scared."

"Found her on the front step," said Toby. "Couldn't turn her away."

"Tobias," said Clara with a reproachful look.

"He's really not wrong, Auntie Clara," said Krista. "She came into our shop and her boyfriend was a d—I mean, a real jerk, and she broke up with him. Then she needed a place to stay. You're right, though, she's pretty tough on herself. But she's stronger than she looks"

"Well, I'm looking forward to seeing these pictures," said Clara as Maya came back downstairs. "I haven't been dress shopping in a long time. And with a personal shopper at that."

Maya smiled tentatively and set her computer on the table. "I'm sorry I don't have my portfolio," she said, and Toby heard the catch in her voice. "But I think you can see everything here."

"It'll be fine." Clara patted her shoulder. "Let's see."

"All right." Maya nodded.

"Hey, Toby, help me with something in the kitchen?" Krista asked.

"Hmm? Sure." Toby got up and followed her into the other room. "What's up?"

"What was going on with Maya before dinner?" Krista asked in a low voice.

"Yeah." Lacey came over. "Did she just lose track of time?"

Toby considered what to say. "There was a little misunderstanding," he said. "Maya didn't think she was invited."

"What?" Krista gaped. "Invited? In her own house?"

"I know, I know." Toby held his hands up to indicate she should calm down. "That's what I thought. What can I tell you? It's what she said."

"Man," said Jackson as he dried a dish. "That just sounds all kinds of messed up."

"Yeah, it does, but try to see it from her side," Toby said. "She hasn't been here that long, she wasn't expecting company, and didn't know about how we do these dinners. It's a little weird but I can see it."

"I guess," Krista said doubtfully.

"Wait. You left her out there with my aunts? Alone?" Lacey asked. "Someone should go help her."

Toby chuckled. "I think she'll be fine. Auntie Clara found out Maya makes dresses and it was all over. That woman does love her clothes."

"Oh, lord." Lacey shook her head. "She'll make Maya her own personal tailor."

Toby went back with Krista to find Clara and Delia both excitedly talking with Maya, who looked happy but a bit bewildered.

"You found us a treasure," Clara said, beaming. "Maya's going to make us both dresses for the gala."

"You'll be the belles of the ball, definitely," said Krista.

"You all should come to the gala, too," said Delia. "You'd keep us from getting bored, anyway."

Toby cast a glance down at his tattoos and clothes and then shook his head. "I don't think I'm quite the crowd they're after."

"Me either," said Krista, twirling a lock of hair.

"I bet Maya could make something for each of you that would knock their boring old socks off," said Clara. "It'd be good for them to see there's more out there than pictures of fruit."

"Auntie C, Auntie D, stop." Lacey came in and gave her aunts a pleading look. "Maya's only one person. You're going to overwhelm her."

"You're right," said Clara. She turned to Maya and took her hand. "I am sorry, hon. I don't mean to go too far. But we would love it if you made us dresses. You just let us know what you need, and we'll pay you. I know work like that is hard and we don't expect it for free."

"Absolutely," said Delia. "I'm even excited about it and any one can tell you, I hate clothes."

"So that's why you run around the apartment naked all the time," said Clara with a wink at the others, who all stifled laughs.

"What? Clara! I do not. Don't listen to her. Honestly, I don't know why I put up with you."

"Because you love me, of course," Clara said. "It's why I put up with you." She leaned over and kissed Delia on the cheek.

"I suppose that's true," said Delia. "She's right, Maya. If any of this is too much, you just let us know."

"I will, and thank you so much. I'm really looking forward to this," Maya said.

"All right." Clara clapped her hands. "Time for the important business. Bring on dessert, and then we play poker."

"Oh man, Auntie Clara," said Jackson. "You always clean my clock at poker."

"If you'd stop staring at Lacey and play the game, young man, you might win a hand or two," said Clara.

"I can't help it if all these beautiful ladies distract me from my game," said Jackson. "It's really not fair." He sighed and stood up. "I'll get the supplies."

Everyone chuckled, but Toby saw that Maya looked uneasy. He'd snagged a seat next to her when everyone had had dessert. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, it's just that I don't know how to play," she said. "Also, I don't have a ton of money to play with."

Toby shook his head. "Don't worry. We don't play for money. We play for peanuts." He nodded at Jackson, who returned with a large bag of peanuts from the kitchen.

Maya laughed. "I guess that's okay then."

"You think I'm going to play with these people for money?" Delia scoffed. "Not likely."

"It'll be fun, Maya," said Krista. "We'll teach you to play."

"Of course, we will," said Clara. "You look like you need to relax and have some fun."

"Relax? Playing cards with you two?" Lacey gave her aunts a look as she took her seat. "I don't think so."

"Mind your manners, young lady, and respect your elders," said Delia, but with a smile.

"Yes, ma'am," said Lacey.

"Enough talk, let's play," said Clara.

Toby glanced at Maya who looked, as she had at different points through the evening, a little shell-shocked. "You up for this?" he asked.

"I think so." She took a deep breath. "I haven't played many card games but I can probably manage, right?"

He patted her hand without thinking. "Sure you can, but watch out for these ladies." He nodded at Clara. "Especially Auntie Clara. She's pretty cutthroat."

"Mind your manners, Tobias. I'm not serious about a lot of things," said Clara as she shuffled the cards, "but I'm serious about my poker." She nudged Maya's arm. "I'll take it easy on you for the first few hands, since you're a beginner. Then you'll be on your own."

"Sounds fair," said Maya.

"I'll be here if you need help," Toby said.

"Thanks." Maya smiled at him.

Clara proved both Toby and Jackson correct. She was cutthroat, and she won handily, but it was all in fun. Toby was pleased to see Maya relax as the game went on, and impressed at her poker face. After the first few hands, she gave very little away with her reactions.

After Clara and Delia had left, he found Maya sitting on the small front porch.

"Doing okay?" he asked. He stood and leaned against the railing to give her space. "Those two are kind of a lot, and I say that as someone who's known them for years."

"I'm fine, thank you," Maya said. "It was really a lot of fun. I haven't done anything like that in a long time, maybe ever. It was nice to be included." She averted her eyes and Toby saw her face redden in the porch light. "That sounds so—ugh, never mind. It was great. It was a better ending for the day than I'd hoped."

"Everything all right?" he asked. "Did something happen?"

Maya frowned. "I saw my ex outside the coffee shop today. He didn't come in, that I know of, but he was there. I'm pretty sure I've seen him a few other places as well. I don't know what's going on."

"Has he done anything?"

"Some phone calls, but I blocked his number and got a new phone," she said. "It's just weird. He obviously didn't care about me very much when we were dating, so I don't know why he cares what I'm doing now."

Toby didn't know either, but he didn't like it. "You should be careful," he said, feeling like an idiot for stating the obvious.

"I will." She nodded and stared at her hands.

Toby tried changing the subject. "Can you really make them dresses?"

"Oh, yes." She nodded and her face lit up. "I haven't made fancy ones too often, but I think it will be so much fun. I haven't had a chance to do a whole project like this in a while. I'm just glad there's time for it, and that I found that machine when I was out with Lacey. It's tough to do stuff like this from scratch in a hurry."

"I bet." He glanced down at his jeans and t-shirts. "I can't say I've ever thought about it. I've been dressing like this forever."

Maya shrugged. "That's fine. It suits you. People should wear what they like." She chuckled. "And Delia and Clara sure do seem to like dressy clothes."

Toby had to agree. Even tonight, both women had worn classic, tailored outfits. "I don't think I've ever seen them exactly 'dress down,'" he said.

"They were so sweet," Maya said. "Lacey told me how they raised her, and that she was lucky despite the situation, and I think she's right. I was close with my aunt and my cousins, but not quite like that."

"Small family?"

"Pretty much. My parents were both only children, and so am I. When my mom remarried, her husband had a son, so I have a stepbrother but that's it. Plus they aren't big on family stuff."

"That's too bad." Toby took a chance and sat in a chair a little closer to her. "We don't have a huge family, but there were some cousins, a few aunts and uncles to visit, that sort of thing. We've had our issues, though." He paused. "I guess we've kind of made our own family here."

"It's good you could do that," said Maya.

"Auntie Clara said the family you make is often better than the one you're born with, because you get to choose who's a part of it."

Maya laughed softly. "Auntie Clara seems like a very wise woman."

"That she is," said Toby, amazed that he'd been talking with Maya this long. It was impressive that she hadn't run away, and more so that he hadn't said or done anything to chase her off.

Maya yawned. "Pardon me. I guess I should get to bed." She stood to go inside.

Toby ignored the part of him that wanted say he'd go with her. Instead he stood as well and said, "You know, you're welcome to be part of our family. If you want."

Maya stared at him, and he wondered if he'd overstepped.

"Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to—shit, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No, you didn't, it's just, um—" Maya paused. "It's just a really nice thing to say and I wasn't expecting it. Thank you." She turned to go and then glanced at him with a small smile. "Tobias."

He grinned as she went inside.

Now that was progress.

x-x-x-x-x-x

"Here you go, ma'am. Have a nice day." Maya smiled as she handed the coffee and cream to the woman over the counter.

The woman nodded and turned away. When she was gone, Maya dropped the smile and sighed as she moved to wipe the counter. She'd been working at the coffee shop for a couple of weeks now, and aside from Clara and Delia, she was making more coffee than dresses.

It was frustrating. She knew jobs in her field were hard to come by, but she'd hoped in a city there'd be more opportunities. There were some shops, but when she found them, they were either on the verge of closing, or they weren't hiring.

Maya didn't mind working at the coffee shop. She'd done it before, and overall it was a decent place; the managers, including Lacey, were nice and her co-workers all friendly. It was a good start.

Even so, Maya had to admit she was fraying at the edges. She hated feeling like a failure, and every time she looked at her life, failure was all she saw. Her relationship with Dean: failed. Her search for work as a dressmaker: failed. Figuring out where she stood with Toby: failed. Meeting her share of obligations for the house: failed, until she'd taken the job at Maple Street Coffee.

Maya had learned a lot about dressmaking despite the criticism and condescension she'd gotten at home. When she was in high school, her aunt had helped Maya find a volunteer position with a local theater group. The costume designer there had taken Maya on as something of an apprentice, and Maya had appreciated the lessons and feedback from an objective source.

Maya had learned a lot, and learned well. She knew she was good at dressmaking. She just needed to prove it to someone else so they'd hire her, or hire her so she could prove it.

Unfortunately, it didn't appear she would get the chance anytime soon, and the weight of relying on herself to make it happen was starting to feel too heavy to carry.

She knew Allie would tell her not to give up. Maya sighed; what she wouldn't give to see her cousin. She wasn't sure when she'd get the chance, knowing Allie was buried in her classes.

The door chimed and she turned around to welcome the customer. Her jaw almost dropped when she saw Dean.

For a moment, Maya thought about getting someone else to deal with him. Leslie was in the back room, on break. She shook her head. No, she could handle this. She had to.

"Hello, Dean. What would you like to order?" She kept her voice even and her manner cordial despite the fear that welled up. Her heart raced and it was an effort to keep her breathing regular.

"This?" He looked around and smirked. "This is the best you could do?"

Another customer came in and stood behind Dean. It was a man about Dean's height, with a brush of dark hair and chiseled features. He wore jeans and a sweater, and was speaking rapid-fire into his phone.

"Can I take your order?" Maya asked Dean again.

"You can't make any small talk?" He gave her a nasty smile. "More talk means a bigger tip."

"I don't need a tip," she said. "Can I take your order?" She darted a glance at the man behind Dean. The man looked at her ex, rolled his eyes, and continued his phone conversation, which was growing more heated.

"I don't care what he said, the dress is ruined and I need it replaced ASAP," the man snapped.

That caught Maya's attention, and she wanted to find out more, but Dean was in the way. He's a customer, she reminded herself. He's on the other side of the counter, and Leslie's here if you need help.

"Have you decided what you want?" she asked him, pleased that her voice was steady.

"I'll take a large coffee, two sugars, two creams," he said.

"All right." Maya began keying in the order.

"Wait. Make that a mocha latte, with a shot of espresso."

"Okay." Maya exhaled slowly as she deleted the previous order and entered the new one. "That'll be—"

"Hold on. I think I'd rather have a medium regular latte with a shot of coconut flavor and extra whipped cream."

"Don't tell me this wasn't his fault," said the man on the phone. "He does crap work, and the only reason we used him was we were in a hurry. It fell apart before I even put it on!"

Maya desperately wanted to find out the context for the man's comments, but Dean stood in front of her, sneering. She took a deep breath and paused before entering the latest order.

"Dean, stop," Maya said. "If you're getting some kind of kick out of this, fine, you win, but just order so I can take care of the next customer."

"I can't help it, I'm undecided," he said. "It's not like you're busy, and I'm a customer, so I'll take as long as I want."

Maya seethed but swallowed it down, not wanting to antagonize him. "Perhaps you should step aside so I can take the next order, and then you'll have time to decide."

"Nah." He waved that away. "I'll take a large cinnamon vanilla latte, not too heavy on the cinnamon, not too light on the vanilla, got it?"

"All right." Maya began entering the order.

"No, hold on, I changed my mind—"

"Excuse me," said the man behind Dean. "Are you always this much of a dick, or do you work at it?"

Maya's eyes widened.

Dean scowled as he turned around. "Back the fuck off." He took a step towards the man, but the latter didn't back off and in fact went nose to nose with Dean.

"I'm not the one who's treating the server as though she's a lower life form, so I don't have to go anywhere," the man said. "Now, order your goddamned drink and stop fucking around so I can get some coffee." He dismissed Dean with a look and went back to his phone.

Maya could see Dean's bravado crumble as he turned back to the counter.

"Can I take your order?" she asked again, keeping her voice and expression neutral.

"Give me a fucking coffee with sugar."

"That'll be two sixty-five," Maya said, keying in the order. He paid, and she got his drink, relieved when he stomped his way out of the store.

"I am so sorry," she said to the man who'd been waiting. "That was—never mind. How can I help you?"

"My name's Charles, you can get me that large cinnamon vanilla latte, and you can answer me this: was he an ex?"