Page 48 of Welcome to Ero-TEA-Ca: We’re Open!

“ U nacceptable,” Cassandra hissed to herself as she peered through the blinds. “I won’t stand for it,” she growled as she watched the moving van’s rear door open. “They’ll ruin us all.”

“Now you’re just being dramatic,” Kendal scoffed from behind. “And repetitive. You did this when Ero-Tea-Ca opened and look where that got you.”

“But they’re just hauling boxes like they don’t contain our livelihood! Who hired these clowns?”

“You did.” Kendal laughed. “And they’re hauling books. I doubt they’ll be doing much damage, Cass.”

Whirling ’round, Cass hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “Tell that to the beat-up paperbacks. The biggest oaf hasn’t found a box he hasn’t dropped since starting!”

“Harriet, come out here and talk some sense into your insane girlfriend.”

“I’m not insane,” Cass grumbled, turning back to the blind and incompetent movers.

“Your window-watching days are over, my love,” Harriet cooed in her ear. “The movers are doing their job. No need to watch over them. Why don’t we nip next door and have a nice cup of tea?”

“Kendal needs help.” Cass wasn’t ready to let her sour mood go just yet.

“No, I don’t, you know, considering we’re closed. Go away and relax. Shauna will be here soon, and you don’t want to stick around while we get all mushy.”

Cass wrinkled her nose. “You’re right, I don’t. Come on then,” she said to Harriet, grabbing her hand and leading her out the back door. She couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t say something to the burly men ruining their new stock if she stood face to face with them.

The inviting scent of cakes and tea wafted up Cass’s nose the second they stepped inside.

Ero-Tea-Ca felt like home now, just as much as The Beanery.

“I’ll have a camomile please,” she said to Harriet, who was already boiling the kettle.

As well as embracing the teashop wholeheartedly, Cass also drank a hell of a lot more tea.

It would never beat coffee, but she could see the benefits, especially on days like this.

Banging and loud thumps echoed from upstairs, setting Cass’s nerves alight once more. They had one week to get the bookshop stocked and organised before the grand opening. Thank God their friends were coming over this afternoon to help.

“I need to order pizza,” she said out loud to herself. “Maybe wine. Hmmm, although that might inhibit progress rather than aid it.”

Putting two teapots on the staffroom table, Harriet sat opposite Cass with a warm smile directed her way. “Pizza and pop will do, Cass.”

“I’ll order five pizzas. Gogo will eat two by themselves.”

Harriet chuckled. “They will. Now, will you please just take a minute to relax. Everything is under control.”

Cass shook her head. “I don’t know how you’re so calm.”

Harriet shrugged. “We have help, and I know we’ll get things done in time. I want to enjoy the experience.”

“Selina has booked the space for the first Sunday. That’s eight days away.”

“And Selina will also be here this afternoon to help. Sweetie, please relax. Do you need…” Harriet left the sentence hanging but raised her eyebrows.

Cass flushed. “Later. If we start that now, we’ll miss the rest of the day.”

“Because you can’t get enough of me?” Harriet wiggled her eyebrows, making Cass laugh.

“Exactly. And you know how I like us to take our time.” Her voice dropped seductively, which made Harriet shiver. Cass smiled smugly.

“Fine, no sexy time. Do you want to head upstairs and start unpacking boxes then? That way you can micromanage and not drive me nuts by sulking.”

Cass huffed. “I do not sulk.”

“Oh, yes, you do. Come on, sourpuss.”

They worked together for an hour, shifting heavy boxes. Cass managed to hold her tongue around the movers who dropped the last box—literally—before mumbling a goodbye and leaving them to it.

Kendal and Shauna were the first to arrive. Kendal’s hair gave away just how mushy they’d gotten in the café. Cass leaned against her ex-wife’s side and whispered, “I hope you cleaned down whatever surface you did it on.”

Kendal blushed. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Your fly is undone, Ken.”

Whipping around, Kendal fixed her jeans, snorting with laughter. Cass chuckled alongside her as Shauna and Harriet gave them an amused look.

“Hello? Are you up there?” Lolita’s voice sang, before the woman herself danced into the room. Lolita and Henry were really into their dance nowadays, meaning they waltzed and foxtrotted their way through life.

“Hey, Mum.” Cass swooped in, kissing Lolita on the cheek and squeezing her tight.

They had, in fact, gone to therapy together for a few months.

Dr Herman had been fantastic, helping both mother and daughter reconcile their past and find a way to move forward.

Lolita was still the same wild woman Cass knew and loved, but she now took the time to consider her words before speaking them out loud.

Cass worked on herself and accepting her mum, meaning they were closer than ever.

Henry was like a father to Cass and Harriet. He was the calm to Lolita’s chaotic personality. Plus, they’d moved closer to Cass, so months didn’t go by without her seeing hide nor hair of her mum.

“Where’s Henry?” Harriet asked while hugging Lolita.

“He’s picking up Mr Whiskers.”

Cass was confused. “What? Why?”

Lolita rolled her eyes. “Because a bookshop called Ero-Tea-Ca has to have its own pussy…cat.” Biting her lip, Lolita tried to hide her snort with little success. Harriet chuckled, covering her mouth with a hand. Cass looked between them before shaking her head.

“That was terrible. The equivalent of a naughty dad joke. For shame, Mother. For shame.”

Lolita finally burst, her laugh contagious. By the time Henry stepped in with a rather put out Mr Whiskers, the five women were in hysterics. Henry beamed and laughed. “Looks like the party’s started. Here’s your kitty. He wasn’t best pleased I moved him, though.”

“The fun has arrived,” Nabi shouted from the bottom of the stairs. They’d decided to use the stairs in the teashop and add an adjoining door from the café to allow access. It was less construction, meaning neither shop had to close for long.

Thunderous steps echoed around the empty bookshop. Nabi, Kevin, Gogo, Selina, Diane, Mitchel, and Robbie crammed through the door, looking far too excited.

“You’re all nearly two hours early,” Cass shouted over the din.

“Harriet called and said you were stressing so we decided to get here earlier,” Gogo replied, pulling Cass in for a hug. “We got you, honey. By the night’s end, this place is going to look as fabulous as me in a sequined dress.”

Feeling a sudden rush of tears, Cass buried her head in Gogo’s chest. “Thank you.”

Peeling herself away, Cass took Harriet by the waist and pulled her close. “I love you.”

Nuzzling her neck, Harriet sighed. “I just want you to be happy, baby.”

“Let’s get to it,” Nabi called. She already had a lollipop unwrapped and heading towards her mouth.

The day was finally here. Cass, Harriet, and Kendal would open their doors to the public. The Oxford Beanery Ero-Tea-Ca Bookstore would welcome their first patron in just over three hours.

Snuggling a little closer to Cass’s warm, naked body, Harriet smiled in utter contentment. She had so much to be happy about. Both the café and teashop were performing brilliantly. The buzz about their joint venture was the talk of Oxford, so Harriet expected today to be another success.

Cass pulled her closer and sniffed her hair, which meant she was awake. “Mornin’.”

Shifting away, Harriet lifted her head and looked into Cass’s eyes. “Good morning.”

“Have you been awake long?”

“Only ten-or-so minutes. I was surprised to beat you.” Cass was usually up and out of bed by seven at the latest. It was now 8 a.m.

“You wore me out last night.”

Harriet grinned. They’d definitely worked off some energy last night. She was momentarily lost in the memory when Cass chuckled. Rolling them so she was on top, Cass leaned down and kissed Harriet good morning. “Want a repeat performance?”

Grabbing Cass’s bum, Harriet grinned. “Yes, but before that, I have a present for you.”

“Why?”

Harriet laughed at Cass’s brusque response. “Because I love you and wanted to. Is that okay?”

Cass blushed. “Of course it is. Sorry.”

Shaking her head, Harriet wrapped her legs around Cass’s hips and reversed their positions. “Wait there.”

Digging through her bag, Harriet pulled out the package.

She hoped Cass liked it and found the funny side.

Over the past several months, Cass had relaxed a lot when it came to sex and sex-related topics.

She was more easily able to laugh along with their friends, even cracking her own saucy jokes from time to time.

“Is it a book?” Cass grinned.

Huffing, Harriet placed the box on the bed. “Does it look like a book?”

“Can I open it?”

Nodding, Harriet worried her lip as Cass tore through the paper wrapping. She watched Cass pull out the teapot and examine the artwork. Her eyes bugged and her mouth dropped open. Harriet was on the verge of apologising, when Cass hugged the teapot close to her naked breasts.

“I love it! Oh my God, Harriet, it’s beautiful.”

Falling back dramatically to the bed, Harriet let out a loud, “Phew.”

The bed dipped as Cass leaned over. “Is it Raine’s work?”

“Yup.”

Cass’s face took on a tinge of red. “I can’t believe she painted our afternoon sexcapade in the teashop. How will we look her in the face?” Cass laughed.

“Raine has painted so many erotic scenes, they all blur into one.”

“But she got our features spot on. And the bit where you’re on the table.”

“Good, right?” Harriet leaned up, nipping Cass’s lip. “I thought it would be nice to have our very own Ero-Tea-Ca collection.”

“Are there teacups?”

“Not yet. I wanted to see how the teapot went over first.”

“I appreciate that,” Cass began, “but I’m fine. It’s a beautiful gift.”

“Then I’ll ask Raine to go ahead with the rest of it. I ordered a cake stand as well. For when we have our own naughty tea party.”

Cass grinned. “My my, you have thought this through.”

Harriet shrugged. “I’m always thinking about you, Cass.”

“You know what would make the tea parties easier?”

“What?”

“If we lived in the same house.” Harriet stilled. Did she mean… “Move in with me. I want to live with you and wake up with you every morning.”

Letting out an excited squeal, Harriet wrapped herself around Cass. “Yes! Oh my God, yes!”

This time Cass let out a dramatic, “Phew. Good, because if you’d said no, I would have to cancel the movers for next weekend.”

Giggling, Harriet booped Cass on the nose. “We wouldn’t want that.”

“Indeed.”

Losing themselves in each other, Harriet and Cass almost missed their own grand opening. Only when the incessant ringing of both phones pulled them out of their sex bubble did they realise they had ten minutes to get to the shop.

Speed walking, they made it to the front of both shops with two minutes to spare, earning a frown and playful punch on their arms from Kendal.

The crowd was significant. Harriet saw old and new faces smiling at her, clearly eager to check out the new add-on.

With the café taking the brunt of the disruption during the renovation, the three partners decided to leave it open for trade and close Ero-Tea-Ca for the morning to open the bookstore.

With a ribbon across the door, Kendal motioned to Cass.

“Thank you for coming,” she began. “It’s an absolute dream and honour to open the bookstore with Harriet and Kendal.

Although it started as my dream, I know we share a deep love of the place.

I think I can safely speak for us all when we say this has been a labour of love.

A safe space to relax and read.” Cass looked at Kendal and Harriet, who were both beaming.

Unable to stop herself, she leaned down and kissed Harriet.

With a smile and a light heart, Cass turned back to the crowd.

“So, without further ado… Welcome to Ero-Tea-Ca! We’re open! ”

The ribbon fell to the floor as Kendal, Harriet, and Cass gave it a good tug. The door opened, and the patrons streamed in, all heading for the staircase.

“It’s called The Oxford Beanery Ero-Tea-Ca Bookstore, babe,” Harriet murmured in her ear.

“I know,” Cass said. “But it’s a mouthful and we’re standing outside Ero-Tea-Ca.”

Kendal snorted. “I can’t believe you said the word erotica in front of a crowd full of people.”

Cass grinned. “I didn’t even blush.”

“I’m proud of you,” Harriet said, patting her bum playfully.

“Wait until I conduct my first book club. Then you’ll be really proud.”

Gasping in faux shock, Kendal grabbed Cass by the shoulders. “Are you going to read a naughty book, Cassandra Beaufort?”

Swatting her away, Cass led them into the shop and up the stairs. “Yes. And I’ll even provide naughty cakes.”

“See, I told you Ero-Tea-Ca would be good for the street,” Kendal sang smugly.

They stood in the doorway watching people browse the shelves. Several were already settled in the comfy seats with either a coffee or a pot of tea.

“You did, Ken. And I couldn’t be happier to be proved wrong.”

Harriet leaned into Cass. “We’ve done something good.”

“You started it,” Cass replied.

“Maybe. But together, we’ve created something truly wonderful.”

Nabi bustled over with three cups of tea. “Here, freshly brewed.”

Picking up their cups, Cass, Harriet, and Kendal clinked them together. “To a new start,” Kendal said.

“To the bookstore,” Harriet added.

“To Ero-Tea-Ca,” Cass finished.