Page 5 of Welcome to Ero-TEA-Ca: We’re Open!

Harriet

H arriet’s breakfast choice of half an apple was a mistake, one she only realised she’d made halfway to the tea shop. Her tummy was cramping and if she didn’t get something substantial in her body soon, she’d likely fall over within twenty minutes of shifting boxes.

He thought his tried-and-tested routine was hilarious. Harriet hadn’t liked it when she was a kid, and she certainly didn’t appreciate it now. Who the hell wanted to be ripped out of sleep like that? She’d get him back somehow, but revenge would have to wait.

They were two minutes from the shop, and Harriet’s tummy and nerves were not helping.

This was it. After today, the tea shop would be stocked and ready to launch.

There would be a soft opening next week and then the grand opening ceremony.

Nabi had convinced her to buy one of those ribbons and a giant set of scissors to make it official.

Was it a bit OTT? Probably, but like her friend explained, it wasn’t everyday one made their dreams come true. And this shop was Harriet’s dream.

Spotting the moving van parked up and with multiple boxes sitting beside it, Harriet cringed.

They should have been here hours earlier to get the stock inside.

God knows the inconvenience they were causing right now.

Probably some health and safety issues too.

It was still earlyish, though, so maybe they’d get away with it if they shifted the boxes double time.

Harriet pulled the moped to a stop a few metres away from the truck. She was just removing her helmet when a blur of dark hair and muttering anger whipped past the bike and stormed into the coffee shop next door.

Whoa, someone really needs their java!

Nabi came floating over with a serene smile on her face. “Hey, guys.”

“I’m so sorry we’re late, Nab. Someone forgot to set the alarm.”

Nabi waved off Harriet’s apology with an actual wave of her hands. “It was meant to be. I had more time to connect with the building. We’re good now. Totally in sync with the energy. Just don’t move the crystals.”

“Never,” Kevin commented from the back of the bike. “We know better than that, Nab. So, shall we get this bitch moved in?”

“Yes,” Nabi sang. Harriet tried to ignore the raging hunger and light-headedness.

They had work to do. She had work to do.

Everything rested on her shoulders. If Ero-Tea-Ca failed, her parents would never stop gloating, and Harriet didn’t know if she could handle a failure.

Not again. Everything up to this point she’d tried, had failed.

She couldn’t let Ero-Tea-Ca join the club.

“Game plan,” Kevin called, dragging Nabi and Harriet into a huddle. “Nabs and I will start shifting boxes. Harriet will go to the coffee shop, eat something, and then return.”

“Hey—”

“Sweetie, your stomach sounds like an extra from The Walking Dead . You’re no good famished. We’ve got a lot to do, so go eat,” he said in all seriousness. Her stomach made the point for him by rumbling obnoxiously loud again.

“Why didn’t you have breakfast?” Nabi asked, popping a neon green lollipop in her mouth. God knows from where she’d produced it. Harriet stopped asking how and why Nabi did things years ago.

“We were late and I thought an apple would be fine, but then I dropped half of it and didn’t want to waste any more time.”

“But you’re like, the worst person ever when you get hungry.” Harriet wanted to protest, but it was true. She brought a whole other meaning to the word hangry . “I’d say you’re ten minutes from unleashing the beast. Kevin’s right. You need to eat first.”

Unleashing the beast was a bit much. Sort of. Rolling her eyes, Harriet agreed to nip next door. But only for a pastry and take-away cup of coffee. Organising the shop had to take priority. Ero-Tea-Ca had to be her life from now on. Nothing could get in the way.

With the lamest “Break” chant she’d ever heard, Harriet spun on her heels and headed for The Oxford Beanery. An additional set of nerves rattled in her chest. The owners were her new neighbours, after all, and she wanted to make a good impression.

Pushing through the door, Harriet took a second to scan the shop. It was gorgeous. The café was industrial modern, yet cosy. The smell of coffee saturated the air and made Harriet’s mouth water. Yes, she preferred tea. Obviously. But who the hell didn’t like a good cup of coffee, too?

Plush seats were positioned to her left, tables and chairs to the right. Behind the counter sat the biggest coffee machine Harriet had ever seen. It had more dials and knobs than a spaceship. All she had to contend with was a kettle and teapot, and thank God for that.

A lovely-looking woman smiled at her from behind the counter. “Hi, welcome to The Oxford Beanery. What can I get you?”

This boded well. If she happened to be the owner, Harriet was in luck.

“Can I take a black coffee and…any type of pastry to go, please?”

Harriet startled when a door to the left crashed open, and a very irate woman pushed through it. “There, let’s see the council ignore that!”

The server rolled her eyes. “Cass, we have customers,” she murmured.

The angry woman’s jaw set. “I can see that, Kendal.”

Harriet stood frozen in place. Both women looked fierce and very intimidating.

They glared at each other for a few seconds before the angry one, or Cass, as Harriet now knew, huffed and walked off.

Kendal completed Harriet’s order with a smile, but it was strained.

Maybe now wasn’t the best time to do introductions.

Collecting her coffee and food, Harriet retreated to the safety of her own shop.

Nabi was singing to the music piping out of the shop speaker and Kevin was dancing as he shifted boxes.

Finally, Harriet smiled. Okay, so the day had started out a little stressful, but everything was fine now.

The pastry was excellent, and the coffee was orgasmic. Time to get moved in.

Wow, glass dildos and teapots were heavy. Harriet had sweated through her T-shirt hours ago and she desperately needed to change, but they still had a lot to do. A hot shower and clean clothes would have to wait a little longer.

Kevin had gone to return the removal van and Nabi was in the stockroom, chanting.

Harriet didn’t ask. Instead, she stood in the middle of her shop and marvelled at the work.

When she’d taken over ownership, the shop resembled a workshop.

Mr Beedle explained it had been a local hardware store for decades.

With hard-earned money and some investment from her siblings, Harriet put everything into buying the shop and getting it refitted.

The end result was beyond her expectations.

The fitters had turned the space into a gorgeous vintage English tea shop.

It was a beautiful blend of old and new.

The furniture, till, display cases, and shelves were all vintage.

Harriet wanted her customers to have an experience when they walked into her shop.

Of course, she had all the latest technology too, but the idea was for customers to lose themselves for a while…

forget about the outside world and all its judgements.

Inside Ero-Tea-Ca, people were free to enjoy fine tea from across the world and explore their desires.

It might be a weird concept for some, Harriet understood that, but in her gut, she knew it would work, especially for women.

Yes, British people might have a reputation for their prudish natures, but times were changing.

Friends were more open about their sex lives.

Sex was becoming less taboo, and Harriet wanted to foster a safe space for people to have those conversations.

Plus, tea—the number one staple in all British households.

A winning combination.

“I can’t fit any more boxes in the stockroom. We need to start unloading and filling the shelves,” Nabi called.

Shaking out her aching arms, Harriet began opening box after box. She’d amassed an impressive collection of tea over the past few months. She had blends for nearly every need: heart health, anti-anxiety, sleep, anti-inflammatory, detox, and, of course, libido.

Pulling out her phone, Harriet scrolled to her floor plan.

She was a natural organiser and had plotted the layout of the shop months ago.

Everything had its place. And now it was time to put the floor plan into action.

Nabi gave it a once over before grabbing a box of Kevin’s glass dildos.

They would be displayed behind the serving area.

Harriet couldn’t afford for them to be smashed by over-excited clients.

If a customer was interested, she or Nabi would take the time to show the customer personally—the product, not how to use it. Huh, maybe she needed to make a sign.

The last thing Harriet wanted was any misunderstanding.

She knew the other shop owners might not be thrilled to have Ero-Tea-Ca open up so close to their businesses, so she needed to ensure they understood she sold tea and toys, not sex.

This wasn’t a brothel or porn shop. It was so much more.

However, Harriet was sex work positive, so she’d happily go to bat against anyone who wanted to open their bigoted mouths.

“Harriet, you’re gritting your teeth. Are you hungry again?” Nabi asked with concern, her lollipop hovering in front of her mouth. How many was that now? Four? No wonder Nabi seemed to have endless energy. She was high as a kite on sugar.

Shaking her head, Harriet let out a breath. “No, sorry. I got in my head for a second there. It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

“No, that was definitely something. You’re not worried about opening the shop still?”

Placing a box of Maca tea on the floor, Harriet sat at the closest table. “I was thinking about the other shops around us, actually.”

“’Kay. What about them?”

“Just that some aren’t happy, are they?”

Nabi shrugged. “Sure. But so what? If they don’t like it, they don’t visit.

Simple. You’ve already put frosted glass in to stop kids from being able to look in and see adult stuff.

You’ve got a warning on the door and you’ve been super clear in all the ads that this is an adult space.

The council signed off, Harriet. Fuck what anyone else thinks. ”

“Maybe I should have invited the owners for a cuppa? Let them take a look around?” Yeah, she should have done that.

“You can still do that if you want. But you need to be prepared that not all of them will change their minds.”

Harriet narrowed her eyes. There was something Nabi wasn’t saying. “Nabs…did something happen?”

“Oh, nothing super bad. The owner of the café got a little huffy, but nothing major.”

The owner of the café? “What did they look like?”

Nabi sucked on her lollipop, deep in concentration. “Dark hair in a ponytail. Kind of intense. Some serious blocked energy. Her chakras are all out of whack.”

Harriet closed her eyes. She knew who Nabi was talking about: Cass, the angry woman. Shit, the tea shop hadn’t even opened and Harriet already had an irate neighbour. “What was she upset about?”

“The van. Something about safety and blocking access. Oh, and smoking weed in the shop.”

Harriet’s eyes bugged open. “What? Who the fuck was smoking weed in here?”

Nabi chuckled. “No one. I’d done a sage sweep and lit a few other incense sticks. No drugs, I swear. It seemed the smell made its way through the air vent and into her stockroom. She was pissed.”

Harriet’s shoulders sank. “Great.”

Flinging an arm around Harriet’s shoulders, Nabi pulled her close. “Don’t worry. Take her a box of tea and a dildo as an apology for the inconvenience.”

“I’ll take the tea, not the toy. Boundaries, Nabs. Do we know if she’s the sole owner of the café?”

“No clue. Why?”

“Just that when I went in for coffee, there was a really nice woman working that I hoped would be the owner.”

“Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t. Don’t let the negative in, sweetie.

You’re in a great place. You’ve successfully kept Patsy and Ronald’s negativity at bay, you can do the same for some rando café owner.

This is your moment to shine, Harriet. And the people of Oxford deserve to have a sexy tea shop. ”

“Well, when you put it like that…” Harriet laughed.

The door opened and in strolled Kevin, followed by Gogo. Gogo was a six-foot-five giant. They always styled their hair in intricate braids. Their clothes were always unpredictable, and Harriet absolutely adored them.

“The queens have arrived,” Gogo announced. “Set me to work, my beautiful Harriet. Let me bask in all your sexual glory.”

“Hey, G. Thank you for coming.” Harriet was swept into a hug that felt like home. Gogo was the master of hugs. They always seemed to know exactly what people needed.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else. Now, what needs doing?”

Showing Kevin, Nabi, and Gogo her schematic, Harriet left them to unpack. Unfortunately, her mind was on this Cass woman. She’d never been very good at letting things go. Not when those things included someone being mad at her. How the hell was she going to get Cass on board?

Her gut feeling was Cass wouldn’t be a big fan of the shop. She thought back to the simmering ball of ire she’d witnessed barge into the café. Crap. Cass had said something about the council. Had she reported Harriet already? Jesus Christ, what a disaster.

Damage control. Harriet needed to calm the waters.

She didn’t need a complaint against her before she’d even opened her doors.

Should she take some tea as an olive branch?

What else could she do? Anxiety spread through her limbs.

She hated confrontation. That being said, she wouldn’t let anyone bully her.

The van was gone now and all the boxes were removed.

There were no more safety issues. She’d need to explain about Nabi’s herb-burning sessions.

Hopefully, that would be enough to stop Cass from complaining to the council again.

Somehow, Harriet didn’t think so. Cass was going to be a pain in the arse. She could feel it.

Crap.