try my luck

MANRAJ SAHNI. ITHACA COLLEGE CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSOR.

“Learning never exhausts the mind.” — Leonardo da Vinci

The thing about Luciana is that she knew how to make a sale, yet she knew how to fall into one too. When it came to sweets and coffee, it didn’t take much for her to eagerly agree to whatever was being offered in her direction. “You don’t have to keep trying to convince me that it’s a good buy. I’m already sold,” she smirked as she bit down on her bottom lip to stifle a laugh that dared to follow. “Fine, you got me. I’ll take some of the mango braid, a scone, and obviously a cup of coffee because if I’m going to commit, I’m going all the way. Whichever is your more popular scone option, I’ll take that. As for coffee, whatever you recommend. I’m not really picky when it comes to that. I’m Luciana, by the way. In case you’re wondering who your new most frequent customer will be.”

✩ 

“of course, the most popular option is our chocolate chip scone. you can never go wrong with chocolate chip, right?” he said, reaching for the scone in the case with only a slight pause when she introduced herself by name. he’d heard his wife mention a luciana recently, and while it wasn’t the most unusual name, he wasn’t afraid to make the wrong assumption when he repeated, “luciana? would you happen to be familiar with a monica soledad?” and he certainly didn’t forget the hyphenation of her surname with his own, continuing, “technically soledad-sahni, since we got married.”

location: coltivare

location: beebe lake

raj was familiar with all of the jones kids, growing up around them and his younger sister being a close friend figure in their lives. they were family friends, he and luke had gone to school together and while he didn’t exactly consider himself akin to a parental figure in their lives, he’d definitely say he always felt like a bit of an older sibling to the gang of kids. they grew up playing around his sister with him as the older one to watch over them, and he honestly had a lot of respect for luke, taking in all of them even though none of them were his to begin with aside from willa.

location: flourish plant shop

location: sahni’s sweets

It was a rare kind of morning–one where Diah had allotted herself enough time to actually consume something before noon. Her eyes had been roaming the various pastries on display at Sahni’s for a few minutes, taking advantage of the lack of a line behind her. It was an important decision, her breakfast pastry of choice, and just when she thought she’d made her decision, another would catch her eye, and her confidence would waver. She’d had half a mind to just get a box of an assorted variety for the office when the man behind the counter spoke. 

Her head popped up at the question, immediately shaking in answer, though her eyes dipped to the mango braid on display. Whether it was their description of the pastry or just the mere sight of it in all it’s golden brown glory, she was sold. “I haven’t, but I guess today is the day.” She hesitated for a moment, before adding, “and maybe a chocolate croissant, too.” Her gaze raised back to Raj, polite smile pulling at her lips. “Slow morning, professor?”

✩ 

there was a fist of triumph raised in the air at her acceptance of trying the mango braid, “this one is on me, today. you can pay for the pain au chocolat, though,” he teased, chuckling to himself as he gathered together the pastries in a little box for her, thinking that he had to remember to ask if she wanted them warmed. “can’t say any different, can i?” they admitted, glancing around at the otherwise empty shop though was quick to truthfully assure her, “it was busier earlier this morning, you’re just catching us in a slump. did you want these warmed up? the mango braid is still a bit warm from me taking it out of the oven in the past twenty minutes, but the croissant was made just a couple hours ago.”

A smile curved at his lips, the brightness of private amusement lighting up Henley’s eyes before he decided to let Raj in on what he found to be so funny. “I like labs,” he answered, accompanied with a small shrug. “It definitely helps with being a biology major and all.” Exhaling a light chuckle, he shook his head a little before elaborating, “I’m minoring in environmental studies, too. My main interest is in mycology – the study of fungi, y’know? Mushrooms and stuff. Which is a huge field in and of itself, but career-wise… not so much. I figured it’d be safer to get in on the conservation side of things early.” The last thing Henley wanted to do was spend four years (or, god forbid, more) working towards a degree that turned out to be essentially useless in the real world. Far too often, he found himself spiraling into the cycle of sabotaging thought: if this, then that.

“Really?” he blurted in surprise, a neat little furrow working between his brows. “Huh, I guess I never even considered that people needed a degree to be a qualified poet…” But, then again, how else would someone become classically trained in any of the arts? Personally, Henley had taken creative writing to fill the slot of a couple elective credits and didn’t put any thought into it beyond that. “Well, then,” he started again, smiling tugging wider to joke, “are there any poets destined for greatness in your class? Anyone who might mention you in the acknowledgements when they get published?”

✩ 

raj definitely was never a science-y type of guy. enough was shown in his expression at the mentions of biology and mycology, and usually anything that had the suffix of -logy in reference to fields of science. “you know, i respect you a lot for that. even in high school, i was never the best student when it came to science. was always a lover of english, myself,” he explained, “but i’m sure you’ll figure something out career-wise. it never hurts to go into research, or even furthering your education to end up teaching others about your passion.” with that suggestion, he motioned to himself with a nudge of his finger against his chest. even then, he could remember being in his second year of college wondering what the hell he wanted to do with his life. even though he knew he loved to write, he still felt that he’d end up stuck working for his parents for the rest of his life if he didn’t choose a career path that would get him away from it.

“oh, yeah. it’s not all my students, mind you. even business majors can be poets, you know? and everyone wants to try their hand at it, so you can imagine the amount of emails and knocks i get on my office door a day.” it was why he avoided his office most of the time, now that he was four years into his career he’d learned to keep his email closed and work anywhere but his office if he wanted to get any actual work done. “i can’t name any of them for a fact, though. is that sad? i feel like i should be producing greatness, but.. who knows. maybe if you ever publish a research paper on fungi, you can mention that i bought you food that one time,” he joked back.

ＴＨＥ small efforts is what kept her going– it showed he cared, that he wanted to be with her, and he was committed to their vow. At least, from what she knew about marriage. Her parents’ marriage wasn’t roses and rainbows, but they were still together none the less. Although, their problems seemed much more different compared to her own parents. She smiled up at him, finishing the cookie and nodded in excitement. “I’ll taste test every cookie you make,” she stated. “Don’t be surprised if I ask for chocolate-chunk cookies from you every day after,” Monica said, a humored chuckle leaving her. She had always appreciated his baking skills– especially on her birthdays. He definitely beat her in that arena, not that she ever delved into the world of baking. 

She walked along him, peeking over at all of the different tents lined up. Today’s market was busy, the start of the season always being her favorite. She liked seeing what people created and produced for everyone to enjoy, thanking everybody above her for whoever decided to bring the spiked lemonades. She moved onto her next one, proceeding to continue her own personal party as the liquor ran through her system. Monica liked to take the edge off– in the most appropriate way possible. She was still maneuvering what that meant in her life, adjusting to her life day by day.

She sipped on her drink, watching his less-than-excited expression and a part of her wanted to erupt into a fit then and there but she had grown since those days in her youth. At least, today she was. She tried to hide her displeasure, turning her attention away from him. Of course, he wasn’t jumping at the fact at a vacation with his wife. That was normal– right? “You think?” she repeated, raising an eyebrow at him. Now her own excitement fizzled, feeling the pit of worry in her stomach she had been experiencing lately. She shrugged, her spirits low as she heard him. “Don’t worry about Leones. I’ll figure it out,” she told him, the independent woman in her pushing through. Technically, she didn’t need him to join her. She wanted him to. “No te preocupes. I understand you have a lot to prepare for,” truthfully, Monica didn’t understand. She was just trying to act the part of an understanding wife. Marriage was about understanding, she told herself. “I’ll take Alma.. or Joey, or make it a solo-trip. I just need to get away, that’s all.” 

✩ 

warmth spread through raj, and whether it was the alcohol or the meaning behind her words flowing through him, he couldn’t differentiate the feeling. “baby, i’ll make you chocolate-chunk cookies every day of our lives if you asked,” he declared, leaning in close to lay a kiss on the top of her head. though they had their ups and downs, the highs always served as a great reminder of why they got married in the first place. sure, they’d gotten married fairly quickly after finally dating, but it was all worth it to wake up to her every day.

not like that feeling lasted very long, raj witnessing her hopeful expression fall when he seemed less than enthusiastic about the trip she’d proposed. it wasn’t like he didn’t want to go, he would love a vacation.. but. they couldn’t just abandon their responsibilities and fly off somewhere, they need to at least plan in advance so they could have everything set and ready for them to leave. “i mean, if we wanted to vacation during summer, it should’ve been brought up in.. i don’t know, march or something. that way we’d have time to plan. you know, find hotels and book activities and make sure everything here is settled for while we’re gone.”

he understood that now, he was pretty much uninvited from whatever she was planning in her head to go through with in company of one of her friends. raj just wanted to make her understand, hands moving to rest over her shoulders as he tried to make her meet his eyes when he said, “i would want to go with you, to be with you.. we just have to. to plan first, and we could make it work.”

“I haven’t, but I’d like to?” She was a foodie at heart and she found it hard to believe that she wouldn’t like what he was offering. “You had me at homemade. The rest is just a bonus.” She loved mango and pastry dough; what more did she did? “Sold. I’ll take one, or however you sell it. Any other recommendations you’d make?”

✩

he was familiar with the woman’s face from frequenting the bars in the area, a regular at most of them.. and in a small town, it was only due time before she’d end up visiting him at one of his places of work. raj at least could convince her that they weren’t an alcoholic. a part of him swelled with pride, having sold a section of the mango braid barely below half an hour of it being out of the oven.. he couldn’t keep that bit of information to himself, either. “it’s pretty fresh out of the oven, too, i just took it out maybe twenty minutes ago. the mango should still be really tender and warm, it’s just. incredible. the other ones i’d recommend are the scones, but of course you’ll need a cup of coffee to go along with that if you’re in the mood.” 

“Oh gosh, you really think so? No need to flatter me, I’m just grateful to have a job,” Savannah replied. Sure, she didn’t need the extra money, but gaining more connections within the culinary word would benefit her in the future. Biting down on her bottom lip, she tries her best to dodge his next question. Raf was just a caring person, but the baker just didn’t like to make people feel bad for her. “Oh, it’s nothing! Just a little tired. I’ve been busy with work and my summer class, college is just…hard y'know?”

✩

raj waved off her response, “not flattery at all, just the truth. i know my parents really enjoy having you here, too. now that they’re getting older... well, you know.” it was no secret that his parents were aging, unable to do a lot of the same things they used to. the couple used to run the bakery all on their own, but within the past few years had been hiring bakers, baristas, and the likes to keep up with it now that raj had his own career to focus on. but that was besides the point, he was just grateful to have savannah around with how hard of a worker she was. “i understand, trust me. if you ever need any help, just let me know. i am a college professor, you know, i could be a little helpful when it comes to college classes,” his tone was light, gaze concerned over at her.

open: open, capping at five pls. contact me if you want a different/private starter! ♡

“ever tried a mango braid?” raj leaned against the display case from behind the counter, finger tapping at the glass towards the pastry mentioned, “it’s our homemade puff pastry dough with fresh slices of mango in the middle, and the dough is folded over in sections to give it the ‘braided’ look. trust me, if you like mangoes, you’ll love it.”

Amina did her best not to let her gaze linger for too long. It was the last thing she needed was to be labeled as the woman giving heart-eyes to a married man. Her gaze drifted down towards his wedding ring as if it was the one thing she had to see in order to put herself back together. She cleared her throat as she turned her head to look back at her screen, placing her fingers delicately along the keys as she brushed her tongue along her lower lip. “Are there any safety precautions you take in order to make sure no one can take your jeep?” She asked as she turned her head to look over at him for a second, smiling at the idea of those little jeep ducks in his car. “Which ones have you gotten so far? I’ve been tempted to get a jeep of my own because of those things,” she chuckled as she let her eyes raise up toward his face. “Ah, things are great. How about you? How’s married life treating you?” Somehow the words left without betraying her.

✩ 

there was a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips when he heard the clearing of her throat, catching just the tail end of her gaze lingering near his.. coffee cup, conveniently held in his left hand where his wedding ring resided. “uh.. well, i like to make sure all of my windows are secure. and you have to lock your doors, of course. i wish i could say i had some kind of tricks like kevin in home alone or something, but it’s pretty simple.” he tried to wrack his brain and continued, “always park your car in well lit areas? also near any security cameras, if possible. then they can catch everyone on tape and, well you know facebook groups and the news channels are good at catching those guys.”

“oh, too many. the latest one i got was a duck with a mustache and a little denim jacket, like he was a 90′s rocker. i put it on someone else’s jeep the other day, gotta pass along the greatness, you know?” he chuckled, and raj took another sip of his coffee before answering her next question. “you know, married life is.. fun. monica’s usually busy with leones and i’ve been busy wrapping up all of my classes this semester. thankfully my students have been pretty great this semester,” he veered more towards information that didn’t include talking about his wife, the topic just a bit awkward for the pair of them with their history.

Most days, Savannah truly did love her job. Being able to work at such an amazing bakery owned by some kind people was truly a blessing. It was the stepping stone in her eventually wanting to open up her own bakery once she graduated from college. But, today had been testing her already. She could only pray that her shift would go by quickly and without any issues.

Making her way into the bakery to work the opening shift, she makes sure to wipe her eyes clean of the tears that she had shed this morning, double checking for no mascara streaks.

“So, that must mean all the prepping I did before I left last night doesn’t disappoint? Sometimes it can be a lot of pressure to impress the owner’s son?”

✩ 

raj chuckled a bit at her question, “it never disappoints! you’re one of the best bakers we’ve had since, well.. me,” he answered, at the risk of sounding full of himself. it was hard not to, though, but at least it was a great compliment towards how highly he thought of savannah’s skills. and he wanted to be a bit more cautious with his next question, when he couldn’t help but notice a bit of puffiness to her eyes that couldn’t quite be excused for sleepiness at the early hour of the morning. “is everything alright..?”

location: bar argos

with theo meeting him at argos, raj was well prepared in ordering two rounds of shots ready for whenever he’d show up. he’d been on his phone letting theo know so with a text when he was stopped mid sentence by the shot girl providing them to his table, and theo in a timely manner showing up just as she was leaving back to the bar. “theo, my man,” he greeted, standing just to offer the other professor a hug and patting his back once or twice before letting him go. 

“well here’s to no more classes for the summer, right?” he raised a glass to the fact, moving to tap it against the table in respects to the shot pourer before pausing to ask, “wait, you’re not doing summer classes, are you? i forgot to ask. tell me you’re taking the summer off, too.”

location: sahni’s sweets

now that it was summertime, raj’s parents expected him to show up more often around the bakery.. which wasn’t really too hard of an ask, even though it kept him from being able to sleep in with his wife. not like they weren’t used to the time apart, regardless of whether it was because of their jobs, or because of raj getting up at five in the morning to hop by the store before it opened to see if savannah needed any help with preparing baked goods for the day.

when he popped in the back door, he was able to slip into the kitchen without making too much noise and couldn’t resist a fresh pan of pain au chocolat still cooling down from the oven. by the time half of it was already in his mouth, he turned to see savannah and raised his hands in innocence. “..i was just taste testing, and they taste great.” though his words were muffled from the pastry in his mouth, hopefully she’d hear and accept his excuse.

Amina had been hyperaware of his presence whenever they ran into each other. Of course, that was never something she would admit because that would mean diving deep into why. She lifted her dark hues up towards his face, keeping a neutral expression on her features. Truthfully, timing was their biggest problem with their relationship, the both of them diving deep into their careers and things just… stopped. She could never pinpoint what exactly ended their relationship but the beating in the depths of her chest always told her that the feelings always lingered. She noticed the grin on his features, a smile spreading across hers as she shook her head, turning her head to look at the screen again. “You always know when to find me,” usually in crisis. She gestured to the empty seat next to her. “If you have some time… I’d love to pick apart that brain of yours on jeeps.” She teased a little, returning her gaze back to him. Keep it in mind, Amina… He’s married. 

✩