Little Touch of Heaven

Bad Luck

Deep in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan, the bustling streets were filled with people of all kinds. Each one of them craved love, happiness and peace, and to do that they all needed to accomplish their dreams...

The dream of one specific stunning woman sat within the neon sign positioned on a post standing high in the sky. It was ignited in bright pink, neon lighting and read as: "ALLIE'S GLAMOUR".

A pink bricked building with hanging lights and decorations, along with almost too many flowers sat along a busy stretch. The decorations of the place adorned both the inside and outside, and several on-theme lawn pieces of flamingos and flowers and glittering signs were stilted out around the place...

Inside, it smelled of bread, soufflé pancakes, and other breakfast norms. Sets of pink, yellow, green and blue LEDs, white fairy lights and pink rose light sets worked as the Glamour's primary source of light besides it's large front windows glistening with sunlight. These light sets adorned the walls as tulips and daisies adorned booths and as popular cake pops of assorted signature flavors were being sold for a buck up at the registers.

Customers came and went constantly, as the team of employees worked together to give a time-managed and enjoyable experience behind the scenes. Up at the counter, a display case sat containing steaming hot pies, double tiered, delicately frosted cakes and also among them were displayed rows of cupcakes, donuts, dango, moon cakes, and mochi of both original styles and summer-specific themes. Hawaiian flower frosted donuts adorned the top shelf, most prominent for eye viewing of the customers.

A young male waitress with messy chestnut hair glided from a booth into the kitchen on happy feet with a notepad. "Two orders of okonomiyaki, miss senior chef!" He snickered as he handed her the order abruptly and continued on into the kitchen.

A scoff was heard in an exhaled anguish from a woman with biting eyes and tight curls upon her head. "Ash, for the love of God, stop yelling about my new title!" Rolling her eyes, she went back to her station, trying to focus on not cooking herself along with the ingredients in the newly used bowl of hers.

Asher laughed in the distance, grinning back at her, not looking the slightest bit phased by her sharp bark. "I think it's just charming, senior chef." He said loudly over the clattering of pots and pans as he walked over, towering over her. Aya did not appreciate being older than the owner herself and being shorter than her.

In her best attempt not to be charged for assault of a minor, she rolled her eyes and threatened him with raw eggs instead as she turned to prepare the orders he'd given her earlier.

On the other side of the kitchen, the owner and the rest of the employees were laughing at the quarrel, including a young girl closer to Asher's age. Her dirty blonde hair flared out over her shoulders softly, and her irises clung to her focusing pupils like sky blue ring bands. She laid her focus upon everything to do with him, his outfit, his hair, and his face when she was provided the chance to do so. Of course, it made her blood rush and created a much harder environment to concentrate in, but then again...

.

After the Glamour closed that evening and the sun was visiting the horizon for the night, Allie's team of employees gathered around the stove Allie's signature double fudge brownies were baking in. One of the employees, the tallest of the group, squeezed between Ash and Allie's personal assistant, Yoimiya, in the small crowd.

"Hey, boss? Can we go see that new horror movie playing down the street tonight?" He stuck his defined face through to the front of the crowd, grinning about the idea.

"Yeah, and then we can dissect the popcorn they sell and steal their secret recipe." Asher slyly remarked, earning an elbow in the ribs from Aya. He pretended the cower in fear of the 5'5 woman.

"Will you two quit killing each other?" Allie looked up from taking the steaming tray of brownies out of the oven to see the two already elbowing each other constantly. "Oi!" Her voice rang against the metal utensils.

The two separated upon request, Aya acting like she lost the awesome fight of the fourth grade to some skimpy second grader. Asher held a teenage smirk across his face with the light of his teenage self gleaming in his eyes.

Troublemaker, Aya thought to herself.

"I'd like to go see the movie." The dirty blonde girl from earlier finally spoke, sliding off the nearby counter.

"That's two!" The tall guy made a fist of glory.

Aya sighed, looking over to the girl with slightly less annoyance than a second before. "Well, I guess if you're going, Naomi, then I'm going too."

Asher exhaled dramatically. "Well, then. I guess it's only fair...if I go too. Make that four, Jiro." He dragged out in a slight baby-voice, making it sound as if he was so obligated to be there since the girls were going to be there.

Hot jokester, rang in Naomi's mind.

"Awesome!" Jiro fist bumped Asher and Aya, a second later making sure to get Naomi, too. He spun on his heel expectantly to Allie, who was standing with her arms crossed, leaning on one heel. Interest was sparkling in her eyes, a knowing smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Holding a notepad, Yoimiya, with her walnut shaded, completely straight hair, decidedly added to the number count. "I'd like to come too." Jiro gave her her deserved fist bump for the cause.

"Alright, you've convinced me!" She played along in a dramatic tone, turning around again as her sundress' ruffles danced elegantly in a twirl. She took a large knife and cut deep into the brownies, making them into large squares of fudge delight. "But on one condition-you guys have to practically lick this pan clean of these before we go!" She demanded with a smile, stealing a corner of the brownie batch and booking off into the corner of the crowd as those who had and hadn't agreed to go manhandled each other for the delicious chocolate fudge sweet.

Allie giggled to herself in the corner, smuggling her own large chunk of brownie into her tummy before anyone could argue with her for an extra bite. She licked her fingers clean as the crowd of food handlers finally calmed to a quiet consecutive chewing of happy tastebuds. She smiled as she disappeared around the corner and snatched her jacket off a hook in her office, knowing in about an hour they'd be in a middle of a popcorn fight and probably get kicked out of the theater.

.

And it turned out she was right.

Not an hour later was there a large green and empty bucket of popcorn spilled in their row from Asher flicking it at Jiro for half the movie, which erupted into a war of food being thrown. Before three-fourths of the movie had played they were asked to leave and Allie promised them a share of burnt souffle pancakes in the morning.

"Baka." Aya snickered as her strutted past him in her teal polo.

"Oi!" Asher huffed, pouting as if he was really that emotionally wounded from such an insult. Jiro was laughing next to him.

"Oi, Ash?" Naomi caught up to him from the back of the crowd.

"Yeah? What's-" Asher received a handful of popcorn lodged into his dark curls, half of the kernels plopping to the ground from his head as he stood there in stunned silence.

Naomi and Yoimiya exchanged glances before they burst out in giggles. Jiro's laugh came like a hyena's cackle in Asher's ear. Asher's face lit aglow in a embarrassed ruby red and he spewed a couple "bakas" around as Allie was failing to hold back her own evil cackling.

Aya's amused gaze trailed back over him to his head and down to the surrounding ground around him as he struggled to cleanse his thick curls of the brilliantly-thought-of popcorn mess. She slyly smiled in a way that displayed her gold canine on the right side of her mouth. "You know what, Asher? I think you might be the definition of bad luck."