Leo sat at a corner table at Pretty Bird, staring with intensity at a fifty-page document until the words started to look like abstract art. Was this all really necessary in order to open a yoga studio? “Just sign the thing so we can be neighbors!” Jeff said as he slid a fresh oat milk…

The space that would become Pretty Bird currently smelled like wet drywall and Jeff’s flagging optimism. Jeff stood in the center of the dusty room, glaring at a cracked linoleum floor as if he could intimidate it into becoming a thriving espresso bar. “Step one: Buy a high-end espresso machine,” Jeff muttered, checking a crumpled…

The sun was shining brightly in Echo Park. Or maybe it was just Julie’s sequined top. She was scattering sunshine through the drab interior of Pretty Bird like a red-hued disco ball, occasionally blinding the barista and the other customers.  “Okay,” Jeff said. “Let’s see what you’ve got.” The owner of Pretty Bird was gruff,…