After some time with zero movement, I get up and pour myself a glass of water. Tomorrow, I’ll have to start going around to the different cafés in the city. This means I’ll need to have cake samples. I get all the ingredients I need and get to baking. It’s close to midnight by the time I finish, but the samples are perfect. Plus, it feels good to be baking seriously again. It sounds a little weird, ‘baking seriously,’ but it is my passion, so it’s what I want to be doing with my days. It’s an old recipe that my Mom and I used to make – it’s actually the first cake we baked together. It’s light and fluffy, a nice treat to go with an afternoon coffee or tea. I store the cake in the fridge and start cleaning up. There’s some leftover frosting that I take with me to the couch. I turn the T.V. on and flip to a random channel. Some old movie is playing, but I’m not paying too much attention. I didn’t even get a spoon to eat this frosting with. Just some old-fashioned licking it off my finger. It’s probably super gross, but I barely care. I’ve been on a rollercoaster of emotions and right now I’m in a dip of sadness. All the baking made me happy in the moment, but now I’m alone in my apartment. I’d wager a guess that this current sadness has to do with being so far away from my home. But the frosting is helping. I should probably not be eating all this unhealthy food. It’s not like my body needs the extra sugar… Not that that is really going to stop me.
Before I know it, I’ve fallen asleep, the T.V. quietly buzzing in the background and my finger resting in the frosting bowl.
Chapter Two: Zara
I wake up the next morning a little ashamed of my current position. The T.V. turned off by itself, but there was no way for overindulgence in frosting to be so easily hidden from my morning eyes.
The first thing I do is wash out the bowl and leave it to dry. I check on the cake samples and they’re still safely packed away in the fridge. I leave the kitchen and go to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth. It’s weird having such an open floor plan, but I know that I can get used to it. My morning get ready doesn’t take me too long and I’m dressed and ready to leave within the hour. I put on comfortable, but presentable clothes. I’m pretty sure I won’t get a job at the first coffee shop I go to, so it’ll be a long day up and down the subway for me. I mapped out routes for myself before driving down. Mom and I had taken a few trips to the city, so I’m somewhat familiar with the subway system. I’m going to start with shops farther away from my apartment and work my way down. Manhattan seemed like the borough to start with and if nothing pans out there, I’ll move on to Brooklyn. I didn’t plan any further because I don’t want to jinx myself.
The subway takes over an hour, but I made sure to avoid rush hour, so the train isn’t too full. I get to the first café and it looks nice. I know I shouldn’t get my hopes up too high, but I make a good product and if I present myself with confidence, it’ll all pay off.
I walk inside and ask the person at the front if I can talk to the manager. They are surprisingly nice and, not too much time later, the manager comes over to me. I explain my situation to the, offering a sample of the cake I made last night. The confidence I had walking in isn’t coming across as boldly as I would like, but I got through my speech and that’s what matters. It’s my first try after all.
“I’m sorry. We already have someone who takes care of all of our baked goods. Thank you for coming in though.” They hand me back the piece of cake I gave them, but I say they can keep it. I leave a little dismayed, but I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet. Like I said – the first attempt probably wouldn’t pan out. I’ll just keep going until something sticks.
Or that’s how it starts out. Day one was not a success. Or day two. In fact, I went around for almost a month – actually for over a month. Four weeks and no one wanted to hire a baker. No one would even take me on a trial basis. They all had exclusive contracts or established relationships with bakers that they didn’t want to mess with. There were a lot of compliments on how nice my stuff tasted, though… Not that that helped much… Because four straight weeks of rejection is disheartening. It didn’t help that I was running low on money. I mean, I had enough to probably stay another month or so, but I didn’t want to leave the city with zero money in the bank. I might have to find another job just to tide me over. While I don’t have to pay rent on the bakery, there were still property tax and I can’t leave the place empty forever. The city would cry abandonment and make me sell it. My hometown is very big on appearance and a closed off, run down bakery isn’t something the locals will look at with warm smiles…
But I can’t think about that right at this second. I’m on my fifth café of the day. I go inside not expecting much, but not at the point where I want to throw my hands up in frustration. Just really, really close… I go through the usual spiel and we’re at the part where the owner is complimenting me on my cake and I’m just waiting for the ‘but’ at the end.
“This cake is really delicious, but I’m sorry. We don’t need any bakers at the moment…” I nod, not really surprised, but my heart does sink a little. I don’t think I can go to another shop today. I just want to go home and cry into my pillow. A little wallowing is good for the soul every now and then.
My hand has gone up, ready for the ‘thank you and goodbye,’ but Nellie, the owner, stops me.
“Hold on a second. Wait right here.” My eyes go wide because this is new. She disappears in the back and returns not too much time later. “Here’s a number I think you should call. Her name is Ruby and she’s starting a wedding cake business. Maybe she’s still looking for extra help.” I take the card from Nellie, my hands almost shaking. I know it’s a little early to get excited, but this is a new development that might just pan out. Hope is a funny thing because I’m suddenly full of the energy I had when I first moved here. Nellie continues, “The two of us aren’t very close, but she knows me. Let her know I sent you over and you know what…” She pauses while taking something out of her back pocket. It’s another card. She writes something on the back before handing it to me. “Take my card, too. I know I said we don’t need a baker at the moment, but I’d like to stay in touch. I heard there was a girl going around with some delicious sweets and I was wondering if she’d make a stop by my shop. If something else comes up, I’ll keep you in mind.” I’m so happy, I want to cry. While everyone has been really nice, Nellie has been the sweetest by far. I want to hug her, but I’m worried that’s too forward.
“Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“I have a small clue. I remember when I was starting out. If it weren’t for the kindness of strangers and friends, I would not be where I am today.” I nod, fully agreeing with her. “I also put my cell on the back. I like your initiative and if you’re ever looking for help or just someone to talk too or grab a bite with, don’t hesitate to give me call, okay?” It sounds like she really wants me to call, so I promise to before leaving the shop. I think I may have just made my first real connection in the city. The few weeks I’ve been here, I haven’t made any friends because I’ve been so busy baking and running from café to café. Nellie could be my first real friend in… a while. I could really use one of those.
But before I can get into that, I have to call Ruby. I rush home and put all my stuff down. I take out my phone and the card Nellie gave me. It takes me a few tries to dial her. I’m just crazy nervous. Finally, I dial the number and wait for the pickup.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Ruby? Ruby Gold?” My nerves are already showing and that annoys me.
“This is her.” I smile, but try not to get too far ahead of myself. I give the speech I practiced on the train ride back to my apartment. I probably looked a little odd talking to myself for an entire ride, but I didn’t care. I have to nail this.
“Hi. Um, my name is Zara Coleman and I got your number from Nellie. She said you were starting a wedding cake business and I’m a baker. I can all kinds of desserts. I’ve been baking ever since I was little.
My Mom owned her own bakery and that’s where I learned everything. If you’re still looking for help, I can bring some samples of what I can do.” It’s not exactly what I wanted to say – I got a little ramble-y in the middle – but it’s the basic gist. I wait, holding my breath.
“Oh my god, yes!” Her enthusiasm is totally unexpected, but I welcome it wholeheartedly. It’s exactly what I need after so much rejection. Ruby keeps talking with a high energy, “I definitely need help. I’ve got this big wedding coming up and I’ve been scrambling to find an assistant. Why don’t you stop by tomorrow and I can test out your skills?” The amount of relief that washes through my body is insane. My body almost collapses from the release of tension. I can’t believe all my hard work paid off. Well, I can a little bit. Hard work is how you get stuff done. But I was honestly ready to fully give up, to become on the millions of failures. But this opportunity it the light at the end of the tunnel and I will not mess it up.
“I can be there any time you need me to.” I try not to sound too eager, but I’m bursting at the seams. Ruby gives me an address and time. I scramble for a pen and paper, writing down the details furiously.
“Just be here on time and wow me with your culinary skills and the two of us will be golden. See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow. And thank you for the opportunity.” We hang up and I do fist pumps into the air while jumping. Then I remember that I have people below and I lie on my bed, pumping with my arms and legs. Kicking with the enthusiasm of a child in a candy shop. I’ve so god damn excited! I want to celebrate until I’m too tired to move, but there is stuff that needs to get done.
So, I stop celebrating and sit up. I need to figure out what to bake tomorrow. It has to be something that’ll wow Ruby. She’s a wedding cake maker, so something white is probably the way to go… or is it? I want to show her everything I can do. I can do an array of things. Maybe each layer is a different flavor – with each flavor complimenting the next. That’s what I’ll do! It will show my range and I can decorate it, so she knows I can not only make it taste good, but also look pretty. Wedding cakes are known for their looks. This is a different direction than I was expecting, but that doesn’t do anything to dull my excitement.
I have to make sure to get enough sleep. I’m a bit of a night owl and if I want to impress Ruby tomorrow, I’ll have to be at the top of my game. No late-night snacking and T.V. watching, just a full eight hours, so I can be up early.
I do bake some celebratory cupcakes, though. One for me and one for my Mom. I eat it for her, however. I feel like I deserve it. After four weeks of baking and striving, all my efforts are paying off. I might just become a professional baker in the city. It sounds crazy, I know, but it’s a very real possibility. I’ll be able to reopen the Baker’s Corner and soon it will be restored to its former glory. Plus, they’ll be a bona fide professional baker working there – me. That’ll hopefully attract people who are swayed by the fancy cafes and diners that have taken over my hometown.
Goodness, I’m much too giddy. I need to get some sleep. I get deep into my covers and dream and about the future.
Chapter Three: Sam
Today is my sister’s wedding and she is freaking out. And it’s not a mild freak out, it’s a full-blown, ‘oh my god, the world is ending’ freak out. It should be said that everything is turning into a fucking disaster – which is obviously not helping. Like the level of this disaster is astounding. I’d assumed if things had gone smoothly, Sarah would have been having a few contained meltdowns, but we didn’t get best case scenario – we got the everything that can go wrong has gone wrong scenario. So now I’m in fixer mode. I don’t want my little sister thinking about anything except walking down that aisle and marrying that jerkwad Neil. I clearly have some strong feelings regarding the son of a bitch, but today is not the day to air my grievances. Today is the day Sarah gets married.
I find Sarah with our mother. My mom is having Sarah take deep breaths, trying to console her. I bring over a glass of water for my Mom to hand to Sarah. She downs ferociously, not yet realizing I’m in the room. I want to assure my sister that I am taking care of everything. Hopefully, my words will be enough to calm her down until I’m able to right this mess. My Mom and Sarah look up when I approach,
“Sam! Oh my god, it’s so good to see you!” Sarah throws her arms around me, clearly relieved, and I’m worried she’s going to start crying. But she surprises me and keeps her composure. “Oh, Sam. Everything is so fucked.” I can’t lie because the current state of the wedding is ‘somewhat fucked,’ but that doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way.
“Sarah, I promise I will take care of it. Where do you need me to start?” This gets me a weak smile, but then a sniffle with a pout follows.
“You could start with finding the groom. Apparently, he’s not where he needs to be and Mom’s been trying to reach him, but Neil’s not picking up and I don’t know what to do because he’s supposed to be here soon and if he’s not then we’re not getting married.” Of course that bastard would go AWOL on his own wedding day. I want to bad mouth him so much right now, but that would just get Sarah more worked up. I tell her I’ll locate him and start making the rounds through the venue. We’re having the ceremony and reception in the same building which makes it easier for me to watch over everything. I find someone to hunt down Neil for me because I don’t want to deal with that piece of shit right now.
I start running around, fully sliding into my role as surveyor of all this wedding related. I find that things are not as crazy as Sarah thinks they are, but it is a bit of a mess. The band isn’t here yet and while the food doesn’t need to be out, the tables haven’t even begun to be set. Plus, the place cards aren’t anywhere to be found. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’m going to have to yell at a lot of idiots and I really didn’t want to yell today. I start with the band, calling the conductor. They say they’re on their way, but just to make sure they get their butts in gear, I tell them for every minute they are late, I’m going pay them less. The exact amount – they’ll find out when they get here.
I hang up before waiting for a response and then I talk to the priest to make sure he’s all squared away. Apparently, he isn’t because the Bible is missing. This feels like a predicter of the future, but I don’t think about because why should I? I go and find a bible for him and move on through the venue, getting everyone what they need. I’ve never been more angered by the idiocy of my fellow people than today. It’s almost like they’re all incompetent just for the day because when all of this was getting planned, people were way more on top of their shit. I’m mean the confidence was pouring off of them in buckets, but today – I have no idea what could be the cause of everyone’s collective stupidity and I currently do not have the time to figure it out nor do I want to.
I end with the caterers, making sure to get some of the staff on top of setting the tables. It is beyond me why they haven’t started. It’s a fairly large reception and it would make sense to get started as soon as possible. After I get some staff working on the tables, I go back to the kitchen and start asking the chefs some questions about how they’re going to be serving the food. When will it be served? Do they know who is getting what because I don’t see any place cards on tables? Is the food ready? Can I see it? I can tell I’m annoying them, but it doesn’t bother me. When things aren’t getting done, there always has to be that guy who pushes the buttons to jumpstart the process. Maybe I’m being a bit of an asshole and I’m for sure being a major control freak, but I’m also annoyed and I want to get this over with. At least they’re all answering my questions. I’m about to leave when I see the baker walk in. I should probably inspect the cake before I go back to Sarah. It doesn’t seem like Ruby has the cake with her, though. I’m about to ask her about it when I get a text. I look down at my phone and thank god, Neil has been found. I call my mother and let her know the news when I see the doors swing open and the cake is brought in. I ca
n’t see who’s pushing the cart, but they seem to be handling it with care, so I finish my conversation with my mother, no longer feeling there’s a reason to rush.
“I don’t know where they found him and I didn’t ask. All I know is that they are on their way and should be here soon. Also, I got everything squared away. We are back on track. This wedding is happening” I’m hiding my immense annoyance as well as I can. I don’t need my family worrying about my mental state.
“Oh, thank you, Sam. Your sister is not handling the stress well and this will really make her feel better.” I hear Sarah in the background asking questions and telling my mom that she’s doing fine with the stress. It’s funny hearing them argue, so I just listen, letting myself feel something a little more positive. While they have their own conversation, the woman who was pushing the cake finally comes into view. She walks out from behind the cake, her eyes never leaving the tiered structure. It takes me a second to fully process her face because I’m left a little shocked. She’s shorter than me, probably coming up to my shoulder. I’m a tall guy, so that means she’s like average height, I guess. But that’s not important. I don’t know why I’m obsessing over her height when it’s her entire being I’m mesmerized by. Her hair is placed on top of her head in a tight bun, a few tendrils loose. I’d love to free her hair and run my fingers through it. It looks like it would be silky smooth and I bet it would be sexy to have it wrapped around my hand, so I can hold her head in place, my lips grazing her skin. And that looks soft, as well. I want to run my tongue all over her body, tasting every inch of her… I might get some flour in my mouth though because she seems to have it on her face.
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