Sanctity

by S. M. Bowles

  I used a little more spray just to be safe and began mixing the NY cheesecake first. Since I would be using heavier ingredients I adjusted my scale to ounces instead of grams and portioned out the cream cheese. Now that I had the cakes to focus on everything else took a place in the back seat of my mind and I found a sense of relief from my worries over Charlie.

  It took about a half an hour to prepare both cheesecakes for baking. Once they were in their water baths and placed in the oven I collected all the dirtied dishes and put them in the sink by the dishwasher. After cleaning my work station I began the process of setting up the other two. Those would be a touch more involved, one needing a reduction to swirl throughout the cheesecake and the other a non-traditional base made from a dark chocolate torte Margaret had taught me how to make.

  Just as I was finishing up the second round of cheesecakes and putting them into the oven, I heard a noise like someone knocking from the front of the bakery. I immediately thought Charlie and that he had come to see if I would like to join him for lunch. His apartment was fairly close by and we’d talked about the possibility of having lunch together once I was up and running.

  I set the timer and hastily wiped my hands on my apron. The blinds were drawn so I couldn’t immediately see who was at the front door but my mind was on Charlie so when I did open it and saw that it wasn’t him I was completely taken aback.

  “Oh,” I said, as I swung the door wide and there was an unfamiliar man standing there in the rain, “we’re not open yet.” He was just smiling and looking me over as I said this. I was suddenly aware of how disheveled I must have looked with my hair tucked up under a kerchief, chocolate smears across my apron and what I felt was a dusting of sugar coating me from head to toe. I actually only had a small patch of chocolate on my cheek but I couldn’t shake the overwhelming self-consciousness I was experiencing.

  I was about to apologize and tell him to come back another time but when he realized my intentions he found his voice, “Please,” he began, “I could really use some help right now.”

  I stopped midway through my efforts to close the door and looked up at him. He looked sincerely distressed and as I studied him I couldn’t help but relent. I asked him what it was that he needed help with.

  “May I come in?” he peered over my head.

  I was somewhat hesitant but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt as he stood there smiling with every ounce of his charm in force.

  “Sure,” I said and motioned him inside. I closed the door but didn’t lock it in case I needed to make a hasty exit.

  I walked behind the display cases and turned on some of the café lights. He closed his umbrella and set it on the mat by the door then took a seat at one of the tables and asked if I happened to have any coffee on. I raised my eyebrows at him, “Unfortunately, we are not open yet,” I reminded him. I felt another wave of shame as he continued to look me over from where he sat. I hastily untied my apron and whisked the kerchief from the top of my head. I instantly regretted the latter when I ran my fingers through my hair and felt how matted it had become.

  “Ah, yes. Well, I work for the law firm down the street and they are having a bit of an open-house Sunday night. I was in charge of the desserts but the caterer I contracted seems to have come down with something all of a sudden and he won’t be able to fill the order I placed. I was hoping,” he paused as he watched the understanding sweep over me.

  “Hoping we would be able to fill the void,” I finished for him. I was thinking about my opening on Monday and wondering how I would manage to bake everything I needed for myself never mind filling an additional order for, “How many people do you plan on serving?” I found myself asking despite my reservations.

  “Well, there are 30 employees, plus spouses or dates, plus about 10 of our biggest clients and their guests. I would estimate at least 75 people and at the uppermost 100.”

  My eyes widened in dismay, “I’m sorry but I just don’t think I can accommodate you. Our grand-opening is on Monday and I need all the time between now and then to get these in order,” I motioned to the empty display cases.

  “I see,” he said regretfully.

  “I’m very sorry, I wish I could help but,”

  “No I understand,” he was looking directly into my eyes and I felt a tiny ripple of familiarity that I just couldn’t place. It melted my resolve.

  I took a deep breath and sighed, “How much time do I have?”

  He smiled, “it starts at 5 pm tomorrow but we won’t need the desserts until 6 or 7.”

  “Does it matter what I bring?”

  He shook his head, “I’ll take whatever I can get at this point. I’ll even come by if you need help getting it there and setting it up.”

  “Well that’s a bit of a relief,” I thought. “I’m sure I could use the help, if you can be here at 6 tomorrow we can probably load everything and have it there and set-up just in time.”

  “It’s a deal,” he held out his hand to shake on it. “I can’t thank you enough and I promise you if all goes well, I’ll make it up to you in spades.”

  “In spades,” I thought to myself while I tried to hide my frown, “who says that?” I felt a bit unnerved by the expression.

  He reached into his chest pocket and handed me a card, “Tomorrow at 6, see you then,” his last words hung in the air questioningly.

  “Oh, Lily, Lily Donovan.”

  “Nice to meet you Lily, I’m Victor.” When he was halfway to the door he gave a half spin and tossed another grateful grin back to me.

  I turned the card over, “Victor Davis, huh?”

  I went to the front door after he left and locked it back up. As I wandered back to the kitchen I could hear the first of my timers beeping. I scampered to the oven and turned it off but left the two cheesecakes as they were. They would need to do some residual baking and slowly cool down for an hour or two before I could take them out. I decided to call Charlie and to see if he would like to swing by for lunch but his phone went straight to voicemail.

  “Oh well,” I found my apple and gave it a quick polish before digging in.

  I started configuring a dessert menu for the law firm and decided to give up two of my cheesecakes to go towards the event. I settled on giving them the NY and the chocolate cheesecakes since they would be the easiest to remake. I knew I could spruce up the NY with some fresh fruit and maybe top the chocolate with some mousse to give it a bit of flair before I delivered them.

  I made my notes and then began portioning out and lining up the ingredients for the first round of what I intended to bake. After about a half an hour of mixing, cooking and cleaning I lost track of time and started operating on autopilot. I made cream puffs, chocolate and white chocolate covered strawberries, mini lemon/raspberry tarts and I was about to start some red velvet cupcakes when I remembered that I was only baking for 75 not 750.

  I laughed at myself for getting so caught up in my work. I shrugged and thought that it was no big deal; whatever Victor didn’t take I would keep for myself to put in my empty display cases for Monday.

  “Maybe it’s good that I took the order,” I looked around and realized that I have managed to get a substantial amount of work done. I pulled the last of the tarts from the oven and started separating the items for Victor and the items for myself. I took some of the trays from the bakery cases and began arranging some of the pastries. The others I packed into boxes and put them in the refrigerators for the next day’s delivery.

  As I tucked the last of my efforts away I heard a loud rapping at the back door. When I got to the dock area I could see Charlie through the narrow window with an anxious then suddenly relieved look on his face. I unlocked the door and he fairly burst in and hugged me.

  “I’ve been calling all afternoon, why didn’t you answer?”

  I had left my phone in the office and Charlie followed me as I went to retrieve it. Victor’s card was lying on the desk and for some reason I felt the need to obscure
it from Charlie’s view. I tucked it under one of my lists and turned to Charlie, “I’m sorry,” I apologized as I looked at the number of missed calls. “I guess I just didn’t hear it over all the work I’ve been doing. I took an order from the law firm down the street and have been busting out pastries all day.”

  “I wish you would have called, at least to check in.”

  “I tried calling at lunch time but your phone went straight to voicemail. Then I got the order and I’ve been working ever since.”

  Charlie put his fist to his forehead in an effort to calm himself. I actually thought I saw his lips moving as if he were counting to ten. I almost giggled but managed to keep it in. “I’m sorry if I worried you. Honestly, I got so caught up with what I was doing I lost track of everything else.”

  “It’s OK, you couldn’t have known. It’s just…” his voice trailed off as if he wanted to say something but thought better of it and instead finished with, “well, it’s hard not to worry and think the worst if I don’t hear from you.”

  I looked at my watch and decided that it was time to wrap things up for the day, “Well, since you’re here,” I motioned to all the dirty dishes, “would you mind giving me a hand with some of these?”

  He rolled his eyes, “I see,” he said, “worry me to the point of showing up to check on you just so you can put me to work.”

  I smiled and handed him an apron. There wasn’t as much to do as there looked. I used the hose and rinsed everything down really well before Charlie stacked them in the dish trays and ran them through the washer. “We can leave them in the racks to dry and I’ll put them away tomorrow,” I said as he pushed the last tray through.

  We rinsed ourselves off and tossed the aprons in the hamper along with all the hand towels I had used throughout the day. Once the kitchen was back in order I double checked the café area and made sure that the front door was locked and the blinds were drawn. Charlie was waiting by the back door when I returned and he let us out. After locking up Charlie asked what my plans were and I just shrugged and said, “Home, I guess.”

  “Do you want some company?”

  “That would be nice,” I took his hand and gave him a quick peck, “see you there.”

  I slid into my car and Charlie took the wheel of his. He followed me the whole way home and once we were there he was quick to get my door and help me out. He was being awfully attentive for some reason and I couldn’t help wondering if he was feeling guilty about the way he left the previous night.

  “Is everything alright Charlie?” I didn’t want to mention anything specifically but I was hoping he would volunteer the information on his own.

  “No, just glad I worried for nothing, I guess.”

  “Hmm, OK,” I unlocked my apartment and flipped the lights on as we walked in.

  Charlie made his way to the refrigerator and took a quick inventory of what was in there. “Are you hungry, it looks like I could make some stir fry if you’re interested?”

  After baking all day the last thing I wanted was to touch a stove so I readily agreed and Charlie got to it. I headed toward my bedroom and changed from my work clothes into some lounge pants and one of Charlie’s t-shirts. When I got back to the kitchen Charlie was sipping a beer and using a spatula to toss the meat and veggies around.

  “I poured you a glass of wine,” he put his beer down and took the glass from the fridge.

  “Thanks,” I gratefully accepted the chilled wine and took a leisurely sip.

  “Are you excited about Monday,” Charlie started up our conversation.

  “I am, nervous, too though. I don’t expect to be very busy; my first day and all.”

  “Who is coming in to help?”

  I tallied up the staff, “Well, Rachael is going to be the barista and Margaret is going to come help out, too. She said she would wait tables if you can believe it.”

  Charlie gave a little laugh and filled the tip of his spatula with a bit of the stir fry. He gave it a couple of quick breaths to cool it down and took a bite to test if it was ready. “I think it’s good, would you get some plates?”

  I took down two plates and lined them on the counter for him. He filled each with a generous portion and turned the stove off. He took a lid and covered what was left before gathering up the plates and motioning me to the table to eat. I took my glass and grabbed his beer as well as some silverware and joined him at the table.

  “So how was your day?” I asked after we’d had a couple of bites.

  Other than worrying about me, Charlie didn’t have much to say about his day. He caught up on some stuff for work and told me that he spent the rest of the day doing laundry and other things around his apartment. “So this order for the law firm, is it a big one?”

  “About 75 – 100 guests they said.”

  “Do you have everything you need?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” I did a mental inventory of what I planned to deliver.

  “Are you delivering or are they picking-up?”

  “Delivering,” I sipped my wine and hoped that Charlie wouldn’t ask me any more about it. I really didn’t want him to know that some guy was coming by the shop the next day to help me get everything to the event.

  “Do you want some help?”

  I smiled, “No, I think I can manage, besides isn’t there a game on?”

  “Just preseason, I can skip it if you need a hand.”

  “Nah, I’m good,” I hated withholding anything from Charlie and I was becoming a little irritable because of the guilt that was starting to cloud my conscience.

  “Well, if you change your mind just let me know. I’m sure I’ll be around.”

  “Thanks,” I nodded and picked away at the rest of my dinner.

  After we ate Charlie cleaned up and we watched a little TV together while lounging on the couch. Charlie rubbed my feet and after a half an hour or so I started to get a little drowsy. “I’m getting tired, I think I’ll take my shower now and get ready for bed. Do you want to stay?”

  “Sure, there’s no sense in heading home now.”

  By the time I was done my shower Charlie had fallen asleep on the couch. I nudged him awake, “You know, there is a bed in the other room.” He just smiled and sat up. I turned off the TV and followed him to the bedroom.

  It took longer than I would have liked to fall asleep but eventually I dozed off and slept so soundly I missed my alarm.

  Chapter 19

  “Elayna wake up.”

  “Huh?”

  “Lily, your alarm.”

  “Oh, ugh, already,” as I turned the alarm off and shook myself from the haze of sleep I couldn’t help thinking that Charlie had just called me by some other name.

  “What did you call me?” I was fully awake once the realization hit me and sat bolt upright. Charlie was looking at me with a dazed and confused expression. “I think you just called me some other girl’s name,” I said with any icy tone.

  “What, no I didn’t.”

  “Uh, yes you did,” I was nodding with surety.

  Charlie shook his head, “If you say so but you were sound asleep, you must have been dreaming. What name did I call you anyway?”

  “Elaine or Elayna, or something like that.”

  Charlie’s jaw visibly tightened, “Well, I don’t know anyone by either of those names,” he said heatedly.

  “Then why did it upset you when I said them.”

  “I’m upset because I feel like you are accusing me of something!”

  “Maybe I am.”

  “Maybe you are,” he was taken aback. “Lily, why are you doing this? Are you trying to start a fight with me?”

  I looked away for a moment as I thought about my own guilt for keeping something from Charlie, “I don’t want to fight with you but I can’t help wondering about your thing that you are always running off to. When I heard that name it made me imagine the worst.”

  “Well you shouldn’t. I’ve already told you it’s nothing, an old frie
nd. We have been together for 5 years now, Lily and as far as I am concerned I have never given you any reason to doubt me or the way I feel about you.”

  Charlie was right, of course but I couldn’t seem to give it up. “Well, if he’s a friend of yours why have I never met him?”

  “Because he doesn’t want to meet you!” Charlie vehemently stated.

  “Oh,” my lips formed the word but it didn’t come out. I was on the brink of tears, “Why would he feel that way? Does this person already know me then?” I murmured.

  Charlie leapt from the bed, “Damn it, Lily, just drop it, OK?!”

  I had never seen Charlie lose control of his anger like that and I wasn’t sure what to do. He gathered up his clothes and made his way to the bathroom while I sat in bed contemplating how I could resolve things. As I muddled through what had just happened I heard the front door to the apartment open and close. I listened for a moment hoping he would come right back but all I heard was the rain as it battered the roof and sides of the building. My mind was full of contrition as I tossed the covers and scrambled to the window just in time to see Charlie pull away.

  I was at a complete loss as to what to do. I went through the motions of getting dressed for work. I ate a bowl of cereal and sipped a glass of juice. “What have I done,” the thought kept repeating over and over in my mind. I fought back tears whenever they swelled to the surface and tried to swallow the lump in my throat. I put my bowl and glass in the sink and got ready to head out to the shop.

  I overreacted, I was sure of it. Maybe I was dreaming, maybe Charlie was just upset because he felt like I was accusing him of something. He was certainly right that I had no reason other than this thing of his to distrust his sincerity. As I turned the events over and over in my mind I realized that I was driving too slowly and that I was holding up the person behind me.