The Baker And The Queen Pin

Chapter 37: Friendly Competition

~~~Booker

I kept trying to press him, I kept trying to get information from him and he remained stern. He simply stated, 'She's coming back,' It's all those two were coming back, is that she's coming back. I prepped my ingredients for the bakery competition. It had been a busy two and a half weeks, we were in March already and Maria had not talked to me. I wonder if I had done something to her, she was supposed to be my fiancé. I will myself to keep going to work and to keep doing everything, but I think I am noticing something, something is up with Maria and her money. I haven't bothered to snoop because I didn't want to get in too much trouble. I have a feeling that Maria is doing something more with her money.

I know her money is none of my business but what about my kids? I sit and think about everything and I think about how long she's been gone. I cried a bit as I realize my kids may lose out on someone that is a good person or maybe she wasn't too good. Maybe she didn't want to deal with an old man in his forties. Maybe she wanted something more out of her life and maybe I was holding her back. I'm a single father with teenage twins, what was I expecting?

I had nervously looked for an apartment even though she told me not to leave. The rent and everything was paid down and to be honest, I was able to replenish my savings but I really missed Maria. I miss how she looked at me, she made me feel wanted as a man. Maybe I wasn't good enough, I think to myself. It's then that I slap myself as I then say, "Why am I looking down on myself? Why am I upset with myself? She left and maybe she just didn't want to be there. Maybe she found something that suited her," I should be happy she found someone, even though it hurts my feelings, I should be happy, I just wish she would've told me.

It's then that I get a call. I reach for the call and I thought I recognized the number but then I realized it wasn't the right number. It was similar to hers, but it wasn't hers. "Hello," I answer the phone and I put on the most professional voice possible to pretend I wasn't just sulking. "Hello," I say with a smile, 'Hello, is this Mr. Booker?' I hear an ecstatic chatty voice. "May I ask who's calling?" 'This is Janet, Maria's relator,' I remember Janet, I told her to see if she could find me a house to rent for the time being. Though I preferred an apartment, I realized a house would be better for my kids. It would be more space and for the time being, they would both be living with me through college since they both decided to go with community college, and living with me would be cheaper.

I would also make sure that they would have proper full-time jobs. Working at the bakery was nice but they needed real full-time jobs for experience in life. I can't just have them working at the bakery, I'm' going to need real workers, too. God damn, I'm getting old I say with a smile. 'Hello?' I hear someone say on the other side of the phone. I snap out of my reality and say, "Yes, I'm still here," 'Oh okay, Mr. Booker, I thought I lost you for a moment. As I was saying, you'll have plenty of options in looking for a house especially with your recent credit recovery,' "Thank you" ' found a house for sale and it requires a sizable down-payment,' "Oh tell me more," I say with a smile. 'Well, you'll have to see it,'

I recognize the address and I write it down. 'Can you be by today at 4?' "Yes," I say as I finish getting dressed. She says, 'Alright, see you then,' and hangs up the phone. I get dressed and begin to drive around the neighborhood. I had a little over two hours to go so I head to my bakery. I had plenty of customers waiting outside and it looked busy. I walk and I see Booker Junior handling the customers and Paul talking to everyone and delivering orders. 'Hey Dad,' I hear Booker say. 'Hey Mr. Book,' I smile sheepishly as I see customers, smiling and enjoying their coffee. I had to get a coffee machine for all the hipsters.

As I smile, I sit in the newly constructed bakery with tablets to take orders and plenty of smiling customers. I smile as I look at my son, proud of him. He had finally changed as a man and he was becoming a better man. This last year has been good for him. As I sit and smile, I enjoy everything that I'm seeing: the smell, the people, and then I remember she's not here. It's then at that moment that a guy comes to talk to me. He was some snobby-looking young guy with a hipster hair-do, long scraggly hair wrapped in a man-bun. He didn't say his name, he just started talking to me.

'Hey, I hear you're the owner of this joint,' "Yes," I say. He looks around and says, 'I'm actually impressed. I'm a new bakery in town.' I then raise my eyebrow and say, "Where at?" 'We're right in Reisterstown Plaza. We opened up recently and we've been trying to get some attention,' My eyebrow raises, "Sure, how can I help?" 'Well, I think we should have a friendly competition,' Both my eyebrows raise at what he's saying to me. 'Yeah, it's a good way to build revenue,' "Okay, give me some time to think about," 'Alright,' "Also, I didn't catch your name, sir," 'You can call me Alex,' I smile and say, "Well Alex, you're welcome to a free sample,'

'No. I prefer to support Black-owned businesses,' he said. Alex was a white guy and he seemed like he was above a lot of issues but the fact that he was aware made me actually appreciate what he said. He smiles as he orders a banana-nut muffin. A few minutes passed and we talked and to be honest, he actually had some good ideas. I had only thought about adding tablets to my store recently, it's then that Alex sits right next to me with the muffin.

It's then that I think about her perfume as he takes a bite of the muffin. He's enjoying it, I can see it on his face. It's then that he says, 'God damn, this is the best muffin I've had and I'm not even halfway through it,' He keeps eating it until there's nothing left but the paper, 'I think this is the best muffin I've ever had. It's even better than mine,' I then say to him, "You shouldn't say that. All food is good food, a white person just hasn't eaten it yet," 'And what if it's genuinely nasty, Mr. Booker?' I bring myself to a soft chuckle.

"Thank you but I don't like to think about that," He smiles and says, 'A man that's not pessimistic, that's also good. I look forward to the friendly competition,'

End of Chapter 37: Friendly Competition