- Not for My Flowers💐 -

✨Chapter 4: His Smile "The Pleasure's all Mine!"

✨ = Sparkling Cookie's POV || 🪴 = Herb Cookie's POV || 📘 = Third Person POV

I have never seen anything cuter in my entire life.
When Herb cookie, my acquaintance friend, took a sip of his herb mocha a foam mustache formed on his lip. My heart screamed.
I just barely stifled my laughter. I gripped the handle of my mug. Droplets of my latte landed on the wooden counters with tiny plops.

Unfortunately, I was only able to control the sounds I made. My face had a mind of its own.

Herb took another quiet slurp, thickening his foamy mustache. He placed his mug down and fixed a skeptical stare on me.

"Yes?" I replied. Even I heard the laughter in my voice. Herb quirked an eyebrow as to say, "What's so funny?" I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing, attracting the attention of most of the cookies in the store.

After I'd been laughing for a while, they fixed their attention on something else.

Once I calmed down, I pointed a shaky finger at Herb's lip. "You have something on your lip right there." I reached over and wiped the foam mustache off. I let my thumb linger on his lip a moment longer than i should've, slightly grazing it. Herb quickly came to his senses and jerked my hand away with a quiet, "Thanks..."

My face melted into a smile. Herb narrowed his eyes and said, "Just drink your latte idiot."

I laughed and made a show of chugging the rest of the drink down.

While downing the drink, I heard a few soft giggles. My lips curved upwards to sound as the last few drops slid into my mouth. I placed the mug down and grinned at the faint smile on Herb's face that peeked out from behind his mug.

Once again a new feeling dawned on me. It felt like the cool breeze on a hot summer day. A simple cold glass of beer. Relief. Calm. Pleasant.

When our mugs were empty, we headed to the bakery for dessert. Herb ordered a Fluffy Castella for himself. He also ordered a sample platter for me, and a Hearty Rye for us to share. When the last crumb of dessert was finished Herb headed back to his house. I ordered a few dozen Hearty Rye's for the construction crew and headed to my half baked bar.

I've been surrounded by many cookies since I arrived.

When I formed a bond with them, I felt it. A warm happy feeling. The not too hot, sensation of the sun kissing your skin.

But it's in your body, spreading through you slowly and surely. Like a hot toddy making its way down your throat.

But Herb was different. The moment I locked contact with him I felt something new. A warm fuzzy feeling deep down in my gut.

I can't explain it and i don't think i ever will. The best way to describe it, is the warmth of mulled wine.

When Herb formally introduced himself, I really feel like he opened up to me. It made me so happy, like something ignited inside of me. But when I looked at him, something felt wrong, forced.

I brushed the feeling away. It was probably nothing. I did a little nod to reassure myself.

Nothing was wrong. Everything was okay.

Although I felt so many new feelings today and so many changes are entering my life, I only have one goal. To do anything and everything for that smile. For his smile.