Winter Bakery

34. Sales

"I can't wait to finish this shift." Fumiko expressed. They had just walked into the diner. The day was a very cold Monday morning. Jigi had spent her morning at the library, Eugène Flachart.

She was exhausted not only physically but emotionally as well. She just wanted to crawl underneath her blanket and never come out.

It had been this way for three days. Fumiko was tired of it. She caught up to Jigi after her shift and almost smacked her on the back of her head.

"Girl, get yourself together. What is it?" Before Jigi could get a chance to answer Fumiko held up her index and stopped her right in her tracks.

Seconds later, Jigi's phone dinged with messages. Fumiko peered to see. Jigi looked at the message that had been tormenting her for the past few days after she was arrested for trespassing, and she met that sketchy man.

She didn't know how they managed to obtain her phone. She has been getting threatening messages to give up the business with the backing notion that she does not know what to do with it. She does not know the value.

Fumiko's and Jigi's eyes meet. Jigi could see the annoyance and rage in her eyes. "Don't give in." She openly said.

"Gimme that." She snatched the phone from Jigi and began typing. Their break came to an end and Fumiko dragged a tired and depressed to the kitchen to finish her meal.

For the past thirty minutes, Jigi had getting orders wrong the guests were complaining about the dishes served. Jigi was summoned to the office.

"Take a seat, Miss Agawa." Miss Toussaint said and gestured. Jigi declined, " I would prefer to stand."

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By the end of the meeting at the office, Jigi and Fumiko left the diner. However, Jigi knew that would be the last time she would come to the diner as an employee.

The work home was away and quiet. Fumiko could not take it anymore. She was tired of seeing her friend in that state. So, she did what any good friend would do, she took a detour to the ramen shop and ordered two.

Food is something that in most cases cures depression, or so Fumiko thought. Fumiko had eaten two bowls however Jigi hadn't even touched her dish.

"Okay, this is serious. Talk to me." Fumiko announced while she took Jigi's bowl and continued to down it. Jigi sighed and Fumiko immediately knew the reason.

"One word, Wyatt." Jigi nodded. After a second, Jigi slowly said, "He didn't even give me a reason he just left and blocked me on all socials." Jigi softly slumped her head onto the table. "You liked that guy, didn't you?" Fumiko asked.

"How about this? You place your focus on something else. Like your bakery. Wyatt isn't the only guy out there. Besides, we have other important things to worry about you just got fired today. How are paying rent now and other expenses?" Fumiko rambles on.

Fumiko felt bad. She suddenly felt like she had gone overboard with her words. She sharply inhaled air into her lungs and exhaled. She swiftly paid for the meal she ended up eating all by herself.

They left the shop in silence. Jigi looking glum. Fumiko felt the melancholy seeping into the air. At this rate, she was going to stay feeling the same way.

"We're going to make one more stop before heading for the apartment." Fumiko declared.

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The doorknob to the apartment twisted open after the keys had unlocked the door. Jigi and Fumiko walked into the cold, empty and dark apartment after a long day holding buckets and tubs of ice cream mainly vanilla and pistachio-flavoured ice cream.

Jigi slumped face-first on the couch and let out a loud sigh. She was sighing way too much but she could not help it.

She was on the verge of depression. She could hear Fumiko moving through the kitchen place the ice cream in the fridge. She came back with one bucket though.

Jigi felt a tap on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Fumiko holding out a spoon for Jigi. She sat upright and took a gigantic scoop.

She could feel the spike and pain in her teeth as the frozen goddess sat on her tongue soaking the flavour.

After three more gigantic scoops, Jigi finally broke down in tears. Fumiko placed the ice cream on the table before them and took Jigi in her arms.

After an hour of crying and eating ice cream with her mucus, she asked, "You know what you said about the bakery what do you have in mind?" Fumiko slightly smiled at her determination and the shift in focus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<<~

The morning was quiet. Jigi woke up tired and disoriented. She told herself she wasn't going to mope around today. She going to focus on her end goal.

Fumiko had left for school that morning. Jigi has been doing chores around the apartment and doing her business course. She was getting restless as the hour passed and decided to take a break walk.

She simply put on beige-coloured joggers and a white hoodie paired with her black sneakers. She had her hair in her usual bun. She quickly checked herself in the mirror before walking out the door. Sadly, she still had Wyatt's necklace adorned around her neck.

She was not ready to take it off now. The moment she walked out, she saw Miss Mary-Ann at her door. At her foot, her dachshund stood with its short legs and long snout.

Jigi immediately remembered their last encounter. It was the anniversary of her father's death, and she was terribly rude to her.

Jigi called out to her in a quick fashion. The closer she got the more she got the impression that her dog wanted to snap her legs off.

Mary-Ann noticed her approaching and signalled her to stop. "Stay right there, dear." She spoke loudly.

"Swallow just visited the vet. He's a bit antsy after these kinds of visits." She smiled. Jigi found herself immediately looking at the dachshund next to her in suspicion.

"I haven't seen you in a while." Her smile widened. Mary-Ann Lou has always been a lovely woman. However, Jigi would have felt intimidated and weirded out by it.

Jigi took a deep breath and said, "I wanted to apologise for the other day."

"What other day? It's all under the bus, my girl. Goodness, do you feel that chill? I better get in before Swallow catches a cold." She said and immediately made her way inside.

Jigi was utterly shocked and confused. However, she continued her stride. She did not know exactly where it was that she was going but her legs were leading her somewhere.

She gazed up at the shop. In front of it, Jerome stood. He was the creepy man from earlier. He had this look on his face that screamed volumes.

The moment his gaze graced Jigi's face he rushed out of there. Jigi didn't give it any thought. If they don't have their hands on the bakery's legal documents, she has nothing to worry about.

She inhaled as she rushed out of the bakery remembering to lock it as she went shopping. She used her last euros to buy supplies from cleaning supplies to baking supplies.

She knew what she had to do first. Something she should have done long ago. She placed a nose mask on her face and began the cleaning process of the bakery. Meanwhile, underneath all the noise and her focus elsewhere, her phone continued to chime with notifications ranging from calls to messages, ones that seemed alert and on edge.