Sugar And Spice

Chapter 2

What I thought would be a one time thing, has now turned into a daily occurrence.

It's been four days since the crown prince Nicholas of England walked into the bakery, and every day since then, he would walk inside the bakery at exactly 12, like clockwork.

I was starting to think he might be lost, or he had gotten the wrong address to a famous bakery down the street, but he kept coming back.

“Hello Sir, how can I help you?” I ask again today, just like yesterday he eyes the display window and looks at what to buy.

Even though he looks, he would always ask me the same thing.

“What would you recommend?“ He asks, as I smile and look towards the brownies I made for Easter.

“Normally I'd say the cupcakes, but today I'd recommend the s'more brownies, they're just fresh from the oven.” I say to him, as he looks intensely at the brownies.

I had decorated them with small bunnies and chicks with yellow eyes as decoration on top, and given his reaction he was so desperately trying to hide, I couldn't help but bite my lip from laughing at him.

“I'll… take three.” He said, then looked back at me and came over to stand near the register as I packed the brownies.

“Good choice.” I said to him as he watched me pack the brownies. “Come two o'clock these would be sold out.” 

“By children I presume?” He asked and I laughed and nodded my head.

“There's a kindergarten not far from here, they order around this time of the year. 

The decorations were a hit last year, so I kept decorating  them for the kids.” I smiled to myself, as I placed the box of brownies on the counter.

“That's very kind of you.” He smiled as his eyes lingered on mine longer than usual, before he looked away.

“I do what I can.” I rub the back of my neck. “It's a small shop, but we're local so we support the community as much as we can.”

“I think you're doing a great job.” He said to me, before another customer entered the bakery.

“Keep it up.” He smiled that famous celebrity smile at me and then looked away from me.

Nicholas went into his wallet and then again just like all the other times, he handed me a £20 and then left the shop, not before politely smiling at the older woman who came into the bakery.

“Oh my.” The older woman looked out the window with me, watching as the crown prince walked across the road and got into his car.

Just like last time, he waved and I waved back out of habit and then focused on the woman in front of me.

“Do my eyes deceive me young man or was that a member of the royal family?” The older woman asks, as I nod my head.

“Yeah.” I laugh awkwardly. “The crown prince himself actually.”

“What a pleasant surprise.” She happily said, still looking out the window to where the crown prince's car was parked.

“What a nice young man, he will make a fantastic King, don't you think?”

It was a surprise, and as much as I tried to wonder why he'd choose this bakery and not another with better ratings, and famous bakers, the more I started to doubt myself and my own skills.

I knew I wasn't the best there was, but baking had always been my passion, it had cost me everything to open a bakery, even relationships as the girls I dated always told me I wasn't manly enough, because I baked bread.