The Bakers Man

Manic Mondays

Sophia Pov

Mondays. Everyone hates them. Including me, but today was different. Today was the day I had dreamed of since I was thirteen. Today was the day I opened up my bakery. Sophia's. I know it's a cliché. As I make my way out of bed I start to panic, the outfit I planned on wearing today is not on the chair where I conveniently left it. That's when I hear the fire alarm go off.

Beep. Beep. Beep

"Yes, I freakin' heard ya the first time" an angry deep voice says. It has to be Gabriel my best friend since I was seven and as of last week roommate. "Shut the hell up!" follows. I decide I needed to go help him before my apartment burns down.

Crash.

Too late. I walk into the kitchen to find Gabriel wearing my pink apron, holding a broom with my smashed fire alarm at his feet.  I can't help but face palm. 

"Gabriel Fracasso, " I say as I put my hands on my hips and force back a smile. " Could you please not get me kicked out of another apartment!"

" Sure, if you stop chasing away my boyfriends" He grins back at me.

" That was one time, Gabe! You said you forgave me. Besides I just wanted to know why he hadn't called." I say back. When Gabriel first came out of the closet you could say I was a tad over-protective. Although with the guys he hangs out with there's not much a 5'5 petite woman could do. Gabe works as a bouncer at the most popular club downtown Penthouse. I've been a couple times when I didn't have much to do. Partying just isn't my thing.

" Oh sure, it's not like you wanted to check out his hot brother right?" He rolls his eyes and sets the broom down. Darn he's got me there but to be fair when you turn 21 you happen to do rash things like showing up at a guys house at 3:00 am, only slightly drunk and demanding why he hadn't called your friend back. Then proceeding to pass out on his front porch.

"Well I proved he hadn't lost you number" I retort. " but that's in the past I have to much to do today. Starting with you sweeping up this mess you made of my kitchen and buying a new fire alarm." I look around the kitchen, batter was everywhere. " What were you trying to make, anyways?" I ask.

"Pancakes." He answers, shrugging his shoulders.

" With- what even is that?" I peer into the bowl. " Raisins?" I stare at him in disbelief.

" Yeah, turns out chocolate chips and raisins look a lot alike" He smiles sheepishly. That's why I'm the baker.

" Whatever I have more important things to deal with than your poor cooking skills." I say " Things like finding my clothes" I glance up at him. He smiles back.

"Go shower your clothes are in there" He orders. " I'll deal with the kitchen and the fire alarm." Like they were my fault!

"Fine but there better not be a mess when I get back" I grumble and walk off to shower. I hear him laugh, just as I close the door. I look around and see clothes but they are not the ones I choose. It was for the better I might be a girl but my sense of fashion was that of a baguette. After my shower the clock shows 10:23 am. I yelp in surprise. I'm late! I quickly put on my coat because for some reason we still have snow on the ground in February. News flash Christmas is over.  I live in New York so I'm used to chilly weather just not on great terms with it.

"Gabe gotta go have that alarm replaced by tonight or you're dead! Love you!" I say.

" Knock em' dead Soph!" Gabriel replies and with that I close the door behind me. I hail a taxi and tell him the address while trying to calm my nerves. I have to become Boss Sophie for my employees. So far my only employees are Maria a 50 year-old woman who only works to pass the time, she's the other baker and Charlie a flirty 22 year-old who acts like he's 4 and manages to actually succeed at being a cashier. Charlie's three years younger than me so I think of him more as a little brother.

When I arrive at the little bakery I pay the driver for my 10 minute journey and unlock the doors to Sophie's I turn on the lights and the place looks magical with all of the fairy lights. I flip the Closed sign to say Come in, we're open, I take out all the pastries and then I wait. It seems like forever till I hear the bell ring. I immediately sit up straighter till i see who it is.

" Oh it's you" I say.

"I've always appreciated your warm welcomes" Charlie teases. He goes into the back to hang up his coat and change into his uniform. When he comes out he's dressed in black pants and a white shirt with Sophia's written in pink on the back. The door opens and Maria steps in already in her uniform. She sets her things down and smiles.

" I haven't been this excited to go to work since my husband was alive" She exclaims waving her arms around as she babbles on about her beloved husband. I go with Maria to the back and set her things down, I leave her to prepare the cakes for the next day and when I return I can't believe what I see. Customers! One is sitting down at a table with a cup of coffee and a muffin and the other one is ordering. While Charlie is busy with the customer I stand by the register in case someone else walks in. Surprisingly someone did. A very handsome man in a suit walks in, you couldn't help but stare at him. He walks up to the register and I greet him.

"Hi! Welcome to Sophia's, what can I get you? I say cheerfully, my ponytail bouncing back and forth as I talk.

"A black coffee" was his response. I could tell he was a real people person.. I'll call him Mr.Friendly.

"Coming right up! You can wait over there" I point to where the glass case of pies are. He turns and walks away. I make the coffee pretty quick considering it was a simple, plain black coffee and go over to hand it to him. As I'm walking I get a bad feeling like something horrible is going to happen and then I trip. It would have been fine if I hadn't had burning hot coffee in my hand or if I hadn't spilled the coffee all over Mr.Friendly. But of course I had.

" WHAT THE HELL WOMAN!" I look up to see blue stormy eyes filled with anger.

" I am SOOO sorry here let me help." I apologize as I try to dab the coffee away from his shirt. He grabs my hand and takes the napkin away.

" You're only spreading it around. Where's the owner? I want to speak to him about his staff." He says. Now he's not the only one who's fuming with anger.

So the owner has to be he, huh? I'll show him.

"You happen to be looking at the owner right now and she happens to be very happy with her staff at the moment" I say smugly. Tearing my hand from his grip he had it in. He looks at me in disbelief. But he seems to get over his shock pretty quickly.

"Why? I'm pretty sure pouring coffee over customers isn't really what you would call a talent." he replies amused. Ugh, this giant octopus of a man is so infuriating!

"No, but having good aim is" I retort and before I could stop myself, I picked up the key lime pie innocently sitting there and threw it at his beautiful face.

That's when all hell broke loose.