Red Velvet (indefinite hold)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

It soon came round to Friday which was my first day back at work after my short Christmas break. I had pulled myself out of bed at 6am and managed to arrive outside the shop at quarter to eight. It was up to me to open the store and my dad would be coming in and out of the shop all day to pick up some cakes and deliver them to our customers.

I really did miss the shop when I had days off. I loved baking and selling the cakes. I grew up surrounded by it all and making cakes was a hobby of mine so the fact it could be my job as well was amazing and I enjoyed every minute I was there.

I prepared the shop for opening by placing the cupcakes in the refrigerated counter and putting on my apron. I had a set routine I would follow every day to ensure I didn’t forget to do anything before opening the shop to the public. After 15 minutes I was ready to open.

The day flew past as customers came in and out, buying delicious treats. Business wasn’t too busy but I wouldn’t expect it to be considering it was only a few days after Christmas. I assumed the next day would be better since it would be a Saturday and I was glad Ellice was working instead of me. I do love working but when it’s busy it’s tiring and I get exhausted easily.

By midday my dad had arrived at the shop to pick up some more deliveries. I helped him carry them to his van and gently place them inside. Lifting cakes is harder than it looks. You don’t really think about it but cakes are completely solid and when big enough they are extremely heavy.

“How’s business today?” my dad asked me while holding a pile of boxes in his arms.

“Slower than normal but not bad” I replied, smiling.

My dad placed the remaining boxes inside the van and slammed the doors shut. “I’m really glad you enjoy working here” he looked at me. “This shop will be yours one day and I think you’ll make a great owner” he smiled.

“Thanks dad” I gave him a quick hug before he jumped in the driver’s seat and disappeared down the road. I made my way back into the heated shop and shook my body as I warmed up.

The room remained empty for at least 10 minutes so I decided to go into the workroom and mix up some cake mixture. I decided to make my favourite, red velvet cupcakes. It wasn’t long before I had placed an even amount of mixture into 12 cupcake cases and placed them in the oven. I set the timer and waited. The room filled with a glorious smell as the cakes baked in the industrial oven and by the time the timer went off I couldn’t wait to pull them out to decorate. Decorating was the best part of baking. You could make them look as cute and pretty as you like and my dad’s shop had every edible topping, sprinkle and icing that you could think of.

Once cooled, I decorated each cupcake with plain white cream. I loved the way the deep red looked against the pure white and I pulled a tub of fresh strawberries from the fridge and began to carve them into hearts. I usually decorated my red velvet cupcakes that way. They were most popular around Valentine’s Day and we would sell hundreds of them.

I heard the door of the shop open and I quickly grabbed the tray of cupcakes and walked into the front room. I almost dropped the tray when I saw the figure in the doorway. He was dressed in all black except from the dark brown boots placed on his feet. A smirk was plastered across his face and I couldn’t believe what was happening.

(I'd just like to say thank you for the support on this story so far. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it and your comments literally make my day. So a BIG thank you from me! There is also a picture on the side of a red velvet cupcake. This is what I imagine the cupcakes Scarlett made to look like)