Tori Lynn has one dream - to grow her sweets shop into a New York dessert landmark. She expects there to be competition, mischief, and hard work when opening up a store front. What Tori doesn't expect is to join the ranks of the nation's top bakers...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
- not yet edited -
It was four o'clock in the morning when Tori walked into the shop. Chantal and Lucas had been prepping the dining room for an hour and the atmosphere was quickly coming together.
She was dressed in the same striped t-shirt from last night. By the time she got back to her apartment, her digital alarm on her bedside table glowed green with 2:26 A.M. Tori had slept for maybe an hour before the alarm jolted her awake. She brushed her hair, teeth, and rinsed her face with cold water before leaving.
Now, Tori's brother laughed at the glass tables and tufted chairs that adorned the shop. "It looks like Taylor Swift's closet." he teased. To Tori, it was a compliment.
The ornate details in the room made her shop more sophisticated than an ordinary bakery. The mirrored dessert case at the front of the shop was striking against the gray-colored walls. Wide windows spilled light into every corner of the room, bouncing glittering rays off the multitude of clearance-priced chandeliers overhead. Tori added practical decor to contrast the contemporary design. The menu over the counter was a blackboard, the items and specials for the day scripted by Chantal's careful hand in chalk. Each table had a centerpiece of a coffee menu and folded napkins. The art was black-and-white cityscapes of New York City. It was a classic touch that reminded Tori of her new home.
Spaces between each table were just the right size for someone to squeeze through. In New York City, property was hard to come by, and Tori tried to make the most out of the compact room. With six tables, a coffee bar, and dessert case, the front room could hold maybe 40 customers comfortably. Luckily, the kitchen was large enough for two ovens, a baker's rack, and had plenty of counter space for all the machines needed to make Tori's famous treats.
A sign was taped over the empty dessert case, and in glittering letters, it said: #TORISSWEETSNYC.
Chantal started the hashtag a week ago. She snapped photos of nearly everything : the chandeliers, menus, even the custom-made pink aprons with their names embellished on the front.
She had to admit that she was anticipating some fun photos. Lucas volunteered to bring his polaroid camera and snap photos of customers. Chantal, the marketing mastermind, thought that it'd appeal to the younger generation.
Stepping close to the dessert case, she found a framed photo of herself and Chantal in front of the shop, massive smiles from ear-to-ear glued on their faces. That was the day the paperwork for the shop was finalized. She stood in front of Lucas' camera as a business owner, with her best friend at her side as a partner.
She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. Today is going to absolutely spectacular. Today is going to be legendary.
"Are you going to stand there all day? Or are you going to bake some cupcakes?" Chantal interrupted Tori's meditation. Lucas peeked from around the corner of the kitchen and gave her a muddled look.
