Devil's Food Cake [✓]

32 | miss piggy

Once Dad had finished photographing our cakes, he came over to our table tucked away at the back. 'Oh there you are!' He was smiling impishly. He pushed back a chair and settled down. 'I thought you both had vanished...'

Zachary's eyebrows raised briefly over his coffee cup as he took a sip. His mouth curved into a slight smile as he directed his playful gaze at me. I couldn't help it, but I began to laugh at the suggestive humour and choked a little on my slice of lemon cake.

'Well, you found us, Jeremy,' Zachary beamed, already taking on his perfect, responsible young man persona. I noticed he knew how to behave and adapt to different types of people. He had charmed my dad. I didn't know if it was the allure of money around him that made people in awe of him or his solid self-assurance, which distinguished him from the rest of the crowd.

'I liked your cakes.' Dad nodded as emphasis as he poured a cup of tea for himself. 'Excellent contrast between naughty and nice...' he said, smiling at each of us in turn.

'Oh yes.' Zachary took on a gratified expression as he cut his second large brownie into neat squares (I didn't know how he had the stomach for it, but he liked to eat a lot. He was especially fond of our brownies).

'So, what have you been talking about. What things do young people normally talk about these days? Twerking, Instagram and reality tv shows?' Dad's voice was filled with irony.

'Candice has been telling me about none of those things.' Zachary stared at me directly.

'Good, good.' Dad nodded.

What a smooth talker, I thought. I had to admire his communication skills. If he ran for a political office, he'd have the electorate eating out of his hand...

'Well, Zachary doesn't really talk. You just eat,' I deadpanned.

'Eating can also be a way of expressing yourself...' Dad was staring at Zachary starting on his third brownie. 'Wowzers! You really like those brownies, don't you?'

'What can I say? They're delicious like most things in this bakery.' Zachary popped a piece of brownie in his mouth and his eyes closed momentarily as he savoured the taste. When he opened them, he was smiling at me in such a way that I thought I was going to combust in my seat. Did he have no limits? I suppose it was too much for me to expect him to tone his flirting down; it would have been saying to a shark they couldn't eat fish.

My father seemed to be occupied in cutting in half a scone. He was in his own world. 'Candice would be happy to give you a goody bag when you leave. You can have as many brownies as you please, Zach.'

'I'd be happy to receive it from Candy,' Zachary winked.

I rolled my eyes. He also followed my father's lead and took a scone. 'I don't know what's got into me today. I am absolutely ravenous...' Zachary commented, succeeding in making it seem like an innocent, serious question, but as usual there was that sly smile that revealed his true intentions — blink and you would miss it.

'Ah, I know the feeling,' My father agreed; he had a look in his eyes as though he was reminiscing about his youth.

'I can relate, Zach,' I said, determined to cut through Zachary's smooth and cunning demeanour. 'It's lucky that I know to satisfy my hunger... most days.'

Not one for mastering his emotions, Zachary's mouth thinned into a hard line.

My father chewed on his scone thoughtfully. 'Candy certainly has a bottomless stomach. Ever since she was a little girl. It's lucky you don't gain any weight. I remember the time when her mum and I caught her—'

'No, dad!' I protested, embarrassed at what as to come.

Predictably, Zachary instantly perked up at this piece of news. 'Oh really?' He urged Dad on.

'Dad, if you tell him that story I'm not going to talk to you again!'

Dad tutted. 'Don't be such a drama queen, Candice,' he said to me, before turning quickly to his new best friend, 'This is a good story. As you've noticed, Candice has a bit of a sweet tooth. We weren't to know that when he named her, though.'

'It came true though,' Zachary remarked, shooting me a devilish grin.

'Aye.' Dad nodded. 'So, when Candice was a toddler she was crazy about pigs. I don't know why. I think it was because they were pink. She thought it was cute.'

I groaned. Zachary looked like he was lapping this up.

'Candice, you're wearing pink now.' He eyed my pink scarf, with a self-satisfied leer. My father continued with his story, ignoring the remark.

'So we called her Miss Piggy. That was our nickname for her in those days.'

'Have you found your Kermit?' Zachary snorted.

'Stop, dad. I beg of you!' I said through gritted teeth.

'I had made her mother special truffles for our wedding anniversary. I mentioned to her that truffles were also something that pigs dug out of the ground. You know, when you're a parent to a toddler you basically try to be the fount of all knowledge. Maybe I thought she'd grow up to be the next Stephen Hawking,' Dad said with a laugh.

Zachary leaned forward in his seat, laser-focused on what my father way saying. Meanwhile, I was slowly dying inside.

'Anyway, I went out with her mother for dinner. We got our neighbour Kathleen to babysit Candy. When we came back we found Candice in bed with her mother's truffle box beside her. Her face was a sight to behold.' Dad reached inside his pocket to get out his phone.

'Not the photo,' I said lamely.

'There's a photo!' Zachary said eagerly.

Dad flicked through the pictures on his album before finding the embarrassing photo. I had chocolate all over my chubby face and I looked like such a little culprit.

Zachary roared with laughter when he saw this photo.

'To this day, we occasionally call her Miss Piggy,' Dad finished off.

'Miss Piggy, you are a natural rule breaker, it seems,' Zachary nodded. His eyes crinkled at the edges when he looked back at me, smiling warmly. 'Thanks, Jeremy. I enjoyed that immensely.'

'No problem, Zach.'

A comfortable silence settled over the table as we nibbled at our food. It was nice, just to relax for a moment rather than always be involved in the hustle and bustle of city life. I couldn't remember the last time when I'd seen my father look this relaxed. It was like being around Zachary was a soothing balm to him. In a strange way, it was touching.

'So,' I said at last, turning my attention on Zachary, 'you know one of my secrets. Why don't you tell us about yourself. What made you decide to study aeronautical engineering?'

My father uttered an interested hmm. 'Clever clogs. You want to design planes?'

Zachary smiled at us both. 'Childhood dream.'

He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Or considering if he should tell us. Curiosity and attraction is a lethal combination the more you get to know someone.

He nodded, prepared to share a little more about himself.