"Mags! Did you get that cake order for tomorrow?" Mike shouts from the kitchen. The baking room was full of cakes, trays full of caramel blondies and seasonal cookies, and Maggie stood at the table taking in the never ending list she really couldn't be bothered doing. Everyone was running around, a bit on edge except for her.
"Maggie!?"
"Sorry, yeah! I'll get on it right away!"
The baking room is always calm, unlike the kitchen with the radio blasting smooth eighties, Ru moaning about every little thing going wrong and Mike moaning about her moaning.
It's peaceful and she'd love it to stay that way but in order for that to happen she'd need to plough through this baking list and try to finish on time, which also never happens.
***
Ten minutes before Maggie's shift was about to end the kitchen finally simmered down, Ru's moaning finally stopped but that may have been because she finished an hour ago, Maggie thought.
"Ok, did you finish the list?" Mike didn't look up from his phone, he stood at the doorway in his sweatshirt and pants, his beard was getting shaggy and little grey patches were coming through making him seem much older than a man in his thirties. She handed him the list she scribbled and ticked as she worked, hoping he would understand everything on it. While waiting for him to say something she carried on cleaning dishes at the sink full of bubbles.
"Great, thanks Mags." He left to go home, trudging up the stairs one by one but, as always, when he got half way to the top he would remember something else to do with Maggie or the baking room or something else and came running back.
"I forgot to tell you, erm, we're hiring someone else to bake."
"Huh?" She stopped cleaning, not noticing the bubbles floating around her face.
"He won't be here when you're here, it's to help you with orders." He looked in her eyes as if to calm the alarm bells ringing in her ears.
"Ok." It came out unsure and long, she didn't care if he knew it. This was the first time in years they would have another person baking for them and after the last one she didn't think Mike or Elle would want someone else.
"He's starting next week but because your both working opposite shifts we're having a meeting Monday, 11am so you two can meet and we'll work out a plan." They must have known about this for a while but why wouldn't they tell me they were looking for another person? The alarm bells weren't ringing anymore, they had rung so much they practically exploded.
"Right... ok." It was the only words she could sum up but on the inside her brain was panicking.
What if he was crap? Then Mike and Elle will sack him. What if he's good or better than me? Then you'll get sacked?
Your supposed to make me feel better for fucks sake!
With that he left for good, leaving Maggie alone with her thoughts as they asked question after question and the only person that could answer them was herself. She carried on with the clean down and before she left to go home, found herself looking at all of the wine bottles neatly piled in the fridge.
"I could definitely do with a drink tonight and Elle has said I can take one in the past." After nearly another second she grabbed a black labelled prosecco with a silver sticker on the front saying Cava and stuffed it in her bag.
"Time to relax." She patted the bottle as if it were a puppy and smiled.
YOU ARE READING
The Pleasantly Unpleasant Cafe on Mount Pleasant
Romantik**ON PAUSE FOR THE TIME BEING** **FIRST DRAFT** **Mature content: a little swearing and sex references not erotica!** I'm the baker at the Café and I've seen a lot over the years working here. Its my family and my life and I don't know where I would...
