Whispers [complete and non-edited]

Chapter 3

"I need a dozen marble cupcakes with a light gold frosting and five equally spaced chocolate chips on the top. And I need them in an hour. Get going!"

Shayel twisted into her apron in three second and wrote down the order in six. She flew into the back room, where she prepared the sheets with a dozen blue cupcake holders.

She then got to her computer and typed in the order. The machine went to work with a huff and a bang; the machine was very old.

The bell rang again and Shayel swiftly walked out to meet her next customer. He was a stout man, with a receding hairline, and he was mopping his forehead with a red handkerchief.

"Hello. Welcome to The Icing Shak, how can I help you?"

"Oh, er, could I get 5 vanilla cupcakes, white icing, low fat, low sugar?"

Shayel was shocked at his order, giving his wideness, but she figured that he might be going on a diet. So she nodded and walked into the back.

The doorbell rang again before she reached the machine, and before she could exit the cooking area a tall brunette woman with a cook's outfit on walked through.

"Out o' my way, Shayel! I got a bunch o' cupcakes to make, an' if you keep blubberin' 'round like that I can't do a dang thing."

"Hannah, I'm sorry, I was just--"

"Doin' my job just 'cause I was late gettin' here?"

"Well, yes, but--"

"But, shmut. Outta my way! These cupcakes ain't gonna cook themselves!"

Shayel was shoved out of the cooking area, twirling into the counter. Her pen fell on the floor, her notepad falling after it as if there was a string attaching one to the other. She bent down to pick them up, a frown on her face.

When she stood up there were three people waiting in line. She didn't hear the doorbell ring. The first in line was a tall brunette man, with a thick moustache and rumpled hair. He had a white shirt on and his tan corduroy pants were slightly covering his Toms.

"Hello, can I order?"

"Oh sorry I was just--"

"Could you please answer my question"--he looked at the blue name tag that had Shayel in yellow on it--"Shayel?"

"Oh, of course. You can order, sir."

"Then I would like one mini cupcake, chocolate, no icing."

Shayel's hand flew across her notepad, then ripped the paper off and taped it to the window of the door separating the ordering area from the cooking area.

The man thanked her and then set out to wait for his order with the other waiting customers. The door opened and Hannah came out with the dozen marble cupcakes. She set them on the counter and dinged the little bell by the separation door, and called, "Orda numba one is up, na' come 'n get it, 'fore it gets stale."

The customer sauntered up to the counter, payed for her order, then took it and winked at the brunette man before exiting the shop. The man looked confused. Hannah shook her head and then took the man's order into the back.

As Shayel was taking the next customer's order, Hannah came out with order number two.

"Orda numba two is up, so come 'n get it, 'fore the icing dries up."

The man mopped his forehead and then came to get his order. He payed and then thanked the two workers, before mopping his forehead again and exiting the shop.

"You welcome, you welcome. Come back ana time now, ya hear?"

"O-of course," he replied, for the door hadn't shut all the way.

"Now, that otha lady, she can go somewhere else fo' her cuppie cakes, 'cause I ain't gonna tolerate her unappreciative behaviour."

"Now Hannah--"

"Na, na, I know, 'always 'preciate customers 'cause not all people get them.' Yeah, I know." She grumbled back into the cooking area about customers being unappreciative.

Shayel continued to take the next customer's order, then stuck it on the window just like the other one.

The brunette man crept up to the counter after Shayel had taken all the orders. He eyed the paper-covered window and then looked over the counter to see Shayel sketching an eagle on her notepad.

He cleared his throat and then said, "Um, do I know you?"