"Margie!" I stopped suddenly walking down the busy city streets spotting her walking in my direction, although she didn't seem to notice me at all.
"Oh, Sydney!" Margie answered pleasantly.
"I haven't seen you stop in all week, I was starting to get worried!" I voiced my concerns just as I noticed an interesting looking pastry in her hand.
"Oh, that's sweet of you, honey. I've been meaning to pop in, but lately...I find myself stopping every morning at the new coffee place that just opened up around the corner on Parker Avenue! They make these delicious muffin-like pastries I can hardly pronounce but Lucas says it's a common French pastry. I'm surprised I've never seen you make them before," she said, holding up the flaky piece in her hand and indulging in another bite right in front of me. Even having the nerve to utter a subtle moan while she chews.
"Oh, well I've been meaning to talk to you about the annual charity bake-off. I take it I'll be making the same as always, the Christmas flavored macarons, an assortment of petit fours and as always, my highly acclaimed peppermint meringue Christmas tree?"
"Actually honey, we've decided to change things up this year! Someone gave me a fabulous idea! I have to run but I'll be sending out an email later today to schedule a meeting with the participants at the end of the week. I hope I'll see you there!" Margie struts off leaving me in the streets feeling like an abandoned puppy.
She was my biggest supporter and customer since the day I opened my doors and all of a sudden she's taking her business elsewhere and changing up the tradition of the charity bake-off that's been the same for the last three years, with MY bakery always the star attraction!
"Oh," she turns back around as she still keeps her pace walking backwards. "You should check out that coffee shop! I think you'd have a lot in common with the owner! And he's not too bad on the eyes either!" she adds with a wiggle of her eyebrows before she turns back around and disappears down the street.
A MAN! The new owner just HAD to be an apparently good-looking man who also HAD to know a few things about French pastries! Well, I don't think my day could get any worse!
I barge through the doors of my bakery and instantly Naomi knows I'm upset and she opens up the glass display shelf of sweets and treats and pulls out the dark chocolate candy bars and slides it over the counter just in time as I make my way around next to her putting on my store apron.
"Wanna talk about it?" she asks hesitantly just as I smash the bar of candy down on the counter breaking it into messy bite-size chunks that I begin to stuff in my mouth.
"No!"
We both stand there in silence while I eat like a hormonal teenager during their menstrual cycle until we both hear the shop's doorbell chime as a customer walks in.
"Henry! How are you doing?" I say, cheerfully, straightening my body out greeting another one of my regular customers. An elder eighty-year-old man who comes in weekly for a black coffee and a sweet snack while he reads the newspaper in the corner window seat.
"Very well, darling. You've been the talk of the town lately," Henry exclaimed in his feeble voice but my ears perked up at his words.
"Really! What have you heard?" I asked, excited as I didn't expect my mood to flip right side up so quickly.
"People have been talking about this new delicious French pastry. I think Margie's been telling everyone about it! Margie always has the scoop about the good foods!" he said with a chuckle that caused a raspy cough in his lungs.
"Oh..." The excitement faded from my voice and just as quickly as my mood skyrocketed, did it crash and burn again.
"Sorry, Henry, but it's not mine. Margie's left me for a man apparently. The new coffee shop on Parker Avenue," pouting as he slowly nods his head taking it all in.
"Is there something else I can get you today? How about a warm chocolate croissant with your regular cup of coffee?" I try my best at a chippy smile but he shakes his head no.
"No, no, that's ok darling. I'll come back in later this week."
"O-oh, ok. Well, have a nice day then." I watch as he slowly walks himself to the door and takes his leave.
My eyes follow Henry out the door and I see through the window he hesitates like he's thinking about something.
"Don't you do it, Henry!" I mumble to myself aloud, still watching him like a hawk before he takes a left at the door and starts walking down the street.
"God damnit! Henry! Not you too!" I shout to myself behind the bar knowing he always takes a right out of the shop to start his walk back to his apartment. And taking a left, I knew exactly where he was going. I quickly untie my apron and slam it down on the counter!
"Sydney! Where are you going?" Naomi asks, startled.
"To give this MAN a piece of my mind!" I shouted again before I was quickly out the door and pacing down the street.
YOU ARE READING
Love Is Messy, Love Is Sweet
Short Story***COMPLETED*** Lucas Wilde is wild and carefree at heart. He has the tendency to not follow the rules or do things by the book. Which just makes Sydney loathe him even more when his new coffee shop down the street has been stealing the thunder from...
