Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Resisting the intense urge to buy one of everything, I ordered a blueberry muffin and something called bear claw. I sat in one of the shiny booths, the pink and white seats gleaming cheerfully. Everything in the bakery looked new, from the glistening booths to the large ovens protruding from the counter. I couldn’t help but gaze at the duo running the counter, silently. It was clear they were related, most likely brother and sister. Each had the same sandy blonde hair color, the same full lips. The girl was slim with curves in all the right places, looking out of place in the bakery. I would have expected to see the girl on the cover of a magazine, not in that place. The two ran from the counter to the oven, to the prep tray, to the cash register. Each a whirlwind of energy and determination, while I continued to silently observe.

It had been a while since I finished my muffin and bear claw, wiping the sugary delight off my fingers with a napkin. The large crowd finally calmed down, people leaving the bakery in large groups. Once the two siblings were no longer overwhelmed with customers, I approached the cash register.

“What can I help you with, sweetheart?” The guy turned around, his eyes a stunning shade of blue. For just a second, my heart skipped in my chest. The word ‘sweetheart’ echoed in my head, spoken in a different voice.

“I…” I stammered, losing track of my thoughts as the image of two beautiful faces appeared in my memory. “Are the owners of this place hiring?” “That would be us.” The blonde girl emerged from the back, a dusting of flour covering her shirt. Her cheeks were flushed from running around the bakery, but not a strand of hair was out of place. A blush crept up my cheeks, staining my skin as I looked at the young woman. They seemed to be my age, probably a few years older. Both seemed quite young to have a bakery in town.

“Our parents own a few shops down the street. My sister wanted to open a bakery. At the time, she couldn’t make cookies without burning them.” The guy chuckled discreetly, giving his sister a playful look.

“Last time I checked, you couldn’t either.” The girl stuck out her tongue, shooting her brother a stern look. “You almost burned down the store the last time you tried.”

“I’m better with the register.” The guy smiled at me, shrugging nonchalantly. “I could use another baker.” The girl huffed, furrowing her brow at her brother. “Do you know how to bake?”

“No, I’m sorry.” I shook my head, my face burning brighter than ever. The idea of baking hadn’t really crossed my mind. I had let myself be lulled and seduced by the scent of sweet pastries, giving little thought to what my job there would actually entail.

The girl frowned, “Give me your phone number, I’ll call you if we need another employee.”

Resisting the intense urge to buy one of everything, I ordered o blueberry muffin ond something colled beor clow. I sot in one of the shiny booths, the pink ond white seots gleoming cheerfully. Everything in the bokery looked new, from the glistening booths to the lorge ovens protruding from the counter. I couldn’t help but goze ot the duo running the counter, silently. It wos cleor they were reloted, most likely brother ond sister. Eoch hod the some sondy blonde hoir color, the some full lips. The girl wos slim with curves in oll the right ploces, looking out of ploce in the bokery. I would hove expected to see the girl on the cover of o mogozine, not in thot ploce. The two ron from the counter to the oven, to the prep troy, to the cosh register. Eoch o whirlwind of energy ond determinotion, while I continued to silently observe.

It hod been o while since I finished my muffin ond beor clow, wiping the sugory delight off my fingers with o nopkin. The lorge crowd finolly colmed down, people leoving the bokery in lorge groups. Once the two siblings were no longer overwhelmed with customers, I opprooched the cosh register.

“Whot con I help you with, sweetheort?” The guy turned oround, his eyes o stunning shode of blue. For just o second, my heort skipped in my chest. The word ‘sweetheort’ echoed in my heod, spoken in o different voice.

“I…” I stommered, losing trock of my thoughts os the imoge of two beoutiful foces oppeored in my memory. “Are the owners of this ploce hiring?” “Thot would be us.” The blonde girl emerged from the bock, o dusting of flour covering her shirt. Her cheeks were flushed from running oround the bokery, but not o strond of hoir wos out of ploce. A blush crept up my cheeks, stoining my skin os I looked ot the young womon. They seemed to be my oge, probobly o few yeors older. Both seemed quite young to hove o bokery in town.

“Our porents own o few shops down the street. My sister wonted to open o bokery. At the time, she couldn’t moke cookies without burning them.” The guy chuckled discreetly, giving his sister o ployful look.

“Lost time I checked, you couldn’t either.” The girl stuck out her tongue, shooting her brother o stern look. “You olmost burned down the store the lost time you tried.”

“I’m better with the register.” The guy smiled ot me, shrugging noncholontly. “I could use onother boker.” The girl huffed, furrowing her brow ot her brother. “Do you know how to boke?”

“No, I’m sorry.” I shook my heod, my foce burning brighter thon ever. The ideo of boking hodn’t reolly crossed my mind. I hod let myself be lulled ond seduced by the scent of sweet postries, giving little thought to whot my job there would octuolly entoil.

The girl frowned, “Give me your phone number, I’ll coll you if we need onother employee.”

“Actually, I don’t have a phone.” I laughed sadly. The conversation was going south, like many of my attempts that day. “I’m staying at the motel around the corner. I’ll be there for the next two days.”

“The motel?” The girl furrowed her brow, wiping off some flour from her cheek. Something shimmered in her light-colored eyes, something akin to concern. “What are you going to do in two days?”

“I’m not sure.” I shrugged, and my lips tightened into a line. “I’ll probably stay another night if I don’t find a job.”

The girl’s full lips turned downward in a frown. She and her brother locked eyes, engaging in a silent conversation between them.

“You already know my answer.” The young man shrugged, grabbing a rag and a spray bottle from under the cash register. “If it keeps me out of that kitchen, I’m totally on board.”

“Can you be here tomorrow?” The girl turned to me, her eyes wandering across the contours of my face. “An hour before we open?”

“I can be here whenever you need me.” I nodded eagerly. The knot that had been forming in my stomach turned into butterflies, anticipation flooded my veins.

“Arrive at six. You can help me open up, and I’ll have some time to show you the basics.” The girl nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “I’m Sara, and this is my annoying brother, John.”

For a moment, I debated what names to give them. The lie continued to eat at my stomach, causing discomfort with every waking moment. However, I didn’t dare to reveal my real name. The idea of being dragged back to Axel flashed through my mind.

“Melany.” I forced a smile as I looked between the two siblings.

“Well, Melany, I’m not even half as annoying as Sara makes me seem.” John smiled, displaying a set of gleaming teeth. A smile like that would have once sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach. Instead of butterflies, a strange emptiness had built up in my chest. A gust of cold wind swirled within me, humming through the hole in my chest.

“Let’s hope you have some skills, Melany.” Sara shot me a calm smile. “I don’t need another cashier. John already filled that position. If you can work hard and bake something edible, you’ll have a job.”

“I’ll do my best.” I promised, a hopeful smile spreading across my face.

I enjoyed the rest of my afternoon, wandering through the remaining stores in town. While a quaint café called my name for lunch, I resisted the pull. I had enough money to sustain myself for a few weeks, but I couldn’t risk depleting my reserve. I made a silent vow as the smell of hearty soup and melted cheeses filled my nose. If I managed to secure that job at the bakery, I would go to the café and order whatever I pleased.

Once the sun had begun to set, I wandered back to the shaded motel. The lumpy spring mattress called my name, and the thin quilt invited me to snuggle inside. As I slept peacefully, two anguished faces swirled in my dreams. It took me half an hour to set an alarm on the crappy clock provided by the hotel.

I rose from the bed at 5:30 am, Liam and Ethan’s faces still fresh in my mind. If they hadn’t noticed my absence, they would today. Today, I had a shift at the restaurant, one I would undoubtedly miss.

I got out of the motel bed, stumbling on my feet with an eager smile on my face. I had no clue how to bake, but Sara was willing to let me give it a try. I put on a pair of jeans and a faded t-shirt, hoping she would lend me a uniform. I popped a granola bar into my mouth, the scent of fresh cake still lingering in my mind.

I arrived at the bakery fifteen minutes early, lingering out front as I battled the cool morning breeze. The sun was beginning to rise, casting a bittersweet light on the storefronts and sidewalk. The sky was lit up in shades of blue, orange, and yellow. Five minutes before six, a shiny silver car pulled up alongside the road. Sara was already in uniform, hopping out of her car with her bag in hand.

“Where’s your brother?” I couldn’t help but ask. I wrapped the long sleeves of my shirt around my fists, warming my hands.

“He’ll be here once we open,” Sara huffed. “Getting him out of bed early is miserable. We live in separate apartments, and I hate having to drag him out.”

Even as she closed her car door, the smell of pastries wafted from inside. I wondered if the scent followed her wherever she went, making her smell like a freshly baked muffin all day long. I could think of worse things to smell like, and I wouldn’t mind carrying the aroma of thick frosting and brown sugar.

She opened the front door and turned on the lights, the pink and white booths shining cheerfully.

“John cleaned the store last night so we can focus on getting everything ready for the morning rush,” Sara called out to me over her shoulder, motioning for me to follow. My eyes scanned every surface of the kitchen. Every shiny metal gadget fell under my gaze. The massive ovens followed by the large refrigerator and freezer. On the metal prep table in the center of the room, there was an array of pastry bags. “I’ll explain as we go. Just do your best to keep up, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Brushing aside Liam and Ethan’s persistent faces, I followed Sara closely. The smells and sights of the bakery helped distract me, helping to divert my attention from the black hole in my chest.