chapter 4

Chapter 3The next day, Lila arrived at Ben’s Brew & Bakery with a notebook full of ideas, a heart full of hope, and—naturally—a very large coffee in hand. This was it. This was her chance to convince Ben that a bakery corner wasn’t just a good idea—it was the idea. And she was going to make him see it, even if she had to break out a whole PowerPoint presentation.Okay, maybe not a PowerPoint. But you get the idea.The door chimed as she entered, and once again, the smell of coffee and warm baked goods wrapped itself around her like a comforting hug. This time, though, there was a slight difference. Ben was behind the counter, sure, but he wasn’t alone.Lila blinked, stopping mid-step. Across from Ben, standing at the counter, was a woman with a long, red apron tied around her waist. She looked like someone who definitely knew her way around a kitchen. Lila’s eyes flicked from the woman to Ben, who seemed uncharacteristically… distracted.“Oh, I didn’t know you had a... business partner?” Lila asked, trying to mask the surprise in her voice. The woman was happily talking with Ben, who had finally moved past his usual cold mode and was actually… smiling?Ben turned toward her, looking slightly embarrassed. “Oh, no. It’s just Grace. She’s, uh... helping out today. She’s been baking here for a while now. Just filling in while I take a break.”Grace flashed Lila a warm, almost suspiciously welcoming smile. "Hi there! You’re the one who was asking about the bakery idea, right?"Lila blinked again, feeling a bit thrown off by the sudden influx of new energy in the café. "Yeah, that’s me." She put her coffee down on the counter and glanced between them. “So, Grace, what’s your specialty? Muffins? Cookies? The art of the perfect coffee pour?”Grace chuckled and straightened the apron with a dramatic flair. “I’m a muffin magician. And cookies, too. But I specialize in, you know, making everything here actually delicious. Not that I’m saying Ben’s muffins aren’t good,” she added, with a playful glance at Ben. “They’re just a little... boring.”Ben, for the first time ever, actually rolled his eyes. “Here we go…”Lila couldn’t help but grin. This was… unexpected. But it made her feel a little better. Maybe Ben wasn’t as anti-bakery as he’d let on. And Grace? Grace was clearly someone with potential.“Anyway, I’m here for that bakery chat,” Lila said, trying to regain some focus. “I’ve got some ideas, but I’d love to hear what you both think.”Grace stepped back, giving Lila a dramatic bow. “You’re in the right place. Muffin masterminds at your service. But before you tell us what you’ve got in mind, let me give you the real tour.” She winked and motioned for Lila to follow her to the kitchen.“Is this a good idea?” Lila whispered to Ben, her voice dripping with mock concern.Ben sighed, clearly resigned to the fact that his café had been taken over by a muffin-loving whirlwind. “You’re better off following her. She’ll either make you laugh, or make you terrified of the idea of baking for the rest of your life.”---In the kitchen…Lila stood in the middle of the surprisingly spacious kitchen, her eyes wide. Flour was everywhere—on the counter, on the floor, even on Grace’s nose. There were bowls of batter in various stages of existence, and the smell of cinnamon and vanilla filled the air like the scent of possibility.Grace clapped her hands together, her eyes alight with enthusiasm. “Alright, here’s the deal. If you want a bakery corner, you need to understand one thing: muffins are not to be messed with. I’m talking about perfection. I mean, look at this,” she said, holding up a muffin that looked more like a small mountain than something you’d find in a standard bakery.Lila nodded slowly, trying to keep up. “I’m ready for the muffin lesson. What’s your secret?”Grace glanced over at Ben, who was leaning in the doorway, watching them with mild amusement. “Ben here has a very different approach. His muffins are... basic. They’re simple. They’re safe. They’re, uh, borderline sad.” She flashed him a grin.Ben let out a snort of disbelief. “My muffins aren’t sad, Grace. They’re just... not trying to be anything they’re not.”Grace rolled her eyes. “Yeah, and that’s what’s wrong with them. Muffins are meant to make you feel something. They should make you look at them and say, ‘I need this in my life right now.’”Lila could hardly hold back a giggle. She liked Grace. A lot.“Okay, I’m following. So, what’s your plan for me?” she asked, crossing her arms.Grace grinned devilishly. “Here’s the thing. I don’t just bake muffins. I bake experiences. You want your bakery corner to work? You’ve got to have something people can’t get anywhere else. People will come for the muffins. But they’ll stay for the experience.”Lila raised an eyebrow. “Like what? A muffin dance party?”Grace’s eyes twinkled. “Exactly. Well, not the dancing part. But I’m thinking a themed experience. We could have, like, a ‘Baking with Ben’ class, or ‘Muffin Madness Mondays,’ where people get to help decorate their own muffins. And we’ll serve coffee and these crazy signature muffins that no one’s ever seen before.”Lila's heart sped up. This was it. This was the kind of bakery she had in mind. “Okay, okay, I like it. But—what about the whole ‘complementing the café’ part? You know, making it fit the vibe?”Ben chimed in from the doorway, his voice surprisingly less grumpy than usual. “That’s where Grace comes in. She’s the creative one. I’m the guy who just makes sure there’s enough coffee to go around.”Grace winked at Lila. “Yeah, I’ll make it work. Trust me.”Suddenly, the kitchen was filled with the scent of fresh batter, as Grace effortlessly flung ingredients into bowls with the grace of someone who had been baking muffins since childhood. Lila wasn’t sure how long she was standing there watching Grace and Ben banter, but when she finally looked at her watch, she realized hours had passed.“Alright,” Grace said, as she pulled out a tray of perfectly golden muffins from the oven. “You want to impress people? Try one of these bad boys. But be warned: they might change your life.”Lila hesitated for just a second before picking one up and taking a bite.The moment the muffin hit her tongue, she knew.This was it.The perfect combination of sweetness, fluffiness, and just the right amount of crumble. If she had any doubt before, it was gone now. This was the future. Her future. And it was full of muffins.Ben raised an eyebrow at her, a small, satisfied grin forming on his face. “So, what do you think?”Lila couldn’t stop herself from grinning. “I think I’ve never wanted to open a bakery more in my life.”