Azmaish-e-Ishq

Ch. 30: BBQ

Heer's P.O.V.

I could see Salaar approaching the counter through my peripheral vision while I slid a plate of cheesecake to the customer. The tall French man stepped to the side and took a bite of the confectionary right here. His eyes followed Salaar as he entered past the counter and stood behind me, arms folded.

He chewed the dessert slowly, as if studying the flavor. He nodded slowly after swallowing. "Do you have any other desserts, Miss-" he glanced at the name on my apron, "Heer?"

"We only offer one type of baked good per day," I smiled politely.

He chuckled to himself, "Seems I like I will need to visit the next few days."

Salaar's hand slithered its way to my waist, pulling me close. "The cheesecake was that good, huh?" he spoke through his teeth.

"Precisely. Did you make the crust yourself, mademoiselle?"

"Yes, with graham crackers."

"Very nice. It's not too dry nor too moist. Well done."

"Thank you," I smiled lightly, Salaar eyeing the man skeptically.

"Are you the owner of this establishment, Miss Heer?"

I nodded.

He reached for his pocket and handed me a card, "My name is Andre Jacques. I am the founder of Le Sucre Doux."

My eyebrows lifted when I saw his company logo. Most of the big grocery markets carried a few packaged desserts from Le Sucre Doux such as chocolate cake slices, macarons, and eclairs.

"I am looking to sell my products at niche cafes that meet the standard of quality and taste of my desserts. I've been visiting local spots that I happen to see to try what they offer, and I must say your cheesecake was enchanteur, enchanting!"

I grinned, looking up at Salaar. Such a big chef was taking interest in my baking and thought it was as good as his!

Salaar smiled down at me, his jealousy toning down a notch.

"You know what? I don't think I need to try any more. How about you think about it, mademoiselle, and if you are interested, we can set up a meeting to discuss more details of what promotional set up and profit percentages would look like?"

"Sure."

"Can I have your number to stay in touch?"

Salaar's forehead creased as I nodded reluctantly. I wrote it down on a Hayat business card and gave it to Andre.

"Au revoir, belle," he nodded charmingly before leaving.

Daniaal took his place while I looked up at Salaar with soft eyes, "Kya?"
(What?)

"You could have given him Alejandra's number."

"Sally, I'm the owner. If things move forward, he's going to be doing business with me."

"He called you 'belle,' do you know what that means?" he griped.

"Beautiful. I learned it in my French class," Daniaal piped up.

Salaar glared at his cousin.

"He's harmless, Salaar," I drew my arms around his torso, looking up at him.

He studied my eyes skeptically before sighing defeatedly.

Daniaal smiled at the proximity between us.

I let go as Haniya entered. "Good afternoon, Hani."

"Good afternoon. Hey Daniaal."

"Sup, Hans. Hey, we're having a barbecue tonight. You should come," Daniaal invited.