The Bursting Heat (Book 2) ✓

18 - Two down

Alice

Who could have thought I'll be decorating cookies early in the morning at the back of a real bakery. Not me, for sure. And enjoying it? It was a strange feeling. Especially after all the negative ones I had for years. But this right now? It was good. I was happy I met Lily, she is a real sweetheart. She didn't ask a lot of questions about me or how I got here. I guess her boyfriend may have told her about me, but she didn't let it show. We were small talking from time to time, mostly her, telling me about different customers or problems with the recipes. It was really refreshing to be able to do some art and let my mind free of the negativity that was following me everywhere for the past five years.

The best part: I was kind of good at decorating. Lily gave me some cookies to work on, but she didn't need them immediately, letting me practice freely with the different colors of icing sugar and the different tips for the piping bags. It was fun, and once I got the hold of it, doing the lines straight and even, my mind was going to burst from ideas. I thought I lost it; I thought my creativity was taken away from me, just like all the other stuff, but it wasn't...I still have it, and it was amazing.

"Wow, you really have an eye for decorating, you sure you haven't done it before?" Lily came to the corner I was sitting to check on me before she opened the bakery for the morning. While I was sitting and piping icing on the cookies, she managed to make different pastries that smelled deliciously. I felt like I was gaining weight just by smelling the sweet aroma around me. She even made some cinnamon rolls for me, just because I asked her if she can do them and that I haven't have one in years. Next thing I know she was spreading the cinnamon-sugar mixture on a roll out dough. 30 minutes later I had the best cinnamon roll I've ever tasted in my life.

"I don't think it's that good. It just some lines and..."

"It is good. Did you see mine? These are so good. We need to get them to the front and sell them."

"Sell them? I thought I was just practicing and learning and...isn't it too soon, I mean I haven't even..."

"They are perfect. I'm taking them. You can decorate the other ones I have waiting for some sugar." And just like that Lily took everything I've done so far and I was left speechless.

It was after the morning rush hours when I felt a big body behind me. I was so concentrated on my design that I haven't heard someone coming to me. I was mere seconds away from reacting to the tread at my back when the air around me filled with familiar scent. Luckily, he didn't touch me, he knew his lesson, he was just watching what I was doing.

"Why are you sneaking on me, Rafi?"

"No sneaking, promise. I called your name, but you were so concentrated you didn't hear me, so I decided to check what you were doing. This looks amazing." He was looking at the tray with all my finished cookies. This one was filled with flowers, I tried all different kinds, different sizes and colors. With every new one I was getting better and better. The designs became a lot more complicated with every new try and I was really happy with how they looked.

"Thanks."

"You enjoy decorating them?"

"Yeah, I wasn't sure I was going to be good at it, but Lily said they were okay, so I just...continued working."

"I didn't say they were okay, I said they were gorgeous!" I look behind Rafi and saw Lily at the door looking at us. At her feet was Ace, who was just looking around, making sure there are no threats near his favorite human.

"Yeah, yeah...same thing..."

"Bullshit. Get credits for your hard work, girl." I was bad at accepting compliments, so I just decided to change the subject.