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The doorbell jingled, and Jennie sprinkled a tiny bit of edible glitter over her tray of half-decorated pumpkin cookies. "Sehun, can you get the customer? I'm a little busy-"
Jennie glanced up from the rows of dark orange treats to find Sehun, one of the two people she employed, deeply engrossed in piping an eerily photorealistic image of a dead tree amidst a row of crumbling headstones onto a giant black cake.
"Never mind," Jennie mumbled to herself. She may have only opened the bakery five months ago, but in that time, she'd discovered that once Sehun was in the decorating zone, there was no getting through to him.
She dusted her flour and edible glitter-coated hands on her white apron and made her way to the front of her shop. A familiar middle-aged woman with a loose topknot holding up dark hair peered over the counter.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Kang," Jennie beamed her best friendly neighborhood baker smile. "Finally cashing in on that offer of a sweet treat?"
"Jennie!" The local librarian beamed. "I'm so glad you're in this afternoon. I was hoping I'd run into you."
"I'm here every day from, well basically dawn, until close. Except for Tuesdays. That's my one and only day off. And this Saturday for the Stoney Falls Fall Fair." Jennie shook her head, mumbling to herself. "That's a mouthful. Who came up with that name?
She looked up to find Dahee staring at her fondly.
"Anyway, what can I get for you?" She took her place behind the glass counter and gestured towards the display of fall-themed treats and loaves of freshly baked bread.
Dahee hummed as she ran her eyes along everything Jennie had to offer. She smiled, her gaze rising to meet Jennie's. "What's your favorite?"
"Well," Jennie clicked her tongue. "That's kinda like asking a mother which kid is her favorite. While I love all my babies, some I like more than others. Depending on what I'm in the mood for."
Dahee leaned forward, her elbows on the glass, and her eyes danced mischievously. Jennie stood up straighter, a little taken aback by the librarian's suddenly bold demeanor.
"I think I'm in the mood for something sweet. Maybe a little spicy. With just a hint of something surprising." Dahee slid her hand forward, just far enough for her fingers to brush lightly against Jennie's.
Jennie clapped her hands together, both to get away from the odd touch, which wasn't necessarily bad but was way beyond surprising, and to signal that she, indeed, had something that could satisfy Dahee's requests.
"How do you feel about ginger?" Jennie pulled open the glass door and picked out one of the dozens of rich dark brown cookies. She handed the parchment paper-wrapped treat across the counter.
