All those little Things ✔

Day 2 - Black Bottom Cupcake

The next day the weather was slightly better though there was no doubt that summer was finally over. On his way to the café Aidan had had to run through a light drizzle and there was no hint of the sun behind the thick wall of gray clouds. The sea was rather stormy, too, and one could hear the waves clashing against the cliffs in the distance.

However he wasn't bothered by the weather in his warm and cozy kitchen and concentrated fully on decorating the cupcakes perfectly. With a spray bag he squirted butter cream on top of the little cakes and decorated the cream with planed chocolate until he was satisfied with the result. Another tray was already in the oven and April had shouted from the front that the Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes were nearly sold out.

He finished his current task and carried the fresh cupcakes out into the shop where April had to deal with a mob of hungry people on their lunch break.

"Hi, what can I get you?" he asked the woman who was next in line friendly.

"I'd like to have on of those Bacon Cupcakes and one with spinach," she answered and he quickly went to work while she rummaged for her purse in her enormous handbag. He would never understand how women could deal with those monstrous bags which seemed to mercilessly swallow everything that was smaller than a pack of paper handkerchiefs - forever.

"Here you go." He placed the bag on the counter and took the money.

"Thank you," April groaned after the last customer had left the shop. "Sometimes I think they meet up around the corner so they can burst in all at once."

"Some secret cupcake-meeting," Aidan chuckled and arranged the pastries in the display while April gulped down half a bottle of water. A few strands of hair had slipped out of her bun and her cheeks were flushed from the hectic work.

"My bladder is ready to burst," she muttered before she disappeared in the direction of the restroom. Aidan rolled his eyes at her retreating back and stretched his arms above his head to relax his shoulders. Bending over a tray of pastries for as long as it took to finish them was seriously tiring and he felt his joints pop.

Surprisingly, his next customers was the grumpy man from yesterday's afternoon. So he hadn't left town yet?

"Hi," Aidan greeted him with his usual bright smile which was answered by a less enthusiastic smile.

"Any recommendations?" the guy asked and gestured to the offered pastries.

"The Black Bottom Cupcake is perfect for this weather; it's a soft dough with herb raw cocoa and a dollop of rich cream cheese and chocolate chips batter baked into the center. Totally food for the soul," he explained with a cheeky smile and beamed when the man chuckled.

"Then I'll take one Black Bottom Cupcake and a cup of coffee," he concluded and shifted the bag on his shoulder so he could reach back and retrieve his wallet.

"To go?" Aidan asked, ready to take a paper cup, though the man shook his head.

"Nah, I'll stay here today."

Aidan didn't question his habits and prepared the beverage and put the cupcake on a plate along with a fork.

"Choose a seat; I'll bring your order in a bit," he offered and the man nodded before he sat down at one of the tables near the window. Aidan waited till the coffee machine was finished and didn't make any gurgling noises anymore and then picked up the mug and the plate to carry them over to his hopefully new regular.

The man slipped out a laptop from his bag and powered it up with furrowed brows as if the act in itself was already revolting.

"I don't want to be noisy, but you're new here, aren't you?" he inquired unobtrusively after he had placed the food on the round table.