Baked Love

6. THE DISASTROUS COOK

The rest of the day passes in a blur. I was so elated that I didn’t even mind my mother’s constant nagging about literally every single thing I did. Usually this would anger me but today I was so happy that it didn’t bother me at all. At the end of the day I went to bed with a smile on my face.

The next morning I decided to finally learn how to bake, at least for the sake of the bakeoff.
I don’t want embarrass myself in front of the entire town. It’s bad enough that they don’t like me anymore.
I don’t understand why they can’t just leave the past in the past.

I find the house deserted. So I decide to walk to the bakery.
The weather is perfect today. The air is cold and fresh and the sun’s out too. It’s like the weather is reflecting the way I feel today, fresh, free and full of hope.

The walk to the bakery is pretty short. It takes me about ten minutes to reach. My mom’s car is parked outside.

The bakery is named Reynolds. It’s a small and simple looking bakery but the food is delicious. I can smell the sweet smell of freshly baked bread from outside the shop.

I walk inside and my mom is at the counter, busy with a customer. The bakery is buzzing with customers. People sitting, laughing, chatting – the whole place is full of life.

I walk up to the counter and ask my mom if I could use her kitchen to cook. She agrees and motions me to go to kitchen. She is too busy to spare me a minute.

The kitchen is immaculate and it smells amazing, like cinnamon.

‘Claire!’ Gary calls out, walking towards me. His round, gentle face breaks into a smile as he sees me.

‘Gary! How have you been?’ I ask, hugging him. He has been my parents’ friend since… forever. He is my godfather.

Meeting him brings back all the great times we had together. When I was a kid, I would get into trouble with my parents almost every day. Gary was my savior. I could always count on him to take my side, no matter what my crime would be.
Gary was my rock, my anchor.

When my dad died, I was devastated. He was the one who supported me and pulled me back from the abyss of sadness.

‘You have grown up.’ Gary states, inspecting me with his hands on my shoulders.

‘It’s been five years.’ I say softly.

‘I didn’t see you the other day. Where were you?’ Gary asks.

I think of making an excuse but then think the better of it. I decide to speak the truth.

‘I was in my room.’ I say meekly.

‘Couldn’t face the rest of the crowd?’ Gary asks.

‘Hmm’

‘Sweetie, be brave. Things will get better.’ He says encouragingly.

I give him a smile.

‘So’ He says with a sigh. ‘Why is Claire Reynolds in the kitchen all of a sudden?’ He asks raising a brow.

‘Well…’ I start. ‘Mom entered my name in the bakeoff this year and I don’t know jack.’ I say hurriedly.

Gary agrees to teach me how to bake a pumpkin pie but after he comes back from the market. Until then I decide to try out the recipe that Lain had sent me last night.

I begin by collecting all the ingredients required to make the dish. Then I combine everything, beat it and put the mixture in the oven for baking.

I start rechecking the recipe on my phone and I hear someone clearing their throat.  I look up and my heart speeds up. It’s Ryan.

He is standing on the other side of the kitchen platform, looking like a Greek god. He is breathtakingly beautiful. Clear, sparkling gray eyes, messed up hair and a smirk tugging at his lips.

‘Is there a problem Claire?’ He asks with a smirk on his face, sounding amused.

‘I – I’ I stammer. I realize that I’ve been staring at him like an idiot.
‘No, there’s no problem.’ I tell him with a smile.
‘You came here to gloat?’ I ask, eyes narrowing, accusing him.

‘I came here to see you cook. I mean I need to know what I’m up against in the competition.’ He explains, still looking amused.

‘Why? Are you scared Jameson?’ I taunt him.

‘Oh no I am not scared. It’s actually you who should be scared.’ He taunts me.

‘Oh really?’ I say raising an eyebrow. Challenging him.

‘Well… looking at the dismal state of your cooking. I don’t think there is a competition.’ He replies, baiting me.

‘What do you mean by ‘dismal state’? My cooking is perfectly fine. So you know what, it is a real competition and I’m going to win it.’ I say with confidence.

Just then smoke starts coming out of the oven and the confidence that I had a moment ago ebbs away. I am rooted to the spot, panicked.

Ryan uses the fire extinguisher on the oven and the smoke stops coming out but the smoke detectors go off. The whole kitchen is sprayed with water.
At least Ryan has quicker thinking than me. I feel ashamed of myself. I could have burnt the whole shop down.

I turn to thank him but before I can do that my mom comes in and she does not look happy. She looks at the state of the kitchen and then at me.

She looks at Ryan and thanks him for drowsing the flames. Then she turns towards me. I wither under her stare.

‘Claire! What were you thinking?’ she shrikes, her face going red with anger. ‘You couldn’t wait an hour to cook?’

She doesn’t give me a chance to explain. She keeps shouting.
‘You have no sense of responsibility. Do you know what could have happened? You could have burnt the whole place down!’

She pauses to take a breath.

‘Mom, I was just –’ I start tearing up.

‘Just what Claire?’ She spits, her voice full of spite. ‘Trying to burn down our legacy? You are nothing but trouble. Just leave.’ she motions towards the door.

I leave with tears running down my face. I try to hide them by looking down.
I feel ashamed, hurt, insulted and most of all frustrated at myself for not even being able to bake a pie.

I walk down the empty sidewalk. It feels like a walk of shame. I am completely drenched in water and the cold air makes me shiver. I am a complete mess.

I think about the text I received from Aaron. Maybe he had hit the nail on the head, I do ruin everything.

I am a living, walking disaster.