~Torrelai's POV~
“In a sea of hearts, his was the only one worth drowning for.”
I was terribly exhausted. Who new having a proper occupation was this tiring? Cause I sure as hell didn't.
Drained, tired and in need of a social life. It's been forever since I have seen my best friend, Charley. It feels like the right time to arrange a get together and talk about life, possibly going to the bakery and buy that cake I promised myself I would buy for Jo. Besides, Charley's baked goods could probably put Blake's cooking expertise to ruins.
I haven't told her about the current events in my life, due to the fact that I was having a midlife crisis. More importantly, I should be contacting my parents and fix our little debate.
Since it was now Saturday, and I had an off day, I should go to the bakery after all. I grab my gloves and coat, lock the door and head out. As I strolled through the hall, friendly faces greeted me with smiles and compliments, until I walked past Logan. He commented on how my nose is the size of a potato, but I chose to ignore him.
I tried through the heavy, grey colored snow, struggling through the thickness of it. Being careful not to slip in any frozen snow puddles, I proceeded into town, humming a tune that was recently on the radio. Within half an hour, I arrived add the bakery.
The building was rather small, but expansions were currently being made for extra storerooms and upgrades since its business is doing rather well. The building was made entirely out of brick, and had beautiful transparent windows with flower patterns sprayed on to give the bakery a peaceful vibe.
I enter through the glass door and a bell sounds off, signaling a customer entering. A unison of greetings invades my ears from all sides as the familiar staff greets me.
"Hey Charley, Ye buddy's here!" Tom's voice boomed through the kitchen door he yelled into, and out came a dark skinned face with brown hair and vibrant pink highlights. She smiled as she noticed me. She gently put the tray of pastries she was carrying on the counter, dusting the floor off her clothing and came to greet my with a bear hug.
"Hey, you! I missed your troll face around here." She scrunched up her face playfully and laughed.
"I've had lack of beauty sleep, okay? I'm in denial." She placed her dainty hand on my shoulder and gestured me to take a seat at a unoccupied table.
"Sall, we're gonna need a huge piece of your strawberry chocolate cake. Stat."
The chubby guy moves toward the casing for the delicious treats and retrieves a cake with gorgeous pastel pink coverage, white edging and tiny chocolate pieces decorating the top with cream. He cuts carefully into the cake, and removing it to place onto a plate. He adds a dessert fork and stumbles towards us, offering the cake.
"Enjoy, my darlings." He blows a appreciated kiss to us and walks back to the counter, continuing to help customers.
Charley hands me the fork, urging me to eat. "Spill the beans."
I take a bite from the cake. The taste was delicate, soft, and seriously good. I took a second forkful , holding back a moan from goodness.
"Okay, so." I sighed, how can I sum this up?
"You know that trip I told you about, the one my mother had to attend for her New York fashion week?" Charley nodded her head in understanding.
"Well, she apparently had a sudden epiphany, and realized how messed up her children lives are,starting with me."
"Oh, boy. Did she want to ship you off again?"
"Not exactly. She made me a list of eligible bachelors, made me meet most of them and told me to Choose."
"It worked for Val, what could go wrong with a rich hubby with a nice personality."
"The problem, is that when I declined her favourite, she decided I wasn't mature enough to be fit into marriage, and figured that I need to stand on my own two feet, thus, kicking me out of our beautiful mansion."
Charley gasped, shock written all over her face. She covered her mouth with her hand when someone stared her down for gasping too loudly, and leaned down so that I could hear her better.
"No way, that's so cold. And I thought Bert was cold when he tossed Amy on the streets after her first week at the bakery for not having a steady hand while frosting."
"My point exactly. But, it's going better. I got a cozy place to stay for the time being, it's suitable, and not too far from my job."
"You had to get a job? You really did hit rock bottom, kid." She shook her head from side to side in disappointment.
"It's not all bad. The pay is well, even for a part time job, awesome accesablity to resources, and I made a friend."
"For the hundredth time, loneliness can't be a friend, Torrelai."
I snickerd, Charley was such a drama queen when she wanted to be.
"No, an actual human being. Two actually. The nice lady who owns the motel and Blake, he teaches at the University I work at." Her eyes suddenly sparkled at the mention of a boy.
"Ohh, is he cute, handsome, tall, dark and brooding?" I giggled at her eagerness.
"He's rather attractive." I took a bite from my cake that remained unattended. I took my time chewing, knowing the suspense is killing her from the inside. She squirmed in her seat, awaiting my answer.
"He's proper, he was a jerk when I first met him, but he's warming up to the idea of actually being a human. Hair that could make models jealous, and the most dreamy blue eyes."
I might have sighed when I brought up his image in my head. I never allowed myself to truly think about what I thought about him, come to think off it, I was too busy overreacting over the fact that he asked me out. Oh yeah, that small, insignificant detail.
Charley leaned on her hand, her elbow supporting her head as she fell in a dreamlike state.
"I can see it now, wedding bells within the next two years." She sighed again and writhed.
"Did I mention that he asked me out?" I took a huge chunk of cake with a sly smirk and almost chocked when Charley jumped up from her seat, screaching at the top of her lungs out of joy. She pulled me to my feet and made me happy dance with her, I couldn't help but smile at her quirkiness.
"How could you not mention that to me the moment you step in the door!"
I hunched my shoulders, indicating that I didn't think about it, at first or at all until now. When the topic comes to boys, I'm usually the one rather stuffing my face with food, the only thing that will never betray me.
"We're going to have to go shopping, get a nice dress, cut your hair cause it looks like a rat invaded it,"
I lifted my finger in front of her face, making her stop. I slightly shake my head to the side and she immediately calms down.
"The thing is, I haven't even agreed to the date yet. I'm kind of freaking out about the whole scenario of what could possibly happen." I collapse onto the wooden chair I was previously seated in and sulked.
"Help me." I say as I look to Charley with a pout and puppy eyes.
"Alright, we start with the basics,"
She herself sits down in her seat and wears a serious expression.
"Most important aspects of a date with a cutie are the date, time, place, and attire," I nod in understanding.
"Now, what can you tell me about this date?"
"He offered to make me dinner and mentioned that it was a date."
She raised her eyebrows at my reply and groaned. "Seriously? Men. He asked in the most pathetic way!"
She clasped her hands together and intertwined her fingers.
"We'll start off with the place. Probably the kitchen and dinning room. Attire, go with that little black dress at the back of your closet you always convince yourself to never wear in public, "
I grimace at her suggestion, I really disliked that dress.
"Curl your hair, soft curls of course. Be just on time, and plan your getting ready time perfectly. The date should be a Saturday, therefore more time to mingle. And then, for the final finish,"
I groan, already knowing the topic she is going to say, the part where my social anxiety always kicks in.
"Conversation topics." There it is, my most hated enemy, no matter how many times in the past we go through conversation previews I could possibly follow, I freeze up and blank on the date, and my date ends up thinking I'm an absolute alien freak with bulgy eyes and verbal diarrhea.
"Charley, you know better than I do that planning ahead never works. This isn't my opinion, these are life facts."
She smiles sadly, showing me sympathy. "Tory, you'll never get better if you don't practice."
"I know, but I don't want to."
"You'll ace it, you'll see. Besides, the master is gonna teach you."
That master would be Charley, yes. She's attractive, and all the boys seem to notice. In high school she was the most popular girl, and had the bad girl reputation to show. During our school duration she had the looks, the reputation, the talent, and a new fling on her arm weekly. Boys drooled over her, and are on their knees in her presence, yet, she chose to befriend my introvert self, and the rest is now history.
"The master will have to bear with the students less than appealing attitude towards this." I point to myself and to her, showing my unpleasantness on my face.
"Don't be like that. Grab a hot drink, I'll pay, and wait for me, my shifts almost done."
I nod and hug her as we stand up. Her pink and brown curls bouncing as she walks through the kitchen door. Heading over to the displace case, I roam the options of drinks on the menu.
A figure appears before me. I look up and stand face to face with Sall, who's heart is the metaphorical size of a country. He offers me a grin and sparkly eyes filled with happiness and positivity.
"Tory, always nice to see a friendly face around here. How are you?"
"I'm very well Sal. How is your gran?"
"Still tough as a nail, that one. What would you like?"
I glance at the menu again at my choice. "Cappuccino with cinnamon, please. And Charley offered to put it on her tab. And I'd like to order a vanilla cake that I can lick up tomorrow, my tab. "
"I'll get right on it."
Within ten minutes my drink was ready. I extend my fingers around the warmth of the cup, absorbing the heat it produced. At the corner of the bakery was a window in a small nook with a bench in front of it to allow you to look through it. I reluctantly go to sit on the seat, and decides to scroll around my phone while I wait for Charley. It wasn't long until she exit the kitchen, untying her apron and hanging it up.
"Come on Slacker." She announced.
"Where are we going?" I question
"Going to raid my closet for the best dress ever." I roll my eyes and fold my arms over my chest as I stalk towards her side.
This is going to be one hell of a long day if it involves clothing and Charley. Send help.
-----------------------------------------------------