“We are indeed. Are you looking for a short-term or long-term arrangement?” she inquires, her left brow raising.
“As of right now, long-term. I just came into town hoping for a new start.”
“Long-term works for us. We can always use the help. Do you know what your availability looks like at the moment?” she asked. That was a great question. I haven’t even thought about that myself.
“Honestly, I have open availability. Whenever you need me to work, I can. I have no prior engagements or limitations.”
She gives me a giant smile. “Well that works perfectly for us. Right now we need someone to work the morning shift from six in the morning to 12:30 in the afternoon, Monday through Friday. If we close down the bakery for anything, we will let you know personally. So that would be about thirty hours a week, including thirty minute lunches on your shift.”
“That would be fantastic actually!” I beam at her.
“Wonderful! Let me go get the paperwork for you to fill out then. I will be right back.” She scurries along, retreating through the moving doors leading to the back. While I wait, I take a peek at the case to see all the delicious treats theymake. There were at least thirty different sweets in the case.
“Alright, here is the paperwork. Fill out what you can and we will save the rest for later. I saw you eyeing the case. Anything you see that you might want to try?” she asks.
“Everything looks so delicious, it’s hard to pick.” My stomach growls as I take in the sweets.
“Well, my favorite is the apple tart, and Gus, my husband, loves the pumpkin cheesecake brownie,” she says as she points to where they are in the case.
I’m nodding my head along, mentally agreeing that those are good choices. “Think I’m going to go for a slice of your coffee cake please.” I hand her three dollars before she gets the slice for me.
She nods her head while grabbing a small plate. “That’s a good choice. One of our most popular ones.” She puts it on the counter and I grab it, picking up a fork and heading towards a table in the back of the bakery. I pick a spot in the corner that has a booth against the wall, and two wooden chairs across from it. It takes me about thirty minutes to fill out the paperwork in between bites of delectable coffee cake, humming from contentment. I could see why this was one of the favorites here. The cake wasn’t super sweet; it had a light and airy quality, as the topping was buttery and crunchy. I didn’t have a sweet tooth, so this was perfect.
I grab the plate and paperwork and bring them back up to the counter. “Thank you so much. The cake was fantastic. And here is the paperwork. Do you have an idea of when I will hear back from you?”
“Oh sweetie, you already got the job. The paperwork was more for formality and legality. We need the help, and don’t get many people looking for part time-work,” she stated, witha small smile on her face.
I was speechless at her kindness. “Thank you . You don’t care about my work history or anything like that? And I’m sorry, I can’t remember if I have introduced myself or not when I entered your lovely bakery. I’m a bit forgetful and have a one-track mind. My name is Blair.” I extend my hand to shake hers.
She gives me a small smile and chuckles as she takes my hand in hers. “Sweetie, you already gave me your name, but it’s nice to meet you, I’m Thea. My husband Gus and I own our bakery. We have been open now for about forty years. And no, you seem like good people. Plus, I’m sure you filled it out on the paperwork, if anything I can always look back at that. If I had any guesses, it almost seems like fate had a hand to play in you walking in here at the perfect, opportune time.”
Thea was unbelievably sweet and helpful, so while I was at it, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask her if she knew anywhere in town that was renting out an apartment or even a room. “I know this is a huge ask, but do you know of anywhere in town that is available for rent? I’m currently staying at a hotel, and would prefer a more permanent lodging situation.”
“Well miss Blair, you’re in luck. My husband and I have an empty room or two in our house. It’s just the two of us and our cats. The house is also a fifteen-minute walk from the bakery. We are happy to let you rent a room with us, if you’re interested.”
“Wow, that is really kind of you. I would love to rent a room. That would be a lot better than staying in a hotel. How much would I owe you monthly?” I’m speechless at how kind this woman is to a mere stranger.
She waves her hand as if it’s not a big deal. “Oh sweetie, not much. Would 250 dollars a month work for you?” my eyes go wide from surprise. All I can do is nod my head in acceptance, a bit shell-shocked at how little she is asking. “Here, let me write down my phone number and address for you. If you want to stop by and check out the place first, you’re more than welcome to before you accept the offer. If you like it, you can move in right away. Once you’re settled, you can go ahead and start working here. Does that work for you?”
“Yeah, that sounds great,” I croak. I clear my throat. “This is all very kind of you. I don’t know how I can repay you.”
“Oh you don’t need to. We have all been there before where a helping hand is needed. I hope you enjoy and fall in love with our town just as much as the rest of us have,” she gives me a warm smile and pats my hand that’s on the counter.
* * *
I stayed in the hotel room for two more days while I got all the paperwork signed with Thea to rent one of her rooms, and to start at her and her husband’s bakery, Honey Buns. The day after putting in the job application, I went to her house to check it out and to see if it was a good match for me. Their house was lovely, so I rolled the dice and said yes. I was surprised how easy it all was, but I wasn’t going to complain about the opportunity that landed in my lap. They always say, “don’t look a dead horse in the mouth,” or something like that. I always got my idioms mixed up.
I packed up my suitcase that had only the bare minimums, including a few outfits, some shoes, and my toiletries. The rest of my belongings are still in the car and trailer. I wentdownstairs to turn in my room key and left the small hotel. When I got to my car, there was a flower on my windshield.How pretty,I wonder how it got here. I looked around to see if anyone was nearby, maybe someone would pop out and say something, but there was no one.
I grabbed the flower and put it in the car with me, not sure what to do with it. I didn’t want to throw it on the ground where it could be crushed by someone. I put my small suitcase on the front seat with my purse and the flower. I plugged the address of Thea’s house into the GPS of my phone and headed towards my new residence.
Her house was a fifteen-minute drive from the hotel where I was staying. It was down a side street, right off the main corridor. An old, gothic-style manor, with a steel gate at the entrance welcomed me.Wow, color me impressed.I park along the side of the road, in front of the home. At a closer look, the color of the house was a pale yellow with white details and trim. There were giant trees surrounding the property and six-foot-high bushes blocking the front for privacy.
I open the wrought iron fence to see a stone pathway lined with plants on the ground, leading me up to the porch. The porch was completely wooden, with a giant porch swing off to the right. The front door is made out of wood, a deep oak color with intricate stained glass windows embedded in the wood. I knock on the door, a loud thunk from how thick the wood is. A moment later, the door swings open and Thea is there to greet me.
“You made it! Perfect. Come in, come in,” she ushers me into the house. Even the house inside looks like it’s over 100 years old. The entrance is a hallway with stairs leading up to the second floor, while there are rooms on each side.The walls are covered with floral wallpaper and red carpet is going up the wooden staircase. There is a lot of charm here.
“Don’t let me forget to give you a key, but we can figure that out later. Any of the rooms are open to you except the master bedroom, which is upstairs and to the right. Go ahead and get settled, and then you can come back down and I’ll show you the rest of the house.” She waves me off and goes down the hall to what I assume would be the kitchen.
