I was given my own bedroom, which had an attached bathroom and a walk-in closet. The walls were painted a light yellow and there was a bench beneath the window. To the right of the window were built-in bookshelves. A full-size bed took up part of the room, with the old white iron headboard against the wall. I wonder if Thea and Gus had any kids. This room is absolutely adorable and cozy. I definitely will be using that bench seat in the near future.
They allowed me to park my trailer in their driveway area next to the shed. I was finally able to use my car now if I decide to go anywhere. Thea gave me a key to the front door and said that I was welcome to have dinner with them every night while I stayed there.
She gave me a couple of days to settle in before she expected me to start working at the bakery, which I really appreciated. I went ahead and spent some of my time taking out my clothes and setting them up in the closet for easier access, and putting my toiletries away in the bathroom. I felt more settled and comfortable after I got my things put away.
* * *
The first week at Honey Buns was a learning curve. Theaand Gus went through all the processes of my job, and how to work their original cash register that has been around since they opened their bakery in the 80s. They showed me how they made the sweets and other food items, where all the extras were stored to restock the front case when it was empty, where ingredients were, and gave me a list of the treats that they sell, which included custom orders.
I was quite impressed with what Honey Buns had to offer. The amount of love and care that went into their sweets was commendable. They had coffee cake, apple tarts, pumpkin cheesecake brownies, carrot cake, spice cake, cheesecake, eclairs, cinnamon rolls, among other things. People could order custom cakes and cheesecakes, as well as bulk orders.
After the first couple of days, they pretty much left me alone to work the front register by myself in the morning while they were baking. The mornings were extremely busy, it helped the time pass by. This was my first time working in a bakery, so it was interesting to see the differences compared to other jobs I have worked. The cleanliness of the bakery was top-tier, all top-line stainless steel appliances. I would have thought that it would be a mess due to the time they spend baking, but they seemed to always keep the areas clean.
I always had whatever job I could find; I wasn’t picky, and I didn’t have a college degree to get a better job. I felt like the past ten years of my life I have been floating by with no real direction after I graduated high school. School wasn’t for me. Because of my ADHD, I had a difficult time focusing and paying attention, making it frustrating to remember information and do well on tests. The only time I did really well was when it was something I was interested in, like art.
My parents understood the difficulties I had and did notpush me in school. They understood I wasn’t lazy and was trying my best, but school didn’t understand or take into account my learning differences or difficulties. They told me I needed to try harder. I think my parents would be proud of me for stepping out of my comfort zone and moving to a new city.
It’s been super overwhelming moving and starting over in a new place with no one on my side. Due to my emotions welling up, tears spill down my cheeks, and the feeling of isolation is suffocating. Even though I didn’t have much going on for me in Cleveland, the only person I had left was Heath. I missed him.
Before we dated, we had been friends for a year. My entire life, I had a difficult time making and keeping friends as it was due to my ADHD. A lot of people would always say I was rude and didn’t want to be my friend. After my parents had died, I closed myself off, breaking and destroying the two friendships I had from high school. Heath was the only one who was there with me in that darkness, helping to pull me out. A kindled spirit to mine. I took out my phone to text him, needing some familiarity in my life.
Me: Hey Heath, I was just thinking about you.
Heath: Hey Blair. How are you doing? It's been quiet without you.
Me: Honestly I'm not doing too good. I feel unbearably lonely. And har har, I know I'm a bit loud, but I can't help it.
Heath: It wasn't a bad comment, I miss you filling the silence. And yea I can imagine moving somewhere without knowing anyone would be really difficult. Did you find a job at least?
Me: Yes I did get a job. I'm working at this bakery called Honey Buns. The owners of the bakery also rented me out one of the rooms in their house until I can get my own place.
Heath: A bakery huh? That sounds perfect for you. And be careful, there could be some people out there trying to take advantage of you Blair.
I roll my eyes at his response, as if I don’t know that. I know that I may get myself into questionable situations at times, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have some common sense. I know people have used me as a doormat in the past, and I had no backbone to stand up for myself, but things are different now. I’ve grown as a person.
Me: She's a sweet old lady that runs a bakery, I don't think she's going to kidnap me or kill me. I appreciate your concern. I've only been working there a week now. I will say though, I wish you could try her sweets, they are to die for! Legit amazing!
Heath: Maybe one day. But I have to go. Talk to you soon.
Every day since I have arrived in this town, I keep finding small trinkets either on my car, on the porch of Thea’s house, in the basket on my bike, or outside the bedroom window. Some of the trinkets were things such as pretty rocks, an old key, small pieces of smoothed out glass, a flower, or a leaf. I wonder where they came from and who they were from. It was a bit confusing, and I wasn’t sure what to think.
I was unsure what to do with all the trinkets as well.Does accepting them mean anything? Were they even for me? Maybe it was a bird? The situation made me feel a little uncomfortable. I didn’t like the idea of someone watching me and stalking me. That would make me a stressed, overwhelmed ball of nerves. I sigh, rubbing my temple, realizing I need to go to bed. It was just one of those days.
4
Chapter 4 - Blair
Istarted today’s shift bright and early, a chill in the air due to fall rolling in, but I didn’t mind. I was getting used to the early mornings, and I loved being at the bakery before they opened. Since it was fall, I had to use a flashlight when walking to the bakery; the street lamps offered only a dim glow to light my way.
It was always quiet as the city started to wake up for the morning, the smell of the baked goods wafting out to the main street. Even though Thea was soon to retire, she was always at the bakery at two in the morning, prepping and baking for the day’s sales. I was impressed by how hard she worked at the age of 66.
By the time 9:45 in the morning rolled around, the bakery was quiet. There were no customers, and I could finally hear the gentle café music playing through the speakers. I took a deep breath and let it out. The morning rush was no joke.
We were out of coffee, the pot needing to be refilled. I grabbed the pot, taking it to the sink to be washed before I brewed a new batch. Grabbing whole coffee beans next, Ithrew some in the grinder. After a few pulses, I dumped the grounds in the filter. Putting the clean pot in the machine, I pressed brew and let it run.
I finally had time to clean up, wanting to get ahead of the lunch crowd that would soon show up. The last batch of customers arrived soon after, before the bakery closed in the afternoon. I grabbed a clean towel from the back and started wiping all the tables down and making sure the case was stocked. Most of our items were on display now and no longer in the back refrigerator. The last thing I needed to do was wipe down the front near the register.
I was busy wiping the front counter as I heard the bell on the door ring, alerting me that there was a customer. “Hi, welcome to Honey Buns. How can I assist you today?” I ask, with my fake saccharine customer service voice, sweeping my eyes to the person standing in front of me.
