Pastries and Promises, page 5
After tying up her hair and lighting a cinnamon-scented candle, Eva sank into the perfectly heated water with a satisfied sigh. The tension began melting from her muscles as she fully relaxed for the first time all day.
As Eva reclined in the steamy, fragrant bathwater, she felt the stress of the day dissipating with each passing minute. The flickering candle and stillness enveloped her senses, letting her mind unwind.
Liz's voice echoed faintly, chiding Eva for her "wasteful" baths. But Eva turned the criticism down, embracing this moment of self-care she had denied herself for too long.
She took her time soaking, occasionally trailing her fingers through the foam swirling on the water's surface. No rushing - simply allowing the water's warmth to wash away the strains of work and past heartache alike.
When her skin had soaked long enough, Eva lathered herself leisurely in honey body wash, taking pleasure in the sweet scent. She let suds trail down her limbs, rinsing away remnants of the day's labors. This bath was her well-deserved sanctuary.
As the water cooled, Eva finally stepped out, wrapping herself in a plush towel. After drying off, she smoothed on a hydrating overnight face mask and rubbed cocoa butter lotion into her skin.
Finally, she slipped on cozy pajamas and slid under the sheets, feeling genuinely relaxed and cared for.
***
Eva's alarm sounded at 3:30am, jolting her from sleep. Though early, she enjoyed having the bakery to herself in the quiet pre-dawn hours. This solitary time was peaceful, centering.
Brewing a strong cup of coffee to shake off any remaining drowsiness, Eva stood at the kitchen window gazing out at the inky night sky. Only a faint glow on the horizon indicated sunrise was still hours away. She had always been an early riser, even in her youth. As a child, she had eagerly awaited the first rays of sun, excited to see what each new day held.
The world slumbered on around her. But rather than feeling lonely in the darkness, Eva cherished the silence. No distractions or demands on her time yet - just her favorite mug warming her hands as she mentally planned the day's assortment of baked goods.
Leisurely getting ready in the dim apartment, Eva took her time choosing an outfit and combing back her hair. No need to rush - she had hours yet before customers would start arriving at Sweet Delights' door, but she had plenty to do before they got there.
Eva finished her coffee with one last long sip, embracing these predawn moments of stillness, then slipped on her shoes, grabbed her bags and keys, and headed out the apartment door just as the inky night sky began shifting to a deep purple-blue.
The morning air held a hint of the crispness that autumn would soon bring. Eva inhaled deeply, feeling reinvigorated after her indulgent bath and full night's rest.
The town was still fully asleep, only the earliest risers' lights glowing in windows here and there. The sidewalks lay empty except for Eva's lone figure. Even the birds had not yet begun their dawn songs.
In this meditative pre-morning hush, Eva walked unhurriedly, enjoying having the streets to herself. The day's clamor and busyness could wait a little longer.
Soon the cozy brick exterior of Sweet Delights came into view. Eva smiled, quickening her pace. Unlocking the front door to the still darkened bakery felt like coming home, sometimes more than coming home to Liz ever had. Maybe they'd rushed things in the beginning, or maybe they'd needed each other at one time. Whatever it was, Eva knew now that she'd stayed for too long in a relationship with someone who didn't value her. Being cheated on was a terrible way to find that out, but part of her was glad to know now.
Eva switched on the lights, the familiar space lighting up around her. She loved the bakery, but what she loved even more was making people happy with the delicious sweets and baked goods they created each day.
The kitchen was well-stocked and immaculate. She and Michael were both neat freaks and worked well together because of it.
Humming softly to herself, Eva began getting the ovens preheating and gathering the ingredients she'd need to make her special chocolate croissants.
Just as she was rolling out the dough, Michael walked through the front door, his brown curls tousled from sleep.
"Morning, Eva," he yawned.
"Morning," Eva said cheerfully. "Would you like a coffee?"
"I'll get it." Michael poured himself a large cup of the freshly brewed coffee.
She smiled at him, glad for his help.
Chapter Eleven
Claire awoke the next morning feeling restless, her thoughts still swirling from the previous day's conversations. As she made breakfast, Claire contemplated Peter's suggestion of trying Arnold's for a change of scenery. However, the thought of Sweet Delights - the cozy wooden interior, the pastry case filled with treats, and most of all Eva's smiling face - drew her back like a magnet. Though Claire had a car, the bakery was only a few minutes walk away, making it hard to resist their allure.
After rinsing her dishes, Claire grabbed her worn sketchbook and a handful of pencils from the old pine bookshelf David had built years ago. She sighed as memories of him flooded her mind, before calling out a cheery "Goodbye, sweet girl!" to Daisy and stepping onto the front porch. The early morning sunlight was bright, causing Claire to squint as she made her way down the gravel pathway flanked by rose bushes heavy with red blooms. The air was already warm and humid, promising another hot late summer day. The weather app said it was supposed to storm later, but she was sure she would be back home well before then.
As Claire walked, her heels clicking softly against the sidewalk, she inhaled the smell of cut grass wafting over from neighboring yards. She watched as a mockingbird hopped along the branches of an old oak tree, singing its cheerful song.
The aroma of freshly baked pastries and brewing coffee from Sweet Delights wafted up to greet her, drawing her down into the bustling bakery. As she pushed open the door, the warmth and chatter enveloping her like a comforting embrace.
"Morning, Claire!" Eva greeted her with a beaming smile, already placing a steaming cup of coffee and a croissant on the counter. "I thought you might like to try our special today."
"Good morning, Eva," Claire replied, her cheeks flushing slightly at the unexpected attention. "Thank you. It looks delicious." She quickly paid for her treats then got out of the way so that Eva and Michael could continue helping their customers. She was in earlier than she had been the previous morning, and the bakery was quite a bit busier.
As she settled into a cozy corner table by the window, Claire couldn't help but notice the steady stream of customers that flowed in and out of the bakery. They came from all walks of life – old, young, couples, friends – each greeted warmly by Eva and Michael, their orders remembered and prepared with care. Claire knew she would need to start coming up with her own regular order soon, possibly after she'd tried everything in the bakery though. It all looked so tempting.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" a sweet voice asked, snapping Claire out of her reverie. She looked up to see a woman around her age, a toddler balanced on her hip and a stroller laden with grocery bags parked beside her.
"Of course not, please join me," Claire said, gesturing to the vacant chair opposite her. She briefly looked around, there were no other empty spots in the quickly filling bakery.
"Thanks! I'm Lily, by the way. This little one is Max," the woman introduced herself, smiling gratefully as Claire helped her maneuver the stroller next to the table.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Claire," she responded, finding herself instinctively drawn to the small boy's infectious giggles.
"Are you new in town? I haven't seen you around before," Lily inquired, expertly juggling her iced coffee and muffin while entertaining Max with a stuffed elephant.
Claire was sure that she stuck out in the small town. "I am. I just moved in really. But I'm loving the town, and my sister is only about twenty minutes away so it's not like I don't have anyone nearby."
Lily giggled, it made her sound so young, maybe in her early twenties. "I grew up here, but Max's father was from further up the coast in Maine. We had a summer fling, as people like to call it." She rolled her eyes, but didn't seem upset about it.
Claire was sure she shouldn't pry, but she was curious. "Is it just you then?"
Nodding, Lily sipped her coffee. "It is. My parents help when they can, but we had a bit of a falling out when I got pregnant, especially because he wasn't in the picture as soon as I told him. It was a bit of a mess, honestly, for a while there. And Max and I were alone but we made it. And my parents are coming back around. I don't love what happened, but I absolutely love him. Does that make sense?"
"Yes, I think it does," Claire replied, smiling at her. "This may seem odd, but I am an artist, may I draw your portrait?"
Lily's eyes grew wide and she blushed. "Right now? I'm a mess. I just came from the grocery store and..." She shrugged. "You know what? Sure. Go for it."
"Thank you." Claire gently laid out her art supplies, taking in every detail of the young woman and her son. Though Claire didn't typically draw strangers, something about this woman's shy smile and story resonated with Claire, and she wanted to capture their genuine spirit, even if it was just for a fleeting few minutes.
She was almost done with the sketch when Michael came over. He had two water glasses for them. "Can I get you ladies anything else?" He leaned closer and Claire tilted the sketch so he could see it better. It only needed the finishing details. "Claire, that's amazing. You've really managed to capture the two of them in your work. Eva talked about having a mural painted on one of the walls a few years ago, but nothing ever came of it. It’s good to have an artist in town.”
Lily glanced at her half-finished muffin and shook her head. "I'm good for now, thank you."
"I am too," Claire said brightly, '"but I appreciate the water."
Michael nodded. "It's going to be a hot one. If either of you need anything, please let us know. The morning rush is starting to slow down now so I'll be all yours."
Lily blushed at his words. "Thank you, Michael." As soon as he was gone Lily said, "He's so cute, I wish he wasn't gay."
Claire chuckled. "Yes, he certainly seems charming." She'd had no idea that he was gay and wondered if he had a boyfriend in town.The town seemed progressive, like most of New England, though she had yet to see any pride flags in town. Although she hadn't been looking for them either.
A few minutes later, Claire signed the bottom of the page. "All done." She carefully tore the page from her sketchbook and handed it to Lily.
Lily gasped, her eyes shining. "This is stunning, Claire, thank you so much! I love it." She reached out to squeeze Claire's hand.
"You're welcome," Claire replied. She watched as Lily packed up the stroller and headed out into the sunshine, turning to wave brightly before disappearing down the street toward the water.
Eva came out of the back of the bakery, a tray in her hands filled with a dozen neatly decorated cupcakes. The cupcakes were arranged in two rows of six, each with a different bright frosting color and design. The vanilla buttercream frosting had been expertly swirled and piped to create rose shapes in shades of pink, purple, and blue. Silver sprinkles had been arranged in rings around each base to match the various colors. The cupcake liners were perfectly straight and tidy, showing the amount of care Eva had put into preparing the tray for display. Eva took her time arranging the display case, making sure each cupcake had enough space around it and that the frosting designs were facing outward for customers to see.
Claire hadn't realized that she'd been watching Eva arrange the cupcakes for as long as she had, enraptured by the care and precision of Eva's work, until Eva looked up and smiled warmly at her. She watched as Eva tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and left a faint smudge of frosting on her cheek without noticing. Even that small, imperfect detail seemed charming to Claire in that moment.
She returned the smile shyly, Julia's teasing about Eva being interested in her ringing loudly in her ears. Claire took another bite of the flaky croissant and sighed happily at the burst of filling on her tongue. "This is delicious, Eva. Thank you for recommending it."
Eva beamed, coming out from behind the counter to join her for a moment. "I'm so glad you like it. We have a lot of regulars now, but I always get excited when someone new discovers us." She leaned in conspiratorially, "To be honest, the croissants are my favorite too. Michael's buttery pastry and my fillings are a perfect match."
Claire chuckled, "Well your secret is safe with me, though with treats this wonderful I don't think you'll stay a secret for long."
"You're too kind." Eva squeezed Claire's shoulder warmly. "Let me know if I can bring you anything else. And take your time, there's no rush at all. Michael told me you were out here drawing. Feel free to draw here anytime. We're normally only busy for a few hours first thing in the morning but the rest of the time it stays fairly quiet."
"Thank you, I will." Claire smiled as Eva headed back to help another customer.
Claire stayed for another hour, quietly observing the steady stream of customers coming into Sweet Delights for their morning coffee and breakfast pastries. She watched as Eva and Michael moved about the bustling cafe with ease, greeting customers by name, taking orders, and delivering plates of food and cups of steaming coffee with smiles.
Everyone but her seemed to be a regular, though she hoped she was quickly becoming part of that group. The smells of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods filled the air, mingling with the murmur of conversation and the clink of dishes. Regulars chatted with Eva and Michael as they worked, catching up on neighborhood news.
Eventually, Claire realized just how long she'd been lingering at her corner table. She brushed a few stray crumbs from her plate and gathered her things. Eva smiled at her as she returned her dish to the designated spot under the counter.
"Will we see you tomorrow morning too?" Eva asked her. Claire caught the hopefulness in her voice and tried not to look too deeply into it.
"Maybe," she said, smiling back at her. "I don't have any other plans, and I do prefer your coffee to my own."
Eva laughed, a bright and cheerful sound that matched her warm smile. "Then we'll hopefully see you again real soon."
Michael waved goodbye to Claire from across the cafe where he was taking another customer's order. Claire pushed open the glass door of the bakery and stepped back out onto the street.
Chapter Twelve
Eva pulled up outside Michael's apartment building right at 7pm as planned. He emerged a moment later, waving eagerly before climbing into her passenger seat.
"Thanks for picking me up," he said, leaning over to give Eva a quick hug. "I'm starving so I hope you're ready for a big Italian feast!"
Eva laughed as she pulled back onto the road headed for their favorite neighborhood restaurant. "When am I not ready for carbs and wine?"
As Eva drove, she caught Michael up on the latest happenings at the bakery. "So I'm still fine-tuning a new lavender cupcake recipe," she told him. "I just can't seem to get the lavender flavor quite right yet."
"My first try was a total fail," Eva admitted with a laugh. "I used way too many dried lavender buds. The cake was just speckled all over with them. And it smelled really intense."
She shook her head at the memory. "But when I actually tasted the cupcakes, it was like eating pure lavender oil or something. The flavor was so ridiculously strong and perfumey. I could barely swallow the first bite, it was just too much."
Eva continued, "So for the second attempt, I dialed back the amount of lavender way down thinking that would fix it. The cakes had a pretty light purple color, so they looked perfect. But then when I bit into one, I realized I could hardly taste any lavender at all. It was just plain vanilla cake."
She sighed. "Finding that ideal middle ground between too much and too little lavender has been really tricky. I'm hesitant to waste more ingredients on another failed batch. But I'm determined to figure out that perfect faint floral sweetness!"
Michael nodded thoughtfully. "Have you tried steeping the dried buds in milk or cream first to infuse it and then using that in the batter? Might be more potent than just tossing them in dry."
"Oooh, that's a fantastic idea!" Eva said. She hadn't thought to steep and infuse the flavor first. That could definitely be the solution to maximizing the subtle floral taste.
Soon they arrived at the cozy restaurant. Soft lighting and the aroma of garlic and fresh bread greeted them as the host led Eva and Michael to a small booth.
Settling in across from each other, Eva felt a rush of gratitude to share this tradition with her closest friend. They seemed to visit the trattoria at least once a month, though it never got old.
A waiter appeared to take their drink order. "Let's start with a bottle of Chianti," Eva suggested. Michael nodded his enthusiastic agreement.
Once they had ordered the wine and some appetizers to share, including bruschetta and fried calamari, Michael and Eva settled into easy conversation.
"So, how are things going with you?" Eva asked as the waiter came back with the wine. "Any exciting updates in the dating department?"
Michael rolled his eyes dramatically. "Ugh, I wish I had some fun gossip, but the guy I've been seeing on and off is really starting to get on my nerves."
Michael dramatically placed his elbows on the table and dropped his head into his hands. "Ugh, I don't even know where to start with this guy I've been seeing."
He sat up, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. "First, he takes forever to respond to texts. Like I won't hear from him for days, and then suddenly he pops up again like nothing happened."
Shaking his head, Michael continued, "And trying to pin him down for actual dates is impossible! We'll tentatively make plans, but then the day comes and he's nowhere to be found. No call, nothing. It's happened like three times now."
