harper jones is on the run (jonesycakes) wrote in light_of_may, @ 2014-07-13 03:06:00 |
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Entry tags: | 2009-10-08, harper, teddy |
a regular cure-all
WHO | Teddy & Harper
WHERE | Sherry's Bakery
WHEN | Mid-Morning
“Just a second,” Harper held up one flour-covered hand, her pointer finger extended upwards to give the waiting customer a visual. Her hair was pulled back off of her neck in a messy bun that let a few loose tendrils brush against her shoulders and there were patches of flour and sugar dusted all over her cheeks, forearms and apron. Though today, she wasn’t sure why she even bothered with the apron since her sweater and skirt had smears of the white powder too. She absentmindedly ran the back of her hand across her forehead to wipe away a few beads of sweat and took to pulling a pan of muffins out of the oven without a mitt. She balanced the pan easily in one hand while the other she used to pop in a second tray. A timer buzzed off to her right and she stepped over to the second oven and grabbed the baking sheet with her free hand before sliding both pans into a cooling rack. She clapped her hands together, a cloud of flour exploding out from the impact.
“Alright, now what was that? An order for a strawberry lemon cake with buttercream frosting? No problem. Are we talking birthday? Special occasion of any sort?” As she spoke, she stepped closer to the counter and pulled out a notepad and pencil, taking the notes she needed for the order. “And when do you need it by?”
“Eh, not a birthday, but I guess it’s sort of a special occasion. Basically, it’s a ‘Thanks for Not Dying’ sort of cake. Can you write that on the top? Or maybe ‘Glad You Didn’t Get Eaten?’”
Harper was in the middle of scribbling what ought to be on top of the cake when the words registered within her mind. The pencil stopped, tip barely touching the page of her notepad and she looked at the customer without raising her head, her gaze spilling out over the bridge of her nose. It could have only been more skeptical if she had been peering over a pair of glasses, but as it was her green eyes were unhindered as she studied the customer. “Really?” She asked, finally lifting her head. She half considered telling the girl in front of her that this was a ridiculous request, but in the end she decided it didn’t matter. “Alrighty then. Give me another minute and I’ll ring you up.” Another two timers had buzzed in the time she stood there, this time letting her know that a batch of raspberry scones were ready as well as the brownies filled with caramel and walnuts.
She turned to take care of these dishes, relishing the bustle of business. Sure, she was going to be exhausted by the end of the day, but for now business was wonderful. It helped that people seemed to rushing in from the high school and hospitals. The best medicine for trauma? Sweets, apparently. As she slid the tray of scones onto the cooling rack, she pulled the muffins out and began restocking the display case to her left. She was shuffling the last few in when she heard the bell above the door chime again and eagerly looked up to see who had walked in the door. She didn’t know why she bothered to look up like she did; she had not seen hide nor hair of Josh since they visited Zoie in the hospital and it was pretty clear that he was taking avoiding her to a whole new level. Yet again, the new patron was not the psychic from next door. She smiled at the man in acknowledgment before finishing up setting up the cake order with the girl in front of him. Once the girl had paid and Harper informed her that the cake would be ready by that afternoon, she looked towards her newest customer.
“So, what can I do for you?”