and a simple ‘Happy Birthday’ with, oh, ten candles or so would be great.”
“No problem. Just give me a few minutes.” Ian put on some gloves, opened the display case, and carefully lifted the glass cake platter before pulling it out. “Can Senga get you anything while you’re waiting?”
Senga looked at him, eyes wider than normal.
Oops, we don’t normally do that! And he had just basically treated her like a waitress.
“Oh, that’s okay. I’m the one inconveniencing you, so you don’t have to do anything special.” Cameron was looking back and forth between Senga and Ian, clearly picking up on the fact that this was not normal.
Senga looked at Cameron, then back at Ian and suddenly began to smile. With eyes now twinkling with mischief, she turned toward Cameron.
Uh-oh. What was his little sister going to do?
“It’s no trouble. I’ll get you something to eat while you wait. Is there anything you see that you’d like?” Senga turned back to Ian while Cameron was considering his choices and made a little shooing motion toward the kitchen. “Go on, don’t let the nice detective wait more than necessary.”
“I…. You….” Ian closed his mouth. Not really knowing how to respond, he decided retreat was the best option and hurried through the double doors, heading straight for the decorating area in the back.
“Anything wrong with that cake?” His father looked over from where he was working on preparing the bread and rolls they’d need for the lunch crowd in a few hours.
“No, nothing’s wrong with it. A customer wanted a last-minute birthday cake, and I offered to customize this one as a compromise.” Ian set down the platter and began to pull out the birthday candles, followed by the mocha and vanilla icing he was planning to use. Oh, yes, some blue coloring as well, to make it more masculine.
“Harrumph.” Ian’s father cleared his throat.
He only did that when he wanted to attract attention, so Ian put everything on the work surface, hid his sigh, and looked up to let his father know he was listening. He figured he knew what was coming.
“You did explain to him that we do customized birthday cakes? Which, I might add, are more expensive?” His father’s eyebrows were already halfway up his forehead.
“Of course I told him.” Well not about the extra cost. That was just too embarrassing. “But he wants it right away since the birthday is today. So I can either sell him this one, at a slightly increased price, or we don’t make a sale. Which would you prefer, Father?”
“Well, it’s not optimal, but I guess selling the whole cake is better than having it sit there and get old.” His father nodded quickly, once, as if it pained him to show a higher level of agreement. “Carry on, then.”
And with that, the insufferable control freak turned back to his own work. Ian shook his head and focused on what he had to do. Getting angry served no purpose at all. A few minutes later, he had a nice birthday cake and rushed back into the sales area to get Cameron’s approval before packing it for him.
“That looks great, thank you.” Cameron smiled, then took another bite of the slice of Dundee cake he’d apparently decided to try. “And I love this cake too.”
“I’m glad. Let me put this in a box for you so we can deal with the donut order.” Ian pulled one of the flat boxes from under the counter, folded it, and put the cake inside. He glanced over at Senga, who was thankfully busy with some other customers. Who knew what trouble she might have gotten them in if she hadn’t been distracted like this?
“I’ll need three dozen donuts today.” Cameron grinned. “Other teams have figured out we’ve got the good stuff, and if I don’t get enough, my guys will not be happy.”
“It must be some sort of a contagious condition.” Ian laughed as he started layering donuts into a second carton box.
“I know. It’s very worrying.” Then Cameron leaned closer
“No problem. Just give me a few minutes.” Ian put on some gloves, opened the display case, and carefully lifted the glass cake platter before pulling it out. “Can Senga get you anything while you’re waiting?”
Senga looked at him, eyes wider than normal.
Oops, we don’t normally do that! And he had just basically treated her like a waitress.
“Oh, that’s okay. I’m the one inconveniencing you, so you don’t have to do anything special.” Cameron was looking back and forth between Senga and Ian, clearly picking up on the fact that this was not normal.
Senga looked at Cameron, then back at Ian and suddenly began to smile. With eyes now twinkling with mischief, she turned toward Cameron.
Uh-oh. What was his little sister going to do?
“It’s no trouble. I’ll get you something to eat while you wait. Is there anything you see that you’d like?” Senga turned back to Ian while Cameron was considering his choices and made a little shooing motion toward the kitchen. “Go on, don’t let the nice detective wait more than necessary.”
“I…. You….” Ian closed his mouth. Not really knowing how to respond, he decided retreat was the best option and hurried through the double doors, heading straight for the decorating area in the back.
“Anything wrong with that cake?” His father looked over from where he was working on preparing the bread and rolls they’d need for the lunch crowd in a few hours.
“No, nothing’s wrong with it. A customer wanted a last-minute birthday cake, and I offered to customize this one as a compromise.” Ian set down the platter and began to pull out the birthday candles, followed by the mocha and vanilla icing he was planning to use. Oh, yes, some blue coloring as well, to make it more masculine.
“Harrumph.” Ian’s father cleared his throat.
He only did that when he wanted to attract attention, so Ian put everything on the work surface, hid his sigh, and looked up to let his father know he was listening. He figured he knew what was coming.
“You did explain to him that we do customized birthday cakes? Which, I might add, are more expensive?” His father’s eyebrows were already halfway up his forehead.
“Of course I told him.” Well not about the extra cost. That was just too embarrassing. “But he wants it right away since the birthday is today. So I can either sell him this one, at a slightly increased price, or we don’t make a sale. Which would you prefer, Father?”
“Well, it’s not optimal, but I guess selling the whole cake is better than having it sit there and get old.” His father nodded quickly, once, as if it pained him to show a higher level of agreement. “Carry on, then.”
And with that, the insufferable control freak turned back to his own work. Ian shook his head and focused on what he had to do. Getting angry served no purpose at all. A few minutes later, he had a nice birthday cake and rushed back into the sales area to get Cameron’s approval before packing it for him.
“That looks great, thank you.” Cameron smiled, then took another bite of the slice of Dundee cake he’d apparently decided to try. “And I love this cake too.”
“I’m glad. Let me put this in a box for you so we can deal with the donut order.” Ian pulled one of the flat boxes from under the counter, folded it, and put the cake inside. He glanced over at Senga, who was thankfully busy with some other customers. Who knew what trouble she might have gotten them in if she hadn’t been distracted like this?
“I’ll need three dozen donuts today.” Cameron grinned. “Other teams have figured out we’ve got the good stuff, and if I don’t get enough, my guys will not be happy.”
“It must be some sort of a contagious condition.” Ian laughed as he started layering donuts into a second carton box.
“I know. It’s very worrying.” Then Cameron leaned closer
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