Just a napkin

Standing in the back room my heart pounded did she read my note? Was it a mistake? Too many thoughts swam in my head. She was beautiful I thought to myself. I was surprising myself no one got under my skin like this. I tried to do some dishes to occupy my mind but it was futile I was so fixated on the note I had left I almost dropped a plate.

Without warning the bell chimed above the door. Had she left? Maybe it was another customer. I set the plate down I had been cleaning and started walking towards the front counter from the back room. The door was closed so I scanned the room for a customer but couldn't see anyone around. Then I realised she was gone, she must have left and I was overcome with a feeling of disappointment. I'd hoped to talk to her more, she had made my day so bright in her yellow sundress. Sulking I made my way over to the table to collect her plate. I looked down at it and was glad that at least the cake had completely gone so she must have liked it.

Then I thought about the napkin how odd, people usually crumple them and toss them on the plates haphazardly. This one was perfectly folded and placed carefully on the plate where there had been no cake. How cute folding a napkin I thought to myself picking it up. As I turned it I saw indents in it, was there writing on the napkin? As I unfolded the napkin my heart skipped a beat. She had replied to my note I could hardly believe it.

The note read:

Your cake was delicious and your note was a delightful surprise, I would feel special to be called sunny by you. You remind me of chocolate you are so sweet, could I call you sweet in return.

Sunny

I let out a soft sigh as I read the note. I could feel the smile permanently etched onto my face, nothing could remove it. I held the note to my chest, she thinks I'm sweet. Sunny please return again. Just then I was struck by inspiration for a cake, a delicate cake made of peaches and cream. She filled my mind with her beauty and it consumed my new cake.

She wanted to call me sweet I could hear in my head her voice as I danced around the kitchen baking this cake. Al entered and I hadn't noticed at first. Once I'd realised he was stood watching me I fumbled the bowl of peaches and my face flushed red.

"Oh Al I didn't see you there, what's on the prep list today?", I asked him trying to dampen my excitement.

"Same as usual son", he said leaning forward then continued looking at the bowl of fruit, "a new cake idea? Perhaps something special?", he asked now unable to hide an obvious grin.

"Oh this well, you see, I er.. yes it's an idea I just had", I fumbled and managed to get out a sentence. Al raised an eyebrow still grinning.

"Well I'm sure she will love this one even more", he said his eyes beaming with excitement. He then turned and left before I could reply. I felt so embarrassed but he knew me so well, I could hide my feelings my baking always showed them clearly. I sliced the peaches and added them to batter, emptied the bowl slowly in to a cake pan and baked it in the oven.

Whilst waiting for the cake to bake I prepped the pizza dough but my mind was on her. Would she come back tomorrow?

"I really hope so", I sighed without realising I'd said this aloud.

"What do you hope for much?", a woman's voice came from just outside the kitchen. Layla entered the kitchen looking at me with a questioning expression. I kept my eyes on the pizza dough, I had no idea anyone was around but Al's wife always appeared at times like this. She couldn't read my mind but sometimes it felt like she could and knew exactly what to say to comfort me.

"I ... hope my cake comes out nice that's all", I said not looking up at her, that was one of her tricks if she looked in your eyes she could tell what you really thought. When my mother died she always knew what to say to ease my worry. She was just like a mother to me and always protected me as if I were her child. When I was new to the home she would guess what foods I would like and make them for dinner. After about a month she knew exactly what food I liked best to worst and figured it all out by my expressions at every meal. Even when I told her I liked something she could tell in a minute if I wasn't being completely honest. She wasn't buying my answer this time though.

"That's strange", she said raising a finger to her mouth analysing my answer. "I'm pretty sure I've never seen you this concerned about a cake before since your always confident in your baking", she was now tapping her lips with finger as she spoke, as If sending me a message that she didn't believe me one bit.

"It's a new recipe so I can't be to careful", I looked at her completely to try and sell my story to her. She stood and thought about my reasoning and giggled slightly.

"Well I'm sure whoever this new recipe is for has made a real impression", she smiled holding the rest of her fingers up to her mouth looking pleased. She had clearly spoken to Al and was in cahoots with him.

"I don't know what you mean, but thank you lay", I smiled at her turning a little red and then quickly got back to preparing pizzas for later.

"I hope she comes back too", she turned and said this whilst leaving so I pretended I didn't hear her. Would sunny come back? If she did I have cake for her so no harm in being prepared I suppose.

A cake from sweet, what a perfect surprise. Maybe she would write me another napkin note. I was excited to find out. The rest of the day I was completely distracted, things I could do like clock work wasn't coming naturally to me.

I almost burnt a pizza slice, tripped over my own feet and put all the wrong numbers into the till. I tried my best to not think of Sunny but when I least expected it she'd pop back into my mind. Getting myself refocused seemed impossible and I was fighting my own dreamy haze.

Standing in the kitchen I stared at the peaches and cream cake I had finished wondering if maybe she was just being nice and I should not get my hopes up. I've never found anyone this interesting before and I was struggling to keep my head on straight.

Perhaps if I saw her one more time it will be a fleeting interest but I was kidding myself. She was the engulfing my thoughts and I truthfully enjoyed it.