We-Write #3: The Bakery

Thanks again to @zeldacroft for running the weekly We-Write contest. If you've never done a we-write, you can learn all about it right here.

This is the first part of the story, which was provided for us.

The smell of cinnamon and fresh fruit wafted lovingly through the kitchen, drifting between the bakers and through the hallway leading to the storefront. The scent tempted the awaiting patrons, each lining up before the display case of assorted pastries, pies, and cream-filled confections. Lucas, in his white apron and pastel name tag, saw that the ever-popular eclairs were running low. He left Beverly to tend to the customers as he went to gather more. Smiling, he reached into one of the racks in the kitchen and pulled out the fresh pastries to fill the empty tray.

“We’re going to need more eclairs ,” Lucas mused, “they’re almost all gone back here, too.”

“Well, what else is new?” Jonah laughed. “I’ll get someone on it once we’re done with these pies,” he said as he gestured loosely to the delectables around him. Lucas had helped unload the giant crates of peaches and blueberries that morning, and seeing their baked form made his mouth water. More than that, he longed to make one, perhaps with a cracker crust, carefully baked and topped with a little sugar. No, drizzled honey.

Jonah saw Lucas’ eager stare and questioned, “How long have you worked here now?”

“Oh, uh, about six months.” Lucas had briefly forgotten that he worked front of the house, not in the wonders of the kitchen, and began loading the eclairs again.

“Well, when you’re done refilling those come back. There’s something I want to show you.”

And this is my continuation of the story:

Lucas hurried to carry the remaining tray of eclairs to the front of the store, pausing long enough to let Beverly know he'd be back in a few moments, right after he spoke with Jonah about something. He waited patiently for Jonah to carefully place the top crust on one more pie, and deftly crimp the edges. Then Jonah used his apron to wipe the flour off his hands, and motioned Lucas to follow him into the small office next to the kitchen. Rummaging through a stack of papers on the desk, Jonah selected a printout of a newspaper article.

"Do you recognize anyone in this photo?" asked Jonah. Lucas stared at the paper in astonishment. The article had been printed ten years ago, when he had been the pastry chef at a five-star restaurant far away from here. And there was his photo, taken while he was assembling pies.

"Where did you get that?" asked Lucas. "Has anybody else around here seen it?"

"I ran across it while looking for a special recipe I'd read about once," Jonah smiled. "And there you were in the photo. How did you get from that restaurant to cashiering in a small-town bakery?"

Lucas' face clouded over. "It's a long story," he sighed. "If you will settle for the short version, it involves a divorce, false rumors, and relocating in order to make a fresh, anonymous start."

Jonah nodded sympathetically. "It happens to a lot of people, unfortunately. What I want to know now is whether you would be willing to resume baking pies right here? We could use your expertise immediately!"

Lucas smiled broadly. "I can't wait to start!"