*
I walked further into the shop and met a very peculiar woman, who looked like the owner of the shop because well...
She looked like a cupcake.
She had on a kid-size ball gown on, that looked like a literal cake, her blonde hair was tied up in two long ponytails, her nails were candy red, and her shoes were polished to shine. She also had on white gloves and her makeup was a way to make her look like a doll but failed.
Behind the ever so jolly woman stood a girl with big round glasses and black unruly hair in a pink and white dress, behind the counter. Not wanting to disturb the jolly woman, rather I was trying to avoid her while I walked passed her and to the register.
"Hello missy, might I ask what's bothering such a young girl like you?" She asked much to my surprise.
The girl behind the counter with Nancy written on her name tag rushed over to the cake-dressed lady and held her hand.
"We have a customer Penny, it isn't time to practice your psychic abilities." She joked as she walked the woman to the back in a weird manner.
After a few minutes, Nancy came back arranging her glasses as she apologized on behalf of Penny.
"I'm sorry for her behaviour, she sometimes can't help herself with these things. What can I get you?" Nancy asked.
"May I ask a question? That is if I'm not being intrusive." I asked.
"Sure?" Nancy asked unsurely.
"Is she the owner of this shop, the man who brought me here told me to tell the owner Smithy sent me?" I asked as nicely as I could, given my current mood.
"Ah, Mr Smith. Don't worry, we'll take care of you." Nancy said with a warm smile like the name had meant something.
"Do have a seat, I'll be right with you." She said before disappearing into the back room.
I glanced over at the place, I couldn't get over the fact of how normal it looked outside and how intimidatingly pink it was on the inside. A few minutes later, the girl came back with a cup of coffee and a plate of macaroons.
"Enjoy." She said as she walked away again.
Confused, I took a bite out of the macaroons and to be honest, it felt like the sweetness drained away all the worries I came out with this morning, it was so good, I couldn't stop eating.
"It's nice to hear that some people still like my baking." I raised my head slowly and was startled by the cake-dressed woman that had walked up to me earlier.
Now that she was up close, I couldn't help but think something felt off about this woman, it looked like she was talking to me but her mind was somewhere else.
"Oh, don't mind this blind aunt, I just enjoy it when ol'Smithy recommends this old shack to a new customer," I swear I almost spit out my tea when she said that she was blind, I honestly did not expect that turn of events.
"Penny! I believe the strawberry shortcakes are just about done, could you come over here." Nancy called from the back.
"Such a talented girl she is, isn't she?" Penny asked.
"I'm sure she is," I answered finally.
"Good girl. I'll be back with more cookies." She said walking back to the kitchen I presumed.
"Sorry about that again, I'm trying to learn as much as I can," Nancy said a few minutes later and she sat in my company.
"Penny? She's..."
"Blind?"
"And bakes?"
"Born talent you'd say. Lost her eyes to the very same oven she cherishes the most. Sad story but not for Penny. No." Nancy answered like she had answered the same question a million times.
"I'm sorry for intruding," I said after a sip of tea.
"It's fine, we get these questions a lot. So... You seem new around these parts? Visiting?" She asked.
"Supposedly. I was invited to my younger sister's wedding and now I'm being dragged into the family business after being exiled for five years." I ranted at once.
"Sounds a bit much for a person just visiting, but families, right? Can't live with'em can't live without'em, you know what I'm saying." I laughed at her attempt at an adage with an accent.
"So, what's your story?" I asked keeping the conversation flowing.
"Well, underground writer, Baker and only daughter of Penny and Smithy Longman." She said briefly.
"Wait, Penny's your Mom?" I asked shocked.
"Shocking isn't it? Having parents who don't want to be called Mom and Dad. Say we should live like siblings, can you imagine that." Nancy said literally being done with her entire family.
A small smile crept on my lips as I thought about how adorable the entire family gave off a happy vibe. But then I remember my family and how dysfunctional everyone was in plain sight.
"What's wrong friend." Friend? I liked the sound of that word, I hope this works out between us.
"Oh don't mind me. By the way, since you're underground and stuff, is there anywhere someone with a business admin master could work?" I asked as nicely as possible.
"Business Administration, fancy aren't we now," Nancy said and we giggled together.
From the on-set, Nancy looked like another girl who hated her life and wanted everyone to feel it too but, she is an interesting person if I do say so myself.
After my interest meeting with the Longman family, I've been visiting and helping out these past few days at the bakery with Penny and Nancy, I still had a few days of grace left after swearing to my father that I would never work for him.
"Hey! Cyra! Do I have news for you!" Nancy said excitedly as soon as I walked into the shop.
"Hey! Slow down... What's all this about?" I asked as she pulled me to a seat behind the counter.
"I hear there's a new company in town and the boss himself is looking for a secretary, according to inside sources, someone with a business background could be the best candidate, it's a no-brainer for you," Nancy explained.
"Okay?" I answered with less than half the enthusiasm she put up.
"Okay? I've been busting my ass as you Americans say, looking for a job just for you and all I get is an 'okay?' " Nancy said throwing her hands in the air.
"Fine, I'm sorry Nancy!" I smiled standing up to hug my friend.
"I'm actually super excited, I just didn't expect this so soon," I said.
Nancy turned round to look at me, we stared at each other as smiles crept on our lips and we both ended up jumping and screaming.
"But wait! If the boss is coming here, shouldn't he already have a personal assistant?" I asked Nancy.
"Secretary Cyra, not a personal assistant." Nancy corrected.
"It's all the same anyways." I came back.
"Whatever, well legend says that he's the meanest, most vicious boss that ever walked the planet Earth. Some say he's strict with his principles while some say her plainly a madman," Nancy explained the boss like a villain out of a children's storybook.
"There are also rumours that tell that he's two people in one body and no one has ever lasted a week by his side. The only upside? He's rich and competent." Nancy finished.
"Then why does he need a secretary?" I asked.
"If there's one thing Mr scary pants isn't good at, it's holding his temper so he needs someone who can stand when he's having one of his moods," Nancy answered like she personally knew who the boss was.
"How do you even get this kind of information?" I asked curiously.
"Impressive isn't it? Trade secret." Nancy said playfully as she ran out of her seat making me chase her.
"By the way, what's the name of the boss," I asked after running Nancy into a corner.
"Oh, that's easy, its-"
Unfortunately, we got distracted by a customer and so we had to get back to work. What I couldn't stop thinking about was how a man who was so good at his job still needed a secretary because he couldn't hold it.
All I could think about while working was how I was going to make the best out of this opportunity, maybe after working as a secretary for a while, I could apply to HR for a change of office and show the company my true potential.
There was already so much to do, Cyra was serving tables and thinking about interview questions at the same time.
At the end of the day, Nancy filled me in on the details of the job and it did indeed sound like a job just for me, flexible and definitely away from my family.
"So, when's this interview?" I asked finally.
"Well...." She drew.
"What?"
"It's tomorrow!"
"What!?"