4

Gentle murmurs from the people stopping by for a bite filled the entire Hailey's Sweets. The lively hot neon pink sign standing high above the shop's double doors contrasts the gloomy weather. Everyone who went past the bakery could not help but sigh and stop for a while. The 'open' sign just above the door handles swayed softly, indicating that another person has been bewitched to stop and have a drink. Hailey, the proud owner of the said shop, eyed the costumers with a satisfied smile.

"Boss madam, we're still at work and you keep daydreaming," Hailey's cousin, Memoir Greystone chided. The woman playfully pinched her arms before sliding past a few people to deliver orders. A pink apron hugging her waist tightly. Memoir always bugged her about the new uniform but Hailey always thought that it's good. She knew of Memoir's baggy taste in clothes and there's no way she was going to approve it. Bright colors suited them best, it's like they were born to make fun of their family name.

'It was never fun to be a Greystone anyway.' Since the day both of her parents died in prison because of drugs, Haley had lost her hope in starting something new. Even if her family is not like those functional ones she had seen on TV, she had always thought they could make it through. She believes in tight bonds within family—something she never really experienced.

After dropping out of school, being locked for two years in a childcare facility taken cared of by nuns and living with her uncle Stephen, Memoir's father, for eight more years, she had decided to just follow the will of the wind.

There's no more steps that she could take as her options are none.

She had to beg before she finished her college degree. Even after graduating, finding a job was hard. Ending up working underpaid as long as the meals are free, Haley had felt so low.

All of those years she'd been down, there's one thing she never tried.

‘It's taking risks.'

She decided to open a shop. Hailey prayed for luck to find her fast. Loaning everywhere and having pit stops every turn, there had been days when she wanted to stop. Fortunately, there's Memoir to cheer her up.

After years of hard work, at the age of 29, Hailey's Sweets has several branches in the city. The gratefulness she had felt so sweet that even thinking about it had her grinning widely.

The long wait for spring made her practical and crude in judgements. Now, she still thought to herself that this is not yet El Dorado. She needs to triple her effort. It was never a good feeling, sleeping with an empty stomach.

Hailey winced when she remembered a glimpse of her past. Making her way to the counter, she grinned at those regular customers she had befriended over the years. They were always good to her, some even sent her gifts during holidays. Haley loves it. The people inside the shop are her new family.

"Mrs. Jones! What do you prefer?" An easy-going smile made her normally stern-looking face more approachable. The customer blabbered about something before she finally got their order. After repeating this for a few minutes, a low voice of a young man made Hailey still for a second.

"Uhm, hi! Can I order something now?"

A man standing at full 6'2, staring at the cakes displayed, hummed an ascending tone. "Ah, can I have three slices of these?" Voice warm like the summer breeze, the man contemplated before mumbling, "I guess she'll like…that one."

'Is he taken?' Hailey gave the man a stare before grinning. "Is this for your wife, sir?"

The man's eyes widened a bit before he hastily shook his head. Because of the small space between them, Hailey could almost smell the man's warm lemon detergent scent. Her smile faltered. 'This guy definitely looks like a model. I'm sure he has a wife, and a kid.'

"No, no. I'm single." Gio smiled hesitantly before confessing, "It's for my boss."

Hailey blinked. 'What now? So he's a kiss-ass employee?' She averted her eyes and scolded herself for being harsh. 'Maybe he's just like that.'

"Oh!" Hailey clasped her hands, rubbing them together. "Do you know what sort of cakes your boss prefers?"

A strange smile flashed on Gio's face. Hailey was amazed by the light she saw in his eyes. 'He looked so happy. Like he's hiding something.' Hailey can't help but grin back at the guy. Giovanni tsked. "Well, my boss said she doesn't like cakes that's too sweet but…" He lifted an eyebrow. "I often see her eating the candies left on the ref."

'She's into that woman.' Hailey blinked. 'His indulgent smile says it all.'

"You like this boss of yours? I can help you come up with a confession cake!" Hailey raised her hands. She feels that this man is nice. At the very least, they could be friends.

"Oh, no." Gio laughed. "That's never going to happen. It's just, that woman is basically the strongest woman I know—she's like, a hero for me or something. And I'm off for a date this weekend, my mom set me up with someone."

Hailey recounted Memoir telling her something about a blind date too this week. She can't help but frown. Only if the one she'd be meeting is this man and not those people Memoir met on dating apps. Somehow, she felt relieved knowing the man does not feel any intimate attachment towards his boss. Hailey knew that those things seldom ended well, and she hates to see this man losing.

"Oops. Are you not worried that I'm going to tell everyone about what you've told me?" Hailey took the cake he'd been pointing at and prepared to cut it. "You told a stranger about—everything! That's not good."

The man flashed a small grin before leaning towards her space. In a hushed voice, he said, "It feels as though I've known you for a long time. I'm comfortable with you." Gio straightened. "I trust you. By the way, I'm Giovanni."

Hailey's hand paused for a second before she continued working. Smiling a little, she beamed, "Call me Hailey."

It was one stormy morning that Hailey met Giovanni, a man wearing a pristine suit in metal grey holding a black umbrella, relaxed and peaceful despite the horrible wind. The man had full lips, cream skin tone and straight, bushy eyebrows. His eyes were honey, warm and gentle. Voice hesitant and happy. It looks like the guy is an observant one, too. With what he had said regarding his lady boss. Hailey could only watch the man's fading image as he went back to work.

'Giovanni…' Hailey wanted to know him more.

Gentle murmurs from the people stopping by for a bite filled the entire Hailey's Sweets. The lively hot neon pink sign standing high above the shop's double doors contrasts the gloomy weather. Everyone who went past the bakery could not help but sigh and stop for a while.  The 'open' sign just above the door handles swayed softly, indicating that another person has been bewitched to stop and have a drink. Hailey, the proud owner of the said shop, eyed the costumers with a satisfied smile.

"Boss madam, we're still at work and you keep daydreaming," Hailey's cousin, Memoir Greystone chided. The woman playfully pinched her arms before sliding past a few people to deliver orders. A pink apron hugging her waist tightly. Memoir always bugged her about the new uniform but Hailey always thought that it's good. She knew of Memoir's baggy taste in clothes and there's no way she was going to approve it. Bright colors suited them best, it's like they were born to make fun of their family name.

'It was never fun to be a Greystone anyway.' Since the day both of her parents died in prison because of drugs, Haley had lost her hope in starting something new. Even if her family is not like those functional ones she had seen on TV, she had always thought they could make it through. She believes in tight bonds within family—something she never really experienced.

After dropping out of school, being locked for two years in a childcare facility taken cared of by nuns and living with her uncle Stephen, Memoir's father, for eight more years, she had decided to just follow the will of the wind.

There's no more steps that she could take as her options are none.

She had to beg before she finished her college degree. Even after graduating, finding a job was hard. Ending up working underpaid as long as the meals are free, Haley had felt so low.

All of those years she'd been down, there's one thing she never tried.

‘It's taking risks.'

She decided to open a shop. Hailey prayed for luck to find her fast. Loaning everywhere and having pit stops every turn, there had been days when she wanted to stop. Fortunately, there's Memoir to cheer her up.

After years of hard work, at the age of 29, Hailey's Sweets has several branches in the city. The gratefulness she had felt so sweet that even thinking about it had her grinning widely. 

The long wait for spring made her practical and crude in judgements. Now, she still thought to herself that this is not yet El Dorado. She needs to triple her effort. It was never a good feeling, sleeping with an empty stomach.

Hailey winced when she remembered a glimpse of her past. Making her way to the counter, she grinned at those regular customers she had befriended over the years. They were always good to her, some even sent her gifts during holidays. Haley loves it. The people inside the shop are her new family.

"Mrs. Jones! What do you prefer?" An easy-going smile made her normally stern-looking face more approachable. The customer blabbered about something before she finally got their order. After repeating this for a few minutes, a low voice of a young man made Hailey still for a second.

"Uhm, hi! Can I order something now?"

A man standing at full 6'2, staring at the cakes displayed, hummed an ascending tone. "Ah, can I have three slices of these?" Voice warm like the summer breeze, the man contemplated before mumbling, "I guess she'll like…that one."

'Is he taken?' Hailey gave the man a stare before grinning. "Is this for your wife, sir?"

The man's eyes widened a bit before he hastily shook his head. Because of the small space between them, Hailey could almost smell the man's warm lemon detergent scent. Her smile faltered. 'This guy definitely looks like a model. I'm sure he has a wife, and a kid.'

"No, no. I'm single." Gio smiled hesitantly before confessing, "It's for my boss."

Hailey blinked. 'What now? So he's a kiss-ass employee?' She averted her eyes and scolded herself for being harsh. 'Maybe he's just like that.'

"Oh!" Hailey clasped her hands, rubbing them together. "Do you know what sort of cakes your boss prefers?"

A strange smile flashed on Gio's face. Hailey was amazed by the light she saw in his eyes. 'He looked so happy. Like he's hiding something.' Hailey can't help but grin back at the guy. Giovanni tsked. "Well, my boss said she doesn't like cakes that's too sweet but…" He lifted an eyebrow. "I often see her eating the candies left on the ref."

'She's into that woman.' Hailey blinked. 'His indulgent smile says it all.'

"You like this boss of yours? I can help you come up with a confession cake!" Hailey raised her hands. She feels that this man is nice. At the very least, they could be friends.

"Oh, no." Gio laughed. "That's never going to happen. It's just, that woman is basically the strongest woman I know—she's like, a hero for me or something. And I'm off for a date this weekend, my mom set me up with someone."

Hailey recounted Memoir telling her something about a blind date too this week. She can't help but frown. Only if the one she'd be meeting is this man and not those people Memoir met on dating apps. Somehow, she felt relieved knowing the man does not feel any intimate attachment towards his boss. Hailey knew that those things seldom ended well, and she hates to see this man losing.

"Oops. Are you not worried that I'm going to tell everyone about what you've told me?" Hailey took the cake he'd been pointing at and prepared to cut it. "You told a stranger about—everything! That's not good."

The man flashed a small grin before leaning towards her space. In a hushed voice, he said, "It feels as though I've known you for a long time. I'm comfortable with you." Gio straightened. "I trust you. By the way, I'm Giovanni."

Hailey's hand paused for a second before she continued working. Smiling a little, she beamed, "Call me Hailey."

It was one stormy morning that Hailey met Giovanni, a man wearing a pristine suit in metal grey holding a black umbrella, relaxed and peaceful despite the horrible wind. The man had full lips, cream skin tone and straight, bushy eyebrows. His eyes were honey, warm and gentle. Voice hesitant and happy. It looks like the guy is an observant one, too. With what he had said regarding his lady boss. Hailey could only watch the man's fading image as he went back to work.

'Giovanni…' Hailey wanted to know him more.