Chapter 5.

"So, what would you like?"  Holly asked with a welcoming smile.

"Well, I want something very creative. I love the thing you did with the mini cakes with mirror glazes. I think I'd like something like that" 

Holly nodded her head enthusiastically as she picked up her writing pad.

"So anything else in mind?"

The woman picked up her phone and Holly resisted the urge to gag.

She was one of those women who already had a picture of what they wanted in mind. Mostly gotten from the internet or a show that makes it look easy to make.

"Look at it. It's similar to what I saw in the front of the bakery but this is much better. I saw it on the food channel" 

"Hnmmm" Holly said as she studied the picture.

It looked like a cake with a rainbow mirror glaze. Artfully done.

"So you want a cake with a rainbow mirror glaze. In the shape of a marble sculpture like what you saw in our show glass?" 

The woman nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, absolutely. I'd have ordered the one in the show glass. But they're so tiny and I really don't need them till next week" 

"Any particular flavours in mind?" 

Holly asked as she pretended to scribble on her notepad. She liked to do it because it made her customers feel as though she were actually listening.

Which half the time, Holly was not.

"Chocolate, with hazelnut filling. And maybe a few cupcakes to accompany it. You can do whatever you want with that one" 

After a few more minutes of discussing price and delivery, Holly closed the deal.

"Okay. Thank you for your time Mrs Meyers. Don't forget your bag of cupcakes" 

Holly stood up and handed the woman her bag.

"Oh! thank you. I can't get enough of your cupcakes. I feel like I'm here every week!" 

"Not nearly enough Mrs Meyers. Have a nice day" 

Consultations was one of the things Holly dreaded, but she couldn't push it to any of the other bakers because they had enough on their plates.

Holly remembered back when her bakery El Pastel Bake shop used to specialise in making wedding cakes. 

The consultations and cake tasting had worn her out. It felt like she was being openly criticised for her work.

Which she was but some of her customers could be demanding. 

Holly knew she was a fairly good baker, amazing to some maybe, but that wasn't the only thing that kept her bakery running. She had a good head for business, ever since she was young. Back in New Jersey she used to go straight to her grandmother's bakery after arriving from school.

Of course it was only logical the bakery went to her, but a lot of problems made her consider leaving New Jersey and she closed the bakery and opened up shop in New York a little over two years ago.

It had been a tough decision, her grandmother had kept the space for years and given it to her to continue the business.

Everyone in their little town knew El Pastel Bake shop. And it had blossomed for years. But the town was changing, and her grandmother's outdated designs and methods wouldn't have made the bakery last for that long. At least that was what Holly learnt in Culinary school. 

Holly's phone beeped and Holly remembered that she was meeting Charlie for lunch at Via Carota.

"Oh! I hope I'm not late" she murmured as she took off her chef jacket.

She was wearing one of the clothes she had bought from the shopping spree she went with Kim.

An off the shoulder floral print dress with frills at the hem.

It was short and flirty and a bold look in contrast to Holly's previous dressing.

She had gotten a few compliments while she walked into the bakery and it had made her more comfortable in the dress.

She loosened her chestnut brown hair from it's tight ponytail and did her best to apply makeup which only consisted of the basics. After light make up she picked up her purse and left the bakery.

"Well, you definitely took your time. Did you get lost in traffic?" Charlie asked as she gave Holly a hug and then looked at her again.

"Wow! You look really nice. That's a pretty dress" 

Holly smiled bashfully and did a little twirl for Charlie.

"I didn't even know they'd have it in my size. And I'm a size 16!" Holly said as she sat down and Charlie gave her a look.

"Of course they'd have it in your size, you've been shopping at the wrong stores" 

"Did you order?" Holly asked and Charlie shook her head as she stared at the menu.

"No, I was waiting for you" 

"Oh yea!" Holly looked over at the menu. She felt bad because she had picked a place that most likely didn't serve vegan food.

But she just wanted an excuse to eat Italian food and she loved Via Carota.

"Kim told me you agreed to do that thing she talked about. About Ryder Bates?" 

"Yea, I did. I thought about it and, well, it doesn't seem so bad" 

Charlie watched her intently and she didn't say a word until after they place their orders.

"You know you don't have to do it. You don't have to feel pressured by Kim, you know how she can be sometimes" 

Holly shrugged.

"It's not like it's going to be a big deal, all I have to do is seduce him and find a way to humiliate him... Or something like that. And from the looks of it, he deserves it" 

Charlie held out her hand to touch Holly's. It annoyed her that Holly was always bowing to every of Kim's whims and wishes almost as if she didn't possess a mind of her own.

She knew they were best friends and very close but it was obvious who took the lead in their relationship and it was not Holly.

"Okay then. But I don't know how you're going to seduce a man if you keep looking shy like that"

Charlie said as she sipped her drink.

"What do you mean?" Holly asked.

Charlie smiled coyly. 

"Seduction is a game of power. You have to have the upper hand if you want to succeed."

Holly leaned closer watching Charlie intently. 

"How do I do it? How do I seduce a man?"

Charlie shrugged.

"It's all in your body language and confidence. The way you sit, the way you talk, what you wear, how you act, the signs you give out, everything should all be directed on how to exude sex appeal that will be utterly  irresistible" 

"With all that, you're going to have the man in your grasp" Charlie described as she clenched her palm into a fist.

"That sounds hard. I don't think I can ever be good at it" Holly sighed as she slouched in her seat.

"Seat up! Don't slouch. The first rule of seduction is good posture. It's all in the act" 

Charlie said as she demonstrated by sitting go straight and raising her head up high.

Holly raised her hands in frustration.

"Obviously I'm going to fail and it's going to be embarrassing, Kim will murder me"

The waiter served their food and Holly wasted no time into digging into hers, it was a lovely meal with sheets of pasta layered with buttery garlic sauce and tomatoes and crab meat while Charlie had the vegan Italian chopped salad. 

Holly didn't even know they had it on their menu but it was a side dish.

"You won't fail. A little research and you'll be on the right path. The

good thing about seduction is that I'm hundred percent sure its inborn for females. All you just need to do us unlock that part of yourself."

"Besides, you're not totally hopeless, just be more confident in your own body. You have a gorgeous body. I mean you're basically a Kardashian if you think about it. You don't have to pay for boobs and ass surgery" 

Holly bursted into a fit of laughter, Charlie and Charlie joined in chuckling.

"Thank you Charlie. I'll most likely do some research on that. How's Ben?" 

Ben was Charlie's husband for about two years, which was how Charlie and Holly had met during Charlie's search for a baker for their wedding cake since their former baker left the country.

Holly was the only baker they met who had agreed to bake their wedding cake in less than three days without asking for a ridiculous overpriced amount.

She had done it, not because she wasn't swamped with work but because saw how desperate and distraught the young couple were.

And when she agreed to do it, she could see how relieved they were. Holly was happy to help.

That was the start of their friendship.

"He's good. Annual fishing trip with his father and grandfather." She said and Holly nodded.

"Back to the seduction thing, I might send you a few things that'll help."

"Awwn. Thank you so much" Holly said as she blew Charlie a kiss.

Charlie's face held a smug look as she sipped her glass of water.

"You're welcome. Honestly, I'd really love for you to bring down Ryder Bates... Just for him to feel what girls feel" 

"I wonder what made him that way. Despite how he has been painted, I don't think anyone is born that way" Holly remarked.

Charlie snorted loudly.

"Of course no one is born that way. It's a choice. He chose to be a scumbag" 

Charlie commented and Holly kept quiet.

She had seen a few pictures of Ryder online, and all she could think of was how she understood why all those girls fell for his every lie.

He was breathtakingly handsome.

Even more so, perfect.

And Holly was starting to wonder what kind of hot soup she landed herself into.