Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Vine Novels & Stories

My first customer walks in just on time. “Welcome to Ame’s Chocolate shop, how can I help you?” I ask the customer without looking up. “Charlie said to come back the next day for the cake, and that’s today.” I look up and see the customer is the winery’s boss. And he looks less rude than the last time I saw him. Stan’s POV

Vanilla and cherry sponge cake, vanilla yogurt, vanilla cookies with chocolate topping, vanilla and chocolate chip cookies. We all have our ideal flavours. While I'm a freak with lust for strawberries, banana and coconut, Kyle is chocolate obsessed and Ali has a vanilla pact. She's consuming so many vanillas in a short time but with the most elegant pace I've ever seen a person eat. Suddenly she stops and starts coughing. I begin to panic but she lifts her hand up at me in signal to stop as she downs a glass of water. I finally relax knowing she's fine, at least physically.

“She’s amazingly indecisive about things like that.” Lucas held out one of the violet creams and Flynn accepted it with a curious gaze. Lucas was sure he would immediately recognise it from their planning sessions. They had definitely gone through a lot of chocolates together. “Violet cream? I’ve been thinking about adding this to some of the chocolate boxes we sell for the Christmas season,” Flynn said. “They are surprisingly pleasant to eat. I was expecting something bitter when I first tried them.” “My violet creams will be better than anything mass produced,” Lucas said pompously.

“It’s the first time I’ve had something this fresh. Blueberry, cherry, and kind of like black tea… but there’s something else.” There was a flavor, very faint. So faint you could almost miss it. But once you noticed it, it was there the whole time, making the wine softer, more complete. I frowned, unable to name it. Julian tilted his head slightly. As he took the glass, his fingers brushed mine. It felt like a tiny electric shock. I pressed my lips together, quickly looking away, pretending I hadn’t noticed anything. “Vanilla,” he said calmly. I paused for a second. So that was it. No wonder it was so subtle.

I defended, crossing my arms. “It’s boring,” Ava countered. “Try something fun.” I gave her a skeptical look. “Like what?” Ava scanned the options before pointing to a bright blue tub labeled Galaxy Swirl. “That one. It’s fun, it’s colorful, and it’s totally out of your comfort zone.” I hesitated, but the expectant look on her face was impossible to resist. “Fine. Galaxy Swirl.” The attendant smiled and scooped a generous portion into a waffle cone before handing it to me. Ava ordered her own—a double scoop of chocolate fudge and raspberry sorbet—then led me to a small table by the window.

I was grateful I was the last one on the line so no one could see what I was about to hand until they had already handed theirs. I’d seen two who gave Mango Daiquiri to the servers, including Draco, which obviously was copied from mine. I couldn’t identify some of the drinks from the others, but I caught sight of Prince Vaidas’. He prepared a Rum Swizzle, and if we were not talking about the taste, his drink, hands down, had the best presentation, aesthetic-wise. He even included fucking flowers on his garnish. “Relax… There’s nothing we can do now but wait.” Landon said.

“What do you want? They’ve got a lavender-honey flavor. I’m going to have to try that.” Emma paused, letting the cool air of the shop settle over her. It felt like the perfect moment to indulge in something sweet—something to keep her lighthearted for a little while longer. “Hmm,” she said, tilting her head, “I think I’ll go for the pistachio-chocolate swirl. Something a little nutty, just like me.” She winked at Ava, making her friend laugh. Ava nodded enthusiastically. “That’s the spirit. I’ll get the lavender-honey, but I’ll add a scoop of salted caramel, too. Can’t ever go wrong with that combination.”

"What is that one?" "That right there is honey lavender with bits of candied almond," the man said. "It’s the house favorite." "I’ll take a scoop of that," she said, her voice already lighter. "Cone or cup, darling?" "Cone," she grinned. I stepped forward. "And I’ll take a double scoop. Hazelnut caramel swirl, topped with crushed pecans and a drizzle of chocolate." "You know what you like," Lena said, nudging me. "I’m a man of simple pleasures."

Lavender's POV I sat at the corner table of the smoothie bar, one leg crossed over the other, sipping leisurely from my Chocolate-Covered Cherry Smoothie. The thick, rich flavor of chocolate swirled with tangy cherry lingered on my tongue as I half-listened to Gael's voice, which had been droning on for the past ten minutes about his latest date.

Game on. I lean toward the open window, projecting my best customer-service smile even though no one can see it. “Hi! Yes, I’ll have a venti iced white mocha with six pumps of vanilla, extra caramel drizzle on top and inside the cup, cold foam with an extra shot of espresso blended in, and a sprinkle of cinnamon on the foam. Oh, and make it oat milk, but extra creamy. Wait... no, scratch the oat milk, go with coconut. Actually, half coconut, half almond. And can you do the drizzle in a heart shape? No, a spiral. Wait, both.”