#zyke

           “Thanks so much”! Andrew practically yells at the poor girl behind the counter. He quickly rushes to the doors pushing past a small crowd waiting in line. “Shit, okay looks like I’m about two blocks away from work and if I really push myself, I can get there in ten-ish minutes.” And with that thought, he’s sprinting down the street. Running through the neighborhood that is cluttered with trash and people looking for a bit of money to get by. He doesn’t even realize he almost bowls over a mother and her child until she shouts at him. Getting to the shop, in a record seven minutes, he looks up at the cute sign that reads “Did Someone Leave the Oven On”? This was the bakery that he had been working at for, oh about five years now. Pushing open the door he shouts out an enthusiastic “Hey guys!”

           “Good morning Andrew! Don’t you think it’s a little late for the eight A.M. shift? It’s almost eight-thirty you know”? Looking up at the voice that originates from behind the first counter that the shop has, his co-worker Daniel smirks at him with a small cake that need to be frosted in his hands.

           “Oh, come on man! You know I’m always late and plus if Keenan isn’t here yet then it doesn’t really count.” Andrew spits out, hurrying to his place behind the counter with a sign that says “Caution Wild Buck” above it. “It’s not my fault that everyone was on the sidewalk today! I almost killed a poor kid because I sprinted over here. Is that what you want Daniel? A dead kid on both of our consciousnesses”?

           “How do you almost-? Never mind dude I really don’t care. Anyway, we’ve had a few orders and Chief is coming in to help decorate.”

           “Oh! Awesome I haven’t seen Chief since before we put the signs in. Dude we’re gonna have to explain so much. Also why isn’t Boss here yet”?

           “Huh, that’s definitely going to suck. That’s what twelve signs to explain, and Chief gets so easily distracted. Oh, Keenan had an appointment this morning which you would know about if you ever checked the group chat Andy.”

           “Hey”! Andrew squawks out before the bell above the main door rings out silencing him. A customer walks in, and takes over Daniel’s focus, leaving Andrew to start getting the seven batches of coffee that are always on tap. Taking a silent stock of the beans he has left, Andrew begins making the coffee he’s known for: a light and sweet brew that tastes like you’re eating a cupcake. It was the first drink Andrew made for the shop, it had blown Keenan’s socks clean off, and he had been hired on the spot. The name of the drink, “A Goat’s Delight”, had been a long-running joke because of Andrew’s love of the furry creatures known as goats. They had always been his favorite animals, in fact the shirt he was wearing on the day he was hired had a baby goat on the front.

           “Thank you and have a nice day”! Daniel’s voice floats around the shop sounding very smug. Looking up Andrew sees two very large cakes and a small box of turnovers in the woman’s arms. Andrew realizes that the pastries cost close to hundred dollars: the first cake was one of Char’s masterpieces - a vanilla cake with strawberry filling and purple buttercream frosting, the second cake is Fry’s newest creation a medium sized lemon base filled with blueberry cream the frosting is a light whip cream dyed orange, and finally the turnovers are Keenan’s famous apple ones with a dash of cinnamon. Grinning gently at the woman’s back, Andrew turns back to the beans and begins to hum quietly to the music softly playing in the shop.

           “Hey isn’t is your playlist buddy? It was on when I came in this morning at eight, you know like a good employee does when they have an eight A.M. shift. Know that I think about that? I probably should have checked if anyone was actually here before opening shop, huh”? Daniel poses the query while Chopin’s Nocturne No. 20 in C Sharp flows through the store.

           “You mean to tell me that you walked into the place where we spend almost fifteen hours a day to music playing and didn’t look to see if anyone was in the place. You could’ve died dude, is that how you wanted me to start my morning, by finding your dead fucking body.”

           “Well okay first of all rude, and secondly, I’m a fool man, a God damn idiot. Asking me to think before taking any actions is like asking a fish to breathe air. I can’t believe you really thought I was gonna logically think about who put the music on.” As soon as Daniel finishes his impassioned rant about his own stupidity, the tiny bell rings once more. Both men quickly look up at the door with fake smiles painted on their faces, only to realize that another one of their co-workers has entered the building.

           “Uh hey guys. What’s wrong with both of you? It looks like the devil himself has made his home in our quaint little bakery.” Tanner chuckled his way through the question, seeming more amused than anything at the state of his two co-workers’. Their ashen and vaguely terrified faces seemed to relax if only by a fraction by the presence of their level-headed coworker. Slowly Tanner practically glides through the shop humming along to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee. Finally reaching his destination of Andrew’s coffee station he smiles up at his best friend. “Hey Andrew! Can I get my special drink? You know that one you made just for me”?

           “Oh, for sure dude! One ‘Wake Up and Smell the Turpentine’ for you my good friend.” Andrew beams at Tanner before turning to the counter behind him. Mixing a blend of Kenyan coffee and PX whiskey, Tanner’s favorite alcohol choice. The usual amount of whiskey put into the drink was miniscule only an ounce or two, but since this was Tanner, and he was off for the day, Andrew put a bit more into the drink. “There you go buddy! A turpentine made especially for my best friend in the whole world.”

           “Thanks. Also, where did Daniel go? He snuck off into the backroom while you were immersed in the whole process of making the sweet nectar of the gods, we peasants call coffee.”

           “Wait which room did he go in? Because apparently the music was playing when Daniel got here, and he didn’t check to see if anyone was here. Although if you’re standing right in front of me that would mean the only other sleeping over night at work offender would be…”

           “DANIEL! If you touch that phone so help me God, I will kill you right now! HANDS OFF”! The loud and tired voice booms from the back room where the cakes were kept overnight in the industrial fridge that Keenan had bought years ago. Andrew shrugs at Tanner while privately thinking that it’s a good thing no customers were in the store at the moment.

           “JESUS! Jared I… uh… didn’t see you there? Oh God put that down! Rolling pins are not meant to be thrown. Jared PLEASE!” A loud clunk follows the last words of Daniel’s panicked appeals to their angry coworker who obviously slept overnight in the bakery. Daniel comes rushing out of the room, sprinting past a doubled over Tanner whose laughing at his pain, and finally vaults over the coffee counter and hides behind the façade in the front, a nice and tranquil forest scene.

           “Where is he? I know he’s here somewhere”! Cries the enraged red head who emerged from the room with a disheveled uniform on. “Daniel! Come out, come out wherever you are! I just want to talk honestly.” Jared threatened in a singsong tone of voice. It was then that he realized his audience was not just Daniel, but also consisted of Tanner and Andrew. “Oh, uh sorry you had to see that side of me. But that was a really rotten way to wake up on this fine Saturday morning, don’t you two think”?

           Glancing at Tanner, Andrew can not hide the overwhelming mirth in his eyes and seeing the same look in Tanner’s eyes made the dam burst. Both of the men start laughing at their hyperactive co-workers’ antics.

           “Hey! Don’t laugh! He was gonna kill me with a rolling pin. I almost died and this is the sympathy I get? You all better be ready to laugh at my funeral too.” Daniel cries from somewhere under Andrew’s feet. He stands up looking indignantly at Jared and carefully climbs over the counter. “And why didn’t you text me that you were on shift today Jared”?

           “Because I forgot? Daniel we’ve been over this, I rarely check my actual shift schedule. I just show up and work.” Jared replies looking a bit frustrated at his usual shift mate. “Now then weren’t we supposed to make a new type of cake? One with coffee in it I think.”

           “A cake with coffee in it! I can help right? Oh, please say I can help! It looks like it’s gonna be a very boring day today.” Andrew yelps in desperation, wanting to help make a sweet confection even though he’s been banned from using the oven without supervision.

           “I mean what’s the harm, right? Andrew does know the most about coffee, after all he’s the only one who even makes the stuff.” Tanner intones with a slight smile tugging at his lips. “I’m going to go drink my coffee in the booth over there all right and then head out.”

           “You can help, dude. Jared and I don’t even know what type of base we’re making so maybe if you give out good coffee blends, then we can decide.” Daniel says while walking into the baking room.

           “All right”! Andrew yells while running after Daniel. Jared give a small laugh at his more childish coworkers. Waving at Tanner, he follows them back to the baking room looking like a man on a mission: to bake a very good cake. The bell rings and Tanner gives his full attention to the familiar figure entering through the door.

           “Hey there Tanner! I thought I gave you the day off.” Keenan asks with a look of amusement on his face.

           “Oh, you did, but there is no better place to get coffee in this town. So, I got Andrew to make me a cup.” Lifting up his cup and titling towards his boss, Tanner smiles that the man.

           Then they hear the sound of glass shattering coming from the baking room. A loud string of curses follows along with the childish laughter from Andrew.

           “HOW IN GOD’S NAME DO YOU DROP A WHOLE GLASS BOWL ANDREW”! screams Jared.

           “I don’t know man! It just kinda slipped out of my hands. I’m sorry I’ll clean it up”! cries the over eager and very sincere Andrew.