Page 42 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes
“Permanent press setting,” Candace confirmed. “No fabric softener.” She finally stopped her anxious patting, though her heart still hammered as she took Daisy’s clothes into her arms. With a shake of her head, the woman laughed again.
“Of course, m’lady.” Daisy pointed, saying, “I’m not undressing you, too. Bathroom’s over there.”
Red-faced, Candace bolted.
Her life continued to run from one humiliation to the next. But, she thought as she closed the door behind her, it was nice to see Daisy smile. Unconsciously, she held the bundle close. The summer scent of beaches and bagels filled her soul.
Chapter 12
Daisy
What a weird day.
No,what a weird person,Daisy thought while tossing said person’s sopping clothes into the dryer.
Candace was taking a long time getting changed. She was probably inspecting the state of the bathroom’s tile grout. Or fixing her perfect hair. Or making fun of… something. Daisy saw the way the woman’s eyes scanned every detail of the house, judging it. Judgingherand the way she lived.
Whatever.
Daisy did not give a shit what Candace thought about anything, least of all herself. She could stay in the bathroom the rest of the day for all Daisy cared. No one asked her to come barging over in the first place. Like always, though, the woman did what she wanted.
Daisy swiped her coffee from its placeon the table and took a generous gulp. It was black, just the way she liked it, and the bean roast was that perfect blend of earthy bliss. Recollection hit her mid-draught that Candace had brought the drink. She dropped the cup with a grimace, stubbornly set on refusing to enjoy any part of the intrusion.
What Daisy needed was a nice, long nap. But naps were for closers. Or, for business owners/bakers who caught up on their inventory issues. Thanks to Candace, Daisy was a ways off.
Apart from a brief rest when her dough was proofing, Daisy had been up all, night locked into an endless cycle of mixing and measuring and making. She felt like she was going to be scraping dough and cream cheese from under her fingernails for days. She made so much, she’d run out of key ingredients.
And she needed to do more.
She was waiting on her finished bombs to cool down. Then, she would bag, vacuum seal, and freeze the pocket treats. It was a process that was almost as meticulous as the baking. One mistake now meant a major headache (and customer complaints) later.
Like her dad used to say: “Do it once, do it right, it won’t come back to bite.”
Daisy proceeded to rearrange her workspace. She cleared an area to seal the bombs, prepared her reusable bags, and carefully wrote out each label in big, clear-to-read blocky letters.
Plain.
Whole Wheat.
Sesame.
Everything.
Cinnamon Raisin.
Asiago.
Chive cream cheese and bacon.
Maple French Toast
Cheddar Jalapeño
Chocolate Chip
Japanese Curry
Italian herbs and cheese
