Chase

"How's the new job?"


"When I accepted a job at a startup I thought it'd be great I'd be doing things creatively, but I work with a bunch of 20-year-olds who come to work in shorts."

"Sounds like you're complaining" my sister walks from my kitchen after making herself a drink "that's my job"

She hands me a glass "thanks" I take a sip "Leena I'm 32 I can't work in an office where I'm the only person that wears a suit, everyone's office but mine has a ping pong, foosball, or pool table. And I'm absolutely tired of being forced to get on one of those hovering thingies,


THEY DON'T ACTUALLY HOVER!"

"You mean a hoverboard?" I shrug and she laughs "Julian you're never going to become CFO with that attitude, just get along with them do what they ask and soon you'll get your promotion"


"My boss is 25 years old, I'm pretty sure they smoke weed in the break room and everyone gives me the stink eye because I refuse to switch out the chairs in my office for beanbags"

"What did I just say? Do what they ask or you'll never get promoted"

"So I should waste my morning buying a cake because it's some random's birthday this week?" It's someone's birthday every week "Think about it this way" she chugs her drink standing up "when you become CFO you'll be running meetings and telling people what to do till then just buy a damn cake and get along with them. It's not that hard." She's right I complain way too much "I have to go but you're doing fine bro"

"Thanks" she leaves.

Next morning as I'm driving to work I see a little bakery on the corner, deciding to stop I park in front of it walking in.

The display cases are filled with treats, cakes, and pastries. The store is empty "hello?" I say looking behind the counter but no response "hello are you open?"

"Yes, I'll be right out!" Someone yells from the back, standing patiently I watch as a guy come from the back wearing an apron. Completely not who I'd expect working in a bakery, his arms are covered in tattoos, he's wearing cargo shorts a T-shirt and a flannel on top. "Sorry about that" he comes out with a smile cleaning flour off his hands with the apron "never hire family they'll just take advantage and never show up." I try to smile but it's still pretty confusing "I'm projecting sorry, how may I help you?"

"I'm just looking to by a cake" "Oh fun what for?"

"A guy in my office I barely know, his birthday's on Friday"

"Are you trying to impress him? I'd be very impressed if a guy that looked like you bought me a cake for my birthday"

Finding what he said a little strange "uh no it was just an order that I was given"

"All right well what are you looking for? I can bake pretty much anything, this one time a lady had me bake her cat's food into a cake for its birthday, it was pretty weird but I like to please."

"You do the baking?" "Well it is my shop" "You're the owner?"

"Yes, yes I am, not much to show but it's still relatively new so I'm working on it"

"Your name out there it's pretty weird, you know that right?"

"Glazed Buns? What? You don't like it?" I stare at him not answering and he chuckles "yeah nobody does but I thought it'd be punny"

Choosing not to answer again he moves on "All right mister tie man-" "Julian" I correct him

"Julian, the name matches the suit" he smiles and I don't know if I was supposed to take offense to

that but because of his smile I don't "what kind of cake are you looking for?" "Something simple vanilla or whatever"

"Do you know what the guy you barely know likes?"

"Well since I barely know him that'd be a no"

"Here's what I'll do for you Julian, do you have a few minutes? I can get some samples and you tell me which you think he'd like"

"No that won't be necessary the vanilla will do"

"Wouldn't want to get the wrong thing especially for an office, those people are looking forward to cake and you don't want to disappoint them right, Julian?"

"I- I guess not"

"Great! You wait here and I'll go build a sampler, but first I'll get you a cup of coffee on the house." Sitting at a table in the empty store I wait for him and he comes over with the coffee "thank you"

"Sure" he walks back behind the counter. As he's cutting cakes and placing them on a tray he starts

"so what do you do?"

"I'm an in-house accountant for a tech company"

"Wow, you must be smart then huh? Like college and all that" "Yeah I guess"

"I dropped out of college, went for a semester was not my thing. I used my tuition money to travel, and I know what you're thinking" he couldn't possibly "What a waste right? That trip changed my life"

"Where'd you go?"

"You know everyone always goes to Europe but I had a different idea, I went to as many Caribbean Islands as I could. It was amazing and I learned so much, smoked a boatload of weed. Then when I got back to boring old America 50 shades darker no pun intended, I worked till I could save up enough to open this shop and stop disappointing my parents."

"Great story"

"What's your story, Julian?"

"Um graduated top of my class, did 4 years boarding school and now I'm here sitting in a bakery called Glazed Buns to buy a cake for a guy I barely know in an office where I'm considered old."

"You were doing so great in the beginning there then it just took a dark turn" "Yeah well I'm not where I wanted to be by now"

"Where's that?"