Sanctity (31 page)

Once I started working on the cheesecakes I
began to feel a little better.  I worked on the two easiest
first – a plain NY Cheesecake and a plain Chocolate
Cheesecake.  I lined the bottoms of my springform pans with
foil and prepped them with some baking spray.  I put them
aside and used my processor to grind up some graham crackers for
the NY and chocolate cookies for the chocolate.  After adding
a little melted butter I pressed the crumbs into the bottoms of
each of the pans and ran my finger along the inside edges to make
them neat and uniform.

I used a little more spray just to be safe
and began mixing the NY cheesecake first.  Since I would be
using heavier ingredients I adjusted my scale to ounces instead of
grams and portioned out the cream cheese.  Now that I had
the cakes to focus on everything else took a place in the back seat
of my mind and I found a sense of relief from my worries over
Charlie.

It took about a half an hour to prepare both
cheesecakes for baking.  Once they were in their water baths
and placed in the oven I collected all the dirtied dishes and put
them in the sink by the dishwasher.  After cleaning my work
station I began the process of setting up the other two. 
Those would be a touch more involved, one needing a reduction to
swirl throughout the cheesecake and the other a non-traditional
base made from a dark chocolate torte Margaret had taught me how to
make. 

Just as I was finishing up
the second round of cheesecakes and putting them into the oven, I
heard a noise like someone knocking from the front of the
bakery.  I immediately thought 
Charlie 
and that he had come to
see if I would like to join him for lunch.  His apartment was
fairly close by and we’d talked about the possibility of having
lunch together once I was up and running.

I set the timer and hastily wiped my hands on
my apron.  The blinds were drawn so I couldn’t immediately see
who was at the front door but my mind was on Charlie so when I did
open it and saw that it wasn’t him I was completely taken
aback. 

“Oh,” I said, as I swung the door wide and
there was an unfamiliar man standing there in the rain, “we’re not
open yet.”  He was just smiling and looking me over as I said
this.  I was suddenly aware of how disheveled I must have
looked with my hair tucked up under a kerchief, chocolate smears
across my apron and what I felt was a dusting of sugar coating me
from head to toe.  I actually only had a small patch of
chocolate on my cheek but I couldn’t shake the overwhelming
self-consciousness I was experiencing. 

I was about to apologize and tell him to come
back another time but when he realized my intentions he found his
voice, “Please,” he began, “I could really use some help right
now.”

I stopped midway through my efforts to close
the door and looked up at him.  He looked sincerely distressed
and as I studied him I couldn’t help but relent.  I asked him
what it was that he needed help with.

“May I come in?” he peered over my head.

I was somewhat hesitant but decided to give
him the benefit of the doubt as he stood there smiling with every
ounce of his charm in force.

“Sure,” I said and motioned him inside. 
I closed the door but didn’t lock it in case I needed to make a
hasty exit.

I walked behind the display cases and turned
on some of the café lights.  He closed his umbrella and set it
on the mat by the door then took a seat at one of the tables and
asked if I happened to have any coffee on.  I raised my
eyebrows at him, “Unfortunately, we are not open yet,” I reminded
him.  I felt another wave of shame as he continued to look me
over from where he sat.  I hastily untied my apron and whisked
the kerchief from the top of my head.  I instantly regretted
the latter when I ran my fingers through my hair and felt how
matted it had become.

“Ah, yes.  Well, I work for the law firm
down the street and they are having a bit of an open-house Sunday
night.  I was in charge of the desserts but the caterer I
contracted seems to have come down with something all of a sudden
and he won’t be able to fill the order I placed.  I was
hoping,” he paused as he watched the understanding sweep over
me.

“Hoping we would be able to fill the void,” I
finished for him.  I was thinking about my opening on Monday
and wondering how I would manage to bake everything I needed for
myself never mind filling an additional order for, “How many people
do you plan on serving?” I found myself asking despite my
reservations.

“Well, there are 30 employees, plus spouses
or dates, plus about 10 of our biggest clients and their
guests.  I would estimate at least 75 people and at the
uppermost 100.”

My eyes widened in dismay, “I’m sorry but I
just don’t think I can accommodate you.  Our grand-opening is
on Monday and I need all the time between now and then to get these
in order,” I motioned to the empty display cases.

“I see,” he said regretfully.

“I’m very sorry, I wish I could help
but,”

“No I understand,” he was looking directly
into my eyes and I felt a tiny ripple of familiarity that I just
couldn’t place.  It melted my resolve.

I took a deep breath and sighed, “How much
time do I have?”

He smiled, “it starts at 5 pm tomorrow but we
won’t need the desserts until 6 or 7.”

“Does it matter what I bring?”

He shook his head, “I’ll take whatever I can
get at this point.  I’ll even come by if you need help getting
it there and setting it up.”

“Well that’s a bit of a relief,” I
thought.  “I’m sure I could use the help, if you can be here
at 6 tomorrow we can probably load everything and have it there and
set-up just in time.”

“It’s a deal,” he held out his hand to shake
on it.  “I can’t thank you enough and I promise you if all
goes well, I’ll make it up to you in spades.”

“In spades,” I thought to myself while I
tried to hide my frown, “who says that?” I felt a bit unnerved by
the expression.

He reached into his chest pocket and handed
me a card, “Tomorrow at 6, see you then,” his last words hung in
the air questioningly.

“Oh, Lily, Lily Donovan.”

“Nice to meet you Lily, I’m Victor.” 
When he was halfway to the door he gave a half spin and tossed
another grateful grin back to me.

 I turned the card over, “Victor Davis,
huh?”

I went to the front door after he
left and locked it back up.  As I wandered back to the
kitchen I could hear the first of my timers beeping.  I
scampered to the oven and turned it off but left the two
cheesecakes as they were.  They would need to do some residual
baking and slowly cool down for an hour or two before I could take
them out.  I decided to call Charlie and to see if he would
like to swing by for lunch but his phone went straight to
voicemail. 

“Oh well,” I found my apple and gave it a
quick polish before digging in. 

I started configuring a dessert menu for the
law firm and decided to give up two of my cheesecakes to go towards
the event.  I settled on giving them the NY and the chocolate
cheesecakes since they would be the easiest to remake.  I knew
I could spruce up the NY with some fresh fruit and maybe top the
chocolate with some mousse to give it a bit of flair before I
delivered them.

I made my notes and then began portioning out
and lining up the ingredients for the first round of what I
intended to bake.  After about a half an hour of mixing,
cooking and cleaning I lost track of time and started operating on
autopilot.  I made cream puffs, chocolate and white chocolate
covered strawberries, mini lemon/raspberry tarts and I was about to
start some red velvet cupcakes when I remembered that I was only
baking for 75 not 750. 

I laughed at myself for getting so caught up
in my work.  I shrugged and thought that it was no big deal;
whatever Victor didn’t take I would keep for myself to put in my
empty display cases for Monday.

“Maybe it’s good that I took the order,” I
looked around and realized that I have managed to get a substantial
amount of work done.  I pulled the last of the tarts from the
oven and started separating the items for Victor and the items for
myself.  I took some of the trays from the bakery cases and
began arranging some of the pastries.  The others I packed
into boxes and put them in the refrigerators for the next day’s
delivery. 

As I tucked the last of my efforts away I
heard a loud rapping at the back door.  When I got to the dock
area I could see Charlie through the narrow window with an anxious
then suddenly relieved look on his face.  I unlocked the door
and he fairly burst in and hugged me. 

“I’ve been calling all afternoon, why didn’t
you answer?”

I had left my phone in the office and Charlie
followed me as I went to retrieve it.  Victor’s card was lying
on the desk and for some reason I felt the need to obscure it from
Charlie’s view.  I tucked it under one of my lists and turned
to Charlie, “I’m sorry,” I apologized as I looked at the number of
missed calls.  “I guess I just didn’t hear it over all the
work I’ve been doing.  I took an order from the law firm down
the street and have been busting out pastries all day.”

“I wish you would have called, at least to
check in.”

“I tried calling at lunch time but your phone
went straight to voicemail.  Then I got the order and I’ve
been working ever since.”

Charlie put his fist to his forehead in an
effort to calm himself.  I actually thought I saw his lips
moving as if he were counting to ten.  I almost giggled but
managed to keep it in.  “I’m sorry if I worried you. 
Honestly, I got so caught up with what I was doing I lost track of
everything else.”

“It’s OK, you couldn’t have known.  It’s
just…” his voice trailed off as if he wanted to say something but
thought better of it and instead finished with, “well, it’s hard
not to worry and think the worst if I don’t hear from you.”

I looked at my watch and decided that it was
time to wrap things up for the day, “Well, since you’re here,”
I motioned to all the dirty dishes, “would you mind giving me a
hand with some of these?”

He rolled his eyes, “I see,” he said, “worry
me to the point of showing up to check on you just so you can put
me to work.”

I smiled and handed him an apron.  There
wasn’t as much to do as there looked.  I used the hose and
rinsed everything down really well before Charlie stacked them in
the dish trays and ran them through the washer.  “We can leave
them in the racks to dry and I’ll put them away tomorrow,” I said
as he pushed the last tray through.

We rinsed ourselves off and tossed the aprons
in the hamper along with all the hand towels I had used throughout
the day.  Once the kitchen was back in order I double checked
the café area and made sure that the front door was locked and the
blinds were drawn.  Charlie was waiting by the back door when
I returned and he let us out.  After locking up Charlie asked
what my plans were and I just shrugged and said, “Home, I
guess.”

“Do you want some company?”

“That would be nice,” I took his hand and
gave him a quick peck, “see you there.”

I slid into my car and Charlie took the wheel
of his.  He followed me the whole way home and once we were
there he was quick to get my door and help me out.  He was
being awfully attentive for some reason and I couldn’t help
wondering if he was feeling guilty about the way he left the
previous night.

“Is everything alright Charlie?” I didn’t
want to mention anything specifically but I was hoping he would
volunteer the information on his own.

“No, just glad I worried for nothing, I
guess.”

“Hmm, OK,” I unlocked my apartment and
flipped the lights on as we walked in. 

Charlie made his way to the refrigerator and
took a quick inventory of what was in there.  “Are you hungry,
it looks like I could make some stir fry if you’re interested?”

After baking all day the last thing I wanted
was to touch a stove so I readily agreed and Charlie got to
it.  I headed toward my bedroom and changed from my work
clothes into some lounge pants and one of Charlie’s t-shirts. 
When I got back to the kitchen Charlie was sipping a beer and using
a spatula to toss the meat and veggies around. 

“I poured you a glass of wine,” he put his
beer down and took the glass from the fridge.

“Thanks,” I gratefully accepted the chilled
wine and took a leisurely sip.

“Are you excited about Monday,” Charlie
started up our conversation.

“I am, nervous, too though.  I don’t
expect to be very busy; my first day and all.”

“Who is coming in to help?”

I tallied up the staff, “Well, Rachael is
going to be the barista and Margaret is going to come help out,
too.  She said she would wait tables if you can believe
it.”

Charlie gave a little laugh and filled the
tip of his spatula with a bit of the stir fry.  He gave it a
couple of quick breaths to cool it down and took a bite to test if
it was ready.  “I think it’s good, would you get some
plates?”

I took down two plates and lined them on the
counter for him.  He filled each with a generous portion and
turned the stove off.  He took a lid and covered what was left
before gathering up the plates and motioning me to the table to
eat.  I took my glass and grabbed his beer as well as some
silverware and joined him at the table.

“So how was your day?” I asked after we’d had
a couple of bites.

Other than worrying about me, Charlie didn’t
have much to say about his day.  He caught up on some stuff
for work and told me that he spent the rest of the day doing
laundry and other things around his apartment.  “So this order
for the law firm, is it a big one?”