Sweet Tooth
Sweet Tooth
“Boy, where the hell are those custard slices?!” Came the yell from the kitchens in the back. It was a yell that Jeph was well used to; he heard it far too often. He couldn’t seem to do anything right. He finished laying out the gingerbread men in the window of the small bakery, making sure they were neat and looked appealing. He hated his dead-end job and at nineteen years old, he wanted to move on to bigger things, but at least he could try while he was stuck.
“BOY!” Jeph’s boss hollered again. Jeph sighed and went out, leaving the morning sunlight and warm yellow walls for the cold sliver of the fridges and oven in the kitchen.
“You didn’t ask me to make any custard slices,” Jeph mumbled, twisting his hands.
“I know what I asked you to do, you waste of space, I asked you to make custard slices and you haven’t!” Jeph didn’t argue, he knew better than to argue by now. The bell that rang when the front door opened trilled and Jeph breathed a sigh of relief as his boss’ eyes narrowed and he directed him to serve the customer.
Jeph ran his tongue subconsciously over his lip as he went through to the main shop, to find a teenager with dyed blonde hair staring intently at the cakes and pastries lined up in the glass counter. He was undisputedly gorgeous and even though he looked like he was younger, Jeph couldn’t help but find himself nervous.
“Can I help you?” Jeph asked politely. The teenager looked up and his big brown eyes met Jeph’s own, making the older boy’s breath catch in his throat.
“I think you probably can,” the nameless customer smiled dazzlingly, his eyes not leaving Jeph’s. “I know I want something, but I’m not quite sure what I want. Any suggestions?” Jeph stepped up closer to the counter, the teenager did the same on the other side. Jeph wondered if the flirting tone he had picked up on had been intentional.
“Well, what to you usually like?” Jeph asked , shifting his weight from foot to foot slightly.
“That’s not what I asked,” The blond smiled. “I asked you what you thought I should have.”
“I – I really don’t know. How much of a sweet tooth do you have?” Jeph asked, gaining confidence with the handsome stranger.
“Really sweet,” the stranger told Jeph with a coy smile. Jeph nodded, studying his options under the counter.
“Okay...try...this,” Jeph smiled, handing the stranger a basic cream doughnut.
“What if I don’t like it? You’re just giving it to me?” the stranger asked, seeming surprised.
“Err...yeah, it’s on me,” Jeph smiled awkwardly as the stranger blushed slightly and took the cream doughnut from him, taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully, eyes still not leaving Jeph’s.
“It tastes amazing, but it’s just not sweet enough,” The stranger laughed, the mischievous twinkle back in his eyes as he finished the cream doughnut.
“Okay then, what about this?” Jeph asked, handing the stranger a cupcake, covered in sugary blue frosting. The stranger took a bite and made an appreciative noise, but set the cupcake down on the counter.
“Again, amazing, but still not enough. I want the sweetest, best looking thing in this bakery.”
“What’s that then?” Jeph asked, looking confusedly at the rest of the cakes. He was certain he’d given the stranger the sweetest thing they had.
“You, you daft moo,” the stranger laughed, reaching over the counter to move Jeph’s hair from his face and gently press his soft lips to Jeph’s. “I’ve been walking past this bakery every morning for a month trying to gather up the courage to talk to you. I’m Quinn.”
“Jeph, but err...you can call me Jepha if you want.” Quinn smiled widely, daring to kiss Jeph again.
“Jepha...do you want to go out sometime?”
“Do you want to go out now?” Jeph replied, this time it was him who leaned across to steal a kiss from Quinn, becoming quickly addicted to the feeling the blond teenager gave him.
“Aren’t you working?”
“Hey boss! I quit!” Jeph yelled out to the back, taking off his apron and dumping it on the floor. “I’ll get another job,” he grinned, coming round to take Quinn’s hand in his, leading him towards the door.
“Wait!” Quinn suddenly exclaimed, making Jeph halt and look at him, confused. “Grab the cupcake,” the blond grinned, picking it up from the counter and returning his other hand to Jeph’s as they walked out of the bakery together.
“BOY!” Jeph’s boss hollered again. Jeph sighed and went out, leaving the morning sunlight and warm yellow walls for the cold sliver of the fridges and oven in the kitchen.
“You didn’t ask me to make any custard slices,” Jeph mumbled, twisting his hands.
“I know what I asked you to do, you waste of space, I asked you to make custard slices and you haven’t!” Jeph didn’t argue, he knew better than to argue by now. The bell that rang when the front door opened trilled and Jeph breathed a sigh of relief as his boss’ eyes narrowed and he directed him to serve the customer.
Jeph ran his tongue subconsciously over his lip as he went through to the main shop, to find a teenager with dyed blonde hair staring intently at the cakes and pastries lined up in the glass counter. He was undisputedly gorgeous and even though he looked like he was younger, Jeph couldn’t help but find himself nervous.
“Can I help you?” Jeph asked politely. The teenager looked up and his big brown eyes met Jeph’s own, making the older boy’s breath catch in his throat.
“I think you probably can,” the nameless customer smiled dazzlingly, his eyes not leaving Jeph’s. “I know I want something, but I’m not quite sure what I want. Any suggestions?” Jeph stepped up closer to the counter, the teenager did the same on the other side. Jeph wondered if the flirting tone he had picked up on had been intentional.
“Well, what to you usually like?” Jeph asked , shifting his weight from foot to foot slightly.
“That’s not what I asked,” The blond smiled. “I asked you what you thought I should have.”
“I – I really don’t know. How much of a sweet tooth do you have?” Jeph asked, gaining confidence with the handsome stranger.
“Really sweet,” the stranger told Jeph with a coy smile. Jeph nodded, studying his options under the counter.
“Okay...try...this,” Jeph smiled, handing the stranger a basic cream doughnut.
“What if I don’t like it? You’re just giving it to me?” the stranger asked, seeming surprised.
“Err...yeah, it’s on me,” Jeph smiled awkwardly as the stranger blushed slightly and took the cream doughnut from him, taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully, eyes still not leaving Jeph’s.
“It tastes amazing, but it’s just not sweet enough,” The stranger laughed, the mischievous twinkle back in his eyes as he finished the cream doughnut.
“Okay then, what about this?” Jeph asked, handing the stranger a cupcake, covered in sugary blue frosting. The stranger took a bite and made an appreciative noise, but set the cupcake down on the counter.
“Again, amazing, but still not enough. I want the sweetest, best looking thing in this bakery.”
“What’s that then?” Jeph asked, looking confusedly at the rest of the cakes. He was certain he’d given the stranger the sweetest thing they had.
“You, you daft moo,” the stranger laughed, reaching over the counter to move Jeph’s hair from his face and gently press his soft lips to Jeph’s. “I’ve been walking past this bakery every morning for a month trying to gather up the courage to talk to you. I’m Quinn.”
“Jeph, but err...you can call me Jepha if you want.” Quinn smiled widely, daring to kiss Jeph again.
“Jepha...do you want to go out sometime?”
“Do you want to go out now?” Jeph replied, this time it was him who leaned across to steal a kiss from Quinn, becoming quickly addicted to the feeling the blond teenager gave him.
“Aren’t you working?”
“Hey boss! I quit!” Jeph yelled out to the back, taking off his apron and dumping it on the floor. “I’ll get another job,” he grinned, coming round to take Quinn’s hand in his, leading him towards the door.
“Wait!” Quinn suddenly exclaimed, making Jeph halt and look at him, confused. “Grab the cupcake,” the blond grinned, picking it up from the counter and returning his other hand to Jeph’s as they walked out of the bakery together.