Kian

USUALLY, I BECOME hungry when thinking about food.

But as I think about a list of pastries to buy before heading into work, my stomach doesn't growl or my mouth doesn't get watery. Instead, I feel the palms of my hands start to clam up as the butterflies in my stomach start to flap their wings.

It’s my first day of my internship at Jet Industry and I am beyond nervous.

Near the entrance of the Bake n’ Roll, Darvis Ho greets me.

“Good morning, Bethany. What brings you here this morning?” Darvis asks while opening the door.

I take a deep breath before walking into the bakery. The sweet smell of cinnamon and apples fills my nostrils. Noise fills the air. Two women are standing near the entrance, waiting for their order. When they start chatting, I notice they're in identical shirts and hats. Two men are sitting near the window, reading the daily paper. They bite into their muffins, smiling at each other.

“Just here to pick up a few pastries before I head to work,” I say before looking ahead of me at the menu. I begin tapping the tips of my fingers, crossing my arms.

“Ahh yes,” Darvis hums, “I believe your mother mentioned to me the other day about you getting a summer internship when she stopped by the shop. How exciting! Are you nervous?” he ask, smiling. I notice there’s a gap between his front teeth.

I crack a small smile, “A little.”

I push my round glasses from the bridge of my nose, still looking at the menu.

“Say, what do you recommend?” I muse, peering at Darvis near the front of the line.

He jerks a thumb at a picture of a scone. “I say get the cranberry scone. Those go well with my coffee.”

Darvis Ho owns the Coffee House across the bakery. Darvis and his wife’s been ruining the shop for thirteen years now. I think his sons are helping around now, too.

Darvis finishes ordering two scones, saying a goodbye on his way out. I squint at the menu one last time before I’m called to the front of the line.

Looking from the menu to the guy behind the counter, my eyes hover straight to his lips.

He has a ring on his lip.

The ring hanging on his bottom lip causes me to stare. I see his mouth moving but I can't associate the words coming out of his mouth. By the time he stops talking, he pauses and waits for my response.

I idiotically ask him to repeat what he said which strangely enough causes him to smile. When he smiles, his lips lift on the right, turning into a slightly uneven and thin curve. As his mouth curves up, an uneven dimple pops out.

“What can I get you?”

Right.

“What do you recommend?” I ask, leaning a little closer to the counter.

I get a better look at his face–his cheeks and nose are filled with freckles and the right side of cheeks hold a small, uneven dimple. Small stands of his curly hair peek out his hat. He also has a pair of studs on the lower lobes of his ears.

“So,” he hums, “today’s specials are the Sugar Daddies and the Dough Knot.”

“The doughnut?”

He shakes his head. “The Dough Knot as in knot,” he laughs while trying to draw a knot in the air with his hands. He's turning a little red, without looking me in the eye. “Yeah, that one’s made out of our signature doughnut dough, sprinkled with almonds and pecans and a little bit of a caramel drizzle.”

I dart my eyes across the menu and back at the boy, asking, “What’s in the Sugar Daddies?”

His face lights up. “Oh, let me tell you about that.”

But before he can say another word, a woman walks behind him and shakes her head. It is Adalyn Olsen, owner of the shop. She lives a few blocks away from me. I remember when I was younger before she had her sons, she would come over and bring her famous snickerdoodles during the Easter weekend. My parents and I loved them.

“That's actually not on the menu.” Adalyn gives him a small glare before apologetically looking at me. She says, “Sorry about that, dear, my nephew here is trying to be funny.”

Adalyn’s shaking her head, placing a hand on her hip. “Kian, tell Bethany what the real specials are, please.”

As his name rolls off her tongue, I become puzzled at the thought of his unusual name.

Kian glances at me, holding back a laugh. “The Dough Knots–those are real. The other special we are having is the Nutty Bunch. These are made with croissants with a peanut butter and honey filling, with almonds, sprinkled on top.”

Again, I’m still staring at his lip ring. But this time, I manage to pay better attention to his words.

I start to fiddle my watch strap, feeling his eyes on me.

I arch my head up to level with Kian and begin to order. “Can I get one scone, and two of the Dough Knots and the Nutty Bunch?”

Adalyn walks away and heads over to the next counter to help another customer.

Once she’s out of hearing, Kian leans closer and whispers, “Nice to meet you, by the way.”

I smile, pulling out my wallet.

He opens the register and says in a curious tone, “Your name’s Bethany, right?”

I nod, unsure what to say. Kian’s still smiling a toothy grin when he hands me a bag. “Well, here you are. Have a good one, Bethany.”

I walk out of the bakery, leaving with a small grin dancing on my lips.