The North Wind

It was early Monday morning, and after days of hard work, Natalii was tearing down the newspaper that lined the windows and door of the shop. She’s was incredibly proud of the shop’s appearance. The walls were painted a soothing tint of brown, mounted with oak shelves that overflowed with various confections. Glass display cases were staggered in front of the shelves, illuminating Natalii’s more perishable sweets. Across from the display cases were a number of tables and chairs, for guests to use if they so desired.

Natalii sighed deeply, as she set out an ornate, wooden sign, depicting that the shop was now officially open. She was predicting it to be a very busy day, as most everyone who had passed by was curious as to what the shop would entail. Natalii spun around to ensure that everything was in place, before heading into the back room, intent on decorating the cakes and cupcakes she had baked the night before.

She had just finished icing her first batch of cupcakes when the sound of a bell rang through the shop, alerting Natalii of someone’s presence in the front. Quickly wiping her hands on a towel, Natalii walked back into the main room, smiling at the woman before her. She looked slightly disheveled, with a hood covering most of her face. Natalii leaned against the counter in front of her, her smile widening.

“Hello, how are you today?” Natalii asked softly.

“I-I’m fine,” the woman stammered, barely glancing up, before returning to stare at the displayed candies.

“What’s your name, hun?” Natalii questioned, reaching up to push her bangs up out of her face.

“Caroline,” the woman answered quietly, pushing her hands into the pocket of her baggy sweatshirt.

“Caroline…” Natalii repeated. “That’s a beautiful name. I’m Natalii,” she responded tenderly, reaching her hand across the counter for Caroline to shake. Caroline tentatively placed her hand in Natalii’s.

“You know, I have this little knack for guessing people’s favorite chocolates. Would you like to try some?” Natalii asked, reaching next to her for a small container.

“Oh, I don’t really have any money to afford it. I just wanted to come and look,” Caroline replied shamefully, starring at the floor.

“It’s on the house, Hun.” Natalii reached into the lower right hand corner of the display case, scooping a handful of chocolates into the container, before sliding it across the counter towards Caroline. Hesitantly, Caroline reached for the small bowl, and placed one of the sweets into her mouth, moaning at the taste.

“What are these?” Caroline asked, plopping another into her mouth.

“They’re chocolate covered pomegranates. The middle is infused with real pomegranate juice, which is then dipped into dark chocolate. A smooth and sweet combination,” Natalii grinned at the small smile on Caroline’s face.

“Well thank you,” Caroline replied, closing up the container and placing it into her purse. “I appreciate it.”

“It’s not a problem. Feel free to stop by anytime.” The two exchanged smiles, before Caroline walked out into the California heat. Just a few hours later, the shop was flooded with people, eager to see what Natalii had done with the space.

It was late afternoon, and Brian couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he made his way down Main Street, towards the once vacant shop on the strip. For years, the shop had been run by an old barber and his wife, though once the barber had died, the wife decided to sell the shop, and move further south. For months, the shop had remained vacant, waiting for a tenant.

Brian knew he had the right location by the swarms of people entering and exiting the small space. His eyes narrowed in on the wooden sign that hung above the entrance of the shop: Chocolatiere.

He held the door open for an older couple who were exiting the shop, before walking in. He was taken back by the sheer amount of work Natalii had put into creating a warm and welcoming environment. Looking around, he spotted Natalie behind the counter, offering a sample of chocolate to a young boy, and his mother. Just as he was about to approach her, he was stopped by a pair of tiny arms wrapping tightly around his legs.

“You came!” Violet exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“Of course,” Brian replied, crouching down at her level. “How could I miss opening day?”

“Come on.” Violet pulled on Brian’s arm, dragging him over to where Natalii stood, talking with another customer. “Mama, look who I found!” Violet called, pulling Brian to stand next to her.

“Oh, you did, did you?” Natalii spoke, ruffling her daughter’s hair lightly, before pulling Brian into a quick hug. As he pulled away, Brian placed a kiss on her cheek, causing Natalii to blush, and Violet to giggle.

“I’m really glad you came,” Natalii murmured. “It’s been a crazy day.”

“I was dying to know what you had done with the place. You did an incredible job,” Brian smirked, looking at the various photographs that hung from the wall.

“Come with me, I have a special surprise for you in the back.” Natalii pulled on Brian’s arm, leading him towards the back room. She brought forward a small silver plate, and offered it to him.

“What are they?” Brian questioned, taking one of the smooth chocolates.

“Your favorite,” Natalii smirked. “Just try it.” Brian took a bite, and let out a moan at the taste. It was, by far, some of the best chocolate he had ever had. Natalii giggled at his reaction.

“I call that Red Fire. Its dark chocolate and cinnamon, with a hint of chipotle chilies. For those with a slightly more exotic taste,” Natalii smiled.

“It’s delicious,” Brian replied, popping the rest of the chocolate in his mouth. “Dainty, but distinct,” he continued, making Natalii grin. “But it’s not my favorite,” he finished with a slight smirk.

“That-that’s not your favorite?” Natalii stammered, taken aback. Never before had she incorrectly guessed someone’s favorite chocolate. It had always been intuition for her.

“Nope. It was amazing, but not my favorite,” Brian replied, leaning against the counter behind him.

“Well Brian, clearly there’s more to you than meets the eye,” Natalii huffed, placing the plate of chocolates back in the freezer.

“I like to confuse people,” Brian grinned, walking closer. “But I did have an ulterior motive for my visit.”

“Oh you did, did you?”

“Mhm. When I bought my house, the only thing it was missing was a deck. So in my free time, I’ve been working on building one, and I finally finished it this weekend. I was wondering if you and Violet might want to come over tonight, and help me celebrate.”

“You built the whole thing yourself?” Natalii asked, astounded. She had expected him to say he had had someone to build it for him.

“With my two bare hands,” Brian grinned. “Will you both come?” Natalii thought about it, and found no harm. She enjoyed Brian’s company, and Violet clearly adored him.

“Yes, we’ll come. Do you need me to bring anything?”

“How about you just be in charge of dessert. You would put me to shame in anything I tried to make,” Brian chuckled. “Just come over after you close. If you keep heading down the beach, from where we originally met, you’ll see a light blue house, with the whole back wall made of glass. That’s mine.”

“Can’t wait,” Natalii murmured, leading the way towards the door.

“Me neither,” Brian whispered, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “I’ll see you tonight, yeah?” Natalii nodded, struggling to form words, due to the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

“Until then,” Brian smirked, saying a quick goodbye to Violet, before heading out the door.