24
Honestly she's surprised that that Daniel got here so quick, with his help and a couple of his coworkers, because apparently he knew people in this area, they were able to finish cleaning and furnishing the bakery. They just need to add a couple decorations and it'll be complete.
They decided to go for a modern but colorful theme for the bakery and it was looking pretty good so far, now she just needs to set the food up. She had started preparing food a couple days ago but she didn't have shelves to set anything up yet so she just stuck it in the freezer and called it a night. Now she can get all that out and set it out, to let it thaw.
They were gonna open at nine the next morning so for now they could all rest.
_
No one was coming in so far but that's okay, they're new and it's expected. Charlotte has offered to work the register and Daniel offered to help clean up as he walks around and Joline will be doing the baking.
Around noon was when they finally heard that bell go off and since she didn't have anything to bake at the moment Joline was standing by the register with her sister.
"Welcome to fresh 'n fluffy! What can I get for ya?" She greeted the family that came in.
"Can a get three croissants and a cherry lime cupcake?" It was the little girl that spoke up first. The woman and the man that Joline assumed was her husband looked to be around late thirties and the little girl with them was probably around ten.
"Of course, I'll go get those and my lovely sister will ring you folks up!" She smiled as she walked into the back to get what she asked for.
She heard the bell go off again and picked up her pace a bit, when she got back to the front with the bag of treats she saw the same little guys as before but this time they were with two humans. She smiled at they before handing the bag to the family of three.
"Hey Joline!" Sonic waved excitedly, gripping Shadow's hand in his own.
"Hey Sonic, who'd you bring?" She gave a small finger wave in return.
"These are my parents, Tom and Maddie." They both greeted Joline when they were introduced.
"Well it's nice to meet you two, see anything that looks good?"
"Well I think the blueberry muffin looks amazing, how about you boys?" Maddie turned to the kids and Tom.
"Can I get a banana nut muffin?" Sonic asked and Tails nodded "Me too!"
"I would like something with grapes."
"Um, we've got bagels and grape jelly. Does that work out for you?"
"Yeah that'll work, can I get just a chocolate chip cookie please." Tom answered for Knuckles and smiled at the lady
"What do you want Shads?"
"I am fine with not getting anything."
"C'mon it's our treat!" Sonic insisted
"I suppose that looks appealing." He mumbled after a second, pointing to a chocolate dipped croissant.
"And one chocolate dipped croissant please."
While Charlotte rang Maddie up at the register Tom took the kids to find a seat to wait in. They all sat at a round table and Mostly Sonic talked while they waited.
Joline returned to the front with the freshly baked blueberry muffins, banana nut muffins, and the chocolate dipped croissant. She placed them on the counter with a flourish, trying to match Sonic’s enthusiasm.
“Here you go! Freshly baked and ready to enjoy!” she announced, her excitement bubbling over.
Maddie beamed as she took the bag from Charlotte. “Thank you so much! I can already tell we’re going to love this place.”
Tom nodded in agreement. “It smells fantastic in here. We’ll definitely be back.”
As they walked away, Joline couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride swell in her chest. This was her dream, and it was finally starting to take shape. She turned to Charlotte, who was finishing up the transaction. “Did you see their faces? They looked so happy!”
Charlotte laughed, “That’s what it’s all about, right? Making people happy with good food.”
Just then, the bell jingled again, and a couple of teenagers strolled in, glancing around curiously. Joline greeted them with a bright smile. “Welcome to Fresh ‘n Fluffy! What can I get for you today?”
One of the teens, a girl with dark red hair, grinned back. “What do you recommend? We’ve heard you're new in town and I wanna be a first timer!”
Joline leaned in slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. “Honestly? You can’t go wrong with the croissants—they’re buttery and flaky. And the cherry crème cupcakes are a must-try!”
The girl’s eyes widened with excitement. “Okay, we’ll take two croissants and one cupcake, please!”
As Joline prepared their order, she couldn’t shake off the satisfaction she felt. Every interaction was a chance to share her passion, and it made the long nights of preparation so worth it.
After handing over the pastries, she noticed Daniel was tidying up the seating area, his brow furrowed. “Hey, Daniel! Everything okay?” she called out.
He looked up, flashing a quick smile. “Yeah, just making sure everything’s in order. I want our customers to feel comfortable.”
“Good thinking! I’ll help you out in a minute,” she replied before turning back to the counter, where another couple was already waiting to place their order.
As the day continued, the bakery stayed mostly empty with only a couple customers every now and again.
By the end of the afternoon, Joline glanced at the clock—it was almost time for the bakery to close. Exhausted but exhilarated, she gathered the other two, “Great job today, everyone! We had a decent amount of customers, and I think we made a positive impression.”
Charlotte piped in with a smile, “I can’t wait to see how many people come in tomorrow! We should probably think of more promotional ideas to keep the momentum going.”
“Definitely.” Daniel agreed. “Maybe a weekend special or a featured dessert?”
Joline nodded, feeling the energy of their brainstorming session. "Tomorrow morning before we open let's come up with some ideas. For now, let’s clean up and get ready to head home!”