Baked Dough (WIP)
Well, I said I was going to write an entire novel for NaNo this year. Instead, I wrote less than 2k words. Oh well, I tried. I'm not stressing it too much. I want writing to be fun, and not stressful or panicked. And this, this was a good start to something I hope can be ever better.
And to help with that, I'd like some feedback! This is the opening for the tentatively titled "Baked Dough", a story featuring Cheryl and a new character, Conrad. It's meant to be a more serious and less sexual story, so let me know if you're all interested, and perhaps I will write more! Or, I'll just go back to the usual smut and romance drama.
Conrad Grosse let out a deep yawn as he drove down the quiet city block. It was early for the Great Dane mutt, the sun only just beginning to lighten up the sky, and the roads still empty as saner people slept, or were just rising for the day. Normally Conrad would be among those people, just waking up after the sun to start his day with a simple breakfast. But nerves and excitement had prevented a sound sleep, and the canine had decided to strike out early and get a jump start on his new job.
Only to find himself hopelessly lost in an unfamiliar part of the city.
"Where the hell is this place?" He muttered, rounding the same block for the third time. His tired brown eyes scanned the many small businesses lining the streets, but none bared the name of the one he was looking for. "Did I grab the wrong address? It's too early in the morning for this. I need coffee."
After a bit more driving around, he finally found an open coffee shop. It was more of a coffee and breakfast food truck, but at this point anything was better than nothing. He took a few moments to enjoy the hot brew and stretch out his seven foot frame, feeling a bit cramped from being in the car for so long. He sighed as his free fingers slid across his phone, Google Maps further letting him down as he tried to find where the address was. "This place does not exist, I swear."
He glanced up with a frustrated snort. It was still too early to call into the office to clarify the directions. His supervisor wouldn't be in for about another hour, and Conrad doubted anyone else was familiar with the account to help. And so the man was on his own, and hopeless lost.
"You look a little lost." Came an unexpected yet observant voice, startling Conrad from his thoughts. A young woman, clearly dressed for her morning jog, had come up to the food truck when he wasn't looking. The tabby striped woman had gotten herself a bottle of water, rehydrating during her run, though she had taken a pause to greet the tall canine. "So, are you? Lost, that is."
"No... well, yes." Conrad admitted, his tired brain slowly catching up. "I'm new in town, and I'm trying to find the corner of Thistle and Brian, but I'm having a bit of trouble."
"I'll bet you are. Thistle doesn't cross Brian." The woman said with a smirk, chuckling softly. "Are you looking for Brian or Byron? Byron crosses Thistle."
"Byron? There's a Byron?" Conrad shook his head, scanning through the map app once more.
"Yeah, it's confusing." The woman admitted as she took another drink. "I don't know why they named them that way. Idiot town planners."
Conrad snorted, not really paying attention. "Well, I'm looking for The Goodwin Bakery. Do you happen to know where that is?"
"I might." The woman grinned, making Conrad feel a little mocked. "That is definitely on the corner of Thistle and Byron, about a mile that way. You can't miss it."
"Huh." He muttered, eyes still on his phone as he finally found the intersection in question. "Well look at that. Oh, uh, thanks?" He looked up in time to see the woman jogging off in the direction she had indicated. He watched her run off until she was out of sight, before shaking his head back to reality.
A short while later, Conrad was pulling up in front of The Goodwin Bakery, quietly cursing at how close he had been when he had given up. The shop was still closed, but he saw some activity through the storefront, the employees setting up for the day. He took a deep breath as he found a parking space, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.
"You can do this, Conrad. You've met with clients before. It's just, you're on your own this time. No big deal. Yeah, no big deal."
After one last check to make sure his tie was straight and his fly was zipped, Conrad made his way to the shop's front door. He quickly got the employee's attention, but to his dismay the young rat simply pointed at the "Sorry, we're closed" sign and went back to work. The canine sighed, knocking a bit more intently, much to the apparent annoyance of the rodent.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we aren't open yet. We'll be open for business at eight o'clock."
"Oh no, I'm not here for that. My name is Conrad Grosse, from Sheckle Accounting. Are you Thomas Goodwin?"
"One second." Clearly annoyed, the rodent closed the door once more, leaving Conrad to awkwardly watch as he disappeared from the front of the store. He returned a short while later with a portly corgi in tow, who finally let Conrad inside.
"Good morning! Please, come in! So, you're the one they sent to fix my mess of a budget, eh?"
"Uh, yes sir, Mr. Goodwin. I'm Conrad Grosse, and they sent me to go over your accounts, balance the books, and make sure everything is in order. I didn't come too early, did I?"
"Of course not, son." The man replied, clapping Conrad on the back. "We're always up this early. And call me Thomas. We're pretty casual around here. C'mon, I'll show you around, introduce you to everyone, and then we can get to work. You've already met Bryce, he's a charming lad once he wakes up. Everyone else is in the back."
He led Conrad through the shop front, who finally took the chance to look around. The side walls were lined with cleaned, empty display cases, waiting to be filled with fresh baked goods. The front counter held a similar display, partially filled by the rat, Bryce, before Conrad had interrupted him. A couple display tables held some more non food items, branded with the store's logo, and some space for more products not currently out. A few smaller tables were set up with chairs, a comfortable corner for guests to enjoy their fresh baked goods.
While Bryce went back to work, Thomas led Conrad to the back kitchen. Conrad was instantly hit by the heat of the ovens and the smell of baking bread. He'd never seen a professional kitchen before, but of all the things he might have expected the wall of ovens still took him by surprise. Nearby countertops were lined with industrial mixers, rolling pins, and a plethora of other tools. Several cooling racks sat nearby, waiting to receive the freshly baked goods as soon as they were pulled from the oven, while other racks were loaded up with boxes and sacks of raw ingredients. As an outsider, it was a bit overwhelming.
They weren't alone in that kitchen. A middle aged tabby cat and a teenage bat were pulling several pastries from one of the ovens, setting them aside to cool. Thomas called the ladies over, a hand on Conrad's shoulder as he introduced him.
"Conrad, the young lady here is Jackie, another one of our assistants. And this beautiful young woman, my second in command and far better half, is Jane. She's pretty much in charge of the front of the store, so we can have the prettiest face forward to greet the customers."
"Why Thomas you are such a flatterer." The feline stepped up to her husband, the two sharing a kiss as Jackie rolled her eyes behind them. They then turned their attention back to Conrad. "You've come to balance our books then? Oh, you poor boy, you have no idea what you're in for."
"Oh don't scare him, Jane." Thomas said with a chuckle. "She's exaggerating. My system may not be the most organized, but it's not that bad."
"He's one step up from storing everything in old shoe boxes."
"I'm gonna get back to work if that's alright." Jackie cut in. "Bryce probably needs some help setting up."
"Good idea." The corgi agreed. "We should all get to work if we want to open on time. Can you handle opening, Jane? I'll take Conrad to the office and get him setup with whatever he needs."
"Of course. And bring Cheryl. She might be able to help."
"I don't know, dear." Thomas countered. "She's been focusing pretty heavily on leading the kitchen. She's coming along far as head baker."
"And she's already looked through the records." Jane calmly replied. "She does want to take over completely someday, you know."
"I don't know. I don't want to bother Cheryl with this."
"Bother me with what?"
They looked to the source of the voice, Conrad's jaw hanging open as the young woman from earlier came into view. She was more modestly dressed, tying her hair up in a ponytail as she approached the group. She flashed a smile, more of a shit eating grin really, when she saw Conrad."So, you were able to find the place after all?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah." Conrad stuttered, snapping out of his surprise. "Thanks again."
"Any time, big guy." Cheryl said with a playful smirk that had Conrad speechless once more.
"I'm glad you're feeling so helpful, Muffin." Thomas interjected. "Your mother and I feel you could be helpful in getting Conrad settled in. He's here to sort out our budgets and accounts."
"So our hero savior has finally arrived." Cheryl teased. "But he needs my humble help yet again."
"Just for directions, again." Conrad said, recovering from her sass and trying to save face. "Once you show me where you keep your records, I'm sure I'll have everything sorted out in no time."
"And we'll be grateful for that." Thomas said before his daughter could get out another quip. "Follow me to the office, and you come too, Muffin."
Conrad was led further into the back of the kitchen, where a small office had been set up in a corner, near the back door and a flight of stairs.
The inside of the office was even smaller than it appeared outside, mostly due to the amount of stuff within. A single chair sat in the room by a desk and computer, but it was the multitude of shelves and cabinets that dominated the office. They were loaded up with binders, folders, and small boxes, all of which were clearly filled with endless amounts of paperwork.
"Well, here it is." Thomas announced, gesturing to the office. "All the finances, budgets, and accounts are in here."
"And which part specifically are the finances?"
"All of it." The man replied with a shrug. "It's all sorted out among the different shelves; paystubs, receipts, taxes, inspection reports, bills. It's all sorted in here."
"I've been trying to reorganize things in a more coherent manner." Cheryl cut in. "But I've only gotten through the leftmost shelves."
"It's not that bad. It makes sense to me."
"And no one else." Cheryl chuckled, turning her gaze towards Conrad. "So what d'you think? Will you still have it sorted out in no time?"
"I think," Conrad replied, his brown eyes scanning over the countless files scattered about the office, "that I have my work cut out for me."