"The only cake we've got ready is this cupcake." She said with an apologetic pout.
"Oh." I said, unimpressed. It looked good, but wasn't even frosted and didn't look nearly as appetizing as the cake pictures I was just looking at.
The disappointment must have been written all over my face, because she piped up, "You know what, If you buy this, I will give it chocolate or vanilla filling, your choice, and Ill ice it and write happy birthday on it at no extra charge. wha-doya say?" She beamed an infectious smile that made me smile in response, I couldn't say no.
She rang me up and it came to 9 dollars, being 15 and having just started working a minimum wage job, it hurt. But I hid it because the cashier was so cute and friendly. I pulled out my debit card and paid. I even took one of the three dollars cash I had and dropped it into the tip jar because the woman was being so nice. My brain kicked back in and I realized I just spent over an hour at work for a cupcake and a few smiles... totally worth it.
Elle, at least that's what her name tag said, paused for just a quick second and something flashed across her face. But before I could figure out what it was, she was in the back room calling up to me asking what flavor filling I wanted.
"Chocolate please... and thank you!" I called back.
"Got it, There isn't a whole lotta room I can fit happy and an age, what do you want me to put? 21? 25?"
"Oh," I blushed, "I'm going to turn 16 next month. I'm all ready to get my license." I said with pride.
Elle popped her head out, "Yeah, but since this is an early celebration anyway, Just for fun, you know. What birthday do you wish it was?" She smiled disarmingly. She was the picture of beauty, and somehow made the tacky bakery outfit and dirty, oversized apron look sexy.
"Yeah," I said getting lost in her face. After three or four seconds she noticed that I wasn't really in the conversation anymore.
"Hi," she said with a wave. "My name is Elle. Its nice to meet you. What's your name?"
"I'm Jarod. Jarod Blake." I stammered realizing I horribly embarrassed myself. "I'm didn't mean too... I'm so sorr..."
Completely ignoring that anything weird happened, "The pleasure is all mine Jarod, but I do have an order to fill, yours actually, so I need a number, one that you're keen on."
I was on the ball this time, I didn't skip a beat. "Twenty-one! No! Twenty-three, yeah, twenty-three. Just for fun, right? Twenty-three sounds like fun."
"It does, doesn't it?" Elle said with a smirk going back to the back room.
I heard her singing something while working on the treat and a moment later she was handing me the completed product. I looked at it and it was perfect. A thin layer of icing with "Happy 23rd" carefully scripted, and she even added a star. I smiled and thanked her again in earnest. She smiled back "Happy birthday Jarod." I wish I had a job where I could make people's day, instead I'm just a stockperson at my local grocery store; maybe after college, I thought to myself.
I sat down at a nearby table and carefully peeled back the wrapper. I almost felt bad about disturbing the beautiful decoration and for a second imagined it being my 23rd birthday. I took a bite and felt the cake dissolve on my tongue, the icing was sweet, but not disgustingly sweet like you get from chain stores. It was actually one of the best cakes I ever tasted!
The smell and the sugar rush was messing with my head, I felt a little disoriented, but that didn't slow me down. I kept going until I bit into the center, the succulent vanilla cake suddenly gave way to a chocolate moose like filling that was sweet and almost tangy. It was heaven. I was savoring the filling on my tongue, letting it slowly dissolve over my taste buds when I was interrupted by a text.
"Happy 19th birthday buddy, r u excited to go back to college?" It was my uncle Jacob.
I laughed to myself, boy does he have his wires crossed, I'm 16, next month, not 19 now. He must have typo'd and had the date in his calendar wrong. I swallowed the chocolate syrup that the filling became and went back to my treat. As I finished the last bite another text came in, this time from my mom.
"Happy 23rd birthday son! We're so proud of you. Will you be able to make it out tonight or are you spending your birthday with Elle?"
I didn't know how to respond, that clearly wasn't a typo, and equally clearly didn't make sense. I could feel something in the back of my mind telling me it did make sense, and trying to put the pieces together but I dismissed it.
I pushed the cupcake wrapper to the side grabbing the napkin it was resting on. I noticed a note, "Meet me at the fountain at 3 -Elle"
I checked the time on my phone. 2:45. Then, as I always do since that one time at school with the spaghetti sauce, I opened my camera app and used selfie mode to check my face for stray frosting.
What I found was much more heart stopping than a face full of frosting, though that was there too. The bigger surprise was a face full of stubble.