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The jingle of the little bell attached to the shop door announced the arrival of a new customer. The Doctor waltzed into Betty’s Bakery with a smile on her face. She was in a good mood seeing as her and the boys had helped a giant space shark avoid being poached by rogue space hunters just hours prior. She couldn't understand why anyone would want to hunt such beautiful creatures!
It wasn't until she reached the register that she looked up and locked eyes with a very unfamiliar woman who was most definitely not Yasmin Khan.
"Who are you?!" The Doctor blurted, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Good morning to you too," The woman behind the counter offered a well practised customer service smile. "What can I get you today?"
The Doctor was stunned. This woman admittedly looked quite similar to Yaz, but she didn’t seem to radiate the same kind of sunshine or energy as her friend. She leaned forward, hands planted on the benchtop to steady herself, while she scrutinised the worker. Her eye colour was the same as Yaz’s, she also had dark brown hair, and similar light brown skin tones. Although, what was obvious was the difference in ethnicity between the women.
“Are you going to order anything? You’re holding up the line,” The woman finally spoke again after a few uncomfortable moments of being stared at by this very strange woman.
The blonde glanced behind her and noticed there was, in fact, a line growing. The other customers were waiting with arms crossed and feet tapping impatiently. She whipped back around to face the Not-Yaz worker, eyes flicking down to her nametag.
“Jade, is it? Where’s Yaz?” The Doctor asked.
Jade huffed and rolled her eyes, “She doesn’t work on Fridays. Now seriously, are you ordering anything or are you just going to stand there? I don’t have all day.”
‘That’s no way to treat a loyal customer,’ The Doctor thought as she stepped aside to let the other people in line order.
It was just a shock to the system not seeing Yaz at the bakery, looking so cheerful and happy as she worked away in the kitchen making batches of pastries. Since when did Yaz ever have days off? Had it always been like this? Granted, the Doctor never really did keep track of the days whenever she popped in to see her favourite baker, but still! She demanded answers, and Jade was going to give them to her. So, the Time Lady waited by the display cabinet as Jade served customer after customer with ease and efficiency. It was as if she had been doing this for years. Focused and dedicated which reminded her of Yaz, but Jade clearly refused to put up with bullshit.
The line at the counter emptied, allowing the Doctor to finally approach the worker.
“So, about earlier... I just wanted to say sorry for how I acted,” The Doctor began rambling. “You see, I’ve been here so often, and I always see Yaz. It was a bit of a surprise seeing you behind the counter instead of her, and I get a little thrown off when things that I thought were routine suddenly aren’t. I was only popping in to grab one of the cinnamon swirls, and she usually has one ready as soon as she sees me. I’m celebrating at the moment, just got done saving a space shark from poachers.”
The rambling continued, now with added hand gestures, and Jade had already tuned it out. She started clearing the coffee station and wiping down the counters while nodding and humming every so often in the Doctor’s general direction. She certainly was no stranger to this type of customer, the ones who overshare everything and don’t know when to stop. It was annoying, but ultimately it was harmless. The quicker they said their piece, the quicker she’d be able to serve them.
By the time Jade had finished cleaning her work station, the blonde woman had finally stopped talking. She looked at Jade expectantly, evidently waiting for her opinion on the things she’d just been told.
“Oh, great story. Now, can I get you something? Cinnamon swirl, was it?”
“Erm, yes please,” The Doctor nodded, waiting eagerly for her treat - it wasn’t quite the same without Yaz there to give it to her.
"That's £1.50," Jade said as she quickly bagged the pastry and handed it over.
Wordlessly, the Time Lady handed the baker a £5 note and left before she was given her change. Jade stood behind the counter and shook her head at the strange encounter. She was going to have words with Yaz about this.
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Back at the TARDIS, the Doctor slumped against the console and opened up the little brown bag containing her treat. It just wouldn't be the same, she mused before taking a bite of the pastry.
The Doctor froze and glanced down at the cinnamon swirl in disbelief. How was this possible? Surely this wasn't made by Jade? She didn't seem like the type to enjoy her work, and she figured it would reflect in her baking. But the Time Lady knew that each baked good was made fresh every day.
"I can't tell Yaz..." She mumbled through another mouthful of the delicious pastry. "There's no way Jade's cinnamon swirls are better than hers."