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There was something quite magical about discovering a new bakeshop. Walking around a not very familiar part of town and smelling the intoxicating scents of cakes and coffee. Kat stopped dead in her tracks when she looked in the front window of a shop she, Ernest and Sherl were just about to pass.
"Ah! Look, Ernest! This is it!" She exclaimed, hopping in place with glee as her green-haired assistant trailed behind her, stopping to look in the direction where she happily pointed out.
"The place I read about in the paper!!"
The bakeshop in question was called "Emily's Chocolate Kitchen" and the papers advertised the shop's specialty dishes mostly consisting of chocolate cakes and sweets. A place fit for a King, or well, more for a curious Kat.
The shop did have a certain theme going for it. The decorations from the view of the window seemed to have a calming blend of brown and caramel colors, as if the interior were made from chocolate.
"Ha, even the door looks good enough to eat! This is going to be great!" Kat squealed.
"Please, refrain from eating the doorknob before we get in." Sherl chided as he caught up behind the two.
"Quit hounding me, Sherl! I most definitely will not eat the entrance... I can't promise if the exit will be safe, though."
Kat teasingly giggled as she opened the door. The trio entered the enticing establishment with wonder as they basked in the delicious atmosphere, the smell of cocoa and candy invading Kat's senses and making her sigh in content. The place wasn't full of people, which was perfect for such a homey feeling shop. Only two or three other people were seen scattered at tables and booths. At the sweet counter, a very sullen looking cashier stood at a slouch, leaning over her spot at the counter with her chin leaning against a propped up hand. Once she caught the gaze of the new customers, she hastily stood up without a change in expression, her dark purple hair bouncing with her quick movement.
"Ah. Welcome to Emily's Chocolate. What can I get you today?"
Kat slammed her hands onto the counter with a soft plop.
"What can we afford?" She said with an excited grin.
"If you're asking what the most quality option would be on a budget, I'd suggest the cinnamon fudge bites."
Kat tapped her chin as she weighed her options, looking up at the chalkboard menu that hung a few feet behind the girl.
"Hmm, what do you think, Ernest? Should we splurge? Oh, who am I kidding? Of course we should! I'll have those fudge bites you mentioned and access to your cocoa bar!"
Kat looked over her shoulder to her assistant.
"What will you be having, Ernest?"
"Oh, you shameless glutto-!" Sherl began to yap before the cashier jumped at Kat's words.
"Wait, Ernest?" The girl said as her attention shifted to the green-haired boy.
"Greeves?"
Ernest blinked and pursed his lips as he looked the girl up and down, then his eyes lit up a bit in pleasant realization.
"Oh, Vicky! You're one of the Gressenheller professors' daughters, if I'm not mistaken." He said as if he just got the answer to a simple puzzle that was still hard on the brain.
"Hm, close. I'm Mrs. Caroline's niece." Vicky's demeanor seemed to subtly change. She still looked sunken, but a sultry tone seemed to drip from her voice.
Hm. Kat didn't like the idea of such an awkwardly-timed attempt at acting seductive, but maybe she was reading too into it.
Katrielle cleared her throat with a chipper smile, which seemed to stop the two from their banter.
"Ernest? Do you want to use the cocoa bar with me as well? I saw they had lots of different types of toppings for sweet drinks besides hot chocolate!"
"Oh, that's alright, Miss. I think I might just get some fudge bites. I think more than that will make me sick." Ernest said with a smile as he waved her off.
The girl scribbled down Ernest's order right away.
"Do you want caramel sauce with the fudge bites, Sir?" Vicky asked with a smile and tone of voice that she didn't sport before when she took Kat's order. Ernest agreed as he pulled out his wallet. Kat butted in.
"Um, could I get caramel sauce as well? You didn't tell me about that when I ordered." Kat put a hand on her hip, trying not to let her smile falter. This girl was clearly on her top game when specifically taking Ernest's orders, all while she played the part of a sweet and mysterious bachelorette.
The girl blinked.
"You ordered?"
Kat's eyelid twitched.
—
"You're gonna drown that hot cocoa in whipped cream if you don't stop leaning on that handle." Sherl called from below as Kat put all her weight on the whipped cream lever, staring off at Ernest and the barista making friendly conversation.
"Maybe I like extra whipped cream. You don't know everything about me."
"I'm pretty sure you don't like it going down the front of your dress."
Kat looked to what Sherl called her out for and yipped when she saw heavy whipped cream dripping onto her coat and dress.
She groaned as she scrambled to the edge of the bar and hastily grabbed paper napkins to clean her mess.
"Kat, you're throwing a hissy fit. Why are you acting like that girl scratched at your face? She's just a college girl talking to an acquaintance!" Sherl groaned.
"Because she's getting in-between me and Ern-MY FOOD. She's being forgetful and getting between me and my sweets!"
Sherl broke into a toothy grin and raised a furry brow.
“I see.” He snickered.
“Ugh, quiet! She’s just getting on my nerves, being all giggly and air-headed like that! How come she’s keeping a conversation with him while I’m stuck waiting for my fudge bites? Did she even put my order in?!”
“Oh, of course. You just want what they have. Some sweet, sweet chemistry!”
Kat’s face heated up.
“The only thing I want is my fudge!”
Kat huffed as she looked over to the talkative couple. She saw Vicky briefly point in her direction and say something to Ernest with a wink. They both covered their mouths, assumedly hiding a shared laugh.
Kat sighed with a grimace.
“She’s talking about me!”
“Well, no doubt she’s pointing out your ghastly expression! You look like you could kill her.”
“Maybe I could.” Kat mumbled.
“Woah! I was kidding!” Sherl exclaimed.
“I-I was, too!” Kat choked.
After Ernest seemed to be done talking with the girl, he walked to the assigned table with a soft smile as his cheeks were dusted pink. Kat grumbled and grabbed a handful of marshmallows and banana slices and threw them in her mess of hot cocoa and whipped cream, splattering a bit of the cream on her face. She licked the cream off her bottom lip with a dissatisfied growl before stomping to the table. Sherl running behind her.
“Hey, get a pup cup for me! I can’t eat chocolate, but a spoonful of whipped cream would go down nicely!”
“Get a doggy bag.” Kat replied bluntly.
Kat pulled out her chair and sat at the table across from Ernest. Ernest, who was too busy twiddling his thumbs, jumped when Kat set her mug on the table. He quickly cleared his throat and straightened up, as if Kat just walked in on him doing something he didn’t want her to see.
“M-Miss! You’re back! My, that cocoa looks nice. Are those b-bananas? What an interesting topping!”
Kat nodded robotically and took a long swig of her whipped cream.
“And here you are, you two!” Vicky sang as the sound of two plates clattering onto the table made Kat almost snort a marshmallow.
Kat lowered her mug to look at the sweets brought to them. She raised her eyebrows in shock as she looked at the dish in front of Ernest. Not only did his fudge have extra caramel, but it was drizzled in the shape of a heart on the plate! And with such detail and care, too! It looked absolutely adorable!
“Oh COME ON!” Kat snapped, banging her fist on the wooden table as she shot up from her chair, making the dishes rattle.
“Who do you think you are, being so forward?! You two barely know each other, and you’re already going all out to hit on him?! How desperate are you?! What, do you think you’re impressing him by going overboard on his order? This is so-!”
“MISS..!” Kat cut herself off when she heard Ernest squeak.
She looked to Ernest covering his mouth with both hands, only his wide eyes being visible. She looked to the horrified waitress, then looked down to see the girl awkwardly swap the plates around.
“I...I accidentally set the plates in the wrong places, m-ma’am.” Vicky said as she swallowed hard.
Kat’s eyes adjusted to the sight. Now the caramel heart-clad desert was in front of her.
“M...Mr. Greeves was acting a bit lovestruck at the mention of you, and I got him to tell me he had a crush on you, so I told him I could decorate your desert with a heart and say it was ‘from a secret admirer’ since I’ve heard you like mysteries and secrets. U-um...” The girl swallowed hard.
“A-And, I was never hitting on him to begin with, ma’am. Not in a million years! I like girls, actually. I just got excited to see a person I knew from school. I-I act weird when I’m excited.” She awkwardly did an apologetic bow.
“Sorry for the confusion.”
Kat bit the inside of her mouth as she looked between Ernest and the bowing girl.
“Oh my gosh.” Kat squeaked as her face went crimson from humiliation, mirroring her petrified assistant.
“I’m so sorry!”
—-
Needless to say, both Katrielle and Ernest had accidentally confessed their feelings to each other that day. It took a while for their hearts to recover from such shock and humiliation, but it is a pretty funny memory.