The Problem With Burnt Cookies

2. Mix

13,252 dollars.

That's how much it'd take to get all 4 mixers and a blast freezer back. Or buy new ones, which, even if she did make all her pastries the old-fashioned way, got them all sold, all the orders she had placed out in time perfectly, it wouldn't be enough.

She'd have to take a day off, to prepare, bake, and cool the cakes before decorating them, it'd take hours, even with Jamie and Mairi's help, even if they could help after work.

But she was determined to not let this setback stop her.

She just needed to find her wallet. 

After finally finding it, she grabbed her keys and locked her door, heading downstairs and across the street to Hunny Bunny, where Joe,  the heart and soul of Queen Anne waited at the door for his free muffin. At first, it wasn't free, he paid with the rest of the community, but somewhere along the way, he used his sweet old man charm on every female worker there, so Maisy decided to let him off the hook every Saturday.

 Despite what his doctors ordered about taking care of himself and cutting back on his sugar intake, he insisted that he was old, and deserved to live life while he could, despite outwalking anyone she knew at the youthful age of 89.

"Daisy!" He joked before she opened up the doors, letting him in first, as he sat with a newspaper in hand, a coffee, and his cane tucked in his arm. When they had first met, he had seen a customer sign her name wrong, and had called her that ever since in a private joke between them.

"Good morning Joe!" She signed back, putting on a cheerful facade as he sat in his usual place by the fire, in a blue recliner. 

"I think ill try the Cinnamon Strudel today, Maisy. My new dentist has been getting on my nerves as of late," he said with a smile.  

Maisy sighed, sitting with Joe, watching as his face turned to confusion taking in the young woman's sadness.

"What's wrong?" He asked. 

She explained the whole story that unraveled last week, as Joe shook his head, taking his hat off to reveal his curly gray hair. 

"I knew  I never liked him for a reason." he sighed. "Well, I have ten thousand saved, the rest I can get from the pension." He started, as Maisy looked at him in shock, banging the table in front of him, to get his attention as he rambled on. 

"No! Absolutely not, I am not taking charity, especially from you, I have a mixer he gave me back, the old freezer still works, it just needs some TLC. I'll be fine." she shrugged. 

"Well, you can't spend all day mixing! It's exhausting and tiring, and you don't have enough hours in the day." He countered. 

"I know Joe, but what choice do I have?" she signed,  getting him more coffee she had started when she put her purse in the back office.

"Well, you have some good friends, they've been making batters all week before work when you were taking a sick day." I even helped with the lemon muffins, they're stellar by the way." He signed, winking.

She hugged him, and signed a thank you, promising him a whole basket of muffins once she got solid ground under her feet, and hit the ground running, tying her hair back in a giant braid, glancing at a mirror as she noticed her tiny braids were becoming frayed in her week-long hibernation. She quickly washed her hands and decided to make mini thank you cakes for Jaime, and Mairi, as well as get started on Joe's, thank you Muffin basket. 

When she was done baking them and waiting to have them cool, she got out her tools and checked on the freezer that came with the shop. She was at a loss for the most part but it seemed to be in working order for now.