LOVE IN THE BAKING

ADELE

Callum looked about before staring at his watch. Adele was nowhere to be seen. Caitlin had advised him to arrive five minutes late, but the man thought it would be better to come ten minutes early.

He liked punctual people. Respect started there for Callum. Adele seemed to be a user of Caitlin's five-minute concept. Callum began to wonder if Adele stood him up when he heard someone call out his name.

His heart stepped up a beat as he turned to meet Adele, and at first sight, Callum asked himself when her profile pics were taken. The woman appeared to be way older than the forty-five years she announced.

"Hi, Callum. Sorry, I hope you didn't wait too long."

Callum swiped a hand behind his neck. His stress was palpable, "No, I just arrived myself."

The man lied, but every person who didn't want to seem like the eager one did when it came to dates.

"Great, I don't know why, but I'm always two to five minutes late everywhere."

Minus one point, thought Callum before mentally scolding himself for judging her too soon. The woman had barely arrived, and Callum had already noted her. The worse part was he couldn't stop. Callum didn't know what he should think about the parachute cargo pants and the crop top that reminded him of the grunge punk era of the early 90s when No Doubt topped the charts with Don't Speak. His mind couldn't register the rinsed jean Santiago boots associated with the look. Perhaps it was a trend, and he, as always, wasn't in phase, he thought as he observed Adele's blonde and pink jellyfish hairstyle.

Callum would have felt better if he knew what went through Adele's head as he guessed she judged too.

The man was right. Adele scanned him.

He's slim, no, he's plain straight lanky. More body and presence would be nice. Gosh, his one of those neutral minimalist dressers. Come on, Adele, makeovers exist. Damn, he's a true Mr. Nobody.

Luckily for Callum, he had what Adele called an ungrateful face that almost made him look tortured but ruthless. That was a plus. Adele secretly wished Callum swore and spanked in bed. Callum would gain points if he did that.

Adele smiled at the cheeky thought and said, "Shall we?"

The unconventionally-looking woman chose the most conventional outing. Morgan's Pub was a staple in their area. Callum had drank there once when he first arrived in town. The pub organized multiple theme nights. Wednesday was reserved for Karaoke. Callum hadn't set foot in the pub or any bar in the area in years. The place had stayed the same, with its wooden stools lined up at the counter and brass foot rails. Callum noticed one newness; the pub had two snooker tables and got rid of its dart boards.

Adele greeted everyone by their first name, and Callum understood she was a regular. Minus one point, he thought. His ideal wasn't someone who knew everyone at the local bar and who had her private booth. Callum realized that perhaps he was pickier than he imagined.

"I hope it doesn't throw you off. I thought it would be a good place to talk." Adele said as if she had read his mind.

"No, I haven't been to a pub in ages."

"Really, what do you do when your off?"

"Iㅡ," Callum hesitated to say he did nothing. He worked, slept, read, walked his dog, and baked. The routine resumed his life, "I read."

"Read, like you never go out to chill with the mates."

"I'm not originally from here. My mates are kind of elsewhere," Callum answered instead of saying he had none. He wasn't a social being and never suffered from exclusion. Callum actually didn't pay attention. He didn't have that bubbly charming personality that seduced many. Yet it didn't prevent him from being popular among women who had a thing for brooding stares and mysterious silence.

"I see," said Adele leaning forward and giving Callum a good view of her balcony.

"How about you?" Callum asked.

"I was born and raised here. I know about everyone, which makes dating complicated. Every bloke here is like my big brother. That's why I got on the app; it enlarged the range."

"So what will you be having?" The bartender asked.

"A usual for me, Pete. Callum?"

"Eh, a pint of Stella ."

Pete smiled, "I think you got yourself a winner Adele. Keep this one."

Callum didn't know how to take the comment; he understood he had passed some type of test. "did I say something wrong?"

"Nah, he's just teasing," Adele said, looking back at the bar where Brook, the bar's owner, winked at her.

Brothers, thought Callum. Adele's date location choice wasn't anodyne. She picked Morgan's for two reasons: feedback but also protection. One had to have a screw loose to cross Adele or mistreat her in a pub like Morgan's. Callum imagined everyone memorizing his appearance just in case.

"So what do you do when you're not working?" Callum asked.

"I take care of my baby."

A second passed before Adele giggled, "Oh Lord, you should see your face. Here, look at my Daphne" Adele lit up her screen and slid her phone to Callum's side.

Callum looked down to see the Havanese dog, "She looks just like you."

What could have got a bucket of insults got an enthusiastic "tell me about it" from Adele, who understood and hoped Callum commented on her dog's hair. The hairdresser had dyed the tips in the same pink as hers.

Callum wondered why Adele didn't use the photo on her Oppo profile before thinking her intention was probably deliberate. Not many would go for the dog owner who shared the same hairstyle as their dog.

Adele's eyes kept shifting from Callum's nose to his head. The action made Callum nervous, and he touched his hair without realizing it, "is there something wrong?"

"When was the last time you entered a salon?"

Callum's eyes darted, "I don't know, a few month's ago."

Adele nodded, "you know the bob isn't a thing anymore. It feels like you didn't know if you wanted to be Robbie Williams or Howard Donald in Take That."

Callum would have thought it was payback for his previous remark about Adele resembling her dog if the woman didn't add, "Sorry, I tend to say anything that pops up in my mind."

The man touched the tip of a hair strand and immediately passed a hand through his hair to put them back in place, "I know, I should cut them. I just don't have the time."

Adele opened her mouth, ready to say are you kidding me? You can't say you're busy with your hobbies. Instead, as Brook advised, she closed it and turned her tongue clockwise to give herself time to conjure something nice to say.

Yes, Adele was the champion of creating awkward moods that often saw her dates leave abruptly.

"You should come to Vidals; we have great hairstylists. They'll have you looking sharp like Beckham. I mean, nowadays, Beckham, not cornrowed Beck.

Adele was direct, Callum thought. The man had no idea the bullet Adele deviated.

"I'll think about it," the man replied, suddenly self-conscious.

Adele took out a card, "You have all our socials there. Have a look at the videos."

Callum nodded and took the card. The way Adele insisted hinted that his hairstyle wasn't something she fancied, and it disturbed him. How weird it is to be affected by someone's opinion though you barely know them. Though Adele wasn't the woman he sought, Callum still desired to please despite himself.