Sugar Rush || Completed

{ 15 } carrot cake

I ran down the streets and past all the buildings, picking up momentum as I prayed that all the boxes in my hands wouldn't fall and hit the ground. The wagon I was pulling was jumping over sidewalk cracks and potholes. The wheels of the wagon were still slightly sticky from its previous use. I needed to get to my destination in three minutes or I was going to be late. And I hate being late.

There isn't a clear reason as to why I am late. Maybe it was because of the last few customers I had to serve. Maybe it was because I wasn't gonna leave the last pastry baking in the oven to Jasmin after what happened last time she was in charge of baking. Or maybe it was because I totally forgot that I had this event to go to until this morning. Either way, I was running as fast as my short legs could. My blond ponytail bounces against my back in the brisk end of January weather. I see the New York Convention Center in front of me and somehow manage to walk even faster without tripping.

I finally get to the door of the building and breathe a sigh of relief. On the doors is banner that says "National Baking and Sweets Show". Around the frame of the doors are many pastel colored streamers and balloons weaved in an intricate design. From the outside of the building, I could faintly hear bubblegum pop music.

Readjusting my hold on the boxes and gripping the handle of the wagon tighter, I take a deep breathe and proceed through the double doors slowly.

Once inside, I am greeted with constant stream of talking noise and loud music. There is also a strong scent of sugar and vanilla wafting up my nose and around the room. The room is so large that I can't even see the end of the the expo hall. All around the walls are booths set up with different bakeries of the nation, the name of their shop hanging above them. Each booth had a wide variety of pastries as well as flyers and business cards scattered throughout. In the middle aisle of the room are clusters of tables decorated with balloons and confetti in the same pastel colors as outside. The programs of the event are also stacked in the middle of each table. As opposed to the individual shops taking booths along the walls, different stands were set up sporadically around the middle aisle of the hall. These stands were for baking classes and things of the like. Upstairs, I knew, is room for what is going to be a few panels about going to culinary school, starting your own bakery, and finding creative baking techniques. Since it is my first year attending the convention, I wasn't going to even attempt to venture into trying to get on a panel.

A lot of people still had boxes out in setup. The actual show does not start for about another 30 minutes. That gives me only 20 minutes to find an empty booth, set up, and look like I've been doing this for years despite it being my first time actually participating in the show.

I start to get discouraged when I see that there are no empty booths for me to use towards the front of the expo hall. Eventually, I find two empty booths and set up in one.

In my wagon is a rolled up banner with "Bonnie's Bakery" on it with the logo of the bakery. There are already hooks on it so it is relatively easy for me to hang it up on the wooden slat at the top of the booth with my short stature. There are bottles of glitter and unblown balloons and rolls of streamers in the wagon too. I quickly go through all the stuff in my wagon and my booth looks great in just seven minutes.

I stand behind the booth, ready to spread out my most popular pastries. For the convention, I made lemon tarts, macaroons, banana bread, and brownies. For the main plate, I made three giant carrot cakes. When I was making them, Jasmin kept licking the batter, slowing the process down. I eventually made it and it looked delicious. It takes everything I have to not eat a slice as I'm cutting it up.

As I'm finishing cutting up the second carrot cake, I hear a ding nearby and look up. A few feet, elevator doors open and a large cart overflowing with boxes rolls out. The cart is too tall for me to figure out who is behind it pushing the cart toward my booth. I continue to cut the carrot cake, not really caring about who was going to set up next to me.