After the death of Belle's parents in Solace, Belle doesn't think anything else could possibly go so wrong in her life. Despite her booming business, flourishing relationship with Harry, and overall happiness with her life, Belle can't quite escape...
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Friday, 24 May 2019
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I'll be the first to admit that I was hesitant on hiring a new employee. I wasn't necessarily worried that the friendly dynamic that myself and the other three employees of Belle's would change, per se. My worry stemmed more from the fact that it's difficult for me to let new people into my life. This new person would ultimately know me on such a personal level that I'd be burned if ever things went wrong. Thus far I've been lucky with the ones I've hired; they're great people with an amazing work ethic. So sue me for being a little scared to bring a new person in the mix. Fortunately for me, I seemingly had nothing to worry about.
Within one week, I had held interviews with the assistance of Ruby and Ian, saw potential in someone, invited her back for a second interview/trial day, hired her, and begun training her - with the help of everyone else at the bakery. Our we're all in this together mentality strong when it comes to training new people or helping each other out with our tasks.
Olivia wasn't a culinary arts student when she was in her late teens/early twenties, she wasn't even remotely interested in baking or cooking full-time when she was that age. She actually attended school to be an accountant but dropped out midway through her third year. Since then, she held random jobs, mainly in the food industry - working in fast food before moving up to the local restaurant scene. At thirty-three, she discovered her love for baking and decorating, and had perfected her skills all whilst working part-time and being a loving wife and mother. She told us she needed a change of scenery, hence her interest in Belle's. She all but blew Ruby, Ian, and I away when she came in and assisted us in baking cinnamon twists and decorating a cake for her wife's birthday. She was a queen with fondant and a wizard with the memorization of recipes. It was an obvious choice of hiring her.
A week later, we've all fallen into a grand friendship with Olivia, welcoming her with open arms. I've found myself cursing my brain for being so overly cautious sometimes. If I hadn't given Olivia a chance, we would have missed out on someone so amazing. I'm quite glad I hired her when I did too because tonight is our first time catering an event in an extremely long time. I won't say that we're out of practice, but we can definitely use all the help we can get with Ian and Jack staying behind to run the bakery for the day.
Our day started off normal, early, but normal. Ruby, Olivia, and I were in the bakery by four, whipping up miniature White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bites - what a mouthful, I know - and Mini Chocolate Tart shells. Once we had carefully prepared and packed those away, we completed the finishing touches on the large five-tier cake - the centre-piece of the event if you will. We felt accomplished, even at ten in the morning when we were just beginning to ready ourselves to go to the event space.
Everything was running smoothly, too smoothly for me to feel completely at ease. That is until it wasn't.
"Miss Chambers!" Her voice echoes throughout the commercial kitchen area of the event location, somewhere in the Spinningfields neighbourhood of Manchester. It's shrill and not at all the same tone she's ever spoken to me in before. I wouldn't have taken this job if she had.
