Golden Haze Pastries

Even though it was far too early in the morning for any sane person to be awake, Celine Haze was quietly setting up a pot of coffee. Celine pressed start on the coffee machine and quickly picked up her novel, ‘Little Women,' to continue reading from her page. She always felt more connected to Beth March in the story, both quiet and saintly, gently stepping into the shadows to let another stay in the spotlight. Although Celine admires Beth’s noble heart, she fears that she will one day end up facing a similar fate like the character, getting hurt because she cares.

As the coffee machine makes a soft ding, and the saintly aroma of the coffee floods through the kitchen, Celine puts her thoughts aside and hurries over to it. The art of making coffee was always in her arsenal, as said by her father and her best friend. Her father always had a cup of coffee as he went to work at midnight, while her best friend simply enjoyed the taste of the drink. She was the only one in her family and her friend group to make ‘the perfect cup of coffee,' an accomplishment she has worked her whole life to achieve. She could make highly sugared coffees, such as espressos, cappuccinos, lattes, and mochas, or simple delicacies like cold brews, pour-overs, and café au lait.

Thinking of their delighted reactions sent a slow smile to her lips, and she herself remembered her own joy when she finally perfected the art of making coffee. Celine poured the coffee into two pristine tea cups, just as she had always done for the last two years. In the moment, she was debating whether to put either cream or sugar in her teacup when she noticed that the rim of her cup was reflecting a golden glow that wasn't there before.

Her gaze instantly went to the windows, where the golden glow of the sun peeks above the mountain peak. Celine stood frozen, watching the night's quiet silver dissolve into a sudden crown of gold. The sunrise bled warmth into her pale world, catching the reflection of the pink and orange clouds in her quiet, grey eyes. To her, watching the sun rise above the mountains, waking the world around her in its golden glow, was a sight she never wanted to miss.

“I’m so glad I didn’t miss it.” A voice yawned, quite perky despite the early hours.

Celine slowly turned her head, watching as Eliana Aurelia, her best friend, hurried down the stairs. Eliana was still dressed in her nightclothes; her baggy, pale yellow nightshirt hung low against her black tights. Her loud duck slippers clomped against the hollow steps as she hurried over to Celine. Her thick auburn curls bounced happily as her expressive amber eyes spotted the teacup on her side of the table. In the light, her golden skin seemed even golder, like she was a sun goddess sent from the heavens.

Unlike Eliana, Celine was less… bright. Her mist-coloured nightdress was long, just a bit past her knees. The fluffy slippers she wore were the same colour as her clothes. Split into two long braids, her ash-blonde hair was straight and soft, never a single strand out of place, and her quiet, misty eyes were soft and round, observing everything around her. Even in this light, her pale skin didn’t glow; it just looked a tad bit yellow.

“How do you like the sight?” She asks. “Intriguing enough for you?”

Eliana nods excitedly, breathing in the coffee before taking a long sip. The way she daintily held the teacup and the way she slowly drank the coffee encouraged Celine to pick up her own coffee.

“Celine!” She gushed, racing to the pot to get a second cup. “Your coffee is always delectable.”

Celine smiled half-heartedly before settling in on her favourite old-fashioned armchair. She shuffles the pillows around before gingerly grabbing ‘Little Women’ by her lampshade. Eliana joins her and sits on one of the cream-white sofas. Her pale tie-dye blanket is hastily wrapped over her shoulders, and she greedily takes one of the chocolate chip cookies from the glass table.

Eliana is a true master of baking. She has made so many different types of pastries in her life, all when she was just starting in kindergarten. As well as that, she has also decorated all of her desserts herself, making her much more talented than the average baker. Eliana’s specialty has often been cakes and cupcakes, since according to her, they were much more easy to just let loose and go wild on.

As Celine flips through the pages, she mumbles, “Did you bake everything that we need already for our bakery? I’ve already set up everything that I need as the main barista.”

When Celine had met Eliana, both respected in the baking and barista worlds alike, she thought that it would be beneficial for them both to run a bakery together. To Eliana, it was quite clear that Celine was a tight puzzle that needed to be cracked, and Celine's cold silence didn’t bother the sunny girl in the slightest. As they began the work to prepare, Eliana’s bubbliness broke through Celine’s walls, and their friendship blossomed like nothing before. To acknowledge their friendship, they named their bakery 'Golden Haze Pastries,’ a nod to both of their last names.

Based on the combined union, the baked goods made by Eliana, and the coffee happily served by Celine, Golden Haze Pastries became one of the best neighbourhood bakeries in the city. All the residents and tourists alike regularly visit it, making it so well-known that they even have custom orders for weddings, birthdays, and other special occasions.

Eliana nodded. “I also have the custom orders done as well. Everything to make sure that our little bakery continues to succeed.”

***

When the sun is high in the sky, Eliana eagerly flips the open sign and unlocks the door. The smells of the plants, the misty, cool air, and her delectable bakeries inside make her even hungrier than ever.

She started baking as a way to happily brag to her mother about her newfound passion and as a way to save money from buying sweets from other people. As she grew older, her love for baking only grew as she developed new techniques, new recipes, and new styles for her hobby.

It had always been her dream to start a new bakery; however, other successful bakeries that Eliana had visited often had a barista to give coffees to complement the sweetness of the pastry. No matter how much she practiced, she could never get the hang of the art of coffee making. Eliana felt that her dream was over… Then a quiet, soft-spoken girl had changed that. Meeting Celine Haze, a talented barista, was one of the best things that had happened to her. As she had not only helped to fulfill her long-awaited dream, she had also given her one of the best friendships she ever had.

“Eliana!” Celine called, hands tight against her signature silver apron, which was donned over a light purple dress. “Get out of the doorway before customers arrive!”

She grinned, bouncing away from the door as she struggled to tie the gold apron over her cream shirt. Celine sighed, crisply walking over and tying the knot effortlessly. As she worked, she complained about Eliana's cliched baker's hat.

“Why do you do this every day? " Celine grumbled, desperately trying to snatch the hat. “Do you want to be like the rest of the bakers out there?”

For the hundredth time, Eliana was glad that she was five foot eight and Celine was five foot two. She smiled cheekily. “It is different. It has a gold ribbon around it,” and with that, she ran away before Celine came up with a comeback.

With that, the quiet morning rush began. Early birds alike, whether forced or natural, all rounded by Golden Haze Pastries for a round of coffee. Plenty of the regulars were from the city, all giving wonderful reviews about the bakery. The majority of them—all the chatty ones—were friends with Eliana.

However, she knows that Celine provides most of the regulars. Most of them, in the beginning anyway, were all quiet, just trying to ease into the day. Celine knows that and simply begins a small light conversation. With those few words and a small smile, she has accomplished two things:

1. Made a person’s day start out on a good note.

2. Building a good relationship with our customers.

***

The morning rush at the bakery has finally slowed down. Eliana is in the back kitchen, loudly singing along to the radio while moving trays of golden, fresh-out-of-the-oven croissants. Up front, Celine stands in the quiet, sun-dappled space behind the glass counter, adjusting a neat row of powdered tarts. The bell above the door gives a bright chime, and Celine looks up to see Lucien Palette, a talented artist from New York, interested in the beauties of the country, slide into the shop.

Lucien isn't wearing his usual paint-splattered smock, but he still carries a small leather sketchbook tucked under his arm. His black, ruffled hair is speckled with drops of paint, and his gold eyes sparkle. When he first came here, with his calm, cool attitude, he had caught Celine’s attention, and now with his flirtatious behaviour, Lucien continued to keep her interested.

“You know, Haze,” Lucien says, his voice a low, smooth drawl that immediately makes Celine gulp. "I woke up today thinking the sunrise was the most beautiful thing I'd seen all week. Then I walked in here and realized I was completely wrong."

Celine feels heat rush to her cheeks, refusing to meet his gaze. “Good morning, Lucien. What can I get for you?”

"I'm looking for inspiration," he teases, "and maybe one of those cinnamon twists. But mostly inspiration."

From the back kitchen, Eliana's head pops through the service window, a flour smudge on her cheek and a knowing smirk on her face. "Don't let him sweet-talk his way into a free pastry, Celine! He still owes us for that loaf of sourdough from Tuesday!"

Between them, Lucien's smooth tongue and easy demeanour made it quite easy to get free coffees ... or free pastries if Eliana was in a good mood—which she usually was—but she never forgot if somebody owed her anything.

Lucien laughs, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "Exposed by the sun itself. Brutal."

He turns back to Celine, his expression softening into something genuinely warm. He slides his sketchbook across the counter and flips it open. On the page is a beautiful, quick charcoal sketch of Celine from the day before—capturing her exactly as she is, looking quiet and ethereal as she dusted powdered sugar into the air, the particles catching the light like a halo around her.

“See?” Lucien murmurs, leaning a little closer so only she can hear. "I'm just trying to capture the mist before it rolls away."

Celine stares at the drawing, a soft, breathless smile breaking through her shy exterior. She looks up from the drawing, the soft pink on her cheeks still warm.

"You make me look much more poetic than I actually am," she murmurs. “Mostly, I just get sugar in my hair.”

"It's an artist's job to see the magic, Haze," Lucien says as he closes the sketchbook with a soft click of the leather strap, but his gold eyes never leave hers. “Though, to be fair, you make the job incredibly easy.”

"There's a gallery opening downtown this Friday," Lucien says suddenly, sliding two watercolour tickets. "A lot of local artists, a lot of pretentious wine, and entirely too many people trying to look 'sophisticated.'"

His eye roll at the word "sophisticated" leaves Celine struggling to hold her laughter.

Lucien clears his throat. "But... there's a rooftop garden attached to it. It overlooks the river. When the sun goes down, the fog rolls over the water, and the whole city turns this incredible, quiet shade of grey."

He leans in softly with a hopeful smile. "I was hoping you'd let me show it to you. On a proper date. Absolutely no debts mentioned."

Before Celine can even process the sudden flutter in her chest, the kitchen doors swing wide open. Eliana strides out, wiping her hands on a heavily stained apron.

“Did someone say no debts?” Eliana asks, her eyes darting instantly from Lucien's hopeful face down to the two tickets on the counter. A massive, victorious grin breaks across her face, and she leans over Celine's shoulder, practically vibrating with excitement. "Oh, look at that. Actual paper tickets. Lucien, I take it back—you've got class."

She nudges Celine's shoulder playfully. "And Celine, the bakery will survive without you for one Friday night. In fact, I highly recommend you take the artist up on his offer before he realizes he's punching way above his weight class."

Lucien lets out a bright laugh. “Aurelia, your support is as blindingly fierce as always.” He turns his gaze back to Celine, his expression softening as he waits for her answer. "What do you say, Celine Haze? Will you come to the gallery with me?"

Celine looks down at the two watercolour-splashed tickets, her fingers curling slightly over the edge of the glass counter. Eliana's heavy-handed nudge is still warm on her shoulder, but as she looks back up to meet Lucien's gaze, the chaotic energy of the bakery seems to quiet down.

“I…” Celine starts, her voice small but steady. She clears her throat, offering him a soft, brilliant smile that entirely breaks through her usual misty reserve. “I would really love to go, Lucien. The rooftop view sounds beautiful.”

Lucien's shoulders visibly drop a fraction, a genuine, relieved smile washing over his face. The smooth, practiced charm of a flirty artist completely disappears, leaving just a guy who is incredibly happy he got the girl to say yes.

“Great,” Lucien says, his voice dropping into a warmer, softer register. "Friday at seven, then? I'll pick you up right here."

“It’s a date,” Celine murmurs, the word feeling light and adventurous on her tongue.

"Perfect," Eliana chimes in, clapping her hands together dramatically. "Now that the romance is booked, Lucien, you actually have to pay for that cinnamon twist. Shoo. I have an empire to run, and Celine has an outfit to panic about."

Lucien smiles softly, does a mock bow, and steps out. He does a quick wave before he leaves, the gentle bell ringing softly behind him.

Celine continues to stare at the door before slowly turning to Eliana.

“Thank you!” She says, blush creeping up her face. “Because I met you… We started this WONDERFUL bakery… and I met Lucien. If it weren’t for you, none of this would’ve happened.”

Eliana grinned, giving her best friend a tight hug. “It’s my pleasure, Celine. He still didn't pay for that cinnamon twist... you can get it later!”

The bell chimed again, and more people entered the bakery. Clearly, tourists. They were anxious; people worried if they were in the right place and if this was the place for them. Eliana grinned and scurried to the back. Celine went back to the counter and smiled. Just as always.

“Welcom to Golden Haze Pastries!” She says brightly. “How may I help you today?”