Whiskey In A Teacup
Kristoff wasn't much of a fan of sweets, but since his best friend was, and since Anna had messaged him long after he left to bring dessert from the fest, he figured he'd do that much.
He replied immediately.
[Kristoff: You're a greedy one feisty 're already going today, but you still want some for tomorrow. Don't blame me if you get diabetes.]
His phone beeped and he was already smiling at the redhead's response.
[Anna: You know one day isn't enough for me. Besides, I'm gonna pay you anyway.]
He was in the middle of composing a response when he received another message.
[Anna: And I won't get diabetes! I have a fast metabolism. Hmph!]
What's that got to do with the disease? He thought to himself.
[Kristoff: Alright. Make sure you've already taken dinner once I get there or no desserts for you. Anything you'd like in particular?]
[Anna: Haven't thought of anything besides chocolates. But if I get to taste something good, I'll let you know!]
[Kristoff: Noted. I better get back to work.]
Meanwhile, Anna was already preparing to head out downtown. She picked the most comfortable clothes her closet could offer—her favorite deep pink hoodie and black capri pants.
The redhead slipped on her low-cut sneakers and sling bag, all up and ready to go.
Anna arrived at the venue, unfazed by the crowd gathering in the square. She presented her stub at the entrance and got her fair share of a stamp in her wrist as proof. The scent came first. Sweet aroma filled her senses and she could already feel her mouth watering. It was the sight that came next. A beautiful assortment of sweets were organized from each stall, giving her a good view of everything.
"Wow!" Anna squealed in excitement, Her feet dragged her the floor and her hands grabbed a tray. She picked from each stall—from chocolates to cakes to pastries.
Anna found a seat, settled down and happily devoured her guilty pleasures. She was eating so fast, she was metaphorically inhaling the food.
They all taste the same even if they're from different shops, but they're good anyway, she thought.
Anna was nearly finished with her first round of sweets when she picked the final piece of oblong pastry, its top glazed in milk chocolate. She shrugged at first then took the first bite.
Then a second. Then another, deliberately chewing and tasting. She swallowed.
"This is good. Really good." In fact, it was the one that stood out the most from the rest.
Anna tried to hold onto the remaining bits in her mouth, hoping to distinguish the flavor. She stood up from her seat and began walking around.
"Where did I get that?" she muttered, searching thoroughly for the delicious treat.
She paced back and forth and had a tough time locating the distinctive pastry. Anna groaned.
"Ugh, why did I have to eat it without getting a good look at it first?" the redhead whined, and seeing as there's no getting around it, she grabbed every oblong shaped pastry there was from each stall. When she finished, there was a total of eight of them on her tray.
She settled down and began eating. Anna may suck at cooking, but if there's anything she's proud of, it's eating. She could easily tell if the food is good and distinguish whether it's lacking in one component or another. And from the fourth one that she tried, it still paled in comparison to the unique taste she had earlier. She tried another and another with no luck. She was down to her last two and at her seventh try, she finally found what she was looking for.
Anna didn't finish it but instead, headed out to the stalls once more. She found her pastry's match on the stall close to the end of the room. She read the shop's name: The North Pâtisserie.
"Excuse me," a voice called out to her in the crowd. "Is there a problem with my éclair?" Anna turned to see who the voice belonged to and nearly dropped the dessert she was holding.
The woman was beautiful and she had the most enchanting blue eyes Anna has ever seen. The redhead also noticed her pastel champagne locks tied neatly into a bun and alabaster skin decorated with a faint dusting of adorable freckles on her face.
"Miss?" the woman called out to Anna once more when the redhead only kept staring.
"N-No, there's absolutely nothing wrong with your um...what was this called again?" Anna wanted to disappear. Vanish in an instant because panicking wasn't helping in her case.
"Éclair." The sophisticated looking pastry chef smiled at her.
"R-Right! I was just—um, they're really good compared to others' and I'm still having trouble identifying the flavor so I thought I should get some more i-if that's alright with you?" she weakly laughed in an attempt to cover up her embarrassment.
"I'm flattered. And of course, you can have as much as you like. Ah," she stretched out her hand. "I'm Elsa by the way."
Anna reached out to the welcoming gesture and shook the chef's hand tentatively. "Anna Summers, but Anna would just be fine."
Elsa found the redhead's half-eaten éclair. "Oh, so you got the one with pistachio cream filling."
Anna's eyes lit up. "Pistachios! So that's what the nutty taste was."
Elsa smiled and got back to her station. "We haven't released these to the public yet." she explained, pointing out to six, different and beautifully hand-crafted éclairs lined up in an orderly manner.
"Wow, each one has almost the same size. You must be really meticulous." Anna blurted out. "Oh sorry! I'm not criticizing you or anything, just saying something based from observation."
Elsa found herself smiling yet again. "No offense taken. So, are you still interested in trying the rest of them?"
"You bet!" Anna enthusiastically replied.
"This one has orange filling." the blonde handed out a piece in which Anna gratefully took a huge bite.
"Ooh, zesty. It really goes well with dark chocolate." she shoved the remaining bit into her mouth, savoring the authenticity of the fruit in it.
Elsa filled the young woman's tray with more and Anna couldn't help but grin at the sight of it. The way Elsa refilled her portions made her heart soar.
"These are chestnut purée, rum-flavored custard, coffee cream and green tea."
Anna gleefully indulged on the remaining éclairs and wished the moment would last. She'd never felt so elated before.
"How were they?" Elsa asked, hands clasped together.
"Great! Everything is just...wow! My favorite's the green tea." she said, feeling an explosion of delectable goodness in her mouth. "Although I think coffee cream should be partnered with milk chocolate rather than dark chocolate to balance the bitterness and sweetness levels. Oh, but that's just me talking."
Elsa shook her head to disagree. "I'd gladly take that suggestion for improvement. Thank you."
"Thank you, too." Anna beamed. "Um, can I buy a box of twelve? Take home?" she blushed at he own question when she realized how ridiculous she sounded.
The blonde just chuckled. "I'm sorry Anna, but they're not for sale yet. But I can personally contact you once they're out in the market. Can I have your phone number?" she fished out her smart phone and Anna blurted out a combination of digits, feeling the air in her lungs leave her.
"And if you have inquiries or other concerns, here's mine." Elsa gave her minimalist calling card. It was turquoise with the shop's name engraved in bold and white in the middle. Elsa's name was underneath it and so was her number.
"For now, please help yourself to some more." the blonde generously offered.
Anna went home feeling stuffed and wonderfully satisfied. Sooner or later, she will have to thank Kristoff for such an amazing experience. Especially since she was able to meet—she took out the card given to her by the pretty pastry chef and gazed at the name written on it.
"The North Pâtisserie. Elsa Winters." she was busy admiring the sans serif font when she felt the need to read it again. The North Pâtisserie. Elsa Winters. Winters.
"I feel like I've heard that family name before..."
