Arturia tried to hide her smile. The man seemed so nice, he was clearly far from Gilgamesh and he seemed way better. His smile, his eyes, and the little gestures he made; he was the very definition of a man in Arturia's eyes. Why the hell had she even fallen for Gilgamesh? "In any case, thank you so much for accepting my invitation." They'd finally reached the bakery after their short walk from the café.
The ivory stone walls of the building were decorated with golden carvings, making the place look like a mid 17-century chateau. The bright pastel sign read Marie's Confectionary in cursive, and one could tell, just by looking through the lace-covered windows, that the place was for rich folk. It had the air of perfection and intricacy.
"I should be the one thanking you for inviting me," he spoke, a bright smile on his lips, "I've never been to a cake testing. Though, I feel slightly out of place." He looked down at his attire, jeans and sneakers weren't exactly fitting for the occasion.
"Why would you say that?" Arturia's knitted her brows.
He opened the door of the cake establishment and the smell of fresh baked sweet bread filled their lungs. A small chime, as of a music box, sung above them as the door closed behind them. He smiled at her again and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't think, I—uh, I fit in."
"I think you do. You seem like you belong here more than me." Arturia led him to the counter of the shop.
"Oh, Arturia, you shouldn't—trust me, you're more than perfect for the occasion."
She rolled her eyes in a light-hearted manner and shrugged her shoulders.
The marble countertops were lined with decorated sweets and pastries. The rose gold decorations against the white marble were clearly thoroughly planned out. Only the best for the rich folk, Diarmuid guessed, which was when it hit him; Arturia had to be rich.
"Marie," Arturia called, tapping her nails against the marble countertop. She just loved the click-click-clickitty sound it made every time she tapped her nails against any hard surface.
Diarmuid, however, didn't like that sound, it reminded him of a scary story his father had told him once upon a time when he was only a child.
A short woman, much shorter than Arturia herself, emerged from what seemed to be the kitchen, she was clothed in a traditional baker's outfit with a little red scarf around her neck. Her hair was pulled back into one large bun while her fringe hugged her face. She looked adorable with that kind smile on her face and her big blue-bell eyes. If you were to see her in the streets, you'd think she was a teenager.
"Artie, ma cherie, how are you?" She had an accent, one Diarmuid had trouble differentiating. It sounded French (and she'd obviously spoken in French) but he swore she sounded a little… German? Austrian? Maybe.
Immediately, Arturia was wrapped into a tight and overwhelming hug. She gave a crisp clear laugh as she was pulled in tighter. "Sweetheart, how are you? You seem… did Gilgamesh do something?" Marie pulled away, holding Arturia at arms length as she analyzed her face.
Arturia laughed again, this time her voice cracked. "No, no, he didn't."
Diarmuid shot her a side glance and Marie could tell by Arturia's puffy eyes that she was lying.
Marie knew Arturia wouldn't crack if she persisted, she never did, so she opted it best to keep silent. "So, why didn't he join you?" Her voice chirpy and cheery.
"He had a lot to do today, you know how he is when the company calls. Sometimes I think he's engaged to the company." Arturia joked, trying to ease the clenching of her heart. Oh god, she could still remember how he'd admitted to cheating while they were in the middle of dinner. She could still feel the way her heart sunk and how the betrayal clouded her vision.
Marie frowned, squeezing the woman's shoulders in order to offer loving support. "Oh bebé, you already know how I feel about him."
Arturia smiled. "In any case, I didn't want our deposit to go to waste, so, I brought a friend along. Marie, this is Diarmuid."
Marie finally looked at Diarmuid, for she'd been so fixated on Arturia. Her eyes almost sparkled at the sight. She felt her heart skip a beat and for the slightest of seconds, her gaze glazed over his beauty mark and then his lips. "Friend?" Marie raised an eyebrow, prying her gaze away from the man.
Arturia nodded, catching the fact that Marie was clearly attracted with just one look.
"Hello, Diarmuid, was it?" After his nod of approval, she continued. "I'm Marie, as you might have already guessed, I'm a baker. I'm in charge of making Arturia's wedding cake and today you'll be able to taste some of my creations, trust me, they are heavenly."
"I have no doubt." Diarmuid smiled.
Arturia and Diarmuid were sat down at a table in the kitchen while Marie hurried over to the fridge to get the cakes. They didn't need to wait ;long before three cakes were placed in front of them.
"These are the very best that we have. I made them exclusively for the wedding and your tasting. The first one," a pastel pink one that had roses and gold sprinkles, "is vanilla but with authentic strawberry and pomegranate cream. I sued some gold sheets to decorate it. The second," a blue one with intricate medieval designs, "is a blueberry cake made with ingredients from France, the cream includes a bit of champagne." Marie pushed the last one, a normal white cake with golden roses adorning it. "This one, I must admit, is a bit exotic. I decided to make a passion fruit cake, I thought it would be a unique piece."
"They all look divine." Diarmuid couldn't help but grin at her. "I am honestly deeply honoured to have even a little taste."
Marie blushed and looked away for a second. "You needn't be so appraising."
Arturia reached for the first cake as soon as Marie cut a slice. She dug in right away and couldn't help but give a light moan in reply. "Marie, you never disappoint." She mumbled between bites. "I think you're truly a saint in this world."
With Arturia's praising and approval, Diarmuid couldn't help but dig in. He took a bite. Then two. Then three. The cake was soft and creamy. It wasn't too sweet nor was it bitter, it was perfect, the way in melted in his mouth, the sweet taste of strawberry and the exotic pomegranate twist it had. Oh was it really divine.
The next two cakes were also divine and Diarmuid found it hard to choose his favourite between them. He almost wished he was getting married hoping to contract Marie to make him another cake.
They chatted with Marie for a bit longer and Arturia had finally admitted that things didn't workout with Gilgamesh. She didn't go into any specifics, nor how she'd met Diarmuid, but all she said was:
"Gilgamesh and I broke things off...he's been very busy and things weren't...going well. It was for the best." Arturia smiled and shrugged, but her eyes showed a different story.
Marie nodded slowly and brought Arturia into a tight hug. "Oh, don't worry sweetheart, it's going to be okay."
Arturia pulled away, her eyes slightly watery and red. She sniffled and stood from the chair. "Wow, I think, I think we'd better go." She took Diarmuid's hand and lead him toward the edge of the kitchen.
"Okay, bebe, but we should meet up sometime this week. We should talk about it, when you're ready."
Arturia nodded. "Of course."
They exchanged a kiss on the cheek and Diarmuid was pulled out of the store towards a luxurious car that was parked across the street. He'd caught the brand; a Du Lac. She was clearly rich, but not even that couldn't make her happy either.