Chapter 8: The Kiss
Today, business at Sugarcube Corner was not so busy. Apparently, the rush had been satisfied for a while, so nopony saw the need to come back. There were a few occasional customers, but not enough to cause quite the chaotic scene that had occurred yesterday.
Carrot Cake was alone at the front of the store while Pinkie Pie was managing the kitchen. Cup Cake was playing with the babies upstairs. The lull in business left Carrot Cake alone with his thoughts, which nowadays was not a good thing. He kept thinking about that mare and shuddering to himself.
The bell at the front of the shop rang and in stepped Twilight Sparkle again. This time it looked like she was here to buy something, as she had her satchel on her. She scanned the shelves of candy at the sides of the store, pondering what she wanted to purchase. Carrot Cake cleared his throat.
"Can I help you find something?" he asked.
"No, just browsing."
"Okay. Let me know if you need anything." Twilight scanned the shelves for a while longer before finally picking out a package of caramels.
"I think Spike will enjoy these," she said to herself before walking up to the counter. She placed the candies on the counter and Carrot Cake rang them up.
"Five bits," he said. Twilight used her magic to levitate the bits up to him. Carrot Cake smiled; that mare used magic for just about everything.
"Is Pinkie Pie free?" Twilight asked. "I just wanted to say hi."
"Oh, right. Yesterday she was upset that I let you leave without telling her you were here. She's just in the kitchen. Pinkie Pie! Your friend wants to see you."
"Oh goodie!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she bounded to the front of the shop.
"Twilight! It's super-duper fantastic to see you!" Pinkie Pie gave Twilight a bone-crushing hug. Twilight smiled; she was used to this type of affection by now, though it had certainly caught her off guard the first few times she nearly suffocated under Pinkie Pie's hugs.
"How are things, Pinkie?" Twilight gasped with what little breath she could exhale. Pinkie Pie finally let her go, and Twilight sucked wind.
"Great!" Pinkie Pie said. "Business is a little slow today, and that's boring, but after yesterday it's a good break. You should have seen it!"
"Carrot Cake already told me. I'm glad to hear things are better now."
"Huh? Oh, yeah. You really helped me out there. I didn't know who to talk to when I was feeling upset the other day, but I'm glad I saw you."
"Um, what are you talking about?" Carrot Cake asked.
"Nothing!" Pinkie Pie said, tensing up.
"Well, I'm always there if you need someone to confide in," Twilight said. "Anyway, I have to get going. Spike will kill me if I don't get these back to the library soon. Have a nice day, Mr. Cake. Bye, Pinkie Pie." And with that, Twilight left the shop, the bell ringing as she made her way out the door.
"What was that all about?" Carrot Cake asked Pinkie Pie.
"Oh, I was just feeling a little down in the dumps a few days ago, that's all," Pinkie Pie replied.
"You? Down in the dumps? I can hardly believe it."
"Yeah, even I can get sad sometimes, you know. But it's nice to know I can talk to you also."
"Me?"
"Yeah, like last night, remember, silly? After that big fight, I was really upset, but after you talked to me I felt better and I slept well, which is why I'm so perky today. So, thank you."
"Um…you're welcome." Carrot Cake stared into space after Pinkie Pie went back to the kitchen. It was then that Cup Cake came back downstairs.
"I put the twins to sleep," she said, "so if you want, I can take over up front."
"It's really no trouble," Carrot Cake replied. "Business is kind of slow. Why don't you take some time off to relax?"
"Don't be silly. I get bored when I'm not working or taking care of the babies. And you told me you liked working in the kitchen better."
"Um…okay, then." Carrot Cake left the counter to go back to the kitchen without so much as touching his wife. He wondered why she was being so generous today, but maybe she was just trying to make up for that ugly fight. Though he knew she meant well, this meant more time to be spent with Pinkie Pie, which Carrot Cake wasn't sure he could handle. He was sure that, sooner or later, he would do something dumb that he didn't intend and completely destroy the dynamic the two now seemed to have.
"Oh, hi, Mr. Cake," Pinkie Pie said. "Did Mrs. Cake take over up front?"
"Yes, she did."
"I thought I heard her voice up there. So I guess all we have to do is keep waiting for orders."
"Yeah, I guess." Carrot Cake and Pinkie Pie stood around in silence. Carrot Cake looked down at the floor, at the oven, out the window, anywhere but at Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie, however, was looking straight at Carrot Cake, and she didn't quite know why.
"You look distracted," she finally said. "Is everything okay?"
"What? Oh, yeah, everything's fine." The look on Carrot Cake's face betrayed him.
"I know it's not any of my business, but I think you should apologize to Mrs. Cake for that fight yesterday," Pinkie Pie said.
"And why should I do that?"
"Because I think you really hurt her feelings, and it's the right thing to do."
"And how do you suppose I do that?"
"Well, what's her favorite treat?"
"What are you getting at?"
"If I got into a fight with my friends, I'd bake all sorts of things to help me apologize to them. Nothing cheers you up more than a tasty treat from Sugarcube Corner, as I always say."
"You never say that."
"Well, maybe it's time to start."
"Okay, so her favorite treat…um…let me think…uh…I think it's apple strudel. She's always going to Sweet Apple Acres to get some, I think."
"So why don't we make her some apple strudel?"
"Pinkie, we can't use our ingredients for personal consumption. What if we run out of apples and someone orders an apple pie? We can't let the customer down."
"Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud. You're doing something nice for your wife. Isn't that more important? I mean, one apple strudel couldn't hurt."
"I don't know. It seems stupid."
"I don't think it's stupid…" Carrot Cake looked up at Pinkie Pie and saw dismay in her expression.
"All right, fine, I'll do it, though I don't remember the recipe."
"I've got it right here!" Pinkie Pie dug through one of the cabinets and pulled out a cookbook.
"Where did you get that?" Carrot Cake asked.
"At the bookstore. Where else would I get it?"
They spent the next twenty minutes preparing the apple strudel. After preheating the oven, they took six layers of phyllo dough, one on top of the other, brushing each layer with butter before adding the next one. Once that was done, they combined the Granny Smith apples, some raising, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Carrot Cake enjoyed the taste of cinnamon, so he and Pinkie Pie agreed to add it. They then spooned the filling down the side of the dough and folded the dough to cover the filling. To enclose the filling, they rolled the dough along its side. Finally they sprinkled on some cinnamon sugar mixture and put the strudel in the oven to bake. As the apple strudel was baking, Carrot Cake and Pinkie Pie smiled to each other.
"Feel better?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Yes, much better, actually," Carrot Cake said. "You know, I've always known you were a great employee at the shop, but I never really got the chance to know you until now. Now I can say that you've become a really good friend."
"Really? That's sweet." Carrot Cake couldn't take his eyes off Pinkie Pie now. He was enraptured by her smiling face, and the smell of apple strudel was so mouthwatering.
"Now that I've gotten to know you," Pinkie Pie said, "I'm glad to say that you're a good friend, too." All the pent up emotion that had been building inside Carrot Cake for the past couple of weeks seemed to be coming to a head, and his stomach was roaring at him to act on his impulses. But Carrot Cake restrained himself, knowing full well this bond he had with Pinkie Pie would shatter if he decided to make a move. Oh, but she just looked so beautiful with the sunlight shining on her through the kitchen window. If only he weren't married, he'd jump at this situation in a heartbeat.
"Is everything okay?" Pinkie Pie asked. That look of concern on her face. She really did care for him. His stomach was now screaming at him, but he kept telling himself not to do it.
"Mr. Cake?"
Just tell her how you feel, you dolt! Don't pass up this opportunity.
But my wife…
You're practically divorced already. She's just being polite to you now, but she knows the same thing you do, that your marriage is over. You didn't think of her when she was making love to you in the shower. You thought of this young mare standing in front of you. Don't leave her hanging! She's worried sick about you! Just say it!
"I love you."
Pinkie Pie looked confusedly at Carrot Cake, wondering why he had said that. She didn't hear it as intended, however. In fact, the Cakes had been so kind to her, quite the opposite of her own parents, who were too depressed to nurture Pinkie Pie or her sisters in any form. So, although she had never admitted to herself, Pinkie Pie thought the Cakes were the parents she wished she'd had growing up. It was in this vein that she started to form her response.
"Well, I love you, too. To tell you the truth—" That was all Carrot Cake needed to hear. He jerked forward and planted his lips on Pinkie Pie's, immediately sending his tongue to explore her mouth, which was still open from trying to talk. It was a second of pure bliss while Pinkie Pie recovered from the shock of the kiss, but then she pulled away and stared at Carrot Cake with confusion. One look at Pinkie Pie's face and Carrot Cake knew he had made a terrible mistake.
"I'm so sorry," Carrot Cake said in a whisper. "Please don't tell my wife about this."
"Why did you do that? How could you do that? I thought we were trying to make your wife feel better. This isn't going to make her feel better. That's not what I meant when I said I love you. What were you thinking?" Pinkie Pie was starting to raise her voice in excitement.
"Be quiet!" Carrot Cake whispered harshly. "She's just outside at the counter."
"Sorry," Pinkie Pie said. "I'm so confused…"
"Pinkie, I misinterpreted what you said and I wasn't thinking straight. Please don't take it to be anything more than a simple mistake."
"But why would you even think to kiss me? Are you in love with me?"
"Yes. I mean, no! I mean…I always thought you were something special, and I guess I got kind of confused."
"I think you have to tell Mrs. Cake about this."
"No! This was nothing, I swear. I was intoxicated by the scent of apple strudel. I swear to you it won't happen again. Please don't tell Cup Cake."
"I didn't say I would. But if you won't do it, then maybe I should…"
"Pinkie Promise that you won't tell her."
"And why should I?"
"Because…because, I swear to you, it was just a misunderstanding. I love my wife, and I am so sorry that I made you feel uncomfortable. Please, I'm just so very confused right now, and I don't know what I'm doing. I just need you to keep this a secret."
"But what you did was wrong, and I don't think it's fair to ask me to keep this secret for you." Carrot Cake looked distraught, and he looked directly into Pinkie Pie's eyes when he next addressed her.
"Pinkie Pie, I'm scared, all right? What's going to happen to the business if my marriage ends? What will happen to me? I won't have any money left; we signed a prenuptial agreement at the demand of her parents. I know I'm unhappy in my marriage, and I took it out on you and I'm sorry. But I have to stay in this marriage to survive in this world, and that means I need you not to tell Cup Cake what happened. Do you understand?" Pinkie Pie sniffled.
"I understand," she said. "It won't happen again?"
"Never. I Pinkie Promise."
"You have to do the motions."
Carrot Cake sighed.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Is that better?"
"Yes, and I promise I won't tell Mrs. Cake. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
"Is everything all right back here?" Cup Cake asked. She had just entered the kitchen to find out what all the whispering was about. She hadn't been able to make out what they were saying, but she figured it was something serious. Carrot Cake froze in fear, wondering what, if anything, his wife had heard.
"Nothing's wrong, Mrs. Cake," Pinkie Pie said.
"Have…have you been crying? Your eyes are red." Cup Cake asked.
"I got flour in my eyes when a bag fell on me. I cleaned it up and put it back, but my eyes still itch."
"Oh, all right. And what's that smell? Are you baking something?"
Carrot Cake finally recovered his senses.
"That was supposed to be a surprise for you," he said. "I wanted to apologize for the fight we had yesterday, and I'd figure I'd make your favorite treat."
"You shouldn't be doing that with the shop's ingredients," Cup Cake said. "But that's sweet. You remembered that I liked apple crisps?"
"I thought it was apple strudel."
There was an awkward silence.
"Well, that's a nice gesture anyway," Cup Cake said. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Carrot Cake replied. Cup Cake left the kitchen.
"Thank you, Pinkie Pie," Carrot Cake said, smiling.
"You're welcome," Pinkie Pie replied.
