Olive took the pie out of the oven, swaying her hips to her humming. In her own little world, she was shocked when she turned around and Chuck was standing right behind her.
"My god, Chuck! Gave me a fright."
"I don't like that girl," Chuck said narrowing her eyes, "she creeps me out."
"What's wrong with her? I think she's sweet," Olive said setting the pie on the island.
"Did you see the way she was eating that pie? All creepy like."
"No, I didn't. But maybe I would have if you let her finish it," Olive offered Chuck a knowing smile and floated out the kitchen to deliver pie to one of the customers. Frustrated, Chuck stomped over to the kitchen counter and began to aggressively roll dough.
"Chuck?"
She turned around and the Pie Maker was standing behind her with his hands buried deep in his pockets. "Oh, hi, Ned. I didn't hear you come down."
"Are you okay?" he asked leaning against the opposite side of the counter. Chuck faltered; she hated to talk to Ned about her frustrations with Olive, especially since she had just broken up with four days before because of her.
"I'm fine," she muttered.
"Well, either something's wrong or that dough offended you in some way."
"This dough was very smart alecky. Sticking to the pin like this."
"Chuck, just because we're broken up doesn't mean I don't care about you anymore. I mean, we're still friends, right?"
She sighed and looked up at her ex-boyfriend. She couldn't help but feel bad for just breaking up with him like that, but she would rather hurt him now than lie to him.
"It's about Olive," she said.
"Oh," Ned said raising his shoulders and avoiding her gaze, "suddenly I'm wishing I just settled for the smart alecky dough story."
"Well, if you don't want to talk about it we don't have to. I'd hate to make you listen to something you don't want to."
"No, I'll listen," Ned said with a crooked, half hearted smile, "you need to talk and I like to listen."
"So, remember what I told you about what happened at the theatre? Well, she hasn't said anything about it since. Not a word. I've tried flirting and sending off signals, but I feel like it's not working. And then this girl this, this Zooey comes in and is all flirty with her and I walk in on them…them," Chuck leaned closer to Ned and lowered her voice to a whisper, "on them shaking hands."
"That's not so abnormal. That is actually a form of greeting on some cultures," Ned replied.
"Not the way they were doing it. No, sir, that girl looked like she'd rather be holding something else, if you know what I mean."
"Oh, " Ned said as his cheeks turned a bright shade of red.
"Yeah. But what I don't get is that I try flirting and I get nothing. But then this random girl comes in and Olive is smiling and giggling all over her! Maybe it's our subconscious scent. Bees give off a scent for potential mates, you know. It tells them if a mate is compatible or not. Maybe I have an incompatible smelling aroma about me," Chuck rambled.
"I'm sure your scent is very compatible," Ned said trying to be comforting, "Maybe she's just confused. Maybe she can't read your flirting. You can be a very subtle flirter."
Chuck sighed and continued rolling the dough, "I don't know. But you won't tell Olive any of this, right?"
"Have I ever given up any of your other secrets?" Ned smiled, remembering the secrets that had once bonded and more often separated them. But the Pie Maker didn't like to think of the things that had kept them apart, but rather the moments they had spent reveling in their secrets.
"Thanks, Ned," Chuck said smiling at him, "I really appreciate this. I appreciate everything."
Ned smiled and looked at her sheepishly, "I know."
The Pie Maker knew that their fairy tale ending was gone, and that he would never be able to call the girl Chuck his girlfriend. In his heart, he hoped that her feelings for Olive were nothing more than a passing fancy and she would come back to him, ready to take him back. But he could only hope.