The Candy Man

By: Little Miss Whitlock in honor of Ninapolitan's birthday

Prompts: candy, chocolate

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I heard the door chime softly as the small bell clanged. The last customer had left for the night and all that was left was my daughter and I. As I leaned over the sink and washed one of the larger pots, she stuck her head in the doorway.

"I'm taking off, Dad. Going out to dinner and a movie with some friends."

I turned to look at her—it was hard to believe that my baby girl was now 22 years old. It seemed like only yesterday she was wearing diapers and crawling in my lap for bedtime stories.

"Would 'some friends' include a certain gentleman?" I fished, giving her a sly smile.

She rolled her eyes and pointed at me. "Daddy you promised you wouldn't embarrass me about this."

I drew a cross with my finger over my chest and winked. "C'mon, give your old Dad a break once in a while—I'm getting old and my memory isn't what it used to be."

She laughed, throwing her head back. "Old? Oh you're hilarious tonight—full of jokes. Anyway, they are waiting for me. I love you," she remarked as she scurried over and kissed my cheek.

"Love you, too," I replied. I waited for the bell to clang again, signaling that she had left, before returning to the large pot. I dried it carefully and set it back on the stove. I gathered the rest of my supplies from the back of the kitchen and placed them on the counter next to the stove.

I turned to the pantry to grab some other supplies I would need—dry milk powder, sugar, vanilla pods and a few other ingredients. I placed some chocolate and cocoa butter in the large pot, attaching the candy thermometer to the side. While I was waiting I turned on my iPod, letting the sounds of the Big Band era call to me. I danced a small shuffle throughout the kitchen. I hummed along as I stirred at the melting chocolate.

After a few minutes I fiddled with the candy thermometer and saw it was ready. I added in the rest of the ingredients and let it all come together. I pulled some strawberries from the refrigerator and washed them, cutting the stems with a paring knife. After I had cut the stems, I sliced v-shaped openings into the top and placed them on a drying rack. I turned towards the stove and spooned some of the chocolate into a deep metal bowl and brought it over to the strawberries.

I grabbed the other bowl of Angel Food Cake crumbles that I had made earlier and stuffed it into the strawberries, pressing it firmly. Once the strawberries were ready, I dipped them into the bowl, letting the chocolate cover the cake and fruit. I set it aside and finished the rest of the dozen or so. I washed out the pot and materials while the berries cooled. Once they had, I piped some white chocolate hearts onto them and placed them in a small box lined with gold foil paper, tying it closed with a dark red ribbon.

I threw off my apron and hung it on the coat rack. I quickly looked in the mirror before heading out to the front of the store. I grabbed a small bag and filled it full of butterscotch discs that we made at the store, tying it off with another small ribbon. I ran back into the kitchen to collect the box of strawberries, setting it on the table by the door. I pulled on my coat and hat and closed the door behind me, locking up. I flipped the sign and took off down the street in the brisk night air. It was late, probably 8:30 p.m. by now, and the streets were pretty much deserted. I opened my car and slid in, placing the candies on the passenger seat. I turned on the engine and heat, letting it warm up. My nose was cold and most likely a shade of pink by now.

I drove across town, the whole time with butterflies in my stomach. What if she wasn't home? What if she didn't want to see me? What if she hated my surprise?

All too soon I saw her street turn off and made my way towards her house. I pulled up next to the street and saw a light on in her house. I exhaled in relief—she was there. I grabbed the treats and shut the door, scurrying up the sidewalk in order to stay warm. I knocked on the door with two quick taps, the whole time my heart beating frantically. I felt my palms start to sweat and I licked my lips in anticipation.

After what felt like forever, but was probably only a minute or so, I heard her calling.

"Be right there!"

Another few torturous moments went by before I heard the clicking of the locks changing place and watched the doorknob turn slowly. She swung open the door and I fought to keep my jaw from dropping.

"Carlisle—what are you doing here?" she asked cautiously, leaning against the doorframe.

I stupidly held up the bag of candy. "I brought you this."

She smiled coyly, taking them from me. "Well, that was awful nice of you. Would you like to come in? It's very cold outside."

I nodded and she opened the door wider to let me in. I stepped inside and took a moment to appreciate her beauty. She was wearing a dark green long-sleeved top with gold colored sweatpants. I shut the door behind me and flipped the lock, following towards her with the box behind my back.

She turned and smiled at me. "What are you hiding behind there?"

I felt like I was back in middle school, trying to ask a girl to the dance. "Well, I know it's your birthday, and you don't like presents and all," I started.

She took a few steps closer to me. "What is it, Carlisle?" She fluttered her eyelashes and smiled softly, reaching her arms around my body to grab the small box. I desperately wanted to pull her to me and do unspeakable things to her. But the gentleman in me won out.

She held the box and looked up at me. "You really shouldn't have gotten me anything."

I shrugged. We walked over to the couch and sat down a few inches apart. She placed the box on her lap and slowly pulled at the ribbon. It fell loosely and she lifted the lid of the box. Her eyes widened as she pushed the paper aside.

"Carlisle, did you make these?"

I nodded. "I know they are your favorite." My leg felt like it was jerking restlessly all over the place, but luckily when I looked at it, it was still.

She smiled excitedly and looked up at my face. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She smiled at the treats again before looking up at me. "Well, Mr. Candy Man, are you going to feed me one or not?"

My heart, as well as other parts of my anatomy, jumped at her request to be fed—visions raked through my brain at a thousand pictures per second. I could only close my eyes to regain my composure.

"Certainly, birthday girl," I cooed softly, taking the box from her and placing it on the table. I grabbed one of the delicacies and cupped my hand under it in case it crumbled. Ever so gently I leaned toward her, my hand mere inches from her porcelain skin.

She leaned forward to meet me, her lips parted in expectation. I held back a groan as her tongue darted out to wet her lower lip. The stuffed strawberry entered her mouth and her teeth and lips closed around it as she took the first bite. She moaned in pleasure and closed her eyes, a small smile flitting across her face.

"So good," she mumbled, leaning forward for another bite. I lifted the strawberry again as she took another bite. This time, juice dribbled down the side of her mouth. My thumb swept over it dutifully, erasing any trace of a mess.

Our eyes locked on each other and her lips remained parted. She leaned in and took the rest of the strawberry from me, setting it back in the box. She scooted closer and my heart started beating like a hummingbird—we hadn't known each other for very long, and our friendship had yet to take an intimate turn.

But as we sat here, staring at each other, the air turned thick with sexual tension.

"Thank you," she whispered as her lips grazed against mine, softly at first. As the shock wore off, our lust heightened and she pressed her body closer to mine, her hands settling at my waist. We continued our exploration for a few minutes before breaking apart, panting softly.

She smiled warmly. "You never wished me…" she started.

I leaned in close to her again, my lips ghosting over hers. "Happy Birthday, Bella."