
Cupcake Kissin’ 87 – Alex Ankarr
‘And I would like to thank especially,’ he says, and his voice is a little soft now, so that people at the back are craning visibly to hear it, ‘Caspar here, Caspar Rockalde. Who has brightened our lives since he took over Honey Bunny’s, less than a year ago – who has brightened my life,’ he corrects himself. ‘Who is everyone’s favourite barista and baker and bakery service person,’ he says, smirking at Caspar, and it’s funny how it was an insult coming from Adam, and is an endearment coming from Mack. Especially when he’s dressed up like he is…
‘…and in whose honour I am done up to the nines in my very favourite shade of pink, and I think you will all admit that I look damn fine in it – nearly as fine as Caspar himself!’ Caspar thinks, at this moment, that his cheeks are rather probably as pink as his overall, and is glad to have no mirror handy to check up on that. ‘And to conclude,’ Mack says, ‘and I’m sure you’re all glad to hear that I intend to conclude at all…’ Oh, he gets a slightly snide cheer at that, and everyone laughs. ‘I would like to invite Caspar here to blow my candles out. Hey, cut the smut,’ he advises, sharply, at the whistles that receives. ‘And to ask him to take a look at my cake, and to ask him for the birthday gift he deems appropriate, looking at it.’
Well. No-one ever wants to refuse a request from a birthday boy, now do they? And Mack puts his arm, rather more gently than usually, upon Caspar’s shoulder, and draws him close, to look at the cake. And oh, Caspar sucks in his breath, because they’ve fooled him mightily. This is the cake he oversaw, that much is true enough. But they’ve removed all the little figures, and instead someone has done a rather fancy quick icing job, under the happy birthday. It’s of two mouths, kissing, with not much greater detail than that, but very perfectly done – very beautifully rendered. And he thinks of the cakes he has ready for Mack. Who is standing looking at him with great hopefulness, and has not after all required any gesture of Caspar’s own. But has come for him again, has asked again – in public, again, – has pursued him, again. And it seems like more than enough – that Caspar has asked more than enough, too much, of him already, and Mack has come through, has done enough to win and earn him and more.
© Copyright Alex Ankarr 2014
No unauthorised reproductions allowed. All rights reserved to the author. No inspirations for characters drawn from real-life individuals, no resemblance to real individuals intended.
Photo credit: duncan johnston under Creative Commons licence modified for book cover use.