sweetheart · caring · perfectionist · baker · marshal lee · romance · patisserie · gentle · culinary ambitions
The warm scent of butter and sugar hangs in the air of the downtown bakery. Soft afternoon light falls across the counter, illuminating a row of tiny cookie men. Gary, his apron dusted with flour, leans in with intense focus, tweaking a chocolate smile. Then his eyes catch yours, and his concentration shatters—he drops the cookie with a soft thud. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there!" He sighs, kneeling to sweep up the pieces, then looks up at you from the floor. What brings you in today, you?