Just a Little Sugar

Chocolate Chip Cookie dough Crust And Red Velvet Cake Filling

It'd been four days.

In Sugar's mind that was almost a week.

She hadn't seen Mark in a week.

Oh will you stop being so dramatic?!
Her brain chided

She wondered if he was okay.

He had to be okay.

She stared at her hand, it was swollen and three different colours, white and red and purple. She had thought the pharmacist would bandage it. But she didn't. Instead telling Sugar to air it and just apply the ointment she prescribed.

She couldn't work in the kitchen today. Directing people to make a cookie crust pie with red velvet cake filling was hard without her having to use her hands.

She wanted to yell at them each time.
But she always bit back her words. She didn't want to have to explain that this pie was for Mark, and not making it herself was making her nervous.

Sugar cooked for every emotion. When she was angry, she baked, when she was overwhelmed, happy, in love, nervous, sad; she baked every time.

Not being able to work with her hand was frustrating. She wanted to yell at everyone, at the same time she wanted to cry. It was so tasking being this angry without being able to bake.

How did other people deal with their anger?

"Thinner. Roll it thinner. It's not a cookie. It's the crust for a pie!" she yelled at Sylvie.

Sugar could see Faheem shake his head out of the corner of her eye.

"What is it?" She directed her question at him

"Uhmmm... Sugar?" he began, "I don't mean to be rude, but can I talk to you outside? "

"Sure"

Faheem grabbed her left hand and pulled her towards the cold room.
"Is it your hand?"

"What? " Sugar asked her brow furrowed

"Normally you are strict. Very strict. I knew that before I started working here. You showed as much during the practical interview... However, this week, you are just plain mean"

"Ohh" Sugar said

"Even with all the stress of opening night... You weren't this mean "

"I am no...."

"Sylvie cried yesterday."

"What?! Why?!"

"You yelled at her, twice... "

Sugar could remember that. Sylvie had made a mistake in the chocolate drizzle consistency.
She had yelled, loudly. But that was only because, she had been wondering why Sheila hadn't called her to give her updates about Mark as she promised.
The second time, Sylvie had dropped a bag of chocolate chips all over the floor. She had yelled again. At that time Sugar had been close to tears.

Sugar sighed. Faheem was right. She had been taking it out on her staff. And she liked Sylvie.

"Is it your hand?" Faheem asked again. "Because I know a lot of chef's find it frustrating when their... " he trailed off watching Sugar's expression "Or is it Mark? " Faheem asked, "I don't know much, but I know on Sunday he was unwell" he quickly added.

Sugar almost chuckled at the way he said unwell.

"It's both" Sugar said, "But it's fine I'll apologize to them." And try to control my emotions better
She wanted to add but she bit her tongue.