Sweetheart KanisAmy had never seen Cherried so enthusiastic before. She raised her eyebrow and asked again. “Is it coming from the Chocolate Factory? … Or did you apply for other jobs too?”
Cherried stopped jumping around all of a sudden; her gaze was serious now. She shook her head firmly and replied, “I didn't apply for any other one. I applied for the only job I've ever wanted.”
---
Everyone in the family knew Cherried's love for everything chocolate. She was very good at matching chocolate with spices and other flavours, creating different types of treats. She was also great in offering exactly the right type of pralines depending on her friends' mood. If someone was sad, she'd arrive with a plate full of double chocolate swirl bonbons. If someone was angry, she'd help calm them with some fancy white chocolate gift. She really had a chocolate suited for every feeling. The news about the Kanis's passion spread through her neighbourhood after a while, and she started receiving visits from neighbours and even strangers. Everyone wanted to try out her creations. She didn't want to be paid, though, so after a while she couldn't afford to buy ingredients anymore. She even borrowed some money from a couple of friends, but then she felt bad because she couldn’t return it. So, Cherried started feeling depressed about not being able to do what she loved and her mood affected her friends too. One day, Amy noticed a very blue Cherried sitting in a corner, hiding her face behind her paws, and decided to push her into finding a way to starting baking again. “Lovely, why don't you go downtown to the Chocolate Factory and ask them if they need any new employees?”
All of a sudden, she stopped sighing. “A-are you serious? I heard that nobody goes in or comes out from there, it's unlikely they need to hire someone.”
A huge, satisfied smile appeared on Amy's face. “If you don't try, you'll never know!”
Cherried thought about her friend’s words for the whole night. The day after, she wore one of her best dresses, put on her cleanest pair of shoes, and started walking towards downtown. As soon as she crossed the threshold of the shop, she heard a deep baritone voice addressing her. “Good morning pretty Miss! What are you looking for? Sweets? Truffles? … Lollipops?” Cherried didn't even see him arriving. He popped up near her all of a sudden and she almost screamed.
“I'm truly sorry, Miss. I didn't mean to scare you.” The shopkeeper distanced himself from Cherried and patiently waited for her answer.“I-I'm not interested in buying anything at the moment, Sir. I was only wondering if you are understaffed, maybe...” She turned red, while explaining this.
The retailer squinted, and after few seconds replied. “What's your name, Miss, if I may ask?”
“C-Cherried.” She was clearly anxious.
“Well, Cherried. I thank you so much for your interest in this job, but we are not hiring anyone at the moment. If you want to leave me your address, though, I'll let you know if we'll need other employees in the future.” He smiled quite sweetly, like he didn't want to let the Sweetheart Kanis down too much.
She gave him her address and said goodbye, visibly sad.
---
“I really didn't mean to hurt you, darling!” Amy assured, trying to calm her friend down. “What does the letter say, if you'd read it, please?” Cherried excited; she cleared her throat and started reading. “Dear Miss Cherried, I asked around about you after your visit last month. I don't normally do it, when someone enters my shop to ask for a job, but there was something in your gaze that really caught my eye. I heard that you used to cook the best pralines around in your neighbourhood. Everyone who knew of you was very impressed. If you'd still like to work in my Chocolate Factory, then you'll be a on probation for a while and if you do a good job, you'll be permanently hired. Please, come to my shop tomorrow at 8 o'clock in the morning if you're still interested in this job. Cordially. The Maitre Chocolatier.”
The envelope had no stamp on it; it was hand delivered a couple of minutes before. When Amy walked to the window, she didn't see anybody. The street was completely deserted.
Art by AET.
Writing credits: Story by Coraline, edited by HERO.
Quote on profile by Walt Disney's Cinderella.
A special thanks goes to Cathii, who gifted me a Sweetheart Potion on Feb 14th 2017, and who helped me a lot with the TC!
