Oops, Wrong Person

Cassidy: Thank you for the bread recipe you sent me. I will definitely try it.

Jacob glanced at his phone and squinted at the text. Bread recipe? He was certain that he did not recognize the number, and even more certain that he had never sent a bread recipe to anyone. He couldn’t cook worth a lick. He was one of those people who could be said to burn water, so he definitely was not making any bread. Still, he wanted to see where this conversation would go.

Jacob: For sure. Bread is my specialty.

He snorted at his own words. Specialty indeed, if one could call ruining his oven by not measuring properly a specialty. Bon Appetit, here is your finished course, an hour-long process of ridding the oven of doughy substance that was intent on sticking to everything.

Cassidy: Oops, wrong person. I typed in 5 instead of six. I’m sorry.

Jacob: Wait, don’t leave. I’m curious about this bread recipe.

Cassidy: Oh, well it is a flatbread recipe actually. I plan on using it for one of my meals. But you probably have better things to do than listen to me, a stranger, talk about bread.

Hardly. Before getting the text, he had been watching his neighbor walk by with his dog.

Jacob: To be completely honest, I have nothing better to do. But why don’t we introduce ourselves. I’m Jacob Downer.

She could easily just delete the conversation and pretend it did not happen, but he hoped for some reason that she would stay. And she did.

Cassidy: Well, since you introduce yourself, I suppose it would only be fair if I did the same. Cassidy Matterson. Nice to meet you.

Jacob smiled, so the elusive bread maker was a she. Interesting.

Jacob: A pleasure. So, tell me, since you were looking for a bread recipe, I would guess that you have a good deal of culinary abilities.

Cassidy: I like to cook definitely, but I profess no great skill for it. My cook abilities are mediocre at best.

Jacob: I am sure that you are just being modest. I am not a gambling man, but if I were, I would wager that you get a good deal of compliments for your meals.

Cassidy: Haha, you found out my secret. I am actually a renowned chef and have travelled all over the world with my cooking.

Jacob stared at his screen in shock. He was speaking to a chef royalty, and all because of a mistake.

Jacob: Truly?

Cassidy: Yes, but you must not tell anyone my secret.

Jacob: I will never tell, if you would serve me one of your famous meals.

Cassidy: Which one would you like, a charcuterie board of pepperoni, cheese, and saltines or a bowl of boxed mac and cheese. And for dessert, a refrigerated pudding cup.

Jacob laughed at her humor.

Jacob: Very funny. No, I will have the lamb with mint sauce, and for dessert a chocolate soufflé.

 Cassidy: Fine, lamb and soufflé it is. But know that your dinner is settled. What do you do? No, let me guess.

Cassidy: You are a writer.

Cassidy: No, a detective.

Cassidy: A plumber? Am I getting closer?

How she went from writer and detective to plumber, he did not know. But one thing he knew, she was wrong on all counts.

Jacob: Actually, I am none of the above. I am a…

Cassidy: Oh, come on. I told you that I was a secret chef, so you have to tell me what you really are.

Jacob: But secret chef is not your actually profession, is it?

Cassidy: No, I am a pianist. I also play the cello and violin though. But I was supposed to be asking you a question.

Jacob: All right, all right, I’ll tell you. I am a lawyer.

Cassidy: Ah, I should have guessed that. So, are you a young lawyer or a stodgy old lawyer because if you are latter than…?

Jacob chuckled at the question. He suddenly realized that he could be talking to an old lady. She had asked about a bread recipe, after all.

Jacob: Don’t worry. I am only 24. Now I must ask you the same question, minus the stodgy old lawyer part.

Cassidy: Oh, good. But you should know that it is impolite to ask a lady’s age. But I shall bequeath the information to you because we are strangers and I asked you first. I am 22, turning 23 in two months.

Jacob: Good to know. So, does the pianist who also can cook decently have any hobbies?

Cassidy: Well, I like to read, but that’s probably not that interesting to talk about.

Jacob: I’m a lawyer, you remember, so books are really all I talk about. But please continue, you read books and….

Cassidy: I like to paint with watercolors and embroider. Also, I like hiking. And you, what does a lawyer do when he has no work to do?

Jacob: Well, I like to read, of course. I also enjoy swimming and roller skating.

Cassidy: Roller skating? Interesting hobby for a lawyer.

Jacob: I’m going to assume that you are not fond of roller skating.

Cassidy: Oh, roller skating is fine. Falling down every two minutes is not.

Jacob: Haha, you just need to learn the techniques. Maybe I can teach you sometime.

Cassidy: That would be great, especially if it meant I would be able to roller skate without ending up covered in bruises.

From that point on, Jacob and Cassidy talked about everything under the sun. They told each other about their aspirations and dream. What they liked to eat. What their least favorite things were. Their favorite animals.

And you know what, after a few months of texting they found out that they lived close by each other and saw each other for the first time. Jacob showed Cassidy how to roller skate and Cassidy let him sample some of the flatbread that had started their whole conversation and it turned out to be spectacular.

Years later, they looked back at their first texts and laughed. To think that they had met just because she’d accidently typed the wrong number when she went to thank someone for a bread recipe.