How to Bake Cookies and Win People

Tom started to spit out pieces of chocolate chip cookie all over the young woman in front of him. “OK first off this cookie tastes like saw dust its like you literately took some garbage out of the can baked it into a cookie form and then served it to me.” Pieces of the cookie started to stick to Rachael's shirt like lint. “Who ever told you that your were a good baker needs to be slapped!” Rachael low head lowered even further and in a soft voice she murmured. “It was my grandmother's recipe, she taught it to me from scratch.” Tom scoffed “ Well she needs to be hit with a baking pan, in fact whats her number I need to call her so I can curse her out for foisting this travesty onto my taste buds.” Rachael's brown eyes started to fill up with water as she fought back the tears that threatened to fall “ My grandmother passed away a few weeks ago” The whine in her voice caused it to raise up an octave and grated on the ears but Tom just waved a hand in a dismissive way “ Well good riddance I say, she probably died from one of the cookies she baked.” It was like a dam had burst and the tears she had been fighting to hold back broke through and started to flow down her face and she ran from the room in a snotty and wheezing mess.

Rick looked over at Karen who was over by the industrial mixer and whispered “ Who's bright idea was it to bring in this guy. I mean I know who he is a pro baker and all but do we really need him here?” Karen just shrugged and rolled her eyes “You know it was Mary who wanted him here, she is really determined to get that award. She is like a woman possessed and she thinks that this is the year she can finally make it happen.” Tom strolled back and forth like he was a model on the runway and proceeded to launch into a new tirade. “Listen up clowns I was brought in to help you morons achieve a goal that will put this bakery on the map. There are two things I hate more then anything and that is 1# having my precious time wasted and #2 idiots who think they can bake just because they won some little county fair contest.” Rick muttered softy “ OK that's all fine and well, but I don't see why you have to be a douche about it.” Tom whirled toward him “ I'm sorry what did you say?” Tom inclined his head towards Rick “I didn't catch that?” Rick shook his head in denial “I didn't say anything.” Tom scowled at Rick then looked around at the group of bakers “That's what I thought.” He turned in a slow circle making sure all the eyes were focused on him. Tom fought to keep the smile off his face, he was the center of attention this was his element, the spotlight choose him and this was his moment “Look here people you don't like my methods tough tits, deal with it or else you can walk like that one did.” He nodded his head at the door that Rachael had just passed through moments ago. “ I tell you what, how about a show of hands. Everyone here who has had a write up in “50 Best” go ahead and raise your hand” Tom looked around at all as every had was still firmly by the bakers sides. “OK, judging by the dull looks on your faves has anyone here even heard of “50 Best”?” Blanks looks was the only response Tom received. “Ugh” Tom pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut “I can't believe I have to waste my time with these uneducated plebes.” Tom's voice took on a even more mocking tone “But this is the exact reason why I was brought in, because your boss wants a proven winner and well you'd be hard pressed to win a local school fair.” Karen did a mental eye roll thinking you already made that point you raging dick, hell you keep this up and I will make you the secret ingredient in this damn thing. She started to press the button that started the mixer like she was trying to break it. The sounds of the mixer soon drowned out Tom's insensate jabbering.

“Oh Tom shut up and quit all that damn yapping these people are moving as fast as they can and they don't need you walking around acting like some reality show chef with cameras on him.” Rob the project foreman had just walked through the door that Rachael had just exited out of. “Oh and by the way you need to go and apologize to that poor girl I could barely understand what she was saying with all the crying and snot.” He pointed one large weathered hand back towards the door. “ I don't know what nasty and foul thing you said to her but she is a wreck right now” Tom carefully arranged his face before turning and looking at Rob then he sniffed once. “ I don't know what that poor excuse for a baker told you but I shouldn't have to apologize for speaking the truth.” Rob slowly walked over to Tom while he pushed one of his dreads out his face “Look here Tom do we need to have another talk man to man?” Rob's voice lowered and and slightly inclined his head towards a pallet that was off in a corner out of the way. The pallet was piled high with a huge mound of bags of flour, with a few that had burst open and started to spill flour over the floor. The other bakers suddenly found reasons to be more focused on what they were doing, but a few did silently laugh or chuckle to themselves. More then a few secretly wished to see that conversation repeat itself once again. Tom's face slowly turned red and he

composed himself even further and he he spoke with a dry slightly condescending tone. “Yes Rob I will get right on that and say I'm sorry to that poor..poor girl.” Tom shook his head in a mocking sense “I mean might have said a few harsh words to her and I boy guess I can just say I didn't mean them. “Tom spread his arms as if to say see I can be reasonable. “But Rob I think you forget I was brought in to run the kitchen, and I am going to run it as I please. All you have to is make sure the project runs smoothly.” Tom purposely did not look over at the corner where the pallet of flour sat and in fact a small shudder ran through his body which didn't go unnoticed by Rob. His eyes narrowed and he pointed a finger at Tom “Look I am currently building one of the largest one time use ovens in the world, I have about 5 tons of concrete, pavers moving tons of earth and the last thing I need is a bunch of disgruntled bakers trying to bakers with thoughts of maybe tripping you into the batter or something.” Tom looked around at the faces of the bakers around him as if trying to take there measure and snorted “ Oh please if this group had that kind of backbone adding me to the mix would only improve the flavor.” Rob stopped a foot from Tom and lowered his voice a little bit “So yes I get that the kitchen is yours to run because your obviously the baker here but look here just tone it down a little is all I'm saying.” Rob turned around and started to walk away and then suddenly turned back around towards Tom “Oh and you will apologize to that girl and I hope that its in sincere ” Rob looked back over that the big pile of flour sitting on the pallet pointedly and there was a an audio gulp heard from Toms direction as Rob walked out.

Mary Rush was a woman on fire and determined to reach her elusive goal, a goal which was finally within her grasp. After months of careful planning and pulling in favors from other small and some large businesses around her. This was going to be the year she took home the prize. She spun her chair around to look at the photo that was on the wall that had mocked her for years. She had hired a top pastry chef to whip her bakers into fighting shape, she had a custom oven designed and it was taken shape right now. Everything was in in place to take that award, that stupid huge cookie that put a small bakery on the map. The damn thing probably didn't even taste good she bet, well she was going to take that biggest cookie in the world award and it was going to be delicious!