Love and Lost

It was December 18th, one week till Green Villages holiday festival, which held a baker's dream. Make the perfect holiday treat. Charlotte Yune's family, who owns Yune's Treats, had been competing in this competition for the past fifteen years. They had got in a tie with the only other bakery in town, Kingsmen Cakes. The family had a son the same age as Charlotte, Blake Kingsmen. He was a tall black haired, green eyed, sixteen year old boy. He was the caption of the baseball team at their high school, and was very popular. Blake also worked in his family's bakery, he was a talented baker. Charlotte and Blake had only one thing in common, their baking skills. Other than that, she was shy and not popular at all. Charlotte had long blonde hair and hazel eyes. She was gorgeous, and Blake had always noticed this, but he would never dare ask her out, his family would disown him if he ever dated someone who was associated with Yune's Treats.

"Mom!" Charlotte was counting the money at the register at ten o'clock on the 18th.

"Yes honey?" Leianne Yune, the owner of the bakery came up front checking her phone.

"So I was thinking, if we want to beat the Kingsmen this year we need to go big, no more simple safe treats. We need something that will blow everyone away." Charlotte looked at her mother with a kind of glimmer in her eye.

"Lottie, I like where you are heading, you have the right idea for this. What are you thinking?"

"Well, what if we made a four tier cake, and for decoration, we make it look like our town. It will grab everyone's attention."

"Hmmm, I think we can make that happen. I'll just need you to go to the market tomorrow and get some things we'll need."

The mother and daughter spent the rest of the evening planning their cake, what flavors, how they would do it. For the past five years it was just them as Charlotte's father Liam, had died in a car accident. They work tirelessly to keep the shop open, and ever since Charlotte had put more work in with the shop, they had been flourishing.

At the Kingsmen house they had also decided to make a cake, but instead, they wanted to make it look like a christmas tree, they wanted to do something big, but also realistic.

"Blake darling, would you please go to the market tomorrow and get some ingredients for our cake?" Blake's mother Kassy Kingsmen asked him to sit on the couch in their home.

"Yah, of course" Blake replied, finishing decorating their tree with his father, Charlie Kingsmen.

The next day both families woke up early, they had both got to work on planning their cakes and running their bakeries as usual. Blake and Charlotte had both left for the market to get what they needed at ten in the morning. Charlotte was walking down the street with a few different spices in her hands when she hit something hard, and fell back.

"I'm so sorry here let me help- Oh it's you"

Charlotte looked up and saw the messy black hair and green eyes of none other than, Blake Kingsmen.

"Yah it's me, now are you gonna help me up?"

"Oh yeah sorry, what are you doing here?" Blake said, helping her up and picking up the spices scattered on the floor.

"What's it to you?" Whenever Charlotte came into contact with Blake her shy self disappeared. She had a harsh tone in her voice.

"I'm getting ingredients for the competition, which looks like what you're doing too." Blake said, handing the spices back to her.

“Uh yeah you’re right.” Charlotte looked at him sternly. “Well um, bye.” 

“Oh, bye Lottie” Blake was blushing vigorously. 

Charlotte walked away his last word running in her head. Not a lot of people called her Lottie, the last guy who called her that was her father. It was nice to hear the word come from a guy's mouth, even if it was Blakes. She finished her shopping with Blake running through her head the entire time and on her way home. 

While Charlotte was thinking of Blake, he was thinking of Charlotte. She really did look beautiful today, her nose was rosey due to the cold weather. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and her eyes glowed against her fair skin. Blake stopped walking the bags full of groceries realizing hitting him. He liked her, he liked Charlotte. Her sassy tones with him, and her talent was remarkable. 

“Oh perfect you’re home!” Kassy took the bags from Blake and kissed him on the check. “How was the market?” 

“It was fine, I saw Charlotte Yune.” 

“Oh, well that's uh nice, did she mention what they were making for the competition?”

“No she didn’t, I never asked. I’m gonna go upstairs.” 

“Okay honey, remember you need to be at the bakery at five.” Kassy told him as he walked away. 

“Lottie you’re here thank goodness! I need your help running the front. I’ll take these.” Leianne took the bags from Charlotte and ran to the back of the store. 

The day went on and both Blake and Charlotte had each other on their minds. When they both went to bed that night they were thinking of their interaction from that day. They were both freaking out over the feelings that were growing for each other. 

The next day Charlotte got ready for the day, and she left her house, not for the bakery as usual but for her favorite coffee shop to write. She loved to write, almost as much as baking. Once she got there she pulled out her computer and got to writing, with a hot coffee sitting next to her. 

The bell on the door rang and she looked up to see Blake. She stared at him until he looked back and she quickly looked back to her computer. Blake got his coffee and sat at a couch close to her and pulled out a book, War and Peace. Charlotte saw him pull out the book and her jaw dropped. That was her favorite book. 

“You know if you take a picture it lasts longer” Blake looked up at Charlotte smiling. 

“Sorry, it’s just, War and Peace. That's my favorite book.” Charlotte replied a little rushed. 

“Really? Me too.” Blake put down the book. “This is my fourth time reading it.”

“I didn’t know you were the reading type.” 

‘There is a lot you don’t know about me.” Blake smiled at her. 

“Like what?” Charlotte closed her computer and looked into his eyes. 

Charlotte moved to sit next to him and they talked. For almost two hours. She was blown away by him, he wasn’t the cocky baseball player she thought him to be. She was fascinated by him, his personality, his hair, his eyes. 

Blakes phone buzzed and he looked down at it. 

“It’s my dad. He needs me at the bakery.” Blake said, looking at Charlotte disappointed. 

“Oh, yah I should prolly go too, my mom might need my help.” 

Charlotte stood up getting ready to leave.

“Lottie!” 

“Yah?” Charlotte looked at him, butterflies in her stomach. 

“How would you like to go to the ice rink off of Dylan Rd tonight?” Blake stood up handing her the computer. 

“I would love too, but um I don’t think my mom would love it. You know how our parents feel about each other.” Charlotte took her computer from him, their hands brushing up against each other. 

“Yah I know, how about instead we go to the old park off of Juliens? No one goes there and that way our parents won’t know.”

“Yeah sounds good. I’ll meet you there at eight o’clock.”

“That sounds perfect. By Lottie.”

Charlotte walked into the bakery and told her mom that she was gonna go out that night her mother smiled and agreed, she just had to be home by eleven. Blake’s parents also agreed to letting him go out. 

They both worked relentlessly in their separate bakeries, their minds on that night. Once it was seven forty-five Charlotte left her shop and went to the park. It was five past eight when she got there, Blake was sitting on a bench looking at the sky. 

“Hi.” Charlotte sat next to him. 

“Hi Lottie.” Blake looked at her admiration covering his face.

They sat there and talked, for a long time. Once it was a quarter till eleven Charlotte stood up. 

“I have to get home.”

“I’ll walk you.” Charlotte had a worried look on her face. “Don’t worry I’ll drop you off a block away so our parents won’t know.” Blake said standing up. 

They left the park and started to walk through the town. Once they had got to the point where Blake would leave Charlotte they stopped and looked at each other.

“Well, bye Blake, I had fun tonight. Although I don’t know how we’ll ever see each other. Our parents hate each other. I’m not really sure what to-”

“Lottie. Stop talking” 

Blake grabbed her and he kissed her. His hand on her lower back and hers on his face. They were frozen there together. Charlotte didn’t care what her mom or Blake's parents thought. She knew this was right. They were supposed to be together. They pulled apart and looked at each other. 

“Hi Lottie. How was your night?” Leianne asked. 

“It was good, I’m pretty tired though. Good night mama.” 

The next few days went by while both families worked on their cakes for the competition. It was the day of Christmas Eve, more importantly the day of the competition. Blake and Charlotte had seen each other every night leading up to it. Both cakes were done and the families left their homes for the town square where the festival took place. 

“Are you ready Blake? Ready to finally beat those Yunes?” Charlie asked his son. 

“Yeah dad, I’m ready.” Blake frowned, worried about who would win and what it would do to his and Charlotte's relationship. 

“Okay Lottie, this is it! This is the year!” Leianne was standing next to the cake, which looked gorgeous on the podium. 

“Yep mom! This is the year.” Charlotte was also concerned for her and Blake. 

“Hello Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to this year's bake off!” The town mayor held a microphone while all the contestes stood on the podium next to their creations. One spot was left open. 

The crowd cheered and the judges smiled and waved. 

“This year we have our classics, the Kingsmen and the Yunes. Will one of them finally take home the trophy?” 

The mayor went through the line introducing the other bakers. Mostly families and then he got to the final spot.

“Here we have a new contestant, who should be here already.” 

A little girl with her brown hair in pigtails ran up to the podium with a plate of chocolate chip cookies in her hands. Once she got there she smiled at the crowd and they all smiled back. She really was adorable. 

The contest continued, and the judges went through, they all took notes on how the treats looked, and they tasted them. Once they had got to the little girl she smiled at them and all took a bite out of her cookies. 

A few minutes had passed while the judges came to a conclusion on who would win. Leianne looked at Charlotte and smiled. Charlotte smiled back and then looked at Blake who smiled at her. 

“Alright I have the results, and the winner is, Adeline Marchin.” The mayor announced.

The crowd smiled and clapped as the little girl jumped up and down with so much joy. The Kingsmen and the Yunes looked at each other in complete shock. 

“Cookies.” Charlie said.

“I can’t believe cookies won.” Leianne looked at Charlotte. 

Blake decided right there that he was gonna do this. He wanted to be with Charlotte and he didn’t care what his parents thought. He walked over to Charlotte and took her hand and walked off the stage. 

“What are you doing?” Charlotte asked, looking scared but going with it. 

“Just trust me.” 

Charlotte's mom, and Blake's parents stared at them as they walked away and followed. 

“Blake what are you doing!” Kassy shouted after them. 

“Mom, we lost. Against a little girl. Our families need to stop fighting. I- I love Lottie, and I’m not gonna let your rivalry get in the way of that.” Blake looked at his mother and father sternly. 

“Lottie? Do you love him?” Leianne asked. 

“Yes I do.” Charlotte said looking at Blake. 

“Well, that's good enough for me.” Leianne turned to Charlie and Kassy. “Let's put this behind us.”

Charlie and Kassy looked shocked, then they smiled. 

“How about next year, we make something together. I think we might win.” Kassy said, shaking Leiannes hand. 

Twenty years had passed and a new bakery had opened. Lunes Kingsmen. A shop that Charlotte and Blake had opened together. They had been married for ten years and ever since their families had started to work together for the holiday bake off, they had gotten first place every year. 

“Alright Liam.” Blake asked his seven year old son. “What do you want to make for the competition?” 

“Cookies!” Liam shouted.

“I think that sounds perfect.” Charlotte walked into the room holding their five year old daughters, Lucille’s, hand. 

“Me too.” Blake looked at Charlotte and smiled.