Cake and Kisses

"Princess Talia"

The smiling face of the man whose familiar voice that used to be her beacon of hope slowly transformed to a wail of a banshee as Cyrus' face contorted in a spiral in front of her and Talia woke up with a gasp.

Her shoulder hurt as she had laid on the hardwood floor for long and scrunching up her face in pain she rubbed her shoulders. Her stomach grumbled loudly and slowly getting up and stretching herself up, she checked her refrigerator for any ingredients. There weren't even eggs left making her sigh and she fixed her strap slipping from her shoulders.

Who asked you to throw away a perfect sandwich, stupid Talia!

She looked through the big window in her living room to see the night lights already glimmering colourfully outside and wondered if she should buy some ingredients or order some food.

At that time, she heard the door knock and thinking it was Mrs. Johnson, she didn't open the door. But as she observed closely, it seemed like it was a man outside and he kept on knocking and she was scared to open the door. She walked like a cat on tiptoes to the foyer and listened closely since she didn't have the guts to peek through the peephole door camera. She blamed her hunger for her fear and her belief that the man outside could peek in and see her not dressed properly through the camera is she peeked through it.

After a while, she could sense something was placed on the floor and she heard the man's heavy footstep leaving. Waiting for ten more minutes making sure there is no one on the other side, she wore the coat hanging in the coat hanger. She opened to door to see a neat package in front of her door.

Seeing the blue ribbon over the package, she knew who sent her that package. And she once again got reminded what day it was.

Her birthday!

And the package with blue ribbon is here.... Just like clockwork, every year!

She wanted to close the door leaving the package but then her curiosity got the best of her and she got the package inside and closed the door immediately, like she might get caught stealing.

At the same time, hiding behind a corner in the corridor, a dark-haired man smiled seeing the woman picking up the package like a monkey snatching up snacks from the tourists. At least he could get a glance at her this time!

As he contemplated on whether he should knock her door once more to take a chance, a heavy hand gripped his shoulder.

"You live here, son?"

A well-built man wearing dark blue jeans and black leather jacket with a gun holder in his waist came to his view of that dark-haired man. His eyes were sharp and his hair was cut short and his gaze was with scrutiny.

The man in his sixties who was openly carrying, took his phone out and as if casually swiping, he took pictures of the dark-haired man.

'The royals hired a local veteran to protect her?'

He smirked, and realising he is being photographed he didn't mind and even posed well. The people he is reporting to won't mind him visiting her. And even if he is from an enemy, they will be warned with his arrival now.

"No..."

He said with an uncaring smirk and placing his hand in his pocket he left waving with his other hand holding a cigar.

The guy looked at Talia's door and observing it to be secure, he walked in to his apartment and informed the one he is reporting, of the arrival of this man with his picture.

'Leave him be. He is no threat'

Was the reply he got. He wondered who he might be but it was not his job. His job was to protect that woman in 108C and report about her to his employees.

Inside her apartment, Talia didn't know how long she was staring at the package but she heard her stomach grumble. The package seemed like a cake box. Every year she receives a cake from 'him'. He orders in the best bakeries and café in the city. And each time it would be a variety of chocolate cake.

But this time it could be different!

It might very well be a package containing explosives or a prank package, but her hunger got the best of her and she could only imagine a cake inside. A big chocolate cake filled with deliciousness.

Before she knew it, she opened the package, opening the cardboard box carefully and as she expected, inside there was a box from the most popular bakery in the city where they have to wait in a long line to get an order. And they are famous for their chocolate cake.

She ran and picked up a plate and a dessert fork and devoured the devil's food cake layered with flavourful raspberry and bittersweet chocolate ganache and frosted with ganache, like the glutton she is for chocolate.

It made her forget the fear she had sometime before and she rubbed her pleased tummy with a smile.

Death by chocolate... worth it!

Licking her lips and fingers to clean the chocolate, like a grooming cat, she got up to clean the table.

But as she picked the package, it was heavy still and she wondered of there is more cake left. But the cake box was empty.

She picked up the cake box from the package and inside there was navy blue velvet box. But above the velvet box, there was a card.

"This is new!"

Till now there will only be a cake. Why is there a card and a... Gift...this time?

She stared at the card for a while and a lot of scenarios ran through her mind. Could that card be poisoned...? Bio-weapon?

But her hands grabbed the light blue envelope that had her full name written in cursive with a fountain pen and opened it. She should say, the handwriting was perfect.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DEAR IRIS

Lots of kisses from,

Your Fred.

Kisses?

My Fred?

What is that fool thinking?

In your dreams, Arthur!

She stared at the paper for a while wishing that she gets some super power and laser forms from her eyes and the paper burns.

But alas! She is not superman!

And then she stared at the velvet box trying to figure out what might be inside. The box was small for a necklace and big for a ring or a bracelet.

What could that be?

'How I wish I have X-ray vision'

She still wasn't superman!

She glared at the box for a little more time and soon her patience ran out and she opened the box.

A hairpin was inside and it was..... Blue colour!

Ugh! This guy is like a pet who hunts mice and squirrels and bring them back to their masters. He sees something blue and immediately he gets it and gives me! Annoying!

Talia looked closer at the hairpin and it seemed familiar. That's when she remembered that day when Rachel Crawley was making a fuzz in the office about some hairpin she wanted to auction that got snatched up by some other dude. Well, she wasn't pleasant with her words but it seemed to be the same hairpin.

Talia picked it up and it looked like a complicated design... A lot old. But... It looked good in a way too.

But is it worth a fifty million dollars?

And that too for a hairpin an ancient Emperor gave to one of his concubines he didn't even bother to make his Empress?

Talia was filthy rich and know antiques have great value and if it is a family heirloom it has more than monetary value because of the sentimental value. And rich people like to buy these items just to show their wealth.

But... Seriously.... This guy went and squandered off my grandfather's money for a hairpin some dude gave to one of his women?

Does he think of me that way too? A side-chick?

She wanted to throw that hairpin into the trash but then stared at it for a while.

It kind of looks adorable....

In the background the word 'Kisses' from the card, came to her view.

Placing the hairpin on the dining table, she cleared out the rest. The taste of the chocolate cake lingered in her mouth. If not for fear of cavities, she'd have forgo basic hygiene and went to bed with her mouth still tasting chocolate.

But cavities are real and dentists are very much real and horrifying!

Them and their haunting big needles....

Ahhh.....

She brushed properly and went to bed. As she passed her dining table on her way to the bedroom, she saw the hairpin and the card. She turned her head and walked to her bedroom and locked her room.

Covering herself in the duvet, she closed her eyes. Like each year, the arrival of the cake, calmed her heart.

Maybe because of that familiar handwriting that wrote 'Kisses' she dreamt of her first kiss...

"Cyrus, kiss me"

The then thirteen year old Talia asked the only man she had always known.