Page 4 of Bound By Temptation

A wide smilecrossed my face as the bell over the door rang, alerting me to the arrival of another customer. I’d almost thought of taking the offending metal down once upon a time because it rang constantly throughout the day, never taking a break all day long and giving me the occasional headache.

This technically wasn’t a bad thing. It meant that customers were coming in, and that equaled money in the register. Who the hell wouldn’t like that? So, I got over it and kept my bell.

Having your own business wasn’t a walk in the park; that was for damn sure. But I loved my not so little bakery on the corner in downtown Sumner, Georgia.Fallon’s Bakeryto be exact.

I named it after my grandmother, and since my last name was Fallon too, it was considered both of ours. Gram Olive was the reason I started this place up two and a half years ago. I’d always loved to bake. But I really loved to design cakes. Ever see that TV show where the man makes those huge come to life cakes? That was me. One could call it a passion. GramO pushed me to have fun in life and always said, “Work is just that—work. Now passion, it can bring a paycheck and make you feel like you’re floating on air.”

So, I turned my passion into my job.

GramO was the reason I’d done and changed several things throughout my life. Loved that woman to bits, and the vat of knowledge in that woman’s head was priceless. Every drop I soaked up like a sponge because she was always right. Always. Not joking. She could predict something years from now and kid you not, it would happen.

The bell over the door rang, and my head rose automatically with a “Welcome!” coming from my lips along with a smile. Every guest who entered this place was greeted because I wanted the bakery to feel like home. Like a place where people wanted to be. Where they could get some sweets and a coffee and go sit in one of the many tables, chairs, or couches to kick back with friends.

The bakery took a bit to get going. Sumner wasn’t really the ideal place to have such a thing considering the town was smaller and there were a wide range of people. But once people came in and tasted what I had to offer, the place blew up. More than I’d ever thought possible. People came from neighboring towns to eat, drink, and hang out.

When I bought the building, it was a blank canvas completely at my whim, and I took every advantage with that. It was pretty funny the décor I chose, because it was the complete opposite as to what I had in my home.

Whereas my house was color and vibrance, hell I even had an orange fridge, this place was on the flip side of that. Modern with warm tones. When you entered there were two levels to the place, but the top loft was open and set back a bit with a clear railing so people up there could look down upon the people ordering.

The main level had gray tiled floors that appeared to look like wooden planks. I loved the look of it and bonus—it cleaned up with ease. The walls were a greenish blue tone that was calming and relaxing. Or, at least, that was what I’d hoped it did for customers.

I tried so many different swatches, and my brain kept going to emerald green, then I’d take a step back and remember, this was a business. Not my home. Emerald green would be for my house, not here. Even on the flip side of my home tastes, I still loved it. It was my yin and yang all rolled into one.

On the right side of the large space stood the glass cases full of my sweets, along with the register and the coffee bar. Off to the left were a variety of tables in a variety of sizes and shapes of circles, squares, and rectangles. All different, but all working well together. The chairs were a variety as well. Some had cushions, while others were wood, chrome, or steel.

They didn’t match each other one bit, but yet it all seemed to mesh well. I guessed that was putting my spin on the place to remind me of home. Huh … never thought of that before. My twist of unique flowing through the bakery.

In the back of the place there were two large open areas. The first had one large table that would fit between eight to ten people, solid wood painted just a bit darker than the flooring. Off to the side of that were couches. Three to be exact, all in a U shape with a large ottoman in the middle.

Lamps warmed the place up, giving off a yellow hue when the blinds were closed.

The other room in the far back was for parties. Instead of one large table, it had three and room to expand. There were two recliners in the corner with a few bean bags for extra seating. This was an excellent idea from my mother, Dalilah, and had brought in extra funds. You’d be amazed how many people were looking for a place to have a party that they didn’t have to set up or clean up. Even in Sumner. That part of the business alone was a huge success.

Back out in the front behind the glass cabinets was where all the magic happened. It was open so customers could see what was going on in the kitchen, such as if I were making one of my cakes. They could watch me design it from start to finish. I didn’t mind the eyes on me while I worked, because when I was in the zone, only someone speaking to me directly made me pull out of it.

This setup gave the place a family feel. I was inviting you to come along and be a part of the experience that was Fallon Bakery. Be part of my process and part of my family.

The loft, which was the second floor, was the best part for me to create. The ceilings in this place were so tall that when I first saw it, I knew instantly I wanted another level added. Up there was comfort upon comfort. Yes, there were tables and chairs just like below, there was one large section that was just couches, bean bags, and other odds and ends I’d found that could be used for additional seating.

We also had a fireplace in the loft in the far corner. It was a great place to kick back, read, and stay a while. Which was what I wanted my customers to do. And they did. Some stayed all day. Some came and brought their laptops to work or even have meetings.

There were even game tables. I’d put a lot of love, time, and money into this place and I loved every inch of it.

“What can I get for ya?” I asked the next person in line. It was typical to have a long line here, especially in the mornings, and customers for the most part were cool about waiting. There were always a select few who were not. Those were the ones I wanted to sprinkle a little something else in their tasty treats, even though here in Georgia it was illegal to mellow them out a bit. Not that I would, but it could help them get the sticks out of their asses.

Just like the woman standing in front of me needed a bit of chill in her life. Not really chill. More like a tub of ice water to take a bath in and stay in until she was blue.

Mrs. Corbo, or as I knew her in high school—Lexi Jones. She married right out of high school and started popping out babies. She also decided to never grow up.

She didn’t come in here often, but when she did it took every bit of restraint to be nice.

I continued speaking after recognizing her and added, “A grande caramel macchiato upside down with extra caramel at 180 (degrees).” The order she’d recited every time she came into the bakery. Even though I knew it by heart, she alwayshadto repeat it to me as if she thought I’d forget part of it. So I waited, stiff smile intact for that very thing to begin. Over the years, I fully admit my patience had more than a crack in it, but customer service was the key to success and all that. It was soon to run out.

GramO said that with age came not giving a fuck. Yes, she used those exact words. She gave zero fucks which was only one reason I loved her. My time to give zero fucks was getting closer by the day. What that had to say about my business, I didn’t know. Only one way to find out—one day at a time and hope I didn’t snap before then.

Truthfully, I just wanted to make my cakes, but helping with the coffee line when it was outrageously long was my duty as the owner.

“No, I want a Grande Caramel Macchiato upside down with extra caramel at 180(degrees),” she demanded, and I’d just stopped myself from telling her that I’d said that exact thing moments before and from rolling my eyes with a huge sigh added in for shits and giggles.

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