Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was another afternoon at Slave to the Grind. It was a time when the next shift would be due in soon. That meant her shift was almost done. Then, she would be free to go home, shower, and take a nap. Then, she would be off to go find some entertainment for an hour or two if she wasn't too beat. She was doing lots of behind the counter things getting everything set for the evening.

She heard the door creak as it opened. As she peeked behind her to see if someone needed something, her eyes flickered as they recognized this person. She finished putting some to-go cups in their holder. Then, she walked over to the counter by the register.

"Hey there Kent! How goes that doctorate? Still working hard? Just tell me what you feel like today." She smiled with a slight head tilt and only just barely lifted shoulders.

She flashed her best smile that she saved for people she knew or recognized. "Sure! Coming right up!" She was quick as lightening moving around getting his latte. Dang! Did this guy look like he's had it or what?

She walked over and sat it down in front of him. She stood there with a hand on one hip, and the other making sure her hair was behind her head. She probably should have it tied, but she mostly only tied it up when serving food. She thought she looked better with her hair down, so that's how it was.

She made a quiet musing noise. "Actually, this whole week it's mostly just been coffee and pie on the go. I guess it must be that time of year for finals. Everyone's busy studying or taking their quizzes. For today, I'd say we're between shifts. I can't complain. For the most part, it makes my day easier. On the not so awesome part, it can get almost boring. It's like a rescue to be washing dishes just about."

She then moved her hands behind her back as she took a quick look around to make sure noone was waiting on her. "How's Mr. Superman doing today? Hmm? You look pretty rough. You got finals too?"

Well, if there was anything that could get Cherry's attention other than attention paid to her; it was baking. Her eyes widened as she listened to him talking about bakeries being interviewed. Maybe or maybe not there was a brief look that crossed her face. One that was more than a little envious of people who had their own bakeries and being interviewed. Ugh. She wanted her own bakery. She wanted to be interviewed. Fame was something that held a lure for her. It wasn't even so much more than the money. The money didn't hurt. It was a little extra something like ice cream with a cherry on top.

Cherry stood there listening. Kent was blessed with a moment that was rare. It was far and few between. Not many got to see her in these sorts of moments. She was quiet and sober. She wasn't flirting or talking herself up. She wasn't convincing him of how amazing she was. She knew in her heart that she was fabulous, and the need to expound on it needed to wait.

"That's not a bad idea. Going around and sampling the competition." Crap. Did she just say competition out loud? No. She coughed real quick before speedily rewording for a nice recovery. "Um. I totally meant just... going to all these places. Might as well go and see for myself what makes people think they are so great."

Well, maybe people would see what makes her so great if she had a bakery. And got interviewed.... and was in the paper. Her vanity was quite stirred with a heavy dose of envy and coveting. Dammit. One day. One day, she'd get her s**t together and open her own bakery. She'd have a little corner place that specialized in pies and cobblers. It'd be full of awesome.

Her eyes flicked off to looking out the window at the world outside. There her heart burned with selfish desires. Her impossible need to feel important and like everyone was in love with her.

Then, she remembered she was having a conversation. "Well, that does sound like a lot. Isn't that just how life is though? You think. I can't wait till such and such is over with! Then it is; but then something else comes along to take its place. I once met a woman in the grocery store. While we waited in line. She told me about how when her daughter was in diapers; she couldn't wait till she grew out of them. She was excited to save so much money. Then, she couldn't wait till she was in school. No matter what she couldn't wait for. There was always something else to take the spot of the thing that had finally passed."

For a moment, his words had her mind hitting another freeze frame. She did want the fame and celebrity that came with those sorts of things, but she loved baking. She loved making pies. She loved for other people to be so en rapt when eating stuff she made; they felt nearly enamored. Not necessarily with her personally though that was ok too. Behind the scenes... She hadn't stopped to consider baking en masse on a daily basis would be any different than the pies she made with love in her personal kitchen.

She sat down in a seat opposite and eyed him with guarded eyes. His question about what moment she was living in. She stared at him with eyes gauging if he was just provoking her and seriously pressing her buttons. Then, she relaxed and asked herself. Well, if anything was apparent; it might be that she didn't often enough stop to consider any of these sorts of things. No. She just impulsively followed her whims wherever they took her.

A devious and nearly sinister expression flitted across her face and her eyes. For a few beats, her eyes had a rather lascivious smokey haze to them. "Well... to be quiet honest with you friend. My moment has mostly be defined with immediate gratification and sensual conquests. I've been interested in having fun. Things that help me perpetuate that fun. Though someone as shallow as myself can imagine at my age that there'll come a day in my future I really need to think more long term. I'll want other things myself eventually. Still... I've had a pretty good life as it's been so far. I just... "

The looks and expressions that had been all in her face then left and departed to whence they came. She sulked into thoughts of her pies and baking again. She sat quietly contemplating. Really, she probably should be working, but socializing while business was quiet. That was a favorite part of her job.

Her eyes finally ticked up at him. "Really. I love my pies. I love my kitchen. I love.... the look on people's faces the first time they taste my pie. There is nothing else quite like the look on their face when the first slice just isn't enough." Sometimes those sorts of statements from her were hard to tell if they were really about pie at all or other things. With Cherry, you just never knew. Majority of things came out of her mouth were laced with naughty or dirty innuendo.

"I think.. I'd just like to eventually be living someplace other than my parent's house. I don't want to just move on and worry about how they are doing. I guess that probably sounds materialistic."

Yikes. That sounded like she was almost admitting flaws. The conceited part of herself that fueled her confidence and bravado she normally radiated; that part rumbled to reassert itself and soon.

She pushed herself up from the table finding sitting down maybe was contributing to these deep level of thinking. Considering aspects of her were anything less than amazing.