Today was the day Alice was going to conquer her fear of baking. She can cook a mean buttery omelette Gordon Ramsay would approve of but baking a whole other thing.

The fires that she made throughout the numerous attempts in life gave her an illogical fear of baking. You would too the way fires magically spread when she was being careful. At this point she should wonder if she had fire powers.

How does hand mixer set itself on fire? It was new though?

Tightening her apron she looked at the recipe straight from the baking book for dummies. If babies can make this so can she.

First she has to get all the ingredients out. Then she has to measure them. Mixing the dry ingredients first she looked at the time.

Shit.

People are going to come in any minute and she not even halfway done.

Throwing all the discipline and carefulness she promised herself in the beginning away, she went ahead and mixed everything as quick as she could. The handmixer was still a burnt appliance rotting in the cabinet so her hands cramped up. Time was running after her but she would make it and prove everyone wrong.

“I bet you can’t bake anything without burning it for a 100 bucks.” Declan betted as they walked through the baking aisle of the department store.

Declan and Alice loved to walk around stores, pointing at things they want to buy and never going through with it cause they neither can afford it or have space for it. There was a no more a romantic date for them than relating to each others financial state.

Alice looked at the 100 dollar price tag of the peach colored stand mixer that seemed to be calling out to her just based on pure vibes of how shiny it is. “You got yourself a bet then, Decs.”

Maybe she should have researched more. Or had more self awareness for her baking skills as she did mix everything already but it looked more like clay than batter.

Alice debated whether to add water cause a wet cake is better than a dry cake. Plus wet cakes have lesser chances of setting on fire so she added some bottled water to the mixture.

It was better and she decided to ignore the voice inside her head saying maybe she shouldn’t have added water or taken any creative liberties. The bet never said the thing had to taste good in the first place.

She transferred the mixture in the pan and prayed in front of the open oven. She had Declan preheat it for her as a handicap.

“Please don’t burn my house down.” Alice made the cross sign and put in her cake pan.

She wasn’t even going to put a timer on as she will sit in front of the oven and watch through the glass to see if it will rise.

All the other times it did not rise. In fact they kind of turn to cement with how hard they got. The water was for sure a good move.

Unknown to her, her mischievous kitty Bonavieve recently awoken from her nap and was hungry. Once she smelled the scent of all the ingredients in the kitchen she climbed up on counter and decided to dive into the extra batter left over.

“Bonavieve no!” Alice said as she saw her furry pet taking a bath in the batter.

Benevieve meowed and jumped out the bomb, making as mess as the extra batter was all over her.

Alice tried to catch her but the cat merely pounced all around the kitchen. There was now batter on the floor, the stove and even the fridge. Cleaning was going to be brutal later.

Then the smoke alarm came through.

Shit.

Alice made a grab for the fire extinguisher she was trained to use specifically by a fireman as he had come to recognize her. She knew she lost the bet but that doesn’t mean she should die a loser.

She pushed the lever towards the oven, making the foam cover the entire thing in a white cloud.

“Alice, guess what-“ Declan arrived only to be hit with fire extinguisher foam.

Alice dropped the fire extinguisher as she realized it was him.

Declan put down the box he was carrying on the counter and wiped his face from the foam. He examined the mess around him. “Hmmm maybe I shouldn’t have bought you a stand mixer.”

“You got me a stand mixer?” Alice asked, about to cry.

Declan pulled her in for a hug. “There’s only so many times we can walk through that store with you saying you want one and yet never going through with it. Consider it an early birthday present.” Breaking the hugging, he cupped her face. “But please for the love of God take some baking lessons or befriend a baker whenever you attempt to do this.”

Bonavieve hugged Declan’s leg.

“You tried to bake our cat?” Declan looked down noticing the sprinkles and undeniable batter on its fur.

She laughed at mess she made. Nothing was going according to plan but it was absolutely perfect.