Butterscotch |

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Trying the toast with whipped cream and peach jam was something of a world-changing experience. Ishara had initially assumed she was more a spice fan than a lover of sweets. She had been wrong. Very wrong.

She did have a sweet tooth that extended to all things sweet. It only excluded dishes that were sickly sweet. The sugary goodness was overwhelming on those. She also, somehow, really loved butterscotch out of all the flavors she declared as stereotypical dessert flavors like chocolate or vanilla. 

It had led her, the next week, to click on a new dish altogether. It was a new addition, labelled by a 'new!' tag. It was called 'Butterscotch Pie'. 

Part of her had wondered if the stranger (whose name she still did not know) had made this one too. Was he the main supplier for all the recipes of the store? And what was his name, really?

She was curious but the answer to her questions meant having to step out of her bubble. She wasn't particularly accepting of that idea. So, she tried not to dwell on the many questions in her head. She focused on her work. Her new illustrations and episodes to be uploaded. 

Her brand new character and all the commotion he was receiving online. 

She also prayed the stranger didn't hijack this delivery too. 

He had, unfortunately, hijacked this delivery too. 

She stared through her peep hole. The stranger stared right back, as if knowing he was the subject of her gaze. As usual, twenty minutes had passed. She hadn't opened her door. 

"Look, I know I kinda jumped the gun before. I shouldn't have asked to see you considering you hate showing yourself. I gathered that much."

Ishara blinked. 

"Would you at least tell me your name? Through the door, of course. Also, you've ordered something new of the same flavor. Do I take that as progress? I've also made a plate of toast as an additional freebie, in case you missed that."

There was a lot of information there that Ishara needed to unpack.

"You added a freebie?"

"Yup!"

"You didn't need to..." Ishara let the statement hang in the air like a question. 

"I didn't need to, yes. But I wanted to. I thought it would make you more inclined to face me, someday. Maybe we've made one percent progress? At least?"

Ishara considered it.

"Even it's just a quarter of one percent, I'll take it." The stranger prompted. 

Ishara was tired of calling him the stranger in her head. She cleared her throat and asked, "What's your name?"

A pause.

"Akshay. It's Akshay."

Ishara was surprised. It was a modest name. Her character had been given the name Zayan. Rather fancy name but she thought it suited a handsome, mysterious man. She hadn't been expecting 'Akshay' but...it suited him.

"Well, I'll keep the parcel down here, then." Akshay bent down, temporarily away from Ishara's view, as he placed the box gently. "See you next week."

"Ishara."

He paused, just as he turned. He glanced back at the door. "Pardon me?"

"Ishara. That's my name. You asked for it."

His eyes lit up. 

"Ishara," He said, as if testing her name out loud. "I hope we make more progress next week. Also, my number's on the card attached to the parcel. I hope you message me if you liked the pie."

Ishara nodded to herself, before realizing he couldn't see her. 

"I'll get going now."

Have a safe journey. She didn't say it out loud but she meant it in her heart. She heard the rumblings of a motorcycle and decided it was safe to head out. She clicked her door open and picked up the parcel. She checked the corridor for any trace of someone lurking. 

There was none.

She clicked the door shut, letting the aroma of the sweet pie and toast prevent her from overthinking everything. 

That day, a small smile lingered on her face, unbeknownst to herself. The card with his phone number was carefully pinned on the green 온라인카지노게임board above her desk. 

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