"Come on down to Vegan Eats today! Where the food is good and the cows are happy!" The news reporter chirped excitedly into her microphone, her smile nearly blinding. 

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered as I switched it off. "What is wrong with people?"

"It seems to be a pretty popular place, " my best friend and business partner, Rachel replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, well prison seems to be popular too but you don't see me dying to go now do you?" I quipped in irritation. "Come on, lunch is over. We need to get these cupcakes done before rush hits."

Rachel laughed and followed me out of the office and into the large industrial size kitchen of our Bakery, Sweet Escape. We had always dreamed of opening a bakery together, ever since we were little kids. After many long and grueling hours of restaurant shifts and extreme saving, we had finally been able to accomplish our life long dream. I smiled to myself as I set about mixing up the batter to complete the cupcake order we still needed to fill.

Two hours later, I was covered in flour and icing, my cheeks flushed from the heat of the ovens, but I felt amazing. I couldn't understand how anyone could want to eat a pastry, cake or other dessert made without butter or milk or cream. It was alien and sounded disgusting if anyone really wanted my opinion. Whoever the owner was, must be out of their mind.

I knew without meeting them that we wouldn't get along. A subtle hatred for them, and their insane idea of what made baked goods good, had already begun to form in the back of my mind. It felt near blasphemous to even consider baking without these essential ingredients. And eggs! Who could cook without eggs? Replacing eggs with anything else seemed like a bad idea, changing the texture and the taste to something that shouldn't be.

I shuddered internally as I thought about doing such a thing with my own recipes. The idea was too radical for my liking and felt wrong to try and understand such a concept.

"I have an idea," Rachel said conversationally as we boxed up the cupcakes we had prepared earlier.

"That sounds ominous," I replied with a smirk.

Rachel gave me a flat look as she finished up the last box and turned to look at me.

"How about we make a trip over to that new place?" She suggested, her face deceptively innocent. 

"Why in the world would I want to do that?" I asked incredulously.

"Think about it, Jess. They've only been open a couple of months and business is booming. We've been open three years and didn't have that kind of business until the last year and a half," Rachel reasoned. "Maybe we can find out what we are doing wrong."

"We aren't doing anything wrong," I said with crossed arms.

"You know what I mean."

I mulled her argument over in my mind, contemplating what I should do. While I didn't like the idea of their way of baking, I knew I was being childish and close-minded. 

"Fine," I huffed in defeat. "Tell Dave he's in charge until we get back."

Rachel bounced on her heels and let out a giddy squeal. 

Twenty minutes later I found myself standing in line at Vegan Eats, the mid-afternoon crowd still filling most of the tables, murmured voices floating through the air. The smell of a variety of foods swirled around us mixed with the intoxicating aroma of coffee. The decor was welcoming in pale pastel colors, reminding me a little bit of Spring.

Fine, points for that. 

"Jess? Jessica Michaels?" A male voice spoke from behind me.

I turned and came face to face with a man I hadn't seen in years, stormy blue eyes I could never forget. A gasp of surprise left my mouth as I stared, gaping at the man I had been in love with since high school. 

"Chase?" I finally replied in disbelief. "Chase Harding, is that really you?"

"Yeah, it is! Wow, this is crazy!" He exclaimed, his eyes lit with excitement. 

A thrill shot through at the idea that he was excited to see me. Me of all people!

"I know. So, uh, how are you? I mean, how have you been?" I stammered, my heart fluttering at the smile on his lips.

"I'm good, it's been good." He answered with a mouthwatering smile. 

Rachel murmured that she was going to check out the menu and left me standing alone with Chase. An hour later, I found myself laughing more than I had in years as I sat at a booth with Chase. In high school, he had been popular whereas I had been… well not popular, but he had always been nice and it was hard not to fall for the guy and his sexy charm. That was something that hadn't changed.

"So, what brings you here?" I asked, motioning a hand to indicate the bakery around us.

"Oh, well I own the place," he answered sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

I was torn between a hysterical laugh and and something that would probably come out as an insult. I bit my lip, careful on how to respond.

"Really? You own Vegan Eats?" I asked, stalling.

"Yeah. Is that bad?" He asked nervously. 

"Before I answer that let me ask, why vegan? Why gluten free?" 

"For my sister," Chase answered with a shrug. I looked at him in confusion, silently asking him to elaborate. "My little sister, she's has issues digesting most foods. We've found that vegan foods tend to be the easiest on her."

"Ah, so you're a sweetheart?" I teased trying to lighten the moment.

Chase laughed, a faint blush tinting his handsome face.

"Go out with me tomorrow and you'll find out?"

"I would love to." I smiled.

Guess vegan isn't so bad after all.

******************************A/N: Word count 1000

Written for the FoodKart profile for the Baking Rivals Contest.

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