The Ascendance

Chapter 19 - New Menu Item

As Joffiel went home, she immediately went to the other door and looked for Marisson. Sheena opened the door.

"Hi, Sheena! I am looking for Marisson. Is she there?" Joffiel asked.

"I will call her immediately. Wait for me," Sheena said.

Sheena asked Joffiel to enter into their apartment to make her comfortable. Joffiel sat on the sofa and patiently waiting.

Marisson greeted Joffiel with a smile.

She said, “Oh, Joffiel. I heard that you got the job. So, how was it?”

“It’s all thanks to you. Do you have spare time before going to work?” Joffiel asked.

“Sure, I also wanted to talk to you anyway. Come here inside our room,” Marisson said.

They went inside to the other room.

“I heard that you needed a new food item on the menu for the coffee shop that I’ll be the manager of,” Joffiel said.

“Yes, it’s also the thing that I wanted to talk to you about,” Marisson answered.

“I wanted to take part in making the new item,” Joffiel said.

“Really? I also wanted your help with that. I’m meaning to ask you a few days ago but I didn’t. As much as possible, we don’t want outsiders to take part in creating the new food item since it would affect many aspects in our company. That’s why I’m glad that you got the job,” Marisson said.

“I see, then I want the details about the food that won last month,” Joffiel said.

“I’ll email the details as soon as I get to the company. As much as possible, if you participate in this, I recommend that you make cakes since the competition from other companies in this aspect is very high,” Marisson said.

“What food is currently being considered to be the new food item,” Joffiel asked.

“It’s also a cake, but it’s very delicious but not appealing so we’re looking for a better option,” Marisson said.

Joffiel nodded.

“I’ll also email to you all of the food items that were previously added to other branches so you could make them as your guide,” Marisson said.

“Thank you so much, Marisson. I’ll try my best since it will also affect the image of the coffee shop that I’ll work in. I don’t want those people in that coffee shop to be disappointed with the opening,” Joffiel replied.

“I hope you could do something better than it, I’ll try to bring some of those cakes tomorrow so you could also compare the taste of those,” Marisson said.

“Then I’ll help,” Sheena interjects.

“I don’t think that Joffiel needed your help, you could ruin her mood and not be able to create a new food item for us,” Marisson said.

“Don’t worry about that, Marisson. Sheena is really a big help for me, especially when it comes to searching recipes and other internet stuff, so Sheena being there will not hinder me but would make my work faster and more fruitful,” Joffiel said.

“Okay, if it’s coming for you,” Marisson replied.

Sheena jumps in joy. She exclaimed, “Yay! It will be a blast!”

“Just be careful in everything you will do, Sheena,” Marisson said.

“Alright, Mom,” Sheena answered.

Marisson went to her work while Joffiel and Sheena went to Joffiel’s unit.

“Cake, huh? I hope that I would also be good at baking just like how I cook for dishes,” Joffiel said.

“This will be your first time baking?” Sheena asked in a shock voice.

“Yes, I hope that it will be good,” Joffiel answered.

“So the oven you got here will only be used right now?” Sheena said.

“Yes, I’m lucky that this unit has this kind of thing. Anyway, let’s search for cake recipes on the internet while waiting for your Mom to send me the details she said earlier,” Joffiel said.

Both of them spend time searching the web, they save many videos to watch for later and already have a general knowledge on how to bake cakes.

After a few minutes, Joffiel receives the email from Marisson. Joffiel studied the details and proceeded to check if she had ingredients for the recipes.

With the help of Sheena, they imitate the recipe that the winner in the event has. They tasted it and they were amazed at how delicious it was. She wasn’t sure if it tasted the same as the original but Joffiel now knows that she also has the talent in baking.

“You’re really good at many things. This cake is the best cake I’ve tasted. But we need to create something that would be much better than this so that your company will approve it,” Sheena said.

“Yup, that’s really the point on why we’re doing this. Sheena, you can go back to your room and rest, I’ll try other recipes on what ingredients I have here,” Joffiel said.

“Maybe I could sleep here so I could help you for a little more hours and I could also be here to wake you up tomorrow, I know that you will be tired from doing a lot of work,” Sheena suggested.

“Okay, let’s do that. Let me ask your Mom if you could spend the night here,” Joffiel said.

Sheena laughs. She said, “The way you said it, it feels like our unit is too far from yours.”

“It will not hurt if we ask you Mom anyway,” Joffiel said while also holding her laughter.

As Marisson approved, both of them started on making new cakes. They spend hours that Sheena falls asleep on the sofa. Joffiel lifted Sheena and brought her to her bed. As she confirmed that Sheena is fast asleep, she continues to make progress.

As morning came, Sheena woke up. She immediately gets up and looks for Joffiel.

“Joffiel? You’re still up?” Sheena asked Joffiel.

Joffiel is still baking cakes and taste testing it. She smiled and said, “I think this might be it.”

“You created something that bested the cake from the last time. Let me taste it after I finish preparing myself up,” Sheena said.

“Okay, I’ll just clean up here. I’ll leave all of the four samples on the table, feel free to judge which one is the best,” Joffiel said.

“Four?!” Sheena shouted while being in the bathroom.

“Yes, four. Don’t hurry too much, the cake will wait for you,” Joffiel said.

As Sheena finishes grooming herself and Joffiel finishes cleaning the mess from baking, Joffiel lets Sheena taste her cakes.

“I’m very excited! Which one should I eat first?” Sheena said.

“I recommend tasting from left to right. Their sweetness level is increasing from left to right, so eating in that way would not hinder you from differentiating all of the four cakes,” Joffiel said.

“Then, thank you for the food!” Sheena said before eating a bite of the first cake.

“Oh, my God! This is heaven! It’s much much more delicious than from the last time,” Sheena exclaimed.

“Really? That’s good to hear. We have our first option,” Joffiel said.

“My goodness, I want to finish this piece of cake but I needed to taste the other,” Sheena said.

Sheena continues on taste testing, she took a bite from the second cake. After tasting it, she had the same reaction as the first one. She exclaimed, “What am I even tasting, I feel like I’m on my deathbed being served all of the best food in the world.”

“So, what’s better? That or the first one?” Joffiel asked.

Sheena made a thinking-gesture that seemed that she couldn't decide what to choose. She said, “As you said, this is sweeter than the first one. Well, to my liking the first one is better merely due to the fact that I love strawberries. So that’s a biased decision.”

Joffiel laughs. She said, “Then let’s proceed to the next one.”

“I really feel like heaven is calling for me. But I must face it, I never thought that eating food that’s considered as a God-tier will be this scary,” Sheena said.

“How can that be scary?” Joffiel asked.

“Well, if I eat other cakes other than these, I might puke not from it being unpalatable but it not being as delicious as these cakes,” Sheena answered.

“So you don’t want to continue?” Joffiel asked.

“No way, I’ll go to the end of this even if I die,” Sheena said.

Joffiel laughs and watches Sheena take a bite onto the third cake.

“No way! The deliciousness of this cake is very overwhelming! I pick this one over the first two. Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t compare all of them but this one is just new to my taste buds. This is the first time I tasted a cake like this,” Sheena said.

“Ohh, so you have now your liking, huh? Then let’s finish your taste testing,” Joffiel said.

“So this will be sweeter than the last one, let me take a bite you little cakey,” Sheena said which seems she’s talking to the cake.

“Yummy! I don’t know what to pick anymore. This is just too good!” Sheena said.

“So what’s your ranking for my cakes?” Joffiel asked.

“Hmm, I think that all of them tied at first place. Just kidding. But then I’ll put a tie on my first place, with the third cake and fourth cake as the first place, then after those two is the first cake, then finally the second cake which is much much more delicious than what we tested yesterday,” Sheena answered.

“We have the same decision about how it tasted. But how about its look?” Joffiel asked.

‘Hmm.. For me the first one is the most appealing but all of the screams aesthetic so I don’t think that it will matter,” Sheena said.

“If you say so, I hope that you Mom could come right now so we could also get her opinion,” Joffiel said.

After Joffiel spoke, Marisson was heard knocking at Joffiel’s door. Joffiel opens the door for Marisson.

“I smell something delicious, did you spend all night baking cakes?” Marisson said.

“I slept but I think Joffiel didn’t,” Sheena answered.

“I see, then here’s the cake that I told you yesterday. You should taste this,” Marisson said.

Sheena and Joffiel tried the cake that Marisson brought.

“Ew. I feel like puking,” Sheena said.

“Huh? Why? Did I bring the wrong one?” Marisson asked.

Joffiel laughs. She said, “Don’t worry about her, I think she’s just overreacting. This cake is indeed delicious.”

“Overreacting? Delicious? This could not even be called a cake. The cake that we made using the same recipe is more delicious than this,” Sheena said.

“What was she talking about, Joffiel?” Marisson asked.

“Ahm, we copied the recipe that you emailed me yesterday and it’s almost the same taste as this, there’s just a little difference,” Joffiel answered.

“I see, so what’s the deal with all those cakes on the table?” Marisson asked.

“Let me present you, the new recipe that would turn the world upside down,” Sheena proclaimed.

“Those are the cakes that I baked after learning many recipes from the internet. We’re waiting for you so you could also give us incite about the cake,” Joffiel answered.

“From the smell of it, it felt like it's very delicious,” Marisson said.

Marisson tasted all of the cakes and she also gave the same reaction as what Sheena did.

“I have the same ranking for the taste and appearance just like Sheena, like daughter like mother,” Marisson said.

“Then, it’s decided, let’s present the third option!” Sheena said.

“Hmm. I feel that we should present the first one instead of the other three,” Joffiel said.

“Why not all of them? I mean, why is that?” Sheena said.

“Well, since it’s not that sweet compared to others it would compliment the coffee that the coffee shop is proud of and since it’s more appealing, it would take a lot of market even if it will only be seen as a picture. In addition to that, I made the first cake in a way that anyone could replicate it perfectly,” Joffiel said.

“You’re really smart, Joffiel. I have the same assessment but I didn’t know that you also think on how the other people could make you cake. Anyway, thank you Joffiel. Having these recipes would help the company very very much,” Marisson said.

“When will I present this?” Joffiel asked.

“Three days from now. We have an executive meeting on that day, you’re still not included in that meeting as the manager but since you’re the one presenting it, you could also introduce yourself there. I suggest that you also bring one of three cakes aside from the first one so they could also decide,” Marisson answered.

“That’s great. It means that I have time to go to groceries to buy more ingredients since I almost used all of my stacks,” Joffiel said.

“Oh really? Sorry for the inconvenience, I’ll pay for one week worth of your groceries,” Marisson said.

“It’s fine, I’m the one who used it and I enjoy the process so I didn’t have any inconvenience at all. Don’t worry about it, Marisson,” Joffiel said.

“It’s really okay, right? Again, thank you so much for your hard work. I know that you are the best person for this kind of thing.”

Joffiel and Sheena smile as they have a good job for that day.