Lemon tart, lemon tart~ Mina hummed asbshe typed away the rest of the day. Ding, a notification from hermother came, and she replied. Out of curiousity, and partly excited, she opened her bank app. Mina stared down at her bank balance like it had personally betrayed her, eyes wide, fingers shaking.
$2.
Not even enough for the lemon tart from the convenience store she said she wouldn't eat. Tragic. Historic, even.
She slumped over her desk dramatically, cheek pressed against the cool surface as she groaned, "Why do macarons cost like…...emotional damage? Choco eclairs....like hearth arrythmia? Past Mina, how could you do this to me....."
Annie snorted beside her, " Girl, just wait for payday!" "That's tomorrow," Mina whispered, eyes hollow. "But the cravings are today."
The other interns laughed, and someone mentioned they were all going out after work tomorrow to celebrate finally surviving their first month. Mina lit up immediately. Dessert. Friends. Freedom. Then she remembered,
Henley Group employees eat for free in the executive lounge on payday. The same lounge where Mr. Isaac Henley occasionally exists like a rare, elegant exotic moth. What does desserts that the elites eat taste like?
She gulped. She had never even breathed near that lounge, let alone entered it. So intimidating. But again, free desserts. She ultimately decides to restrain her lemony cravings today.
The next day, she's dressed in a yellow dress, with a white midi skirt, and brown loafers, trying to emulate the vibes of a lemonntart herself. Her har is in twintails today, something she hadn't tried in this office yet.
She could barely contain her excitement during work, and was giggly and happy the entire time. She handled basic tasks,btypic, sorting, copying, mundane tasks that became interesting due to anticipation. Ding. A notification that this month's pay had been sent. Everyone immediately has a sly grin in their faces.
When it was finally lunchtime, Mina bolted to the executive's lounge, and was the first from her department to stand in line at the buffet, and like 10th overall, an impressive feat. She took just a small portion of rice, and took all 5 dessert options. Some gave her a side eye, but she was too giddy to notice.
She sat down at an empty table, devouring her meal. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Isaac walk in, but shekept herfocus on her rice plate. Gotta get to dessert fast heh heh.
Isaac scanned the room, and his eyes landed on Mina, drooling on the desserts, quickly averting his eyes. He took his set meal, and looked around, before finally settling on an empty seat.
Mina was following Isaac from the corner of her eye, and seeing him eat alone, with some employees even avoiding him. A pang of pity pierced her heart, and she waved to get his attention. "Can I eat there?" She mouths, pointing towards him.
Isaac notices, but doesn't understand. He gives her a slightly confused plus concerned face, but she's already coming to his table with her tray.
Mina balanced her tray like it contained sacred treasure, desserts wobbling dangerously with each step. A few employees looked her way with expressions that said "Is that junior really...." while employees from her department were unbothered, like "Typical Mina...." She pretended not to notice the stares. Lemon tart gave her courage. Lemon tart made her powerful.
Isaac looked up just as she approached. For a second, his expression didn't register anything, just the default polite CEO neutrality. Then recognition flickered in his eyes, and he looked concerned when Mina's tray almost fell.
"Good afternoon, sir!" she said with a too bright smile, already sliding into the seat across from him like she had absolutely been invited. Isaac's eyes dropped to the FIVE desserts on her tray. Then slowly back to her. "....Planning to eat the whole dessert section?" Mina looked down at them, dead serious. "Yes."
A beat.
"...I see."
Mina picked up her spoon and said cheerfully, "It's not everyday we get to have fancy desserts at Lunette, so I had to act fast." She gave him a thumbs up, continuing her rice bowl. Isaac's gaze lingered on her twintails for a second longer than necessary. "That explains... the enthusiasm." She leaned closer slightly and whispered like it was a national secret, "I skipped breakfast so I'd have more dessert capacity."
For the first time, Isaac's lips actually twitched. Almost a smile, almost, before he forced it bak to neutral.
Mina finally finished her lunch set, and immediately switched to her dessert tray in a clean swift motion. She dug her spoon into the tart and took a bite like she had been waiting her entire life for it. Her shoulders relaxed, and a soft, genuine hum of happiness escaped her.
Isaac paused mid-cut of his steak. He wasn't used to people making that kind of sound around him. Most people in his presence held their breath.
"This is so good," Mina mumbled, cheeks puffed with tart. Then, realizing who she was sitting with, she straightened. "Ah, sorry. That was.. unprofessional. There goes my elegant employee streak....dammit."
Isaac looked at her for a moment, then simply said, "It's fine. Eat."
A bit of silence passed, filled with clinking utensils and low chatter from other tables. Mina carefully divided her second dessert, a pistachio cheesecake, as if calculating rations. Isaac noticed. She ate with a quiet discipline, savoring but never overindulging, even though she clearly wanted to.
"You like sweets," he said, more like an observation than conversation.
Mina swallowed and nodded, embarrassed. "Not just like sir, I love them. So I figured I'd eat a lot today." She gave a smile, and a thumbs up, "So I don't crave them for the rest of the month and…..do something stupid like impulse buying desserts when I shouldn't."
Isaac's knife paused. "You….restrain yourself? Over desserts?" His tone has hints of surprise.
Mina laughed softly. "Well, I have rent, and bills, and my mom's medicine to cover first. So if I get my cravings out now, I can focus better later. It's a system." She took another scoop of the cheesecake and took a bite, a smile forming in her face instantly. Then she blinked, realizing she had said something unnecessary. "Ah, sorry boss. I'm just talking. I ramble when I'm happy, please don't mind me and eat."
Isaac didn't speak. His gaze had drifted, unfocused, to her desserts, then to his own untouched glass of wine. His life had always been full of more than enough. He had never once needed a "system" to justify wanting something small, trivial like, lemon tarts.
He cut a piece of his steak, but his movements had slowed. "You're… very methodical. That's quite unlike you."
Mina blinked, surprised. Then she smiled in a small, shy embarrassed way. "What's that supposed to mean, I'm plenty methodical at work too sir." She pouted.
They ate in silence after that. Mina happily polished off the last of her dessert, she even closed her eyes for a second, not out of theatrics, but genuine content. Isaac found himself watching the small progression of her expressions from anticipation, delight, satisfaction. Honest, simple.
When she finished, she put down her fork with determination, as if closing a chapter. "Okay," she said to herself in a determined tone, gently tapping her cheeks with both palms, "no more sweets until next pay. I can do this."
Isaac stared at her. "…Does that actually work?"
"It has to," she grinned. Then she stood up, bowing slightly. "Thank you for letting me sit here, Mr. Henley. I hope I didn't bother you." She said it sincerely. And instead of answering, Isaac only gave a stiff nod. He eventually finished his lunch, and carried on with the rest of his day. When he returned back to his penthouse that night, the city lights glittered beneath the tall glass windows. Everything was polished, elegant, meticulously arranged. The wine in his glass was expensive, aged, and barely touched.
Emily had left a box on the marble counter, a lemon tart from one of the most prestigious patisseries in the district. He had ordered it without thinking too deeply about it, back in the car.
Just one box. Just one slice.
He sat on the bar stool, removed the golden seal, and lifted the fork.
It was flawless. Sweetness and sourness in perfect balance, soft texture, refined aroma. He chewed slowly, mechanically at first, like he was sampling something for a business acquisition.
"So I won't do something stupid like impulse-buying desserts when I shouldn't." The words echoed in his ear. She had said it like it was nothing. Like sacrifices were a normal flavor of life.
He lifted another bite, slower this time. He closed his eyes, really trying to savor it.
It was sweet.
Somehow, that bothered him.