Coup De Tarte - 17 - There's No I In Team (Updated 4/30/24)

By Adam Privett




So the next day came 
And the Pieman felt great
Except Baker Brian 
Appeared to be running late
Still there are others *
Who can help with the load
For they're a team 
So the story goes 

And business was steady
So the Pieman was busy
Balancing his time in Cocina
And his time with his pastries
But he'd have to make time 
For it's that time of the week
Where they meet in the office 
And tell each other what they think

[...]

[Jefe]  

First, I'd like to update you on some news
We now have playback on the cameras
And they're recording everything you do

[Mestuffstoplease]

Jefe, I'm confused 
Didn't we always have playback
Or is that just what I assumed

[Jefe]

No, apparently, we never put in the tape
But I blame the tech pro who came in this morning

[...]

How fortuitous
Mestuffstoplease couldn't have planned it
That's one less loose end that he'll have to remember or manage

[Jefe]

Now about the wedding
We received an extra bonus

How are we on Bundt cakes 
And how are we on donuts *

[Chef]

I think you have a thief 
Working within your crew 
I didn't want to say anything 
Until I was sure I had to

[Via]

It's true Chef 
It seems more than coincidence
With the timing of the first Bundt cake
And now the donuts that have gone missing 

[...]

Mestuffstoplease stays silent 
For that was his way 
When confronted with drama
Where he had a hand in the play

[Jefe]

Well with the cameras in place
We will now have better understanding
Take note of any strange behavior 
That seems worth examining 

How are we on pies
Any new jellied creations

[Mestuffstoplease]

No, Jefe 
I was preoccupied with the wedding
And though I have a couple things in the works
I have nothing yet that's worth displaying 

[Jefe]

Okay, but I want you to focus exclusively on jelly perfection
I was thinking we can come out with a jelly line
With six signature jellies for mass production 

What's the head count Chef
Are there any worker concerns

[Chef]

Everyone seems to be fine 
Except for Baker Brian's talk 
Of his antics outside of work 

[Mestuffstoplease]

Yes I have found that also to be true
His speech is quite disturbing *
And I fear that his behavior has influenced the crew

[Jefe] 

Chef have a talk with him 
Tell him to tone it down
The last thing I want is for customers
To hear what he's talking about

[...]

All of a sudden there was a knock on the door
A man and a women dressed in obvious detective uniforms

[Detective Shaw]

I'm sorry to bother you
I'm looking for Calvin Humphries

[Calvin ]

Yes, how can I help you

[Detective Shaw]

Yes, I'm Detective Shaw
And this is Detective Braggs

We're following up on a missing persons report
And we have a few questions to ask you 
Regarding an employee of yours named Brian Lacquette
Do you have a minute

[Calvin ]

Sure, shoot

[Detective Shaw]

Great.  Now when was the last time you saw Brian.

[Calvin ]

Well, it was last night about quarter after nine
It was some time after we closed
But I didn't really check the time 

[Detective Shaw]

Great.  And tell me  
Did he say he was going anywhere in particular?
Did he seem strange in any way?

[Calvin ]

Well, I couldn't really say
But he did change outfits 
I believe he was one of those gays

[Detective Shaw]

And why do you say that?

[Calvin ]

Well from the way he dressed and behaved

[Detective Shaw]

So from the way he dressed you think that he might have gone somewhere?

[Calvin ]

Certainly, yes, but you'll want to talk to Froster Felicity

[Detective Shaw]

Froster Felicity
Is she here 

[Calvin ]

She's the one who likes to stay busy
If you want to talk to her you're in the clear

[Detective Shaw]

Interesting
Do you do that a lot Mr. Humphries
Or is this just a coincidence

[Calvin ]

I'm not sure what you mean
So I'll have to plead innocence

[...]

Detective Shaw sits down
But it couldn't have been where he thought
For that's where Chef was sitting 
But now Chef was standing against the wall

[Detective Shaw]

Is there anything you want to tell us
Anything that you think we should know

[Calvin ]

No, unless you have any further questions
I believe you have seen all that I can currently show 

[Detective Shaw]

Alright Mr. Humphries
Thank you for your time
Here's my card 
Please let us know if anything comes to mind...

Look at that, I think you just made me rhyme
You have a good day Mr. Humphries

[...]

The detectives exit and Mestuffstoplease
hears one mumble something to the other *

[Via]

That was a close call Pieman
Well, I guess it would now be okay
To look for a new Baker Brian
Now that he's missing and turned gay

[Chef]

He's right Mestuffstoplease
What do you think...
Mestuffstoplease

[Mestuffstoplease]

Yes, as above so below
We'll need to replenish 
All that we stow


Afterword


Spoiler alert!

The real story that developed herein was that of an enterprising entrepreneur that creates alter personalities amid balancing his personal drama with that of managing his pastry shop and adjacent restaurant merger.  Mestuffstoplease, the Chef, the Caker, the talking pastries, and presumably Jefe—since he too was ignored during the visit by the detectives--could all just be a figment of Calvin's imagination, perhaps as both a product of mental illness and a coping strategy to deal with the added stress of the Cocina Surena acquisition.  With that being said, it could be read that every character is just a product of the protagonist's imagination, but, of course, that would just be ridiculous.  A subtle feature that distinguishes the real from the fake, is that the real characters rarely rhyme, unless, of course, they've been subtly influenced by Calvin's habit, as is recognized by the detective at the very end. There's also his personality shift encountered with the first appearance of The Lady in Red, also known as Charlene.  The personality shift to Calvin is apparent in every interaction outside of his "jelly team" and his world of pastries.

 It's hard to say what will happen to Calvin if the story should continue.  Will he embrace the true objective reality superimposed upon his, or will he remain inside his fantasy counterbalancing the real with the imaginary.  Regardless of the mindset that he chooses going forward, he now has a love interest in Charlene, a flourishing jelly concept, and a potential criminal investigation on the horizon--or does he?

Much like Faust's antagonist Mephistopheles, Mestuffstoplease has a sardonic outlook on life.  This can be inferred from his creative conversations with the Caker's creations—who he at first hates, probably because they're the Caker's creations, but also because they're just edible treats that he has to emotionally cater to.  But he would mature in his perspective, as seen in The Enlightenment and with his disapproval of Baker Brain's distaste for pastry treats.  Though slightly arrogant in the presence of pastries, in the presence of others of greater importance, like the Chef and the Caker, he is notably less arrogant, and even somewhat insecure.  This, of course, changes later in the story when he has carte blanche, but his insecurity would linger throughout the drama. 

In case you missed it, there are parallels between the imaginary world Calvin created and the real world that surrounds him every day.  For example, the hole in the wall of the restaurant doesn't manifest until Mestuffstoplease's first rendezvous and subsequent holey fascination with Bundt cakes.  There is also the fact that his first Bundt cake rendezvous happens after he jellies a giant Cinnamon Roll cake, alluding to the religious concept of wrong doing (sin-a-man). There is also the parallel that happens between humans and cakes, "as above so below," which can be seen with Cocina Sureña's acquisition (Southern Cuisine) and the introduction of Rice Pudding into the social milieu of pastry treats.  This accompanies the presence of a new boss, Jefe, and the possibility of job loss if he doesn't like what he sees--which could be an imaginative manifestation from the great stress the Cocina Surena acquisition has on Calvin.

As the reader, can you spot any additional parallels?



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