The Misadventures of Endora Pan | Sweet Complications
Chapter 15
You are reading The Misadventures of Endora Pan, a romantic comedy exploring the unpredictable nature of love and the chaos of everyday life. Set in the world of a young Taiwanese-American woman, this story delves into themes of self-discovery, cultural identity, and finding connection in unexpected places. Written in a witty, self-aware style, this novel is for readers looking for a light-hearted yet emotional read.
“Hey! Thanks so much for coming by. It’s great to meet you.” Endora’s wide grin flashed at the passersby walking through Dari Market. Her stand was sandwiched between one selling the cutest chibi-style stickers and another selling boba. She made a mental note to chat with the sticker store owner later to see about designing a new logo for her shop.
An unexpected heat caused some fluster—some worry over melted chocolate and over-softened cookies. This was the downside to outdoor markets, but Endora gave thanks for the opportunity anyway. Her mind busied itself with greeting customers and friends. People from church arrived in small groups to show their support. Even Endora’s college friend, Jane, had driven up from Orange County with her husband and baby to see her. In spite of the heat, the market was packed with people, and mingled scent of food, iced tea, asphalt, and sweat, made for a strangely invigorating combination. Endora thrived in such environments.
She had just looked up, finishing up a transaction and handing the lady her receipt when her next customer stepped up.
“Endora’s Bakehouse Stand?”
For a blissful second, she thought her eyes and ears had failed to function as they should. There was no way. No way on God’s good earth—
“What are you doing here?”
Dominic stood before her, the cute glasses undeniable, hair nicer than she remembered. “Um, you invited me…for our date?”
“NO!” Endora’s head reeled. Sam. Blind date. Dominic?? “You’re Sam’s friend?!”
The guy at least had the good sense to look sheepish as he ran a hand through his perfect hair, giving it a cliche rumpled look. “Sorry, I wasn’t sure either. ‘Endora’ isn’t the most common name, you know? But I thought, I had nothing to lose, and it could be fun.” Dominic worried his lip. “If you’d rather I leave, I can. Can I buy some cookies to support your business first?”
Endora’s senses were starting to find their way back to earth. A line had formed behind Dominic, curious and annoyed faces peering around his tall form. She still had a job to do. She had to focus. She had to—
“Honey! Honey!” Tiffany’s familiar voice rose above the clamor of the crowd.
Endora shook off her confusion and saw best friend’s black bun bobbing up and down as she ran over waving, Morgan strapped to her chest in a baby carrier. Marius and Colin followed close behind and made their way to the back of the line.
“Okay, can you please step over here for a minute? I’ll deal with you later.” Endora’s voice resumed its crisp, professional tone. As Dominic shifted, she beamed at the next customer. “Thank you so much for waiting! Do you know which items you’d like today?” She tried to ignore the sweat pooling under her armpits and beading on her face. Could she just blame the heat?
By the time Tiffany and her family made their way to the front, Endora was quite sure she had a puddle of sweat. With Dominic standing to the side, chatting with the chibi sticker vendor and sipping the boba he’d bought, she couldn’t relax with her mind split between this crude turn of events and her business. Before she could say anything else, Tiffany squished Endora in a hug, baby-carrier-Morgan-notwithstanding. “Congratulations, Honey! This looks so amazing. You did a really great job.” Colin was already telling Marius which cookies he wanted to buy, forgetting to greet his godmother at the sight of so many goodies.
“Thanks, Honey. Listen, there’s a bit of a hiccup.” In low voice, Endora quickly gave Tiffany the rundown of her current K-drama moment, watching her friend’s eyebrows lifting toward her hairline.
Tiffany shot a look at Dominic, whose attention had turned back to them. “No fucking way.”