Jake wants his boyfriend Harry to have his dream wedding, and this includes a mini muffin tower from Bob’s Bakery.
Bob was the best baker in town, famous for his seasonal muffins. Each October, he made pumpkin muffins with pecans and cream cheese frosting. Customers lined up around the block. Harry loved Bob’s bakery ever since he was a kid.
Harry would always take his boyfriend Jake to the bakery on their “anniversary,” the day they met at a Halloween party. They’ve dated for three years, and a couple weeks ago, Jake asked Harry to marry him. Jake had ordered a special muffin at Bob’s Bakery, which Bob had decorated with the phrase “Will You Marry Me?” on top.
On their anniversary, Harry and Jake went into the bakery to order what Bob calls his “wedding muffin tower.” Bob makes mini muffins that taste like wedding cake, and he arranges them on a special tower.
Harry was thrilled as he and Jake looked through Bob’s portfolio of muffin towers, but they wanted Bob to create something Halloween-themed since that was the day they met.
Harry had to run to work so Jake stayed behind to talk to Bob to place the order.
“We love your muffins,” Jake said when Bob came over to the table he and Harry had shared near the front window.
“I’m so glad. Baking is my true passion in life.”
“I love the muffin towers in your portfolio, but I was wondering if you’d consider doing something spooky? Like maybe have the cupcakes decorated with ghosts and witches and add fake spider webs?”
Bob shook his head. “I’m not really able to do anything other than what’s in this book here. I’m Christian, and I don’t do Halloween-themed baked goods.”
“Oh,” Jake said. He was a little disappointed but then thought for a moment. Their florist-friend Phillipe could do a much better job than Bob decorating the muffin tower. Jake smiled. “That’s okay,” he told Bob. “We’ll just order tower #7 and decorate it ourselves.”
“Great,” Bob said, and got his order book. Bob asked Jake for his relevant information, and then he asked for the bride’s name.
Jake chuckled and said, “My fiance’s name is Harry, and we haven’t quite decided who’s the bride and who’s the groom.”
“I’m sorry then,” Bob said and shut his book.
“It was a joke,” Jake said. “We’re both grooms. We’ll both be in tuxes.”
“No. It’s not that. As I told you before, I’m Christian.” Bob stood up from the table. “I can’t support two guys getting married.”
The words hit Jake like a bran muffin, and he could feel his insides churning. “But you made and decorated my marriage proposal muffin.”
“I didn’t realize you were going to use one of my engagement muffins to propose to a man.” Bob wrested his portfolio from Jake’s hands. “I would never have sold you that muffin if I’d known.”
Jake’s anger would boil up later, but at that moment, he couldn’t hold back the tears. He slumped in his chair and wished he weren’t sitting in the window as dozens of hipsters cruised by on their way to the local farmer’s market. After the public display of rejection and a good cry, Jake scarfed down the last of the pumpkin-pecan muffin. He knew they’d never be back to the bakery, and he worried what he’d tell Harry. His entire life, Harry had dreamed of a Bob’s mini muffin tower on his wedding day.
But then he thought of a plan. He’d just have his sister order the cake for a party. Bob didn’t need to know the purpose of the event. And Harry would never need to know. This “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy would work perfectly, and although it wasn’t his cheat day, Jake ordered another pumpkin-pecan muffin to go.
WHAT’S YOUR VIEW ON JAKE’S PLAN? Is it okay for him to trick Bob and lie to him about the true use of the muffin tower?