Cinnamon Role

As I walked into the Brioche Bakery wanting to purchase my usual almond croissant, a new scent wafted up to my nose. A scent that I would recognise anywhere but one that had a deeper meaning to me.

I turned to the barista and smiled at him. “Is that a new item you have introduced?”

He adjusted his spectacles using his left hand and nodded looking at me as he smiled, “Two actually, cinnamon-infused coffee with milk or without though I’d recommend you try without milk and cinnamon roll, if you can wait for five minutes I’ll give you the first batch.”

I looked at my watch and nodded. I still had more than enough time before heading home to make dinner.

I was never a fan of spices just because I found it a hustle to know what goes with what. Salt and black pepper were all the seasoning my foods needed.

So when I started dating Nathaniel, I had to get used to spices. He had his own quatre épices consisting of black pepper, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon. He loved cinnamon to the point that his breath smelt faintly of cinnamon. If it were possible he would also be smoking and snorting cinnamon.

He reached the point where it was put in all foods.

Not that I complained, the way he cooked with cinnamon made his food special.

The sweet woody flavour with just a light dose of citrus notes could be smelled anytime he cooked: which was often. He also loved sugar but when it came to cinnamon tea, he would drink it unsweetened.

“Here is your order ma’am,” his voice broke through my memory recall. “I hope you enjoy it.”

He pushed up his spectacles and I took the order. I wanted to pay but he said as I was a sampler it was on the house.

I went out to the parking lot to my car. I fumbled for my key before finding it in my trenchcoat’s outer pocket. I finally got in the car and my order filled the car up with the woody Christmas feel. I took a sip of the cinnamon coffee.

Coffee has a strong taste while cinnamon is a subtle one. That’s why I never liked café mocha. Both chocolate and coffee were dominant and they clashed in the cup. But the pairing of this black cinnamon coffee...