August June Desserts

FOOD DRINK

EXPLORE THE TASTES OF CHARLOTTE

The lavender- honey cupcake is one of August June Desserts’ signature flavors.

LOCAL FLAVOR SWEETER THE SECOND TIME

In three years, Natosha Fleming got married, had a child, and filed for divorce. Now the founder of August June Desserts and ex-husband Ryan are back together and taking their time, in business and in love

BY EMIENE WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER TAYLOR

IT’S SUNDAY AFTERNOON, and Natosha and Ryan Fleming sit at a picnic table with their teenaged son, Ryan Jr., in Optimist Hall. It’s been a long day, and their little band is tired.

“I didn’t really sleep last night,” Natosha confesses. She stayed up to make sample cakes for an appearance on a morning talk show, but the icing on one of the centerpieces refused to cooperate. Though tastier than traditional fondant, it was less pliable for designing. A er several do-overs, she handpainted a stained glass e ect on the cake and headed to the TV station before the sun was up. A erward, she took part in an expo, with Ryan and Ryan Jr. pitching in until late a ernoon.

As they pause to enjoy some gelato, the couple relates the story of how they fell in love, lost each other and, with the help of her dessert studio, found the sweet spot in their relationship.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, Natosha was a sophomore at Hampton University in Virginia. Just ve feet tall, she cut a petite gure, with a youthful baby face. Her Bahamian father, “Crab,” known for his culinary skills, had introduced Natosha to the kitchen. But she saw it as just a hobby and pursued a degree in marketing.

Ryan grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. His mother attended North Carolina Central University and wanted him to continue the legacy. His great-aunt also lived nearby and could keep an eye on him. “I didn’t want that,” he says with a chuckle, shooting a mischievous glance across the table at Natosha. Instead, he became a Hampton Pirate.

Though he and Natosha shared a major, they didn’t meet until their sophomore year in an 8 a.m. calculus class that “everyone was failing,” Ryan says. “I thought a pretty face could help me stay focused on the material, or at least motivate me to not embarrass myself.” Natosha agreed to be his study buddy, and they became friends over late-night trips to the Burger King near campus. But they were never unattached at the same time, and a er graduation in 2001, they lost touch. Natosha moved to Georgia for a job, and Ryan returned to Alexandria.

A few years later, they ran into each other at homecoming and exchanged phone numbers. This time, both were single, and their renewed friendship grew. “I’d go to Georgia or she’d come to Virginia,” Ryan says, “or we’d split the di erence and meet halfway in Charlotte.” Their courtship lasted a year, and Ryan proposed over a Thanksgiving visit.

Six months later, they were married and living in Charlotte. Both worked for temp agencies until they found permanent jobs; they spent many nights eating hot dogs for dinner and watching Degrassi High. On the weekend of their one-year anniversary, Natosha and Ryan brought Ryan Jr. home from the hospital.

“We only knew a few people in Charlotte, and we didn’t have a lot of family here,” Natosha says. “We didn’t see them o en.” With two full-time jobs, she and Ryan didn’t see much of each other, either. Their relationship atlined.

In 2014, Natosha asked for a divorce, and Ryan moved to Rock Hill to be closer to his job. “Regardless of what was happening between us, we knew we had to keep (Ryan Jr.) stable,” he says. “There were a lot of hurt feelings,” Natosha adds, “but Ryan’s always been a great dad, always a provider and present. That didn’t change.”

DISAPPOINTED AND LOST, Natosha returned to her love of baking. She binged on cooking shows like Cupcake Wars and took cake-making and decorating classes. She began sharing small tri es and cakes with family and friends, and soon she was baking for weddings and private parties.