He shrugged. “When you’re around chocolate all day, you lose the appetite for it.”
“I don’t think I’d ever get tired of this.”
“That’s a good thing, because I plan to keep you supplied in chocolates for a long time to come,” he said, giving her behind a firm pat.
“You know, you’ve never told me why you choose chocolates,” Erica said.
“Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was my favorite movie as a kid,” he replied.
She pinched him. “Stop playing around. You were a computer guy, Gavin. How do you go from that to making such amazing chocolates? There has to be a story there.”
“Actually, there’s not much of a story there,” he said. “There was no big lightning bolt that hit me. I started cooking with my mom when I was young, and always enjoyed it. Back when I was at Technology Concepts, it was nothing for folks to come in on a Monday and find a four-course meal sitting on the table in the break room. I could spend the entire weekend trying out new recipes.”
“How did I not know this about you?” she asked. She shot him an accusing look. “And how is it that you’ve never cooked for me?”
“Your fault,” he said. “When I finally worked up the nerve to invite you to dinner, you started going out with those jerks from that online dating Website.”
Erica started to speak, then stopped. “Well, it still doesn’t explain how you got so good at making chocolates.”
“A few years ago, while I was working in Italy, I went into this chocolate shop and fell in love with the process.”
“That’s where you got the name Decadente? It’s Italian, right?”
He nodded. “The chocolatier saw how interested I was and invited me to come back the next day. I took to it very quickly. He showed me techniques and how to combine just the right ingredients. I liked the science behind it and discovered that it was better at releasing anxiety than anything I’d ever tried. I lose myself when I’m in the kitchen and it’s just me and the chocolate.”
“You’re very good at what you do,” Erica said.
“Thank you,” Gavin returned. “I’m going to pretend you mean both with chocolate and with what we just did.”
She slapped his arm, laughing. “You’re pretty good at that, too,” she said. She trailed her finger along the hard line of his pectoral, marveling in the absolute perfection of the muscle.
“It’s funny, you know,” Gavin continued. “When I left Technology Concepts and opened Decadente, I thought all my troubles would be over. I get to make chocolates all day. Who wouldn’t want that, right?” He shook his head. “I never expected to come up against some of those same headaches. I guess nothing is ever easy all the time, huh?”
“Tell me about it,” Erica said, turning around and snuggling her back against his broad chest. “When those layoffs were handed down and I found myself jobless, I told myself that I would never face that kind of uncertainty again. So, what do I do? I decide to go into business for myself—the most uncertain career move I could make.”
She felt Gavin’s chuckle rumbling in his chest. “But you’re happier, aren’t you?”
“Without a doubt,” Erica said. “But the uncertainty is still hanging over my head. As much as I enjoy what I do, it hasn’t been a cake walk.” She looked up at him over her shoulder. “You know that. I’ve talked your ear off with every dilemma I’ve faced.”
“I’m more than happy to lend an ear,” he said. He nudged her arm. “It’s your turn.”
“My turn for what?”
“You never told me how you came up with the concept for Your Wildest Dreams.”
“Yes, I have,” she argued.
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“Really?” She settled back against him. “Actually, I got the idea because of Sylvia’s bachelorette party,” Erica started. “I was in charge of planning it, but I was so busy at work that I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it all on my own. So I decided to go with a party planner. Problem was, they were all cheesy and generic, and no one offered room to incorporate things that were unique to Sylvia.”
“You found a gap in a very flooded market,” Gavin said. “That’s the reason The Hawthorn Group is courting you, you know. You should feel flattered.”
Funny, she didn’t feel all that flattered. She felt as confused as ever.
“I just don’t know, Gavin.” Erica sighed as she nestled more firmly against him. “I have put everything I have into this business. I’ve covered every square inch of this city, wheeling and dealing with vendors, doing everything I can to make some of the most impossible requests come true for my clients. It’s what Your Wildest Dreams is known for. If I allow The Hawthorn Group to come in and completely overhaul my business, it would be a slap in the face of everything I’ve worked for.
“I know I sound like a crazy person,” she continued. “I mean, who wouldn’t want to see their company grow into something bigger, right?”
“I wouldn’t,” he answered immediately. “It doesn’t sound crazy at all, Erica. There have been several smaller artisan chocolate companies that have started mass producing, and in my opinion, their products have suffered for it. I wouldn’t want to go that route with Decadente.”
He put his hand under her chin and tipped her face toward him. “I know exactly where you’re coming from,” Gavin said. “Your blood, sweat, and tears have gone into making this business a success. No one can truly understand just how much you’ve sacrificed for it.”
“You do get it,” she said.
He nodded, an understanding smile on his lips. “Remember who you’re talking to here. I know exactly what it means to grow a business from the ground up. It becomes a part of you.”
“Your baby,” Erica interjected.
“Yeah. You have to ask yourself, would you hand over your baby to just anybody, especially when you know they’re planning to completely change your vision of what you want it be?”
When he put it that way, it made her want to not just walk, but run, from the deal The Hawthorn Group had offered.
“Nothing can prepare you for what it feels like to see this business you’ve put so much of yourself into get taken over by others,” Gavin continued. “The answer to this franchise deal is simple, Erica. You didn’t put all this time and effort into building Your Wildest Dreams just to give it up.”
“You’re right,” she said. “I guess the answer is pretty simple.”
But as she drifted off to sleep, Erica knew the answer was anything but.
***
Erica stood on the wrought-iron balcony overlooking Manor Royale’s version of the quintessential French Quarter courtyard. The brick walkways and high walls were overwhelmed by the overflowing foliage: large banana leaves, climbing wisteria, and fragrant flowers whose perfume drifted up to her nose. The gurgling fountain, the courtyard’s centerpiece, provided the morning’s soundtrack, along with the rumbling of produce trucks delivering to French Quarter businesses and the cackle of hard-partying tourists making their way back to their hotels.
“What are you doing up so early?”
Erica turned at the sound of Gavin’s sleep-roughened voice. He climbed out of bed, dressed only in the pair of silky boxer shorts he’d pulled on the night before. He joined her on the balcony, wrapping his arms around her.
“Don’t you think you should put some clothes on?” she asked him.
“I was hoping I wouldn’t need any,” he said. “Check-out isn’t until eleven.”
“Didn’t Tonya ask you to be at Decadente by eight?”
He groaned. “I can pretend I didn’t see her text message.”
“Oh, no you can’t.” She laughed. She tried to step out of his embrace, but he held on even tighter. “You will not have Tonya giving me the evil eye for keeping you away. Besides, I’ve got a full day ahead of me, too,” Erica reminded him. “There are a few last-minute details I need to attend to for the upcoming Valentine’s Day experiences. I also have to make sure everyth
ing is in place for The Hawthorn Group. They’ll be here in a few days.”
Erica felt him stiffen. “Why would you have to get anything ready for them?” he asked. She looked at him over her shoulder. “You’re still going through with sending them on the fantasy night?”
“Of course,” she said.
“But I thought you agreed that this franchising thing wasn’t right for Your Wildest Dreams?”
“I still have some reservations about it, but I’m not ready to completely wipe the idea off the table.”
Gavin turned her around to face him. “Erica, how could you even think about going through with this? You just told me last night that it would be a slap in the face of everything you’ve put into building this business.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m ready to just say ‘No, thank you,’ Gavin. There is a lot of money on the table. I’m not in a position to walk away from that.”
A muscle ticked in his taut jaw. “What’s more important to you,” Gavin asked, his voice cold, controlled. “The money or making sure Your Wildest Dreams remains the way you envisioned it?”
“That is so unfair.”
“Why? Because I’m calling you out for selling out your dream in exchange for a few bucks?”
Erica drew in a sharp breath. She flattened her palms against his chest and pushed him away, her blood pressure spiking.
“You actually have the nerve to get self-righteous with me? It’s so easy for you to take the high road when you have millions sitting in the bank, Gavin.”
“It’s not about the money.”
“Because you don’t have to worry about money,” she countered.
“You think I don’t worry about my bottom line? I’m still in the business of making money, Erica. It may not be on my mind constantly, but my goal is to keep Decadente operating in the black.”
“What does that have to do with me or my company?” she asked. “You’ve already proven you can be a success at building a business, and you do have millions in the bank. I doubt you’re sweating buck shots when the bills come at the end of month.” She poked him in the chest. “You don’t have to worry about what will happen if your business flops, Gavin. You have a fallback plan.
“I’ve put every penny of my life savings into Your Wildest Dreams and am over my head in debt. If my business dries up, I’m out on the street. Forgive me for considering, just for a moment, of having that worry taken away from me. If that makes me a sellout, then fine, I’m a sellout. Sorry if it lowers your opinion of me.”
Erica’s body shook with fury, her chest heaving with the effort to draw in a breath after her tirade. Gavin reached for her, but she jerked her arm away.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re right; we’re not in the same position. But you know that I would never let you end up on the street, Erica.”
“No, I would never let myself end up on the street,” she said. “It is my responsibility to make sure I’m never in that position. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot to do today.”
“Erica—”
He reached for her, but she pushed past him and headed for the bathroom, grabbing her overnight bag on the way. Erica purposely lingered, not wanting to face Gavin again after their heated exchange.
She didn’t have to worry about that. When she finally left the bathroom, all that was left of him was a handwritten note on the coffee table.
I’m sorry. We’ll talk later. Love, Gavin.
Erica fisted the note in her palm as she stared at the bed they’d shared last night, wondering whether it was the only night they would ever share a bed.
How could someone who she thought knew her so well, someone she considered one of her best friends, be so disconnected from her problems? Erica rubbed her temples, not wanting to think too hard. If she started to think, she would be forced to examine just how deep her friendship with Gavin really had been all this time.
Did he know her at all?
She wasn’t sure she even wanted to know the answer.
Chapter Eleven
Gavin measured out eight ounces of hundred-year-old bourbon and added it to the still-warm chocolate. He mixed the liquor into the batch, making sure it was completely incorporated before pouring it into the prepared fleur de lis–shaped candy molds. He tapped them against the table, knocking out the air bubbles.
“Supplies are in,” Tonya said, backing her way into the kitchen, her arms laden with shipping boxes.
“Put that down,” Gavin said. “Why didn’t you send the UPS guy in here?”
“You’ve been in such a funky mood this week; I didn’t want you biting his head off for disturbing you. And he was in a rush,” she added. “He loves your orange-cranberry truffles, by the way.”
“Great. Now I can die happy,” Gavin muttered.
He had to duck to miss the candy mold that went sailing past his head. “Hey,” Gavin shouted. “What the hell?”
“Snap out of it,” Tonya ordered. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you’re spoiling the damn chocolates. We’re supposed to encourage people to be in a joyous, romantic mood so that they will spend boatloads of money. You’re running people off with all this sulking.”
“I’m definitely not the one to inspire romance in anyone,” he said.
“Gavin, what happened between you and Erica? She hasn’t been here in almost a week. Erica Cole hasn’t stayed away from this shop for that long in the entire time we’ve been opened. Even when she had the flu she dragged herself here.”
He waved off Tonya’s questioning, not wanting to get into it. But Tonya—like his mother last night—refused to be ignored. She poked her head through the kitchen door to check on Casey, the woman she’d hired through a temp agency to help get through the extra foot traffic that was sure to come this week. Apparently confident that things in the front of the store were under control, Tonya caught Gavin by the hem of his shirt and dragged him to his office.
She pushed until he’d taken a seat, then closed the door, crossed her hands over her chest, and said, “Okay, spill. And don’t gloss over anything, Gavin.”
He let out a tired breath. Holding his hands out in front of him, he said, “I messed up. After finally getting Erica Cole to see me as more than just her friend, I completely messed it up.”
He told Tonya about their night out on the town, doing a trial run of the fantasy experience that Erica wanted to create for The Hawthorn Group. He also told her about Erica’s confusion over whether or not to accept the franchising offer, and how he thought the decision was a no-brainer.
“Why would she even consider selling her business concept after all the work she’s put into building it? It doesn’t make sense to me,” Gavin said.
“So, are you saying that you wouldn’t consider doing the same thing if some big consulting firm approached you about turning Decadente into a nationwide franchise?”
“Absolutely not,” Gavin answered. “Would you?”
“I’d sure as hell think about it,” Tonya said. “I understand where Erica is coming from. It’s not easy to just say no to that kind of money, Gavin, and if I were ever in her shoes, I’d have to think long and hard before turning it down.”
“But they want to completely change her business; that’s her biggest hang-up about all of this, the fact that Your Wildest Dreams, the franchise, will not be the same company she started.”
“She can just as easily start up another outfit under another name and make it into the company she envisioned. You’ve built two companies from the ground up. Granted, Decadente has a long way to go before it’s on the scale of Technology Concepts, but think about the headaches you went through in those early days, when you didn’t have a multimillion-dollar nest egg to fall back on and didn’t know whether you’d have the money to cover next month’s rent.”
Gavin kneaded the bridge of his nose. Even though nearly fourteen years had passed, he could remember those days all too well. If someone had dangled a golden apple in f
ront of him back then, would he have taken a bite? Possibly.
“You may have a point.”
“I may have a point?” Tonya gave him her most superior look. She shook her head. “Gavin, Gavin, Gavin. When will you realize that you should never, ever doubt anything I say? I am always right.”
There was a crash in the front of the store.
Tonya’s chin dropped to her chest. “Except when it comes to our new hire,” she said.
The crash wasn’t loud enough to be the large display case shattering—thank God—so, it could only be one of the smaller domed displays.
“Let me get the broom and see how much inventory now has bits of glass in it,” Tonya said.
“Hey,” Gavin called. Tonya looked back. “Thanks.”
She smiled. “Don’t let it get you down too much, Gavin. Erica can’t stay away forever. She’s probably huddled in a corner right now, going through sugar withdrawal.”
“Unless she started going to that new place that just opened up on Magazine Street,” he said.
“Never,” Tonya gasped. “Give her time. She’ll be back.”
Two hours later, Gavin walked through the doors of the Jeremy Davenport Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Canal Street. He searched the semi-crowded lounge, spotting Dalton at a table in the corner near the baby grand piano.
“How’s it going, man?” Dalton greeted him, standing up and pulling Gavin in for a one-armed hug.
“Could be better, but that’s nothing I want to get into right now,” he said.
“So, did you work your magic on the program?” Dalton asked.
Gavin gestured for him to sit. He pulled his laptop from the case and set it on the table, then he hooked up his secured mobile hotspot device so that he could get online. He brought up the test Website he’d created and turned the computer to Dalton.
“Damn,” his friend whispered. Dalton scrolled up and down the page. “These graphics are freaking amazing, Gavin. How in the hell did you do this so fast?”
Gavin shrugged. “It had been a long time since I’d worked with code. My inner nerd was just waiting to come out and play again.”
In Her Wildest Dreams Page 10
