by Eason, Mary
Her parents would be expecting her of course. On the few occasions she’d actually forced herself to ask Aiden about his plans, he’d said the same. His parents were expecting him as well. The only difference was Aiden enjoyed being with his family. For Cara it was sheer torture.
“What?”
“I just had a call from Douglas Brady.”
“Who?” Cara squinted at her.
“Douglas Brady of Grandma Brady’s Wholesome Best?” Shelby looked at her as if she’d landed from another planet.
“You did? What did he want?” Cara asked without breathing. Grandma Brady was the largest gourmet cookie chain in the U.S. The name was synonymous with wholesomeness.
“They want to talk about your secret.”
Cara was ashamed to say she wasn’t even thinking about her cookie recipe.
“Oh for crying out loud. The cookie? You're Every Desire? Not everyone’s interested in your sex life,” Shelby added in exasperation.
“Oh. Oh. You think?”
“Oh yeah. I think they want to cookie.”
“Oh, God. Shelby, that can’t be? I mean they have this reputation for being wholesome. I don’t see ‘The Sweet Spot’ quite fitting into their image, do you?”
“Maybe not, but we are meeting with Grandma Brady’s grandson at eight a.m. sharp in the morning. So please tell me Aiden’s not in town?”
“You’re so funny. No, he’s not. In fact, he won’t be coming in for a while. Things are finally starting to turn around at Shelby. He’s hoping to have it back on track by next year.”
“Well that’s something. The year will be up before you know it. And I love you, honey, but you are not the same driven woman I know and love when he’s around. You become this soft, sweet…ick. ”
“Well, thanks a lot. So I’m icky?”
Shelby watched her for a minute before adding, “What’s the matter? I can’t believe you still have doubts. Aiden is great. He’s prince charming and your knight in shining armor all wrapped in one. And he’s great in bed, right? He’s perfect. I hate you. Be satisfied. Most women would give their right arm for a second with a guy like that.”
Cara had to laugh. Shelby was great but she just didn’t get it. Shelby lived for the moment. Permanent wasn’t even in her vocabulary. She just didn’t understand why Cara would want anything more than great sex.
So why couldn’t she just live for the moment? It wasn’t as if she had been looking for anything lasting when she’d met Aiden. Cara’s whole world revolved around making her dream a success. She was so close to accomplishing all of that. Why was she getting sidetracked by emotions that she didn’t really believe existed outside of a fairy tale anyway? Perfect love didn’t exist in today’s world. Her parents’ relationship, her brother, and her two sisters were living proof of that. No one person had it all. She should be happy with what she had with Aiden for the moment and start protecting her heart for when that moment was gone.
* * * *
Aiden couldn’t believe it was almost Thanksgiving and he still hadn’t committed to his parent’s plans.
His mother just couldn’t understand what the problem was. He always went to his parent’s house for Thanksgiving weekend. He’d never missed one yet. And his lack of direct answers to her numerous attempts to figure it out had finally resulted in her calling in reinforcements. Aiden’s sisters had both called this morning. Ally, the less subtle of the two, had point blank asked him if he was disappointing his mother because of one of his ‘women’ as she was so fond of calling the girls he dated.
As much as he would have loved to tell her yes, he couldn’t. Because Cara wasn’t one of those women. And he had never once in the past been this unsure of himself with a woman.
He wanted to spend the holiday with Cara. She in turn had been so evasive about her plans that it had got him to wondering exactly what type of relationship she had with her family. Aiden knew it was strained because she rarely talked about them. But every single attempt so far to find out anything about her past had resulted in her quickly changing the subject. She didn’t want to talk about her family and he didn’t want to pry. Which meant he didn’t know what to tell his mom or his two nosey sisters.
“Ally, I’m busy. And frankly I don’t think that’s any of your business,” Aiden said, not even bothering to hide his frustration with his oldest sister.
“Oh course it’s my business. You’re my baby brother. Everything you do is my business. You know how much Mom frets over you?”
Frets? Oh crap, Ally was going to play the guilt trip. He had to put an end to this right now.
“Ally, I’m busy. Now is not the time to get into this. I’ll call Mom in a few days to let her know. I’m hanging up now.”
“Aiden, I’m warning you, if you don’t tell her something by the weekend then I’m coming down there to see for myself what’s going on.” At that threat Aiden slammed the phone down. Ally was bluffing. She hated Dallas. She would never come all that way from Tampa just to find out what he was up to. Would she?
Aiden wasn’t so sure. Ally was determined when she wanted to be and she’d definitely sounded like she wanted to be.
He sat staring at the phone wondering if he should call her back and make up something or just dismiss the whole thing all together. Chances are even if Ally wanted to go spying on him, Brad her husband wouldn’t allow it. Brad and Aiden were friends. Brad was the only person who could show any type of control over his sister. Ally actually listened to her husband most of the time. Brad would keep her in line.
* * * *
“Miss Bennett, it is a pleasure to meet you. Douglas Brady. Thanks for agreeing to this meeting on such a short notice.”
Douglas Brady didn’t look like what she’d pictured the grandson of Grandma Brady looking like. He was somewhere in his mid-fifties, graying with receding hair that was crowned by a really bad toupee, brown eyes and equally conservative gray business suit. The man reeked of conservative values.
Shelby, in her usually flamboyant short skirt and low cut blouse, probably had him wondering what he’d gotten himself into. Grandma Brady’s Wholesome Best…
She ushered Douglas and his entourage of assistants into Cara’s tiny cramped office before going in search of more chairs.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Brady.” After quick introductions of the assistants, Douglas set back and got down to business.
“I’m sure your wondering why I’ve asked for this meeting,” he said with a smile very conservatively.
“Actually, yes. I was a bit conserva…curious.” Cara quickly corrected. Her knees were actually knocking beneath her desk. She smoothed the lines of her black pantsuit and stuck her hands between her knees to keep the entourage from hearing. At least she looked conservative. She gave Shelby a look that was meant to convey, ‘what were you thinking wearing that?’ But Shelby wasn’t fazed. She’d worn the outfit deliberately to get a reaction. If Douglas’ covert glances her way were any indication, it was working.
Douglas laughed and the entourage followed his cue. “We’ve been following your success with great excitement,” he told her without smiling. He didn’t really look all that excited.
“Oh, I see. That’s nice. Are you here for pointers?” Cara smiled as she said that. It took a few minutes to register. Then the entourage looked to Douglas for guidance. He laughed. They followed suit.
“Very amusing, Miss Bennett. You are as charming as your dossier led me to believe.” Dossier? She didn’t know she had a dossier. Welcome to the big leagues.
“As I was saying, we’ve been watching your success in a difficult market and it’s made us realize there’s room for growth. You’ve tapped into an interesting part of our market. One that’s ripe for expansion.”
“What market is that exactly, Mr. Brady?” Cara asked, trying to keep her focus on the man’s face and not the really bad toupee. Why didn’t men realize those things didn’t fool anyone? They might as well be wearing a s
ign that said I’m losing my hair and can’t admit it.
“The sophisticated consumer. The twenty to thirty age demographic that want something a little more from their cookie.”
“I see.” Cara glanced at Shelby for a clue. What exactly did that mean? It was a cookie for God’s sake.
“You’ve captured that need with ‘.’ People see this cookie and think, wow. If I buy this I’ll be hip as well.”
“Really?” Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Shelby was trying hard not to crack up.
“And that is why we are here today. We at Grandma Brady’s Wholesome Best would like to tap into your market. We want to make you an offer to buy out the rights to your cookie.”
Kyle did her best not to show her reaction. She squeezed her hands tight to keep her knees from knocking even more. Welcome to the big leagues indeed. She’d just scored a home run. “But wouldn’t that go against your company’s wholesome image. I mean, ‘The Sweet Spot,’ while it is just a cookie, it certainly implies…other things.”
That was probably not the reaction Douglas Brady was expecting. He looked slightly taken aback. Cara searched her memory. Was Grandma Brady still alive? Would she approve of such an offer?
“Well, yes. But we have plans to start a branch of the business under another name that would include more sophisticated products such as your cookie.”
Sophisticated products? It was a cookie for crying out loud. They weren’t talking about sex toys.
“Really, that sounds intriguing.” Cara couldn’t breathe. This was it. This was really happening. She, little Cara Bennett from Pineville, Arkansas, was negotiating with one of the biggest moguls in the business.
“Oh it will be. We are very excited about this. That’s why we have put together a package for you.” He handed both Cara and Shelby a thick black binder.
They opened it. It was filled with charts and profit and loss margins for her cookie.
“We’ve taken the liberty of forecasting your growth record for the next three years. As you can see, it looks good, but with our help, it can be out of this world,” Douglas said with another little smile that was meant to win her over.
“And if you would just flip to the last page in the binder you will see that we are prepared to offer you a very generous amount of money as well as a nice offer to buy the cookie recipe outright.”
Cara flipped to the back page and almost shrieked. The offer was unbelievable. Her knees began to knock even louder. Shelby drew a sharp breath and reached for her hand under the desk. She squeezed it hard.
“We would of course have sole ownership of the cookie, but we would, in addition to the generous financial offer, be employing both you and Miss Edwards as our spokespersons for the new line. We plan on opening stores all over the country starting in the bigger cities first of course. We have plans for New York first in February. For Valentines Day. And of course we would keep the store here in Dallas—with a few changes of course and you can keep your staff employed here as well.”
“What about the other cookies?” Cara asked him when she couldn’t think of anything to say. She should be asking all sorts of questions. She just couldn’t think what they should be.
Clearly, this wasn’t what Douglas was expecting either. “Well, of course we’ll use your recipes. In fact, we will be buying out the company, lock stock and, well cookie but our main interest is ‘The Sweet Spot.’”
“I see. What about the catering part of the business?”
“Well, we really don’t do that sort of thing. I’m afraid we wouldn’t be interested in that part of the business at all. But as you can see, you and Miss Edwards will be receiving a very generous salary for your work. You two will have free reign for the most part on what happens in each store once the initial details are hammered out.”
Douglas stopped and looked at her in anticipation. No doubt, he was expecting her to sign on the dotted line without question. After all, this was a great offer. And a promising future for her and Shelby. This was what she’d worked for, for years. So why was she hesitating now.
“So, we would be traveling a lot?” she asked and clearly confused him.
“Well, yes. Aren’t you both young and unattached? This is an excellent opportunity for you both.” He eyed them each in turn, as though trying to read their reaction.
Cara knew what Shelby was thinking. Why was she hesitating? Why wasn’t she jumping at this chance? Cara couldn’t even begin to understand her reaction right now. This was a dream come true but all she could think about was Aiden.
“Mr. Brady, this is a wonderful opportunity as you’ve said, but I really need to think about it. Discuss it with my attorney. I’ll need some time.”
“I see.” Clearly he didn’t. He’d come there today expecting to leave with her signature. Signed, sealed and cookie delivered. “Well, of course. I understand. But I should tell you that we are exploring other options as well. I would need to know something very soon.”
“I’m sure you are,” Cara said, getting to her feet and surprising everyone in the room. Douglas and his entourage stood as well. Taking her cue that the meeting was over.
“I’ll be in touch as soon as I’ve made a decision, Mr. Brady.” Cara shook his hand and then each of the assistants and waited while Shelby escorted the group to the door.
The second Shelby returned she closed the door and turned to Cara. “Are you crazy? This is a dream offer. This is what most people only pray will happen to them. This is what you’ve been dreaming about forever. What’s the matter with you?”
“I don’t know!” Cara said and covered her face with her hands. “You’re right. This is great. This is an unbelievable offer. This will make us both very successful. I don’t know what came over me but it just felt as if the world were closing in around me,” she said, finding it hard to breathe again.
“Okay, okay. Slow down. Take it easy,” Shelby said and plopped down into the chair Douglas had just left. “Is this about Aiden?” she asked quietly.
“What?” Cara glanced up, saw her friend’s concern, and considered that for the moment. “I don’t know. Maybe it is. This is terrible,” she added, her voice rising in panic. “This is just terrible. I can’t be basing my future on Aiden. No, no, no. This is terrible.”
“Cara,” Shelby said with a little laugh. “Calm down. You’re hyperventilating. Just relax for a second.” Shelby left the room and returned with bottled water. “Drink this.”
Cara took a sip and forced herself to relax.
“Are you in love with Aiden?” Shelby asked the question that she couldn’t bring herself to consider.
“What? No. No, I’m not.” But even to her, the answer didn’t ring true.
“I think you are,” Shelby told her. “So, what are you going to do about it?”
“Do about it? Nothing. There’s nothing to do.”
“Look, Cara, maybe you need to talk to Aiden about your feelings? You know, just lay it on the line for him. Tell him that you love him.”
Cara pictured Aiden’s reaction to hearing those things from her and shuddered. “No, that’s not going to happen. That would be the worse possible mistake.”
“Are you so sure about that? I mean, I think the guy is crazy about you as well.”
“Aiden isn’t crazy about me or any woman. He’s crazy about his career. He enjoys having sex with me. Trust me. That’s it.”
“And I think you’re selling him and yourself short.”
“Oh, God. Shelby, what am I going to do. You heard Douggie. They won’t wait forever for an answer. I owe this to you and to me. But how can I leave Aiden when…”
“When you love him?” Shelby supplied and Cara couldn’t hide the truth. “Okay, listen to me. You know, I’m good with staying here in Dallas forever. Heck, I love this town. So if you want to tell Douggie and his little posse to stick it, do it. I’ll stand behind you no matter what. You know what I say, live for the moment. Don’t count on the future
.” Shelby grinned before adding, “Do what you can live with, babe. Don’t do what others expect. And that goes for Mr. Perfect as well. He doesn’t know what a good thing he has with you. Don’t settle, Cara. You’re too important for that.”
Chapter Nine
Aiden stood at the front door of his house and couldn’t go in. What was the matter with him? He’d waited over two weeks for this—to see Cara again. Why was he standing outside his own house, afraid to go inside?
Maybe it was because of what she’d said to him before he left work. Cara had something important to talk to him about. But there was something in her voice that told him it wasn’t something he wanted to hear. Was she going to end it? He’d been expecting the end from the beginning. Not exactly the best way to live a relationship.
“Just go inside, you idiot. She’s waiting for you,” he told himself before unlocking the door. The house was warm and inviting. He could smell something wonderful coming from the kitchen.
“Cara?” he called out as he dropped his overnight bag by the door and headed toward the kitchen.
“In here,” she answered. She wasn’t coming to meet him. What did that mean? Her voice sounded strained.
When he stepped into the kitchen, he stopped. She was standing close to the table. She had been lighting candles when he called out to her. She looked beautiful. Dressed in jeans and a filmy blouse, she took his breath away.
He smiled. She returned that smile. Then he took her in his arms and showed her just how much he’d missed her.
“Something smells wonderful,” he said when they could bring themselves to break apart.
“I’m experimenting with a new chicken recipe. It’s something spicy. I hope you like it.”
“Does this mean things are starting to level off at the shop at last? If you’re working on new recipes for the catering business, things must be more manageable. This is wonderful,” Aiden told her.
