by Rachel Astor
She was already beginning to regret the little incident with Nick at the market, but in the heat of the moment, she hadn’t been able to stop her mouth from digging her into a hole. And she would not give him any satisfaction by backing out now.
She took a deep breath and placed the Spell Book of Sweets reverently on one of the large tables in the kitchen. “Come on, baby,” she whispered, “work your magic.”
As a kid, Dulcie believed the Spell Book did have a little magic inside, and, if honest, she supposed she still did. It had the power to make people come together, to put a smile on their faces, to help them through a rough time.
What better magic was there?
She ran her hand across the heavy leather cover, sent a silent message of help to the sugar gods, and flipped to a random page.
“Ode To Love,” Lila said, her voice thick with admiration. “Good choice.”
The Ode To Love had been in circulation for years and was a good seller, but Dulcie wasn’t sure it had a big enough wow factor. She imagined Grams rolling her eyes from eight blocks away at them “playing it safe.”
They decided to make a batch anyway, just for testing. Besides, they’d sell the extras in the shop, so it wouldn’t be a waste.
Everyone got to work as Dulcie continued flipping through the Spell Book.
Mocha Milk Chocolates, Cola-Infused Pistachio Truffles, Apricot Pecan Bark.
All good choices. All popular with their customers. All…
…safe.
She sighed and shut the book. Everything seemed like old news she’d replayed a hundred times. Maybe she was too close to the product to figure out what the most special ones were.
“You guys pick something,” she said, sliding the book across the table.
Lila broke into a huge grin, diving for the book, and Ava put her hand to her chin as if in deep concentration. At least she took it seriously.
They made Constance’s choice first, the Snowstorm—one of Dulcie’s personal favorites, maybe because she’d picked out the name as a kid. White chocolate covered a creamy minty green center and was sprinkled with cracked sugar; a store favorite in the winter, and perfect for an after meal refresher.
Lila’s choice proved to be a little less conventional. She wanted to go all out with an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink confection. The Pile Up had a chocolate wafer bottom with a drizzle of caramel, a coconut infused puff of marshmallow above, and a whole almond on top, which was encased in a seventy percent cocoa coating then sprinkled with toasted coconut. An assault on the senses for sure, but in a totally amazing way.
Ava reserved her choice until they’d made the other two, and it proved to be a good one. A few years back during the chai tea craze, her mom had designed the Chai Chocolate. Her creation was a lesson in subtlety, with slight hints of cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom whispering through the Swiss chocolate, almost making you wonder whether you’d even tasted them at all. The Chai was a chocolate of curiosity, before and after you’d eaten it, and in Dulcie’s opinion, one of her mother’s greatest candy accomplishments.
Ava was a smart, smart girl.
The store smelled like Christmas by the time they finished. Dulcie pictured a fireplace burning, even though they only had a crappy furnace in need of replacement.
They got their tasting plates ready, and of course made one for Jess, who was more than happy to be the impartial judge.
As Dulcie lifted the first taste of heaven to her mouth, a staccato of banging came from the storefront.
The other ladies were as bewildered as Dulcie. “Probably some customer desperate for a last minute anniversary gift for his wife or something,” she said, smiling.
Constance and Ava nodded. People often came rushing up after they’d already closed, begging for them to open for an “I forgot her birthday and have to come up with something spectacular” moment of desperation.
Dulcie could not have been less prepared for what stood on the other side of the glass door.
A tall, lanky, way too handsome, and unfortunately familiar guy in a Gatsby cap.
She stopped in her tracks, which she told herself had much more to do with the shock of him showing up—especially after the incident at the farmer’s market—than it did with the way his mouth curled into that mischievous, though friendly at the moment, smile.
She got herself together and stutter-stepped to the door, her feet heavy.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, cringing at how bitter the words came out.
“Truce?” he asked, raising his eyebrows and holding out a white box.
“What’s this?” she asked, stupidly stepping back, since he’d shoved the box in her face and everything.
Of course this gave him the opportunity to waltz right into the shop, even though he had to squeeze in pretty tightly. In fact, he brushed her on the way by and she suddenly found herself a bit dizzy.
He stood watching her, and she had no idea what the heck he was doing there. It took her a moment to realize he was staring at the box more than at her.
“Oh, uh, s-sorry,” she said, opening the box and wishing she could stop her stupid stuttering around him.
Inside lay some of the most beautiful artisan cupcakes Dulcie had ever seen. Three of them appeared to be chocolate with white buttercream icing and an intricately swirled chocolate for garnish. The other three were opposite, a white cupcake with chocolate icing and a white chocolate garnish. Of course, in all her awkward glory, Dulcie opened with, “Cupcakes? Aren’t you supposed to be a candy guy?”
His face fell in an instant.
“They’re beautiful,” she said quickly, though it didn’t save the moment.
Not that she cared or anything.
“Um, thanks. I guess I thought you probably had enough candy,” he said, glancing around the shop, apparently not sure what to do with his hands. Finally, he crossed them in front of himself.
“Good point,” she said, still trying to work out why on earth he was in the middle of her shop after hours, bringing her gifts for no reason.
They stood for a moment, neither one of them moving. Dulcie was a little scared to put down the cupcakes; they seemed to mean a lot to him, and frankly, they smelled almost as good as he did.
He cleared his throat. “So uh, I wanted to come over and apologize for the other day at the market. I acted like such a jerk.”
She nodded. “Um, well, thanks,” she said, her brain processing the situation like molasses.
Nothing made any sense. They were mortal enemies. Okay, so maybe not mortal, but enemies in sugar for sure. And he was there apologizing to her?
“I’m sorry, too. I might have gotten a little…defensive.” She tried a humble expression, hoping it looked more sheepish than pained, though she didn’t think she did a very good job.
He smiled—a real smile this time, not the mischievous smirk he usually wore.
Dulcie almost dropped the box. It took her a moment to gather her composure, though she figured she should probably ditch the cupcakes before something terrible happened to them. Truth be told, she was dying to try one.
He stepped closer, even though he had already been in comfortable conversation range. “The thing is,” he said, and took a deep breath. “I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since that night at the jazz club. Before we figured out who each other was and everything,” he said, running his hand through his hair and shifting his feet nervously. “I just… Well, it seemed like there might be something there, and then at the market I just wanted to say hi, but things sort of went downhill.”
Dulcie’s heart drowned out his words and she had to concentrate very hard to make out what he said next.
Fortunately, she could focus on his lips.
“And even though we’re, like, mortal enemies or something…”
Oh my God, he’s using the exact same words as I did, she thought.
“… it seems a little stupid not to at least be friends or something, just
because our businesses compete. I mean, we have a lot in common.”
It was her turn to speak, but she was having the hardest time concentrating on anything besides his use of the words or something. Here he was, bringing her truce cupcakes and looking so good…but how could she trust this guy she barely knew? This guy who was her biggest competition? She must have stood silently like an idiot even longer than she thought, because eventually he spoke again.
“Well, I uh, guess I should be getting out of your hair.”
…
“No!” Dulcie yelled.
Nick jumped.
She shook her head, seemingly embarrassed. The word had come out a little dramatically.
“I mean, don’t go yet. We’re, um…” She glanced around the room.
Only then did Nick realize a group of women had been standing between the kitchen and front area watching the whole thing. Each of them wore a varying expression of amusement. “We’re about to start a tasting thing to try and come up with something for the competition. You should stay.”
He crinkled his brow. “Are you sure you want me here?”
“Of course,” she said, though even she didn’t look entirely convinced. “Another expert on our panel to help decide would really help.”
Nick shifted. Judging by the other girls’ faces, they were none too happy about having a new panelist for the taste test, either. “Um, okay,” he said anyway, unable to pass up an opportunity to be closer to her.
His father’s words of warning floated through his mind, along with his ridiculous suggestion of sabotage, and Nick squirmed as she led him to the kitchen.
But all thoughts of his father quickly disappeared when they got there.
“This place is fantastic,” he said, gazing around.
He wandered over to the old-style stove made custom to look like it belonged in the forties but was modern otherwise. Her mixers were so huge they had to sit on the floor, and he would give anything to have something as cool as the glass door refrigerators that allowed you to see in an instant where you stood with inventory.
“You guys really do make everything by hand, don’t you?” he said.
“Yes,” the motherly looking co-worker answered. “We feel it adds something special to our recipes.” She sniffed.
“Oh, no, I didn’t mean it like that. I think it’s awesome,” he said, sounding like he was backpedaling. No way were they going to believe he was sincere.
Nick cleared his throat and swallowed hard. Dulcie’s friends had taken a united stance behind the table, as if daring him to do something they might not like.
He felt a bit like an animal caught in a trap.
“Oh, sorry,” Dulcie said, shaking her head a little. “Nick, this is Constance; she’s my right hand person here at the shop.” Nick quickly shook Constance’s hand, having a hard time making eye contact, what with the way she stared like she might want to punch him. “And this is Jess, Ava, and Lila.”
Nick shook everyone’s hands, remembering having seen Lila at the jazz club.
Dulcie got another plate ready. “So, I guess we should do the tasting,” she said.
Everyone gathered around. The friends lined up across from Nick and Dulcie, each glancing at him with complete mistrust. Dulcie shoved a candy in her mouth, probably trying to break the tension. Nick was more than happy to follow her lead.
They all chewed in silence.
“The Pile Up,” Dulcie said to Nick. “It’s a chocolate wafer bottom—”
Nick nodded, jumping in. “Yeah, I’ve had these a million times. I used to sneak in here on my lunch break—I went to school a few blocks away—and buy this when I wasn’t supposed to.” He beamed, thinking back to those days of sneaking around.
Dulcie was quiet, but soon cleared her throat. “Great,” she said, shoveling in the next chocolate.
At this rate, the tasting would be the fastest in history.
“It’s called Ode to Love,” she commentated. “The cherry crème filling is a little different than most because of the—”
Nick put up his hand. “I’ve had these before, too. I remember this crazy girl gave me a whole box for Valentine’s Day once.” He chuckled.
The women across the table stared at him like he had suddenly grown another head. Dulcie was still smiling, though. He could only hope he was conveying just how much he loved her handmade products.
Another chocolate bit the dust as Dulcie avoided the gazes of her friends.
“The Chai is a subtle blend of spices infused with—”
“I remember when these came out a few years back! My father kept going on and on about how you guys would make a chocolate out of anything, but I could tell they would be a huge hit, even when I knew nothing about chocolate.”
She swallowed, still smiling. He was on fire; he knew her products inside and out. This was the best thing that could have happened to him, being able to show her how much he adored her…er, candies.
Dulcie opened her mouth to describe the last chocolate, but got no further than an inhale.
“Don’t tell me, don’t tell me,” Nick jumped in, raising his eyes toward the ceiling in thought. “I know this one; it’s the…Snowstorm?”
She smiled while the others gawked. “That’s right,” Dulcie said, as calm as could be. Almost…too calm?
“I love this one,” he said quietly.
“For a kid with your own candy store, you sure have had a lot of ours over the years,” Dulcie said, her hand finding its way to her hip.
He nodded sheepishly, suddenly realizing no one liked a showoff. Of course, knowing he was an idiot just made him talk more, hoping to redeem himself. “I was a bit of a candy-aholic back then.” He tilted his head. “It kind of…became a problem.”
Oh God, why did I bring that up? Stupid, stupid moron.
“A problem?” Dulcie asked.
Of course she would ask.
“I was, uh, sort of a…chubby kid.”
Lila choked on her last bite of Snowstorm, turning away in a coughing fit. Jess smirked while Ava and Constance tried their best not to react at all.
“Oh,” was all Dulcie said. “Uh, sorry?” she managed, like it was a question.
Nick’s face burned with the heat of simmering caramel.
“Well, um, do you have a favorite?” Dulcie finally asked, thankfully changing the subject, motioning to the samples left on the table.
He thought for a moment. “The Snowstorm, I think,” he said. “It’s always been a favorite of mine.”
Dulcie nodded. “Good to know. I’ll definitely take that into consideration.” She looked at him for a minute. He was still trying to make his blush fade.
“Have you guys decided what you’re entering yet?” Dulcie’s friend Lila asked, all innocent-like.
Nick’s expression faltered into panic. “Uh, we have some options. But, um, nothing for sure yet.” It was the best he could do. He wasn’t about to admit to Dulcie of all people that he couldn’t come up with a damned thing.
Dulcie nodded. “Of course,” she said, but her “friendly” expression looked forced. “I understand. Well, thanks again,” she said, leading him toward the door as if she couldn’t wait to get him out of her sight. “Oh, and for the cupcakes, too.”
The cupcakes. God, he hoped she liked the cupcakes at least.
“Sure,” he said. “Um, thanks for the chocolates. Hopefully I’ll see you around?”
“Yeah, sure,” Dulcie said with a wave of her hand, pulling the door open for him.
He walked out into the chill of the night, cursing quietly to himself.
Chapter Six
Dulcie’s eyes skimmed over the box on the counter, and all the weirdness came flooding back. She turned to the cupcakes, studying them. God, what had she been thinking inviting Nick to taste test? It was just those lips, and that dimple. She rolled her eyes at what a silly schoolgirl she’d become.
She should just throw the cupcakes away, but they were so
pretty and smelled so delicious. She was sure he’d picked them up at some bakery on the way here anyway, so it’s not like they were precious or anything.
Maybe the girls would want a little taste.
As they sat around discussing what to do for the contest, it became obvious all the chocolates were decent contenders. Jess chose the Chai Chocolate, which impressed Dulcie, since she’d been thinking the same thing. They never came to a consensus, though, since everyone else just picked the chocolate they’d chosen to make in the first place.
Then they drowned their sorrows with a glass of wine each. Dulcie always made sure the few bottles she kept at the store would be nice pairings with sweet treats. But the wine wasn’t what got their attention.
“This is maybe the most delicious thing I have ever eaten,” Dulcie said, trying her best to eat Nick’s cupcake in a ladylike fashion, though it was so not working.
“Coming from someone who owns a candy store, that’s saying something,” Jess said, unable to eat hers in any sort of restrained fashion, either.
“It’s almost like they’re a cupcake-brownie hybrid or something. There’s a satisfying caramelizing going on,” Constance said between mouthfuls. “The texture is like nothing I’ve ever had before.”
“You have to ask him where he got these,” Lila said, and Dulcie didn’t disagree. “There’s no logo on the box.”
They were almost good enough to risk another encounter as awkward as the one tonight, but she only nodded absently. The cupcake had taken over her entire being.
As she walked home, though, disappointment flooded her. She knew in her heart none of the candies would get anywhere in the competition. Nick’s comments had proven as much—each one had been a pierce to her heart. The judges would yawn and think, Been there, done that.
Things were not very candy coated, to say the least.
Thankfully, Grams wasn’t home.
Dulcie eased open the door to her mom’s old room and snuck over to the window sill, pulling her knees up, clinging on to them fetal position style. God, she missed her so much…talking, laughing, being a daughter.
She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. The taste test had solidified what she feared: they didn’t have anything fresh enough to contend. In a contest like this, where originality made up a huge portion of the voting criteria, Candy Land Confections was doomed. And if the store was doomed, what did that mean for Dulcie? For her future, and for her mother’s dream?
