“I’m just following what my mother wants. Normally, she’d be in a tizzy with all the preparations, but this year she handed everything over to me. When my father passed, she was so depressed that some days she could barely get out of bed, but she forced herself to go into the shop every day for her employees. It gave her a reason to get up every morning.”
Pilar nodded. “Work is a powerful motivator. Good thing she had that.”
“Yeah, but she took it hard.” His voice turned gruff. “I did too. My father was an incredible man.”
Pilar touched his arm and felt his deep grief. “I’m so sorry for your loss, Jake. Is this the first Christmas without him?”
He blew out a bleak breath. “Yeah, it’s been almost a year since he passed last January. Mom was torn whether to have the anniversary party, but I convinced her that Dad would have wanted her to. She only agreed because I offered to take care of everything.”
“That was kind of you.” For such a hard-driven businessman, she loved how attentive and caring he was with his mother. He didn’t do it solely out of duty, it came from love.
He shrugged. “It’s the least I could do.”
“Do you help her manage the shop?” She’d Googled him and learned he was uber successful and voted one of the top unicorn businessmen of the year. Further research had told her a unicorn business was defined by a tech start-up reaching $1 billion-dollar market value.
“No, she has all the staff she needs and a competent accountant. I go over the results at year’s end and help her strategize for the next year. She’s a pro at her candy business and leans toward extravagance. But she won’t go to the extra step to expand her market. Given the area she’s in, it’s a miracle she’s still in business.”
“What do you mean?” Pilar noted his no-nonsense tone.
“The Sweet Spot is located in the most expensive area of Madison Avenue, surrounded by designer boutiques. The rents on that street are exorbitant. She’s lucky to have a sweetheart deal.”
“Why? Is it rent controlled?”
“No, that only applies to rental apartment properties, and not in the business sector. The owner of the building was in the Air Force with my father. They were lifetime friends. My dad saved Tom’s life on a mission in Korea, and for that, he’s been forever indebted to him. Tom and his wife, Velma, watch out for Mom. They’ve been very kind to her during the grieving period.”
“That must be a relief. You mentioned you travel a lot for business.”
“I do, because I sell my app worldwide.” He set his fork down and rubbed the back of his neck. “But that’s not the only reason. After my father passed, I needed to get away, and I welcomed working in Asia.” His eyes turned solemn. “There were too many memories here.”
“I understand. You felt torn between being there for your mom and wanting to leave to avoid the sad memories.”
“Exactly,” he said, regarding her pensively. “Mom is an optimist and a hard worker. She threw herself into her work, almost too much to make up for the loss of my father. It’s become her sole focus.” He exhaled a heavy breath. “I may constantly travel, but I check in on her often.”
“It must give her a lot of comfort and security. She mentioned she might relocate to Naples someday.”
“Not someday,” he corrected. “I want her to move down in January.”
“Next month?” Taken aback by his proclamation, Pilar searched his shuttered features. His tone was so resolute, it gave her pause. “Why so soon?”
“She took a fall over the summer and broke her foot. It’s healed now, but I worry about her slipping on the icy sidewalks this winter. She also had a bout of pneumonia in October. Her doctor says it’s time for her to move to a warmer climate, and I agree.”
“How does she feel about it?”
“She says I’m being overprotective, but she’s 74, and has worked most of her life. It’s time for her to start enjoying it. My parents always dreamed of retiring to Naples and playing golf all day. I want to make it happen for her.”
“But is she ready to retire so soon? A move like that will take a lot of exertion, not to mention the emotional toll,” Pilar fretted. She probably shouldn’t get involved, but she couldn’t help speaking up.
“It’ll be an adjustment, but it’s for the best. The hardest part will be leaving her employees. She cares for them deeply, and they love her. Many have been with her since she and Dad opened the shop.”
Pilar sighed, already feeling Emily’s pain. “Lots of memories there.”
Jake nodded. “They’ve been loyal to her through good times and bad. When she took the fall, they took turns checking on her until I could get back to town. Especially her righthand man. He took her to her doctor visits and made sure she had what she needed to be comfortable. Same thing when she got pneumonia. I was living in Shanghai at the time.”
“Sounds like she has a very caring team. If she retires, then what? Will you take over running the shop?”
“No, we’ll have to sell it or close it down.” His dispassionate answer caught her unaware.
“Why?”
“It wouldn’t make sense to keep it going without her running it. The Sweet Spot is Emily Radcliffe. No one can take her place.”
Pilar tried to mask her dismay as she stared at Jake. All during their conversation she had been thinking how considerate he was toward his mother, but now this. He thought he was being practical by taking charge of the situation and assuming that she’d be happier in the long run. She didn’t doubt he meant well, but it seemed heavy-handed. There had to be more to the story.
It would be a huge change for Emily. He might think he knew what was best for his mother, but Pilar had a feeling that she wouldn’t like being rushed. Was Emily truly ready to give up her business and move to Naples permanently?
And then there was her beautiful home, filled with so many family memories and memorabilia. It would be challenging to move in January when so much could be hampered by the inclement weather.
At a loss for words, Pilar pushed her plate away.
Chapter 3
Chocolate, chocolate everywhere. Delicious. Decadent. Dreamily addictive.
Standing beside Jake at the entrance of The Sweet Spot candy shop, Pilar closed her eyes and took a deep whiff of the interior. “Mmmm, I can’t get enough of this smell. There’s nothing like chocolate.” She opened her eyes and gazed around her in awe. “This place is exquisite.”
“Glad you like it,” Jake said, watching her.
“I’m in heaven.” Bewitched by the sumptuous smells and ritzy décor of the whimsical shop, her senses greedily absorbed every detail. “I feel like Alice in Wonderland,” she said, drawing a bemused smile from Jake.
The Sweet Spot surpassed her expectations. She’d seen pictures of the enchanting candy shop online, but they didn’t do it justice. Lavishly decorated for the holidays, the interior sparkled under the glowing light of the Venetian glass chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling.
Tiny, glistening white lights lined the crown molding on the pale blue-green ceiling. The Parisian green silk walls were adorned with sparkling silver and gold beveled glass lanterns. Small, round marble-topped tables were piled high with candy boxes wrapped in silvery green foil and tied with bronze satin ribbons.
It was late afternoon on a workday, and several customers formed a line at the counter at the back of the store, while others browsed the shelves and tables for pre-packaged selections. A sales associate in a brown fitted dress with a mint green silk scarf tied around her neck emblazoned with The Sweet Spot’s logo held a small silver tray laden with candies that she offered to shoppers.
This was Pilar’s type of place. Even as a child she had never cared for plain when she could do fancy. She loved to create dazzling, fanciful sweets, especially chocolate ones, and this gem of a candy shop made her want to move right in.
“Jake!” a young female voice called out, startling Pilar from her reverie. She wh
irled to find a stunning redhead in a fawn colored cashmere coat with a fox fur collar come rushing toward Jake. When she reached his side, she rose up on her tiptoes and planted a smoochy kiss on his cheek.
“Jess!” Jake pulled back, surprised. “When did you get in?”
“I flew in today from LA. Came straight over to ask Emily about you.” Her green eyes danced with familiarity as she gave him a not so subtle once-over. “I didn’t realize you were already here.” She flicked her long auburn goddess waves over one shoulder as her lips slid up slyly. “Did your mom tell you I’m moving back to New York?”
Jake’s brows rose. Evidently, she’d caught him by surprise. “No, she didn’t. You’ll have to fill me in on what made you move back.”
“Of course,” she purred. Her tone made Pilar wonder if she’d come back to New York for Jake.
Jake glanced at Pilar. “Pilar, this is Jessica Wynter. We’re childhood friends. Jess, meet Pilar. She’s a pastry chef from Naples that my mother hired to create the desserts for our parties this year.”
“That’s nice.” Jessica gave Pilar a perfunctory smile before turning her attention back to Jake.
Pilar studied Jessica as she chatted with Jake and turned on the charm. Her titian hair gleamed with golden highlights, her makeup was on point, and her long, pointy nails looked like she’d never washed a dish in her life. Pilar glanced at her own nails, buffed to a shine, but short and unpolished. She liked to keep them that way since she worked with food.
She watched Jessica’s rosy-beige lips curl into a flirty smile and her lashes flutter as she told Jake about her move. She was so comfortable with him, Pilar wondered if they shared a past.
She felt like a third wheel standing there, so she edged away, pretending she was checking out the merchandise. She caught sight of herself in a gold-framed mirror on the opposite wall and her shoulders drooped. Compared to Jessica, who looked like she’d just stepped off a model runway, Pilar felt wilted and her face looked colorless.
Her once sleek hair had gotten mussed up when she’d pulled off her woolen beanie, and the blush and lip gloss she’d had on earlier was gone. She should have reapplied her lip gloss after lunch, but she’d been so caught up in chatting with Jake, it hadn’t occurred to her.
Thankfully, Emily emerged from the back of the store and waved at Pilar, summoning her over.
Pilar returned to Jake’s side. “Excuse me,” she said. “Emily is calling me over. Nice meeting you, Jessica”
Jessica stopped talking and eyed Pilar with hiked brows, as if she were trying to figure her out. “Nice meeting you too,” she said and turned back to Jake.
Jake inclined his head toward Pilar. “I’ll catch up with you in a minute.”
Pilar nodded and hurried over to where Emily stood, eager to get away.
“Hi, there,” Emily said when Pilar reached the candy counter. “How was lunch?”
“It was delicious, thanks.”
“Where did my son take you?”
“We went to La Cocotte.”
Emily nodded approvingly. “Good choice. Warm and cozy.”
Pilar perused the angled glass-covered counter filled with finely crafted artisan chocolates and candies. “My mouth is watering looking at these chocolates. You have quite the selection.”
Emily executed a little bow. “Thank you, my dear. Wait till you taste them.”
“I can hardly wait. They look so rich and silky.”
“Did you have dessert at lunch?”
“I didn’t, but there’s always room for sweets.”
Emily beamed. “You’re a girl after my own heart.”
She appreciated Emily’s friendliness. From the moment they’d met, Pilar had felt an instant connection with the warm, effusive woman.
“Come with me. I’ll give you a quick tour, and then introduce you to the staff,” Emily said.
“Great, looking forward to both. It’s remarkable that you’re able to do everything on location—the candy making and the packaging,” Pilar observed, glad that she’d researched The Sweet Spot before accepting Emily’s unusual offer.
“Yes, we do it all here. We’ve come a long way in 25 years. We started out small with only the storefront and a separate chocolate making room behind it. We’ve since doubled to four rooms and could probably use a fifth one.” Emily’s eyes glowed with nostalgia. “In the old days, Bradford Lewis, who you’ll meet soon, did the candy making and drew the artwork. I managed the storefront and production part. We’d work three evenings a week packaging the chocolates until business took off, and I hired someone to do that.”
“Those must have been long days,” Pilar commiserated, caught up in Emily’s recollection.
“They were, but I was young and didn’t mind. It was a labor of love and filled the lonely hours. During that time, John was gone a lot. He was a pilot for a commercial airline,” she explained.
“Did Jake grow up spending a lot of time here?”
“Sometimes he’d come after school and do his homework here, but when we opened shop, Jake was 10, and already involved in many after-school activities and sports. He was always on the go, even as a little boy. We had a great nanny who was young and good at keeping him out of trouble.”
“Boys can be a handful at that age. I have two brothers to attest to it,” Pilar said. “When did you expand your business?”
“It happened gradually. After we bought our chocolate making equipment, we needed more space. The landlord here is a close personal friend, and when a space became available, he let me know right away. We have three rooms back here besides the storefront.”
They walked down a short passageway and arrived at a large candy-making room humming with activity. Four employees diligently worked inside as soft Christmas music played in the background.
Emily passed by the room without going in. “We’ll backtrack so you can meet everyone.” She led Pilar into a spacious room full of ready-to-sell products, boxes and ribbons, wrappers, and candy making essentials. “This is the storage area, which doubles as our breakroom.”
“I could easily spend a day in here,” Pilar said. “It’s amazing.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool. This other room is my office,” Emily said pointing to a smaller room next to it. “It’s just big enough for my desk and a comfy chair. Last year, Jake had floor-to-ceiling shelves installed on both sides. It’s made a huge difference in keeping me organized.” She laughed indulgently. “Jake is all about organization and efficiency, and I often drive him crazy.”
“Is he very Type A?” If they were going to work together, she’d like to know upfront how much of a taskmaster he was. Not that she minded hard work, but she didn’t relish having to answer to someone bossy. He hadn’t come across that way so far, but it was obvious he was successful and a can-do type of guy.
“Jake works hard.” Emily hesitated. “Sometimes too hard. He has the linear mind of an engineer and likes things orderly. It wouldn’t hurt for him to kick back and have fun while he’s here.” A smile emerged as she eyed Pilar. “That’s where you come in.”
Pilar’s mouth dropped. “Me? I thought you hired me to assist him with the parties.”
“I did, but you are so lovely in every way, he’ll enjoy working with you.” Her eyes twinkled with anticipation. “Come. It’s time for you to meet the team.”
They headed back to the candy making room, and as soon as they entered, Emily clapped her hands. “Listen up, everyone. Chef Pilar is here. Let’s give her a big welcome.”
Everyone clapped, warming Pilar’s heart. She smiled broadly. “Thank you so much. I’m thrilled to be here.”
A tall, burly man with salt and pepper hair and a neatly trimmed gray beard, who looked to be in his 70s, approached them.
“This is Bradford Lewis, our principal designer and my right-hand man. His artwork graces the top of each and every chocolate we make.” Emily tilted her head to one side as she regarded him. “I call him Choco Bear because he
loves chocolate and is as big as a bear with a huge heart to match.”
Bradford’s brandy colored eyes softened as he aimed a fond smile at Emily. “Look who’s talking about a huge heart. Our Queen Bee here is a real softie.”
“Oh, stop. I’m not a softie,” Emily protested.
Pilar extended her hand toward Bradford. “Nice to meet you, Bradford.”
His giant hand shook hers. “Call me Choco Bear. Everyone does, thanks to this one.” He indicated Emily and shook his head with mock resignation.
“You know you love it,” Emily fired back, smiling.
Pilar enjoyed witnessing their easy repartee. They weren’t only colleagues but good friends. So, this was the right-hand man Jake had mentioned who’d taken care of Emily when she’d broken her foot and contacted pneumonia. Seeing the tender way he looked at Emily, Pilar wondered if Choco Bear harbored romantic feelings for his Queen Bee.
“When do you start?” he asked.
“Tomorrow morning,” Pilar said. “I’ll be here bright and early.”
“Great. Looking forward to it.”
He returned to the five-burner gas stove to oversee two large copper cauldrons simmering on the stovetop, one filled with melted sugar and the other with bubbling caramel. From his station, he turned and sent them a beaming smile.
A few feet away, two women worked side-by-side at a very long table. Both wore brown smocks and bright bandanas covering the front of their hair. The pregnant one, who looked to be in her forties, talked to the younger one, who had a pink pixie haircut and flower-tattooed arms.
Emily approached the pregnant one and put her arm around her shoulders. “This is our Candy Mama, Gracie. She’s due in a couple of weeks and is supposed to be on maternity leave, but she keeps coming in. She’s quite the perfectionist and the reason our customers come back for more.”
“Aw, Emily. You’re too kind.” Gracie grinned. “Is it any wonder we’re going to name our baby Candace Emily?”
“She’ll be the sweetest baby,” Pilar said, smiling at her choice of names. “Will you call her Candy?”
The Holiday Sweet Spot: An opposites attract, gorgeous, feel-good romantic comedy (Falcons in Love Book 2) Page 3
