King Cake and Grave Mistakes

by Amber Crewes

  “It’s me,” Jackie said as Meghan answered the phone. “I have some amazing news. I had to tell you!”

  Meghan sighed in relief, thankful that Jackie was not angry with her. “What’s up, Jackie?”

  “Last night, after I dropped you off, Rosie texted me,” she explained breathlessly. “She was telling me more about Mariah’s Olympic display--bragging really--and she asked if I could arrange a day of pampering for everyone involved with her last exhibition! Rosie said that Mariah wants to thank everyone who helped her win the Olympics gig, and she thinks that my salon could be a perfect place for Mariah’s entourage to spend the day.”

  “That’s incredible,” Meghan told her friend. “What a boost for business.”

  “That’s the thing,” she squealed. “Rosie gave me an estimate for what they plan to pay, and Meghan, it’s more than I’ve made in the last two years...for just a day of work. Can you believe it? I could go to London, or Paris, or Rome, or Maui with that kind of money. I haven’t been on a trip forever...oh, Meghan! If this contract with them goes through, promise me we’ll splurge on some sort of big girls’ trip?”

  Meghan thought for a moment. She was happy for Jackie; Jackie had been through a lot in the last few years, and Meghan wanted nothing more than for her good friend to succeed, but she also wanted Jackie to be wise about who she worked with, and how she spent her money. Meghan knew that Jackie had struggled to open her salon, and with the major redecorations she had done over the holidays, Meghan wondered if perhaps Jackie was being careless with her money.

  “Hello? Meghan? Come on! Rosie said she’ll send over the contract this week, and after I sign it, I’ll get a signing bonus. Let’s at least use that for a little weekend getaway soon. I hear Miami is so much fun in the winter.”

  Meghan bit her lip, unsure of what to say to her friend. Jackie had just been fretting about her finances over the holidays, and Meghan wanted to gently remind her that saving the large sum of money from Mariah Cooper could be beneficial in the long run.

  “You know, I love the idea of going on a trip together,” she began. “But have you thought of investing that money? You could look into the stock markets, or even take some of it to invest in your business.”

  “What do you mean?” Jackie asked. “Why wouldn’t I treat myself? I work so hard, and my clients can be so demanding. Why wouldn’t I spend a week, or two, or five sunning myself on a beach in Portugal? If Rosie is really going to arrange for me to get paid as much as they offered, I think it will be okay.”

  Meghan frowned. Her own business had been a little slow over the last two weeks; with the holidays ending and many people in Sandy Bay starting diets at the beginning of January, Meghan’s numbers at the bakery had slightly dropped, and she was feeling sensitive about money as she spoke with Jackie.

  “Am I just jealous of Jackie?” she thought to herself as she tried to come up with the right words to say. “My last few corporate orders were not as lucrative as I had hoped…maybe I’m just envious of her success. We’re both small business owners, and this deal would be huge. I guess her finances aren’t my business. If she wants to use the money from this major deal and go to Timbuktu, then that’s her business, if she can afford it.”

  “Meghan?”

  “I’m so happy for you,” she said to Jackie. “I have a meeting in ten minutes and I need to get ready, but can we talk more about this later?”

  “Who are you meeting with? It’s pretty early for a meeting, isn’t it?”

  “It’s earlier than my taste,” she admitted. “But it is important. I’m meeting with Ron Thomas, the graphic designer. He’s helping me do some rebranding work for the bakery, and this was the only time we could meet.”

  “Ron Thomas, huh?” Jackie said. “That’s awesome. I’ve heard that everything he touches turns to gold, Meghan. What a great opportunity for you.”

  “I know,” she said. “I reached out to him, and he asked if we could meet. He said he sees a lot of potential in the bakery, and I hope this rebranding will make business in the New Year skyrocket.”

  “I bet it will,” Jackie replied. “Go get ready. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Meghan hastily ran to her closet and tried to assemble a stylish outfit. She had heard that Ron Thomas was very chic and artsy, and Meghan wanted to make the best impression for their first meeting. She smiled as she removed a long-sleeve velvet dress from the back of her closet. She touched the smooth fabric, enjoying the way it felt on her hands, and grinning as her manicured fingers stood out against the black material. Meghan paired the dress with a pair of maroon tights and black ankle boots. She brushed her long hair, quickly weaving it into a thick braid that plummeted down her back. As she stared at her reflection in the floor-length mirror in her bedroom, she beamed.

  “This could be a huge day for me,” she told herself as she admired the way the dress hugged her curves and accentuated her elegant collarbone. “Maybe Jackie and I will both have amazing developments as business owners this week. Ron Thomas is just who I need to send my business to the top, and I think I look my best for our meeting.”

  Meghan applied a thick layer of pink lipstick and shook out her hair a final time. She then walked to the door to the narrow staircase, humming to herself as she ventured downstairs and into the kitchen of the bakery. Meghan lived just above her workplace, and she often joked that she had the world’s best commute.

  “Good morning, Meghan,” chirped Pamela, the high school student who worked part time at Truly Sweet. “You look so pretty today.”

  “You do,” Trudy, Meghan’s middle-aged employee, agreed. “Your eyes just pop in that black dress, Meghan.”

  Meghan blushed. “It’s just something I threw on,” she teased. “I’m hoping that if I dress well, I will impress well in my meeting with Ron. He’s coming by in a few minutes to discuss our rebranding project, and I’m excited to put our heads together.”

  “Ron Thomas redid the marketing strategy for that shoe store downtown,” Pamela gushed. “He turned it from a scary, dirty shop into a designer shoe store. I couldn’t believe it. Now, I beg my mom and dad to take me there all the time.”

  Meghan grinned. “I’m glad to hear that,” she told Pamela. “This consultation meeting was expensive, but I think it will be a good investment.”

  Suddenly, the little silver bells attached to the front door of the bakery chimed, signaling to Meghan that Ron had arrived. “Ooooh, he’s here,” Meghan cooed. “Time to shine.”

  Meghan smiled as she walked into the dining area of the bakery to greet Ron. He was a short man, with a lavender shirt, round glasses, and tight grey pants that fit him perfectly. Meghan stuck out her hand, but Ron kissed her on both cheeks.

  “Darling Meghan,” he said as she blushed. “What a joy to have this time with you. Your bakery is just precious, and I cannot wait to show you what I’ve been working on.”

  “Thank you for meeting with me,” Meghan said as Ron nodded. “Let me show you to a table. My staff will bring out some treats for you to try later, and I have ordered an assortment of our coffee beverages for you to sample. I want you to have the best feel of this place as we embark on this rebranding journey, and I am going to make you sample everything!”

  “Hopefully not everything,” Ron joked as he pointed to his slim waist. “I try not to eat sugar, dairy, or carbs, but I can surely appreciate your treats by looking at them.”

  “We’ll see,” she said slyly. “No one can ever turn down my treats!”

  Forty five minutes later, after looking through hundreds of sketches, color samples, and website designs, Meghan was exhausted. She felt relieved as Pamela appeared from the kitchen, a small purple, yellow, and green cake on a tray in her hands.

  “Meghan? I have the first sample for Mr. Thomas to try.”

  Meghan watched as Ron eyed the cake. “Why is it so colorful?” he asked, clearly intrigued.

  “It’s a King cake,” Pamela told him. “We make th
e icing with organic ingredients, so even though it looks crazy, it tastes amazing!”

  Ron smiled. “I think I will have to try some,” he admitted. “I try to stay away from sweets,” he told Pamela. “But the smell of that cake….”

  Pamela cut a small slice and presented it to Ron. He delicately raised his fork, and then lowered it into the thick layers of icing. As he began to nibble on the cake, his eyes widened, and before everyone knew it, he had demolished the humble piece.

  “That is delightful,” Ron declared as he licked his lips. “Meghan, what a talent you have. I am in heaven here.”

  Meghan smiled. “I’m glad you are pleased.”

  “Pleased? More like enthralled,” he gushed. “I love it. I know my sister would love it, too. I bet she could eat a whole truckload of this; I try to stay away from treats and sweets, but she has a real sweet tooth!”

  Meghan laughed. “That’s funny,” she said.

  “I mean it,” Ron insisted. “She would love your King cake. Meghan, are all of your desserts this divine?”

  Meghan grinned as Pamela emphatically nodded. “Meghan is an artist,” Pamela announced. “And her kitchen is her canvas.”

  “I think you are right,” Ron agreed as he reached for another piece of the King cake. “I think you are right, indeed.”

  3

  “I can’t believe she’s going to rent out the Presidential Suite for the pampering sessions!” Jackie exclaimed as she steered her sleek black Audi toward the Sandy Bay Hotel, the nicest hotel and event venue in town. “I thought Rosie wanted to hold the event at my salon, but when she called and told me that she had paid the deposit on the hotel, I nearly dropped my phone.”

  Meghan said nothing, smiling weakly as her friend guided them closer to the hotel. She breathed in the new car, sighing as the scent of new leather filled her nose. Since receiving the first check from Rosie three days ago, Jackie had gone on a spending spree; from the brand new Audi, to two designer handbags, to hand-braided waist-length hair extensions, Jackie was making pricey purchases that made Meghan cringe.

  “She is paying me in three parts,” Jackie had explained to Meghan on the day she purchased the new car. “And trust me, Meghan, each part is enough to finance everything I’ve ever wanted and more.”

  Meghan was skeptical. “Don’t you still have some student debt?” she gently asked Jackie. “And didn’t you tell me the salon needs some roof work? Why don’t you use this money to pay off all of your debts, and then if there is money left over, you can splurge a little. That is what I would do.”

  Jackie had scoffed. “You’re so pragmatic,” she complained to Meghan. “I think you need to follow my lead and live a little, girlfriend. Don’t let yourself be too much of an adult all of the time.”

  Meghan had decided in that moment that she was finished giving Jackie advice; she had always tried to be frugal and wise with her spending, especially as a business owner, but Jackie’s spending spree was making Meghan nervous, and she couldn’t involve herself too much, no matter how much she wanted to.

  Jackie pulled into the long, circular driveway of the Sandy Bay Hotel. Meghan sighed as she stepped out of the car; her parents had recently visited town and stayed at the hotel, and while it had been fun to visit with them, Meghan hoped that this adventure into the hotel would be quieter than when her parents had stayed.

  “Mr. Templeton will meet us in the lobby,” Jackie informed Meghan as she pulled her shiny new pink handbag from the car and looped it over her right shoulder. “Rosie said that she sent him all of the instructions, and he will lead us around.”

  “Great,” Meghan muttered, remembering the way Lewis Templeton, the hotel manager, had been at her parents’ beck and call during their stay. Meghan admired Lewis’ work ethic; he was devoted to the hotel, but he had made some snobbish comments about the town and the hotel’s ideal guests that had rubbed Meghan the wrong way.

  “Ahhh, Jackie,” Lewis cooed as the two women entered the opulent lobby. Jackie leaned in to kiss Lewis on both cheeks.

  “Thank you for having us,” Jackie gushed as Lewis smiled warmly. “It’s such a pleasure to be partnering with Rosie to provide the pampering session, and I’m thrilled to have access to your facilities.”

  Lewis beamed. “Rosie wanted Mariah Cooper to have the best of the best,” he declared as he waved his arms wide. “And we are the best! Also, speaking of the best, your handbag is simply adorable, Jackie.”

  Meghan raised an eyebrow as Jackie plucked it from her shoulder and delicately passed it to Lewis. “It’s brand new,” she stated proudly as Lewis admired the stitching. “I need to look my best if I am going to pamper the best.”

  “That you do,” he agreed. “There’s just something about rubbing elbows with the well-to-do that inspires me to look my best. I get all of my suits and trousers tailored, and my shoes are flown in from Italy.”

  Meghan groaned as Lewis struck a nonchalant pose, extending his left foot out so the two women could admire his walnut leather shoes. “I just can’t help myself,” he murmured as Jackie’s eyes widened.

  “Jackie, I need to be back at the bakery soon,” Meghan interrupted. “Lewis? Can we start the tour of the suite?”

  Lewis adjusted the thin, designer glasses perched on his nose and nodded. “Ahh, Meghan Truman. What a pleasure to see you. Please give my best to your parents. I enjoyed their stay here, and I do hope they will return soon. Ladies, let’s begin our tour.”

  Lewis led Jackie and Meghan to the back of the grand lobby. “The private elevator to the Presidential Suite is just back here,” he told the women. “Ms. Cooper and her guests are welcome to use it, or they may use the private staircase in the back.”

  “That’s good to know,” Jackie replied, pulling out a tiny purple notepad and a pen from her purse. “I’m going to take notes as we go. I want to make sure this pampering session goes as well as possible.”

  “Excellent,” he responded. “Come now; we are going to zip upstairs in the private elevator.”

  The trio boarded the elevator, and Lewis hit a large gold button, the only button in the enclosure. “You really are lucky to have secured this deal with Mariah Cooper,” he told Jackie as the elevator climbed to the tenth floor. “While Sandy Bay is a small town, its beauty and proximity to the ocean occasionally result in celebrities visiting and spending money at local businesses, including the hotel, and now, your salon. Just last month, we had Geoffrey Sadjedi, the famous international big cat tamer, in for two days. In that time, he spent more money here than the hotel had seen in its last year of business. Can you believe that?”

  Jackie’s eyes widened, and Meghan could see the excitement on her friend’s face. “I wonder if Mariah will spend that kind of money here…”

  “I’m sure she will,” he confirmed. “Rosie Jakes’ call earlier this week mentioned quite a sum, and if I am correct, I’ve heard she gives out significant bonuses when Mariah is pleased with service.”

  Jackie gasped. “You’re kidding,” she said in disbelief. “This kind of compensation and a bonus? I don’t know what I did to deserve this opportunity, but you had better bet that I am going on one long, fancy vacation after this!”

  Lewis chuckled as a little bell chimed. “We’ve arrived,” he said, and the elevator doors opened to reveal the Presidential Suite. “Here we are.”

  The three stepped into the foyer and Jackie giggled. “This is the most fabulous, luxurious, pretty place I have ever been in,” she exclaimed as she took a few steps forward onto the marble floor. “Look! Those are French doors!”

  “Imported from Paris,” Lewis confirmed.

  “And the ceilings! Look at the color and the designs of those murals.”

  “Frescos,” he corrected Jackie. “Painted by the great-great grandson of Diego Rivera himself.”

  “And the furniture,” Jackie said dreamily as she lowered herself onto a white leather divan next to a massive picture window overlooking the ocean. “
This just feels expensive.”

  “It certainly is,” Lewis chimed in. “Now, let’s look at the different spaces. This suite offers six bedrooms, a sitting room, a formal parlor, a kitchen, a dining room, an exercise room, a private balcony, and a large loft space that could be perfect for the pampering session.”

  “A loft space?” Jackie asked.

  Lewis nodded. “It is the most modern area in the suite. We had it designed and located on the top floor of the suite for parties and events; you never know which of our Presidential Suite guests want to host their next hot event here, and we wanted to be prepared. It comes with a large bathroom space, a bar, and a speaker system that could put Madison Square Garden’s to shame.”

  Jackie glowed as Lewis spoke. “It sounds like just the vibe I’m going for,” she agreed. “Let’s see it!”

  As Lewis led the women up a spiral staircase in the corner of the foyer, Meghan’s phone began to ring. “It’s Pamela,” she mouthed to Jackie. “I need to take this; she’s holding down the fort at the bakery today.”