Chapter 2
chapter two
Caeli “Lee” WEBB.
Think I can make this spot work?
“Are you saying we can’t?”
His steps paused and he turned to face me with those amber eyes bright and reflecting the sun, making them far more alluring than I needed them to be at the moment.
Focus, Caeli.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
I reared my head back and he approached the spot where I landed on the sidewalk. The first thought I had when he was close enough for me to truly feel his presence was how the hell did a man who burned meat for a living smell like citrus and cedar.
Caeli, focus, dammit.
“You’re awfully sure of yourself.”
“I’m just confident that way but for good reason.” He smiled arrogantly and well shit, he was right. I could craft a list of all the reasons he had the right to be confident. His beard was cut low like his hair, both groomed, well-maintained like he invested time in caring for them, which had my fingers aching to caress his head and jaw.
Then there were those noteworthy tempting lips, that arrogant and far too assured smile, very broad shoulders, thick corded arms, the way that t-shirt stretched across his torso exposing hard work and not in the gym, the kind of work that manly men engaged in, throwing tires or lifting logs.
What the hell is wrong with me, what normal man does any of that?
“But, my point doesn’t have a damn thing to do with my confidence and everything to do with knowing the customers who spend their lunch break standing in lines out here for their hour of freedom. Pizza, tacos, hotdogs, chicken tenders ,and most importantly, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, and ribs, which we specialize in, is where their money goes. Not cupcakes. If you’re lucky, you’ll grab a few of the rollovers who need a quick fix because time is limited but there’s no way in hell you’ll make any decent money if that’s all you’re selling.”
“Says the man selling burnt meat.”
The heavens opened… Okay, maybe I was exaggerating, he simply smiled but it was so heavenly. “How about this? We compare sales at the end of the day and if you gross even half of what we do, with those overpriced sugar explosions, then I’ll buy you dinner. If you don’t, you buy me dinner and promise to never park in our spot again.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I had no idea what our sales would gross. We were new and he made very valid points. Cupcakes were more of a treat than a necessity but that was the point, treat the people who usually just overindulged with greasy fried food. Who didn’t like something light, sweet, and fluffy to brighten a gloomy workday?
Studies proved that small rewards helped push motivation and these business park people needed motivation to smile a little more during their very mundane lives. Well, that and we were only truly here to catch the Indie Love readers.
This was temporary, or at least that was the plan, unless some miracle happened and we managed to do well out here in Food Alley. Food Alley was what Caramel Cove Park and Pay was nicknamed because of the history of food trucks that thrived out here. If we successfully managed decent numbers and could afford the exorbitant parking fee monthly, then maybe this could be our permanent home.
I could easily admit to this very cocky, yet unfairly sexy man that we were only supposed to be here for the week, but why would I stroke his already inflated ego and prove him right? Cupcakes were a treat ,not a necessity, in the eat to live meal category.
“Fine. I accept your bet, but I’d like to add one amendment.”
Okay, so maybe I was allowing my ego to drive this conversation.
“I’m listening.”
“If we get at least fifty percent of your sales for the day, you have to promote us with every sale you make off your customers for the next six months.”
His entire expression dropped into a blank mask which had me smiling internally when I arched a brow and asked, “Is that an issue? You seemed overly confident a moment ago. Are you not anymore?”
His eyes flicked past me to our truck then landed on my face as he stepped closer, allowing me an overdose of him as he extended a hand.
“I’m definitely still confident. You got a deal, beautiful.”
I slipped my palm into his and why did I make that mistake? Touching this man, even just the inside of his hand, was a terrible, terrible decision. There was a connection, one I hadn’t expected but felt like what I read about in romance novels or watched in chick flicks. That very significant moment of acknowledgment, that “this was my person” kind of connection, which had me snatching my hand back. He smirked, winked, turned and walked away, seemingly unaffected. I watched the confident gait of his movements and slightly bowed legs as their impressive gait journeyed away from me and carried him into the charcoal gray truck decorated with spirals of smoke and bright orange letters.
So damn manly.
But now it was time for me to find some sense and process what I had just done. It couldn’t be too bad, right?
How great could their sales be? I mean, it was June, super-hot, and who the hell ate brisket and pulled pork in the middle of the day considering they had to go back to work instead of home to take a nap.
As I entered our truck and reality set in, I broke out into a light sweat as I paced back and forth. People were who, a lot of people. Who didn’t love barbecue? It was like America’s favorite meal during summer months and June was definitely a summer month.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Camilla was going to murder me. I just killed our only chance to do something amazing out here.
“ L ee, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird since I got back?”
“I’m not being weird, here look at this.” I decided to shift her attention to the new flyers I finished while she was on a scavenger hunt for rum. My sister was obsessive with the flavors of her creations but I appreciated that obsession. The decision to have our cupcakes taste like fluffy, sugary perfection was the thing that would distinguish us from all the others.
Well, that and my obsession with ensuring all the details of the business aligned to keep things running smoothly. The thing was, my role was more so background. Although relevant, Camilla’s recipes were at the forefront. Each role was so very important but I had to give my sister props, she kept customers happy and returning.
“These are perfect. You made them?”
I smiled and nodded slowly as she admired the bright and detailed flyers I crafted. “You did your thing, Lee. I want to eat the paper.”
I playfully rolled my eyes but had to agree. The images were mouthwatering. “That’s because these are your babies and you know what they taste like.”
I pulled images of some of the staged photos we had and added them to the flyers. Product was known to sell and my sister’s creations were top tier, visually pleasing and melt in your mouth delicious.
“I mean you know how I do.” She popped an imaginary collar and I laughed, hyping my sister.
“Yeah, girl. I know how you do. Mix, bake, repeat.”
She filled the space next to me, staring blankly at the designs and her silence was super loud which had me asking, “What’s up, Ami?”
“This Indie Love weekend is a big deal. Are you nervous?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re built for this. You’re the best, sis. Like the absolute best and with me behind the scenes keeping things running smoothly while you whip up magic, we’re not going to fail. I’m never nervous when it’s us . You got me, I got you, and we got this .”
I was ten million percent confident in our abilities and that confidence along with a pinch of my ego was what I was currently nervous about because it landed me in a bet I wasn’t sure if we could win. Not because we weren’t capable, but simply due to timing.
We were new out here, didn’t really know the lay of the land, and if given the time, we would undoubtedly annihilate this opportunity. However, time was not on our side. I shoved a foot in my mouth, and by default, dragged Camilla into this with me, but I wouldn’t dare tell her. I was going to hope for the best and pray we came out on top.
“Okay, okay, we got this.” Her smile expanded across her entire face. “Winning this spot for a week was a blessing. Now all we have to do is prove to everyone that they need Sweet Reasons in their lives and build a consistent clientele out here. The amount of money we can make is endless because the traffic out here is ten times the traffic downtown and they feature the trucks from Food Alley in Taste Divine at least every couple of months. Can you imagine what that would do for Sweet Reasons if we got featured in Taste Divine?”
Of course I could. Taste Divine was a national publication of small-town gems in the food community. Exposure through them could launch Sweet Reasons into a new stratosphere. Their local publication was how we found out about the competition that granted us a free week out at Food Alley. The secret shoppers they sent out evidently loved our cupcakes. When we received the letter stating we were indeed winners, Ami and I both knew this was the start to something great. She was going to murder me if I messed this up for us.
“I’m well aware, sis. How about we start with having a successful week and weekend here before we go launching our brand nationally?” I grinned and she shrugged.
“Go big or go home.”
That’s what I’m afraid of, going home.
“True, true, so do you need any help? I can start decorating if you want. I’m pretty much done here.”
“Yeah, that would be great.”
“Okay, I’ll start with that then head out in a bit to drop off some flyers while you work on your next batch of mojitos.”
Camilla frowned. “What makes you think I’ll be doing another batch?”
“Is it perfect?”
She grinned and shook her head. “Not quite.”
“Then you’ll be making ten more batches until it is. I know you, Ami.”
“Maybe a little bit.”
“I’m gonna print these then I’ll get started decorating.”
After Ami was gone, I said a quick prayer that this week was a success. We really needed this to work and I needed to win this bet.