Chapter 12 #2
And she did look happy. It had just been so long since she knew what happy looked like on her features that she couldn’t recognize it.
Perhaps it was because, standing next to Alec, eating meals with him, getting to know about his life and his career, having him meet her farkakte family and former-felon friends, were the things that had more of a hand in her happiness than they should have.
It was another reason her nerves had been firing on all cylinders. As if she didn’t have enough to worry about, now she had to worry about—gulp—catching feelings as well?
After Alec posted the photos across all his social media platforms—to followings way, way larger than Marisa had—he pocketed his phone and rubbed the back of his neck. “It would be a good time to tell them, you know.”
He gestured toward where her mother was rearranging the tower of bagels so they were more foundationally supported while her father kept scooping up all the good plump capers onto his cream-cheese-mounded plate.
“You can’t be serious. One, I just introduced you as my boyfriend to my parents. Two, my dad just told you how he hadn’t met his health insurance deductible for the year yet, so do you really want me to go give him a heart—”
“About the Ball, you daft woman,” he said, snatching up her hands as they flew about her face to aid her in conversation. “You should tell them about your offer from Monica.”
Marisa snorted, taking her hands back so she could rightly set them on her hips. “You mean how I managed to get into a candy competition with your ex-girlfriend, who’s very likely to put me out of business.”
“Stop it. That’s not what I mean, and you know it.” The word know was doing a lot of work in that statement, primarily unearthing a shame she’d hoped to cover up with a cupcake cake. No dice.
“Do you speak fluent hard-ass or something?”
“No. But I have been known to comment on the truths around me, and it’s plain as day that you’re bloody proud of the opportunity you’ve gone after for your business.
From what you’ve told me, the Crystal Christmas Ball is an event not to be missed, and of all the vendors who’ve been dying to get their chance, you were the one to walk up to Monica, stained shirt and all, and put yourself out there.
It’s amazing and an incredible honor, regardless of the outcome with Phoebe.
You’re a headliner, Marisa, and I think it’ll do you some good to start sinking into that feeling and letting it take you where you want your business to go.
There’s no one better qualified than you to sell to a Christmas crowd.
No one else has the amount of fight you do.
Take it from someone who knows a thing or two about winning tourneys.
Fucking hell, you could make your own version of those delicious chocolate coin things and likely print your own money.
What are they called again, by the way? Guilt? ”
Marisa barked out a laugh. “Gelt.”
“Right. Gelt. As I figure, it’s money either way, and I’ve seen your family. Odd as they may be, they’d love to support you. Just give them a chance. Why are you already regretting your loss when you’ve never even given yourself the chance to envision the win?”
“God, you are so annoying,” she said, hoping the statement would cover up her nerves after he’d gone and rudely sheared off their protective layer. But the truth was often annoying until it grew up. Then it was just a big fat reality Marisa had to learn to either dodge or deal with.
Problem was, after so many years, she only had so much fight in her, and what was left was running on emergency reserves.
And emergencies made a person do crazy things.
“I’ll have you know,” Marisa said, poking a fingernail between Alec’s pecs and enjoying the wide-eyed surprise on his face.
“I have been selling Christmas cheer for a goddamn decade. No one knows how to make better candy canes, peppermint fudge, and caramel clusters than I do, to say nothing of my marzipan and frangipane work.” The brighter her pride grew, the stronger the force pushing Alec back into the breakfront behind him.
“I’ve got recipes for ribbon candy that have taken me years to perfect.
And what does the Plant Nanny have? Chocolate Christmas tree molds? Give me a fucking break.”
“A hook!” Alec added, curling his hand around her pokey finger to stem off any more attacks. “She doesn’t have one of those angry hook things your adjacently law-abiding friends brought you.”
“Exactly!” Marisa cried, pointing to the ceiling with her other hand and nearly snagging a string of paper lanterns. “She doesn’t have a sugar pulling hook! Probably wouldn’t even know what to do with it if she saw one.”
“Or one of those blow pump gadgets.”
“You’re right!” Marisa breathed, cradling her forehead under the realization of just how much she had going for her and how much of it she just couldn’t see until Alec pointed it out.
“My business is more than the sum of its parts. So much more. I just need to get in the game and make some noise about it.”
“And speaking of noise, I bet this’ll help.
” Alec pulled out his phone and showed her his screen, specifically all the notifications that had come within a span of only a few minutes.
There were more likes, thumbs-ups, smiley emojis, and Can’t wait to go!
comments than any one of her posts had ever received.
Page after page of people asking how they could buy tickets to the Crystal Christmas Ball, what other kinds of candies Sweetest Heart’s Desire would be offering, and which one of Marisa’s treats was Alec’s favorite.
Mentally, she’d tried racking up the numbers, but her brain stalled out when the comments bled over to subsequent pages.
If even just a fraction of the people who interacted with this post actually bought tickets and showed up at the Ball, Marisa wasn’t only going to win a spot on Monica’s List, but she’d be in business for who knew how long.
Wave after wave of emotion flooded her system, causing her cheeks to heat and misting her eyes with good tears for a change.
But then another notification popped up on Alec’s phone. A single text message from a man’s name she didn’t recognize.
Alec’s face pinched and sank into a worried scowl. “My agent. Wants me to call him back. Must be in L.A. Give me a moment.”
“Sure.”
She didn’t know why, but when Alec let go of her hand to take the call, she worried he was letting go of something far greater.