by Rachel Astor
Dulcie picked up her mom’s photo book—it always brought her closer to her—and fiddled with a corner where the paper had lifted over the years, trying not to let the tears that threatened fall. The stupid lump in her throat hurt so badly, like she’d swallowed a Sour Cherry Drop, which stuck right in the middle of her esophagus. Soon the lump subsided and the tears settled back to where they came from.
She smoothed her hand over the inside front cover, wishing that instead of the stupid book, she could touch her mom, just one more time.
She felt something strange under the page, though, and wondered how she’d never noticed it before. A bump formed beneath the paper, like something was sealed inside.
She glanced both ways, even though she was alone, and peeled at the loose corner. It gave way a little, pulling up without tearing, sealed with an adjustable adhesive. Sure enough, underneath the false page appeared an envelope.
An envelope marked with the words top secret.
If she knew her mother—and she liked to think she did—top secret meant one of two things. One, she’d become a spy for an unknown secret organization, ridding the world of overweight evildoers by forcing them into slow death by candy, or two, she’d continued to create new recipes during her illness.
The envelope happened to be pretty close in size to the entries in the Spell Book of Sweets.
Dulcie tore into it and sped through the recipes, five in all.
They were magnificent. It was as if they were sent from the heavens in her mother’s beautiful—though a little scrawlier than usual—handwriting.
She let out a long, deep breath, stress blowing across the room and out the window.
She was going to be saved.
“Ladies, I give you the Salted Caramel Apple Enchantment,” Dulcie said, smoothing the page over the worktable.
As Ava and Constance leaned in reading, both let out a tiny gasp.
“Where did you get this?” Constance asked, though Dulcie was sure she knew immediately who’d designed the recipe.
“I was in Mom’s room looking at a book of old pictures she had of some of our candies and I found this tucked inside.”
Constance’s eyes grew sad and she turned away, back to the recipe. “This is amazing,” she said in a whisper, the room going still with reverence. “There’s no way you can lose.”
Both Constance and Ava, so well versed in all things candy, recognized a masterpiece when they saw one.
“This may be her finest work yet,” Dulcie said.
Constance nodded. “Thank goodness you found it. What if it had been lost forever?”
A smile crept across Dulcie’s face. “And that’s not all,” she said, pulling the four other sheets out of her bag. “There are others.”
They both inhaled, looking like they were dying to grab the papers right out of her hand.
Dulcie set the first one down.
Peanut Butter Crunch Truffle.
The girls dove in to examine it. Dulcie had already studied the recipe for ages; a rich peanut butter ganache, dipped in milk chocolate then drizzled with a peanut butter glaze, topped with fresh ground peanuts and chocolate shavings.
Positively luscious.
“This is exactly something your mother would come up with,” Constance said, just a hint of sadness shadowing her eyes.
Ava nodded.
Then right away, they looked back at Dulcie for more.
She rolled her eyes and set the next recipe down.
Cranberry Pomegranate Zinger.
Saltwater taffy had always been one of her mom’s favorites, and they carried at least a half dozen gourmet flavors on any given day. This one would be a huge hit with the taffy regulars.
“My mouth is watering over how tangy this will be, but oh my God, so good,” Ava said. “This is going to be perfect for those long nights studying for finals.”
Dulcie couldn’t help but grin. Ava must be Miss Popular with her study buddies, considering the volume of candy she usually left the store with at the end of her shift.
Dulcie set the next recipe down.
Decadent Cookie Dough Fudge.
The name said it all; a milk chocolate fudge, generously dotted with chunks of homemade chocolate chip cookie dough, and with the amount of dough the recipe called for, the fudge was merely something to hold all those chunks together. It would be beautiful cut up into serving sizes, the chocolate marbling through the cookie dough.
“I would have died for this one when I was pregnant,” Constance said. “And she even thought of that.” She ran her finger down the list of ingredients. “See, no eggs.” She glanced up. “Pregnant women can’t usually eat cookie dough, at least the homemade kind, because of the raw eggs in it.”
“Maybe Mom craved the same things you did when she was having me.”
Constance nodded. She quickly turned away, though not fast enough to hide the tears glazing her eyes.
Dulcie cleared her throat, which had suddenly grown a lump. “And this is the final one,” she said, setting down the precious last piece she had of her mother.
Toasted Coconut Brittle.
“Oh my gosh, it’s so simple,” Ava said.
“And so perfect,” Constance added.
Dulcie nodded. It was like her mother thought of her when she came up with it. Coconut had always been one of Dulcie’s favorite flavors. The recipe had the base of any other brittle: sugar, syrup, butter, but this time she added a subtle infusion of coconut essence, and a generous dose of shredded coconut, toasted to perfection.
“The customers are going to go nuts,” Constance said. “It can’t be said enough. Your mother was a genius.” She fanned the five new recipes out for closer inspection.
“I can’t wait to get working on them,” Ava said.
Dulcie plucked the Salted Caramel Apple Enchantment back off the table, clutching it to her chest. “We can make the others, but this is the one for the competition. No one can see it until we start testing. You can’t say a word to anyone.”
Ava made a zipper motion over her lips, and Constance nodded reverently. “Of course we won’t say anything. The competition isn’t going to know what hit them.”
That was just what Dulcie had been thinking, too.
Dulcie was up before the sixties candy song blared on her phone—she was that excited to get to work on her mom’s new recipes. She’d wanted to get started the night before, but the new candy wouldn’t be as good sitting for too long before the customers arrived, and the recipes deserved every chance at perfection.
After the blissful early morning of creating, she sped out to her first class, posting the New Flavors sign. By noon, Constance texted her 9-1-1. She had to get back to the shop to help, because all the new stuff was already sold.
They had never had a day like that before.
Dulcie skipped her afternoon classes and sprinted back to the shop, spending the rest of the day in candy making bliss. If only she could create all day instead of slogging through classes…but, everyone feels like that, right?
Besides, she’d promised her mom she’d finish her schooling.
The stream of customers stayed constant and poor Constance was about to explode, she’d run around so much. Her face was beaded with sweat, which got even more pronounced when she noticed the mid-afternoon line beginning to stretch right out the door. They sold out of each of the four new recipes several times, not to mention a ton of other stuff.
Dulcie was relieved when Ava showed up for her shift, which meant sending Constance home. She had actually been starting to worry about the older woman’s health.
When things finally slowed, well into the evening, Dulcie shut down the kitchen and came to sit with Ava.
“If we sell out again, they’ll just have to wait for tomorrow.”
Ava gave her a sympathetic smile. “You look exhausted.”
Dulcie nodded, flopping into a seat beside her. “Yeah, but what a great day. I wish I could do this all the time.”
“So why don’t you?”
She sighed. “Because every day isn’t like this. I need a fallback.”
She left out the part where the shop existed on a month to month basis. She didn’t want Ava to worry about where her next paycheck would come from or anything.
“I guess,” Ava said. “It’s just that…” She paused.
Dulcie tilted her head, dying to know what she was about to say. “Just that what?”
“I guess I can’t imagine you being this happy doing anything else, that’s all,” she said with a shrug.
Dulcie played with a coffee stir-stick, drawing imaginary lines on the counter. “Yeah, I can’t, either. Whenever I’m sitting in my business classes, all I can think about is how the stuff they’re talking about can be put to use for Candy Land.”
She nodded. “Well, that’s one good thing about them, I guess.”
Dulcie raised her eyebrows. “If they ever taught anything relevant, sure,” she said.
“Uh, yeah, that would help,” Ava agreed.
“I wish they were up to date with their marketing curriculum. All they can ever talk about in class is TV and radio advertising. I mean, those things are good and all, I suppose, but what about the Internet?”
“Oh,” Ava said, her face lighting up. “You should talk to Jess. She’s totally into all that stuff.”
“Jess? As in Jess Jess?”
Ava giggled. “It may seem a little counterintuitive to go to a homeless person for business advice, but I swear she knows everything about Internet marketing. I mean, how do you think word got out so fast about the new flavors today?”
Dulcie leaned back on the stool. “Jess had something to do with it? How?”
“Girl used to have connections. I can’t understand how her last job let a talent like her go. Stupid recession.”
“Really? I had no idea. You must chat with her a lot, huh?”
Ava shrugged. “She comes in here sometimes for a coffee during my shift to warm up.” A strange expression crossed Ava’s face, her eyes going wide. “Usually we’re the only ones in here, though. She’s not disturbing any customers or anything. I don’t think anyone even realizes she’s homeless.”
Dulcie shook her head, putting up her hands. “No, don’t worry. Jess can come in here anytime she wants.”
Ava’s face relaxed.
“I wish I could do more for her. She’s becoming like a part of our little family here, but things are tight enough financially as it is…”
Ava nodded. “Although if more days end up like this, things would certainly be looking up.”
“Yeah, today was awesome. The perfect day. But only because of the new flavors. Once the novelty wears off, we’ll be right back where we started.”
Ava shrugged. “You never know. Jess’s marketing tricks might keep things hopping.”
“Or maybe we’ll win the contest,” Dulcie said, raising her eyebrows.
“With the new recipe, I don’t see how we can lose.”
A little jolt buzzed through Dulcie, and if she were honest, the thought of standing at the Taste of the Year Gala receiving the grand prize did zip through her mind.
“Could you watch the counter for a minute longer? I want to check in with Jess and thank her for everything she did for us today.”
“Yeah, of course. Take your time. I’ve got a little homework I can work on.”
“Thanks,” Dulcie said, climbing off the stool, her legs not wanting to cooperate after being off them for the first time all day.
She grabbed the small box of the new flavors she’d set aside for Jess. Even with the customers asking repeatedly if any might be left in the back, Dulcie’s stash remained a secret.
The sun made its last descent as she stepped out to the alley.
“Hey,” Jess said, pulling her coat tighter around her neck.
“Hey,” Dulcie said, smiling and handing her the box. “I hear you had something to do with the craziness of today?”
“It did sound pretty busy,” Jess said, excited.
Dulcie sat beside her on her cardboard. “Didn’t let up all day. Not until we ran out of all the new stuff, anyway.”
Jess’s expression faltered ever so slightly. Her glance toward the candy box told Dulcie why.
“Don’t worry.” She beamed. “It’s the new stuff. I set it aside for you.”
Jess’s grin widened. “Thank God. I’ve been smelling it all day.” She opened the lid as if a great treasure lay inside.
“So Ava said you got the word out about the new flavors or something?” Dulcie asked.
Jess nodded, her mouth already full. She moaned over the Coconut Brittle before answering. “Yeah, I still have quite a few contacts from my old job. None of them really know what I’m doing now, so I still have a little business cred.”
She grinned, but Dulcie felt frustrated that the world hadn’t given Jess a fair shake. She was obviously smart, but marketing was one of the first departments a company downsized in. It might be a long time before anyone started hiring again.
“Plus, I think some tweets kinda went viral. A couple people must have shown up, tasted how good your stuff is”—she popped the last of the brittle in her mouth—“and tweeted to their friends. Things snowball with the right product. And there is certainly nothing wrong with your product.”
Dulcie huffed. “Yeah, except this will be the last ever unveiling of anything new.”
Jess glanced at her, seriousness crossing her face.
“What about you making new stuff? I know you’ve got the talent.”
Dulcie shook her head. “I’ve tried before and gotten burned. I can’t risk muddying my mother’s legacy any more than I already have.”
Jess turned back to her chocolates. “Yeah, well, what about your legacy?” she said, kind of under her breath.
Dulcie glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. It was a rhetorical question, but one she had never thought about.
And thinking about it now made her uncomfortable. She stood up. “Thanks again for everything today,” she said, giving Jess a wave.
Dulcie hoped she would be okay for the night. Thinking about her out in the cold, with who knew what kind of danger, was starting to make her lose sleep.
“No, thank you,” Jess said, lifting the candy box. “Anything for your candy, Dulcie.”
Dulcie tried not to think about the way Jess emphasized the word your as she walked back into the shop.
Chapter Seven
Nick stood outside the glass door, staring at the neon sign. For neon, it had an enormous amount of charm. There was not a bit of neon anywhere near How Sweet It Is, and somehow this felt homier.
Scents of homemade goodness wafted around him, and all the way down the block.
He took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his hands.
He pushed open the door.
She was walking into the shop from the kitchen, a sadness reaching her eyes.
“Hi,” Nick said, trying a smile, holding out the single pink rose he’d brought for her. He thought he detected a hint of her expression softening as she looked at it.
“What are you doing here?” Dulcie asked.
“Hello to you, too,” Nick said, his expression never faltering. If there was one thing he’d learned, his smile seemed to give him the best chance with the ladies.
One of the girls from the other night cleared her throat behind the counter.
Dulcie looked up, startled. “Oh, uh, thanks, Ava. You may as well take off. I’ll close up.” She turned to Nick. Her hint she was ready to leave was less than subtle.
“Have a nice night,” Ava said, giving Nick a sideways glance.
“So, uh, I guess congratulations are in order?” he said, handing her the rose.
She took it, breathing it in and looking at it for a long time, before crinkling her brow. “For what?”
“For all your new flavors. Did you hire a cook or something?” He hated that he’
d been wondering all day, but his nerves, or more accurately, his father’s sour attitude, had kept him away.
She squinted. “No, we did not,” she said.
He raised his eyebrows, surprised. “Oh, that’s great. I’m glad you guys are able to come up with some new stuff. I’m always telling Dad we should try new things, but he keeps saying we’re too busy, our customers come for our specialties.”
“Uh huh,” she replied, setting the rose on the counter.
His eyes followed her movements. “Guess I’ll have to try to convince him again, though, what with all the success you had today with your new flavors.”
She put one hand on her hip. “How do you know what today was like for us?” she asked, tilting her head.
“You’re all over the food blogs. People can’t stop talking about you. Honestly, I’m a little worried. Urban Fork went on and on about some kind of cookie dough thing. If you guys keep coming out with new stuff all the time, your shop is going to start outselling ours.” He finished with a little nervous chuckle.
“Maybe we will,” she said, but she still didn’t smile.
“So, uh, any of the new stuff left? After all I read, I’ve got to try your specialties.”
Her face got red. “No. There’s nothing left, so if you’ll excuse me, I’ve had a long day. I’d like to clean up and go home. I need to be back in early.”
He ran his hands through his hair. Her eyes followed the motion and a sense of hope bubbled up inside him. “Right, yeah. Well, I just wanted to say congratulations, and wish you luck with the Taste of the Year. I assume you’ve found something different for the competition?”
She raised one eyebrow. “What makes you say that? You were here when we taste tested.”
“Yeah, but I figured now with the new recipes and everything, you must have something up your sleeve.” He chuckled. “Once I started reading the blogs today, I almost got paranoid you were trying to mess with me. Make me think you had nothing, while all that time hiding the real thing.”