Whiskey and Gumdrops: A Blueberry Springs Chick Lit Contemporary Romance

by Jean Oram

  * * *

  Mind spinning with legal clauses, investor score sheets and lingo she'd never even heard before today's franchise research, Mandy flopped on her mother's couch, happy to be engulfed in nothing more than comfy, worn cushions and soap opera dramas. She grabbed a gumdrop out of the plastic bag her mother had spilled open beside her on the coffee table and sucked off its sugar coating.

  "How did you get the big scratch in your fender?" Mandy asked.

  "Shh," her mother scolded, her eyes glued to the television screen.

  Mandy pulled her ringing phone from her jacket and answered it.

  "I fixed your taillights," replied the gruff voice.

  "Dad?"

  Mandy's mother shot her a cold look and Mandy popped off the couch to take her call in the other room, as she was fairly certain her mother could and would kill her ex through Mandy's phone with her icy glare.

  "They were spotty," her father explained, "so I put in those big bulbs while you were at work yesterday. They were easy to find—they're more common than those wimpy little LED things. I don't know what the hell those guys at the parts store were thinking, selling you those. I've told you time and again, there are men who will take advantage of the fact that you're a woman—"

  "Dad," Mandy groaned. "Those taillights were custom!"

  "Custom pieces of garbage. You're lucky you have those good, reliable bulbs back in there, telling the world you're coming to a stop. I also noticed your apartment's address sign was getting rusty and your landlord and I discussed getting it replaced."

  "Jesus, Dad. I can talk to my landlord myself."

  "I know," he said in a placating tone that brought her right back to all the other times he'd made her feel as though he didn't trust her to figure stuff out.

  "I'm not fluff!" she snapped, trying to remind herself this was his way of showing he cared about her.

  "Mandy, your father is just taking care of you," broke in her stepmother.

  "Am I on speaker? Oh my God. Do you guys know how rude it is to have someone on speaker phone and not tell them!"

  "Mandy..." her father warned.

  Mandy pulled in a deep breath. "Dad, thank you for caring about me, but please ask before you fix things. Sometimes I like things the way they are."

  "You like rusty old signs?" her stepmother piped up. "If that thing had fallen on you when you were slamming that old door, you'd have lockjaw before you hit the ground with your head wound. That sign was not safe."

  "Good point, Trish," her dad chipped in. "I'll see if I can get her door changed out. She pays good rent and should have a proper door."

  "I gotta go." Mandy hung up and returned to the living room, flopping onto the couch beside her mother, who had muted the commercials.

  "Gotta love him," her mother stated tightly.

  "He's just trying to show me he cares." Mandy grabbed a handful of gumdrops and shoved them in her mouth.

  "How are things with Frankie?"

  "I'll find a way to get him on that show," she said, still chewing. "It's ridiculous he's said no."

  "Still considering opening your own place?" her mother asked with a side look that indicated she was less than impressed by the idea.

  "It's worth checking out my options, though, don't you think?"

  "Owning a business is so risky." Her mother's lips puckered. "It's so much better to let someone else have the headaches and stress. Who wants to worry about how to pay people and the topsy-turvy economy?"

  All day, Mandy had flip-flopped between excitement and wanting to jump in, to being massively overwhelmed and terrified. She'd come to her mom's in hopes that the visit would help her reach a conclusion of some sort. If her mother thought opening her own restaurant was scary, it was likely the smartest move she could make to avoid becoming just like her. The prospect of becoming her mother was a heck of a lot scarier than figuring out how to start her own business.

  "What about going with a franchise?" Mandy asked. "They come with a market plan and a market analysis." Well, some of them. Some of them wanted her to come up with all of that.

  "A franchise?" Her mother quirked a heavily plucked eyebrow that was mostly eyeliner sketched in an arch.

  "Well, what else? A brownie stand? I don't know how to run a business." She sank lower into the couch and rested her chin on her chest. The problem was the cost of opening a franchise outlet. Add permits and legal fees to the cost of modifying Frankie's building while keeping its heritage charm and her savings would be gone before she even got close to signing on the dotted line.

  She rubbed her eyelids and sighed. She probably wasn't even eligible for a loan big enough to buy into a franchise, anyway.

  "That's right. You don't know how to run a business," her mother agreed. "You know how to be a waitress."

  "I know more than how to deliver food before it gets cold."

  "I didn't say you didn't."

  "I can learn how to run a business. I mean, look at the people in town running their own places. It's not like they went to business school. And with a franchise, I'd get a business plan. Stick tab A in slot A. Repeat through alphabet. Congratulations, you followed the instructions and now own a restaurant." She gave a feeble clap and a cheer.

  "No offense, but I think you need to have done more than waitressing to get a franchise," her mother said. "Stay smart and don't burn yourself out. It's okay being a waitress. Look at all the free time you have." Her mother's attention turned to the screen and she shushed Mandy before she could retort.

  Mandy grabbed a handful of gumdrops and let herself out of the house.

  They would, too, give her a franchise. The wrap franchise required nothing more than a low minimum investment, which she could surely scrounge up. At first, she'd thought it was too good to be true, but now she realized it was because it was so small and young. If she got in now, she'd be getting in at the bottom, unlike those other well-known super-expensive-to-get-into chains. (So said the franchise's website.) She could totally put in a little elbow grease for a lesser known but established, successful chain. And in Blueberry Springs, it would be about what she brought to the table, not what name was over the door.

  Plus, the Wrap it Up chain was healthy, simple fast food that matched her values. She could knock this out of the park.

  Walking to her apartment, she pulled out her cell phone and found the Wrap it Up website. Clicking on the contact link, she dialed their number. This was it. No time like the present to jump in and change your life.

  Excitement swept over her like a tidal wave, pulling her in to her new future as Mandy, Restaurant Owner. She stretched the tension out from between her shoulder blades and waited as the phone rang on the other end of the line.

  "Hi, my name is Mandy Mattson," she said into the phone when she was asked to leave a message. Her heart thundered so hard in her chest, she was afraid it was going to crack a rib as she explained why she was calling. Once she hung up, she yanked open her apartment's outer door—with no worries of that old sign falling on her like her stepmother feared—and trundled up the steps. Inside her apartment, she kicked off her shoes and dropped into downward dog, the balls of her feet gripping the hardwood. She slowed her breathing, and, inhaling with purpose, went through the Sun Salutation. She calmed her thoughts, stilled her mind and let the answer to her future come to her.

  The phone rang and she punched the speaker button without looking. There was no way it could be the wrap place already.

  "Mandy, please?" asked an unfamiliar male voice.

  "Speaking," she said slowly.

  "Got your message. Seth Freedly here, CEO of Wrap it Up."

  CEO?!? She gripped the table for support.

  "I hear you're interested in finding out more about joining. Got a minute? Let's set something up for next week."

  Chapter 7

  Mandy straightened her pencil skirt and checked her reflection in her compact. She looked just like a successful city businesswoman. A powerhouse—we
ll, if she could stop grinning from ear to ear like an eager fourth grader—with her glossy hair, flawless makeup and plucked brows. Slick, smooth, and sexy. Definitely more than some waitress desperate to have Seth Freedly, Mr. CEO himself, say yes to changing her life.

  Inhaling slowly, she prepped herself for his possible questions and her replies. Jodi, the diner's waitress, came by and flipped Mandy's coffee cup right side up. "You're dressed nice today. Not working at Benny's?" She tipped her head in the direction of the diner's main competition.

  Mandy shot her a nervous half smile. "I look okay?"

  Jodi grinned and slopped coffee in Mandy's cup. "You've got half the diner wondering what restaurant deal you're wheeling and dealing."

  Damn, she knew she should have met Seth at the library. Not only was she probably committing a major faux pas by meeting in a diner to discuss opening a competing business, a good chunk of the town was at the ready to eavesdrop. If this meeting didn't go well, she'd be explaining herself for the next five years. She half stood, slurping the awful coffee. "I think I'll head to the library..."

  The library would set the right tone, not like this place, where everyone acted and looked so back hills. Wally—who should be a health nut, seeing as he owned the sporting goods store—was shoving pie in his mouth with so much gusto you'd have thought he'd just spent the last six months in the bush eating nothing but freeze-dried rations.

  She slung her bag over her shoulder and was about to drop change on the table for her coffee when a dapper looking man in a sharp suit entered the diner. Oh, damn.

  That had to be him. His keen eyes skimmed the patrons, spending barely a fraction of a second on each person, until they lit on Mandy. He stopped, his eyes backtracking to settle on her. The corners of his lips turned up and his cool all-business keenness softened ever so slightly. She returned his smile and he grinned as his fine head of hair resumed its turning scan, even though his eyes seemed to be stuck in her direction.

  Wait a second...Mandy dropped into her chair as the realization struck her. He thought she was hitting on him. He didn't believe he was meeting with her!

  Oh god. She resisted the urge to hide her face. This moment determined her future and she wasn't passing the test.

  Her stomach lurched and she wished Frankie was by her side to calm her, to help her figure out where she'd messed this up and how to fix it. She took a few steps toward Seth, tipping a shoulder toward him. If he responded to flirting, then hell, she was going to milk it for all it was worth. She indicated the empty chair across from her at the wobbly, slightly sticky table.

  His eyebrows lifted and his smile turned to a grin as he quickly made up the space between them.

  "Mandy Mattson?" he asked, his voice a nice, deep boom in the small room.

  She slipped her hand into his, stepping closer so she'd be a tad cozier than a business partner but still within professional bounds. "Seth Freedly, I presume?" She lowered her voice so it had a slight throatiness to it.

  He swallowed and leaned in, tucking his leather folder under his arm so he could wrap his free hand around hers. "The one and only. Will I be lucky enough to be doing business with you?"

  "Yes." She took her hand from his and lightly touched the hollow below her throat, as if adjusting an invisible necklace. His eyes followed her hand's movements and she could have sworn his pupils dilated. Which meant she had him right where she wanted him. All she could do was mess it up. And based on how much she knew about opening a franchise outlet, there was a pretty good chance that was exactly what she would do.

  She made herself breathe calmly while she reclaimed the seat she'd vacated. If she thought through every move and carefully chose each word, she'd be okay. Think first. Talk second. Keep him waiting for her to touch his sleeve and lean into him.

  "What makes you want to put up a Wrap it Up stand up in a dinky little town like this?" he asked, glancing around the diner. "You know you'd end up having to stay here for at least twelve months to get your place on its feet? I can't imagine what this place would have to offer a gal like you after hours." He shot her a wink and gave his head a gentle, amused shake.

  "Oh, well, you know," she said casually, plucking rehearsed lines from her head, "the town is being revitalized as a tourist area for the granola types. Blueberry Springs has a lot of hiking trails, camping, and white water rafting. And there's a lot of history in this town, from mining to ranching, and that gives it an unique flavor, which also appeals to the younger set. They don't want cookie cutter vacations."

  Oh, damn. Cookie cutter. She was asking for a cookie cutter franchise. What the heck had she been thinking when she wrote these lines last night?

  "Yet," she continued, her mind racing, "something like Wrap it Up's familiarity can also provide the comfort of a recognizable chain in a strange town. It's a brand people have quickly come to trust. Face it, when we're tired, we want, easy, healthy, good food at a price we can afford and delivered in a way we expect." Damn. She could write ad copy! "We don't want to have to peruse an unfamiliar menu and deal with unknown prices or half-assed service."

  Seth's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

  "Pardon my language," she said smoothly. "Should you decide to do a market analysis of Blueberry Springs, you will find it has two well-established restaurants—including this diner—and two fast food places, as well as a semi-seasonal ice cream-slash-coffee shop. There are no healthy, affordable alternatives for the new tourists coming into town, or local citizens who want something more than a burger and fries."

  Jodi paused at their table, her pot of coffee slack in her grasp. "Mandy?" Her eyes darted warily to the man sitting across from her.

  Mandy slid Seth's cup to Jodi and smiled tightly. "Thanks, hon."

  After sloshing some bitter brew into Seth's cup, Jodi very slowly and cautiously slid away from the table, her eyes never leaving Mandy and Seth.

  Seth took a sip and winced, just about spitting out his coffee.

  Mandy leaned a little closer and whispered, "I assume Wrap it Up can one-up this guck?"

  "Jesus," he whispered back. "This stuff should be filling the engines of diesel trucks."

  Mandy made herself laugh lightly and said conspiratorially, "You should see what passes for food here. You'll see why I think a Wrap it Up would kick butt in Blueberry Springs."

  Seth's eyes flicked from plate to plate in the diner. "They seem to enjoy it, though."

  "Er. Yes," she said carefully. She needed to convince him this wasn't what everyone wanted. She needed demographics. Charts. Pie graphs. Thick reports stapled together. A laser pointer. A projector. Spreadsheets. A goddamn friggin' crowd of people chanting, "We want wraps!"

  Mandy caught movement out of the corner of her eye and she glanced up, then quickly down again. Wini, the bank's loan manager, was making her way toward them with a purpose Mandy didn't like. She ran a hand through her hair and propped her head in her hand, effectively blocking the woman. Only a dolt would read her body language as, 'Come chat!'

  Apparently, Wini, as good as she was at managing the bank, was a dolt.

  "Mandy! So sorry I missed you yesterday. I must have caught what Frankie had." Wini covered her mouth and gave a quiet, wheezy cough.

  "No problem," Mandy said smoothly. "I've got everything sorted and will touch base with you later in the week, okay?" She tried to silently communicate to Wini that she needed to act less small town and shut her yap ASAP. Definitely not start asking about the money Mandy needed to borrow—or even worse, hint that Mandy didn't have a financial leg to stand on.

  Wini smiled and nodded, easing away from the table. "Of course." She gave Mandy a big, obvious wink, raising her eyebrows in Seth's direction before flashing her a quick thumbs-up.

  Mandy prayed her cheeks weren't flushing and turned her attention back to Seth, who had leaned back in his chair and was tapping the table thoughtfully. He appraised her again and she tried not to let her nerves show.

  "You seem to know
this town," he said. "That can be good. It can be difficult for outsiders to win the trust of small towns and connections can definitely help in making it." His attention returned to the diner and he sized it up with a practiced eye. "You know, the small town market may have been something I've wrongly overlooked in the past." He crossed his arms and studied Mandy again. "Tell me...why would a savvy businesswoman such as yourself choose Blueberry Springs? Is there really a sizeable market here?"

  Mandy felt her stomach pack its heaviest bags, pick up, and trundle on down to visit her knee region. Her mouth grew dry and she fought off the panic welling up around her like a river breaching its banks. Hadn't she just told him why Blueberry Springs was the place to start a Wrap it Up?

  "Why not that town down the road?" he asked. "Why here? How can this dinkhole sustain a Wrap it Up?" His eyes twinkled and Mandy let out a gusty breath. Thank the stars. She could defeat Derbyshire any day, hands down, no problem.

  "Well," she said crisply. "I'm glad you asked." She could kiss Google right now. From her shoulder bag she pulled out a printout containing a few stats and a run down of her talking points. She laid the sheet between them and scooted her chair closer to his, waiting for her perfume with the hint of cinnamon to waft over him. His eyes lingered on her face, studying her as she pretended to read the page. "You'll notice the population density for Blueberry Springs is higher than in neighboring towns. Blueberry Springs is also the hub for several other towns." She looked up and met his eyes, pleased to have thrown in the term 'population density.' She blinked when she realized how close his gray eyes were. The twinkle was still there, as well as intrigue. He was leaning on the table, his body angled toward hers.

  She cleared her throat and straightened her back, keeping her posture open but professional. He was getting too close which meant it was time to take a half step back, meaning his crisp, finely woven suit was off limits—no light touches to his sleeve. It was business time and she didn't need him getting too distracted.

  "Blueberry Springs is the place where people come to eat out, shop for clothes, etcetera."