All About The Treats

by Weston Parker

  I turned to find one of the vendors approaching me. “Hi, I’m Tina,” she said.

  “Ah yes, I remember you. The renaissance costume maker. My son loved your swords.”

  “That’s me. I know you’re busy. I wanted to leave you my card. I’d love to be a part of your next event. My business puts on jousting shows and some sword-play skits. We’d love to come out.”

  I took her card. “Thank you. I don’t usually do anything besides this festival, but I will keep you in mind.”

  “Oh, you should. This has been the most organized festival we’ve ever been a part of. Things ran smoothly, and you were always around to answer our questions. You did a great job. I would love to work with you again.”

  I couldn’t help but put my shoulders back a little, my heart swelling with pride. “Thank you. That means a lot. I will definitely contact you if I decide to do something before next Halloween. I’m glad you all had a good time.”

  “We did, and I look forward to the next one. I will definitely be there.”

  She walked away, leaving me with yet another card to put in my back pocket. I had accumulated quite a collection. I had vendors and guests telling me they would love to see me do something else. The idea was certainly tempting, but it would be a big change to my business. I would need a bigger office space, more staff, and it would take more of my time.

  It was an issue to think about another day.

  “What was that about?” Theo asked.

  I took the offered gloves and garbage bags. “Just another person asking to be a part of my next festival.”

  “Add my name to the list. If it’s like this one, I can handle it.”

  I smiled. “I’m thinking about it. It could really grow the business, but on the downside, it could really grow the business. I like the small operation. I like being able to focus all my energy on just the one holiday.”

  “You’ll do what’s right,” he said confidently. “I have no doubt in my mind.”

  I sighed. “I hope so.”

  We got busy cleaning up the bulk of the property. We filled numerous garbage bags, handing them to the maintenance team that was on staff. The crew coming in tomorrow to put everything back to the way we found it would have very little to do.

  “You look exhausted,” Theo said.

  I checked my watch. It was just after one. “I am. Did you get a room, or are you flying home?”

  “I have a room.”

  “I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to come back to my room. Jace won’t be there. Well technically, he’s right next door, but we would be alone.”

  He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to his warm body, and dropped a kiss on my forehead. “I would love to be alone with you.”

  “Good, because I want to be alone with you. I’m going to talk to the maintenance crew, and then I will be back. I’ll call an Uber.”

  “Don’t bother. I have a car service.”

  I grinned. “I forget you’re rich,” I said with a laugh.

  He shrugged a shoulder. “Having someone drive me around LA is always my choice. I never drive around here.”

  “Good thinking. I’ll be right back.”

  I said my goodbyes to the remaining vendors, gave the head of the cleanup crew my number to call if there were any issues, and scanned the area one last time. It was hard to believe it was all over. It had been a major success. Of that, I was confident.

  I was anxious to read the reviews that would start to pour in over the next week. I knew there would always be a few complainers, but ultimately, I was confident the majority of the visitors to the festival had a good time. We only had one box of shirts left, which wasn’t too bad. I couldn’t wait to tally up the proceeds and write the check to the children’s hospital we were donating three percent of the profits to.

  I walked back to Theo, surprised to find him talking to a gentleman from one of the other booths. “Ready?” he asked.

  I nodded. “I am.”

  Theo shook the man’s hand, said his goodbyes, and, with his arm around my shoulders, led me to the exit gate. I looked back once, smiling at the sign still hanging high over the gate. It had been a great night. I was looking forward to ending the night with Theo.

  By the time we got back to the hotel, exhaustion had set in. I leaned against the wall in the elevator, my feet throbbing and my body aching from standing and walking all day. Theo was practically holding me up as we made our way down the hallway to my suite. I slid the key in and pushed open the door. My shoes were off before I was all the way inside.

  “Do you want to take a hot bath?” Theo asked.

  I shook my head. “No. I’m just ready to crawl into bed.”

  “Works for me.”

  He stripped to his underwear while I pulled on an overly large sleep shirt. We crawled into bed. As much as I wanted sex, my body was protesting against any kind of physical activity. He pulled me against him, my head resting on his bare chest.

  “Thank you for what you did for Jace today,” I said. “He told me it was those boys that had been giving him a hard time. I hope your trick worked. I’m going to try and stay out of it, but I won’t let him be hurt.”

  “You’re a good mom. I have no doubt you’ll do what’s right. He’s a good kid, and he is struggling to find his place, but I’m confident he will.”

  “I am too, or at least I want to be. After tonight, I certainly have more hope.”

  “It was a good night,” he said, his hand rubbing up and down my arm. “You do amazing work.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Are you going home tomorrow?” he asked.

  I sighed. “I don’t know. I was thinking about taking Jace to LegoLand. I try and do something with him after the festival is over. I always feel so guilty for being so busy in the month leading up to the event.”

  “I think he would like that.”

  “Would you like to go with us?” I asked hesitantly, knowing he wasn’t big on crowds.

  “I would love to if you don’t mind me crashing your family day,” he said.

  “You would be adding to the fun,” I told him, leaning up to look into his eyes. “I would love for you to go, and I know Jace will be over the moon.”

  “Then I will go.”

  I settled back against him, my arm across his waist and holding him tightly. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, my body going lax as sleep pulled at me.

  “What are you sorry for?”

  “Because I can’t keep my eyes open. I want to have sex, but I’m so tired.”

  He chuckled. “I’m good. You need to sleep.”

  “Okay,” I mumbled, feeling myself drifting away.

  “Sleep, I’ll be here,” I heard him say.

  As sleep pulled me under, my subconscious mind was ready to greet me, lecturing me about what was happening between Theo and me. I was falling for him. I knew it was too fast. Sleeping with a man, actually sleeping, was far more intimate than sex. I felt like we were rushing things.

  The voice in the back of my head that always waited for me when I closed my eyes was there, shouting at me to slow down. It screamed at me to think about Jace, David, and what it would mean if I got into something with Theo.

  I didn’t have the energy to listen to that voice. I didn’t want to listen. I wanted to tumble into that lovely ocean of happiness I always felt when Theo was around. It was a good place to be. Couldn’t I enjoy it for a little while?

  I pushed the obnoxious voice way deep and focused on the warm arm around me and the hard body under me. Something that felt so good couldn’t be wrong.

  Chapter 27

  Theo

  I walked into the office, feeling excited for a new week. It was more than a new week. It was a new life. I had given a speech while standing on a stage in front of hundreds of people. I hadn’t even broken a sweat. That was serious progress. Not only did I give a speech, but I had hung out with people. A lot of people.

  I had gone to Disneyland a
few times when I was younger, and it had ended badly every time. The chaos and the noise had been too much. My dad had never been able to understand why I had no fun at the happiest place on earth. He wasn’t the one that had people laughing and pointing at him. The freak with different-colored eyes.

  Halloweenfest had been different. I was just like everyone else. The weekend had been amazing. I still couldn’t believe how much fun I had. I couldn’t remember the last time I had real fun, like fun where I smiled and laughed until my face hurt. I had dreaded it until I truly embraced the idea of having fun. It was me changing my mindset.

  Incidents and events that had happened during my childhood and in my early adult life had shaped my way of thinking. Every time I had to leave my house, I had to give myself a pep talk to get out the door. I had learned to dread public appearances. I hated being around people to the point I had become a recluse.

  I didn’t want to be a recluse anymore. I wanted to live life. I wanted to enjoy theme parks and restaurants without having panic attacks. Harper was bringing me into the light. Her little tricks to help me overcome had worked. It had been scary but good. I felt a little dependent on her. Not dependent, grateful. Grateful and indebted to her.

  Things were in a weird place. We weren’t officially a couple. We didn’t call each other often. We sent a few texts here and there, but we never made any real plans. We hadn’t talked about anything serious. It was always about the festival or her helping me overcome my anxieties. I wasn’t sure how I would handle her deciding we weren’t going to be together anymore. Technically, I hadn’t told her I wanted to be with her in a relationship.

  That was probably something I needed to get out of the way before we drifted apart. Without the festival to talk about, I was a little worried things would cool down. She had a busy life. She had a son who needed her. I needed her.

  I had barely sat down at my desk when Sawyer came in, shaking a stack of papers. “Have you seen this?”

  “I walked in here about ninety seconds ago. I haven’t seen anything. Am I in trouble? If so, I didn’t mean to do it.”

  He flopped the stack of papers down and took a seat in the chair. “Trouble? I suppose you could call being swamped with orders a bit of a problem.”

  I reached for the papers. They were notes about the new candy. I grinned. “Pinkstonberry?”

  He nodded. “Yes. You could have given us some warning. The merchant voicemail is full. The production manager called me early this morning. Early, like when most humans are sleeping early. He came in to get started and damn near had a conniption fit.”

  I smiled. “I told you it would be good.”

  He shook his head. “I will admit, I didn’t think it would be such a hit.”

  “I did.”

  “How? How did you know?”

  I shrugged. “Because a little boy told me it was good. And because I know good when I taste it.”

  “Well, he was right. This is crazy. This might be the new way to launch products. It cost almost nothing. We need to get you out there more often. We need you center stage, speaking to the people and appealing to the masses.”

  I shook my head. “No thanks. That was a one-time thing.”

  “It wasn’t so bad. I caught a recording of it. You did great.”

  “You caught a recording of it?”

  He smirked. “Everything you do is recorded for history.”

  “Someone videoed it?” I asked with shock.

  He pulled out his phone. I waited. He handed it to me. I saw my face on the screen. I pushed the play button and watched my speech, followed by cheers from the crowd. That was not what I expected. I handed him the phone.

  “Did you see the views? That’s not the only video either. There are plenty of others that recorded the speech, as well as them trying the taffy. Thousands of views. It’s taking off. That’s only the first couple of days. It’s going to pick up speed once the national media picks it up.”

  “That’s a good thing, right?”

  He chuckled. “That’s a great thing.”

  “So, I am not in trouble?”

  “Definitely not.”

  “Good. Great. But something still has you bothered.”

  “We need to figure out how to mass-produce this. It’s going to be limited, which I suppose is one way to drive up demand, but if it’s too limited, it’s going to lose steam. We’re going to have to adjust production schedules, stop making one of our other products while we switch to this other one.”

  “You’ll figure it out,” I said, trying to be helpful.

  He groaned. “I’m sure I will, but it’s going to be difficult. We might need to hire a graveyard crew.”

  “I think that’s a good idea,” I said.

  “There’s going to be a lot that needs to happen,” he said, clearly talking to himself.

  “We need to get packaging designed,” I said, my wheels already spinning.

  “I scheduled an emergency meeting with marketing. Are you going to be able to make it?”

  I sighed. “I don’t know.”

  “I think you should. This is your idea.”

  “They’re all my ideas,” I pointed out.

  “This is different. This one is special. You should have a hand in the marketing.”

  I shrugged. “I would say something youthful and fun and lively. Maybe something that includes pictures of the berries.”

  He nodded as I spoke. “Okay, I’ll give that to the marketing team. Although you really should be there.”

  “I think I want to take a step back,” I blurted out.

  He raised his eyebrows. “What?”

  “I trust you to make the right decisions. You’re running this company far better than I ever could. You worked closely with my father. You learned from him.”

  “I’m not running this company,” he argued.

  I smirked. “I’m a figurehead.”

  “No, you’re the life of the operation. Without you, there would be nothing new and exciting.”

  I nodded. “I’ll keep experimenting, and I’ll keep up with new flavors and stuff, but I think it would be better if you made all the decisions. I haven’t been doing much when it comes to the business side of things anyway.”

  “You’re underestimating yourself.”

  I shrugged. “I appreciate that, but I really do trust you to do what’s right. Think of it as me stepping out of your way and letting you do what you do best. My father would be so happy to see what you’ve accomplished.”

  “You know, from the very first day I started working with him, he talked about you. He always talked about you and how proud he was of you.”

  I scoffed. “Sure.”

  “I’m serious. He always talked about what you did in your lab. He told me he knew you didn’t like the numbers and the marketing and all the rubbing elbows. It’s why he brought me on, but he always respected what you did.”

  “Thank you for saying that. My dad and I never quite saw eye to eye. He had some very different ideas about what was most important in business. I believed we had to keep making new stuff. He liked the classics. I wanted experimental. He wanted sure things.”

  “And both those things are what make the business work,” he said. “Your customer base wants both. You and your father’s visions have created this business that is very successful.”

  “With you leading the charge, it will continue to be successful,” I said with a grin.

  “I can prove it to you,” he said.

  “Prove what?”

  “That he was proud of you.”

  “I don’t do spooky shit. I don’t want you channeling him or something weird like that. I’m good. I’ve made my peace with our relationship.”

  He shook his head. “No, I’m not going to conjure him. I can prove it. Give me some time, and I will.”

  “Take all the time in the world. I’ll wait.”

  “All right. I’ve got to get to that meeting and figure out how to capi
talize on the buzz you created.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He picked up the stack of papers and headed out of the office. I was excited about the business that the festival had drummed up. I couldn’t wait to tell Harper. She’d been convinced it would be a hit, but I wasn’t sure I had done enough to sell it. I had. It worked.

  It gave me confidence. It did make me feel like I was doing the right thing. For a long time, I wasn’t sure I was in the right business. I kept doubting myself. My father’s lack of approval had been hard to deal with. I knew Sawyer meant well, but my dad wasn’t thrilled with my decisions. He hated that I showed no interest in the actual business side of things.

  My eyes went to the wall where a large picture of my father hung. I loved him, but I had never really felt loved by him. I knew he did love me, but it was more like we were roommates when I lived at home, and business associates when we were at work together.

  I couldn’t blame him entirely. I wasn’t faultless. I never went out of my way to show him affection. I didn’t know how. He wasn’t the warm and fuzzy type. I couldn’t remember a lot of hugs in my childhood. Hell, my life. I wasn’t a hugger. I wasn’t affectionate. I didn’t know if it was a product of my upbringing or the way my brain was wired.

  I looked at the picture again. He’d died a single man. He’d died a lonely man, in my opinion. His existence revolved around the business. I didn’t want to fall into that trap. I wanted a life outside of the business.

  Harper had talked a lot about keeping her business small to avoid spending too much time away from her son. I understood that. I got it. After spending the weekend with them, I decided I wanted more weekends like that. I wanted more dinners. I wanted vacations and weekends away.

  If I devoted my life to making candy and making a successful business more successful, I was going to miss out on all the other stuff life had to offer. I was thirty-five. I had wasted too much time as it was. One thing my dad did say a lot was there was no time like the present to get shit done.

  I wanted to get shit done. I could make candy anywhere. My lab was awesome, but it wasn’t technically necessary to experiment with recipes. I had a kitchen at home. I took a deep breath, resolved in what I wanted. Now, I had to get the courage to talk to Harper.