“Absolutely.”
“Good. Have another sample, and I’ll be right with you,” she said with another toothy smile, and finished ringing up the other sale.
Jessica took a larger sample piece the second time, stifling her moan this time. No need to get a reputation so soon in their acquaintance.
She glanced around the bright store, noting the various displays in the room. Everywhere she looked was another display of candy or treats she wanted to buy and reminisce over her childhood sugar-rush memories.
“Okay, then. What can I get for you? Or should I simply hand over my complete supply of Black Forest Cake Fudge?” she asked as the other customer departed. The sound of the bells rang out as the other patron exited.
“I would like to get some fudge later on, but actually, I’m supposed to have lunch with Lilianna. Strangely enough, we met on a golf cart this morning in a tunnel.”
“Ah yes. The secret passageway entrance from the compound.” Victoria nodded in understanding. “You must be Jessica.”
“That’s right. I’m the new day manager for the hotel under construction behind the saloon across the street. I work for Gray.” She extended her hand and they shook.
“Pleased to meet you. Lilianna told me about you earlier. And you’re lucky. Gray is a true sweetheart. If I wasn’t my own boss, I’d want him as a supervisor.”
“Thanks. I agree. He’s great.” Jessica nodded, then thought of something. “Would you like to join us for lunch?” Jessica asked. “You’re more than welcome.”
“Wish I could. Unfortunately, one of us has to stay here through each lunch hour. I have a local girl who usually comes in to relieve us, but she’s out of town visiting family this week.”
Jessica nodded. “I understand. I do have an ulterior motive beyond rewarding you for making great fudge. I’d like to talk to you about a business proposition.”
“Oh? Okay. What’s up?”
“I mentioned this to Gray earlier, and he thought it was a great idea. We’d like to have you create a signature treat that we can use as sort of a mint on the guest’s pillow. Maybe something with a Western flare befitting our hotel. My initial question is, would you be interested in creating it, and if so, then would you then supply us regularly?”
She grinned. “My answer is, yes, to all of the above. I’d love to create something special. That would be awesome. I’ll think up some ideas and put together a tasting for us in a week or so. How’d that be?”
“Excellent.” They pulled out their respective phones, traded numbers and found a good date two weeks in the future to meet again. “I’ll let Gray know.”
“Thanks so much. This will be great. I already have a few ideas swirling around.”
Just then, Lilianna came through a door leading to the back of the store. She wore an apron with her name sewn into the fabric over her left breast.
“There you are.” Lilianna waved. “Ready for lunch?”
“Yes.”
Lilianna took her to an authentic old-time restaurant in where the meal was served family style to all the guests at the table.
The old-fashioned lunch included a choice of either baked chicken or roast beef for their entree, mashed potatoes with lots of gravy, candied carrots, fresh green beans tossed with sautéed onion and bacon pieces, and huge to-die-for yeast rolls with fresh churned butter on the side. Even family style, it was a lot of food. The meal was lovely, but took a while to finish, and filled her very full.
The only dessert they offered was plain vanilla ice cream with fudge sauce made from the town’s candy shop. The wait staff told every table they should also visit the Old West Town Candy Shoppe for additional tasty treats or to purchase the hot fudge sauce served with the ice cream.
Lilianna explained that the restaurant also provided boxed lunches for the workers in the town. After they finished eating, Lilianna took her to the back room to show her how to order if she didn’t want to eat a feast every day.
“Thanks. If I ate like this all the time, I might not fit through the tunnel again.”
They headed back to the candy store, as Lilianna told her the fascinating story of how she’d ended up here in Old West Town. It was an interesting tale of her dancing seductively in a bar to escape a vile loan shark who was after her for a debt that wasn’t hers, and then finding two men she couldn’t live without.