He pushes the door open, and a blast of cold air swirls inside. A clump of fake cotton snow billows across the floor like a tumbleweed in an arid desert. My fingers itch to toss the box of chocolates at the back of his head, but I think better of it.
He's gorgeous and charming, with customers eating out of his hand. If he shows up with a bandage wrapped around his precious head, every woman in town would swoon and fawn over him.
Ouch!
An unexpected twinge of pain flickers between my eyes. My brain hurts. The whiplash of charming Sebastian and snickering businessman Sebastian is too much for my racing heart and tired brain.
“I hoped you might have some broken cones today. The birds sure are hungry for somethin’ to eat with the chill.” Mr. Jack shuffles across the floor, peeking at the mess I have the audacity to call Christmas decor. “I’ll gladly help with chores in exchange for your kindness.”
I sigh, fisting the candy box in my hand. Sebastian could take a page from Mr. Jack’s playbook. Mr. Jack has nothing but the clothes on his back, yet he goes out of his way to help others and spread a little kindness.
“Do you know how to decorate, Mr. Jack?”
It’s a rhetorical question, but he answers anyway.
"Decorate, Miss Sophie?" He furrows his brows in confusion, still clutching the worn hat between his hands. "I can sweep, mop, and dump trash, but I've never set my hand to decoratin' before."
Mr. Jack is the ray of sunshine that warms my heart. He’s good people. If I lose Brain Freeze, where will he go for cones in the winter or sweet treats and air conditioning during the blazing heat of summer? Sebastian talked a good game with that hot cocoa thing, but how long will he be so generous?
The corner of the box of chocolates pricks at my palm.
Holiday spirit, my ass.This is all Sebastian’s fault. If it weren’t for him, Brain Freeze wouldn’t be in this predicament. The holidays are stressful enough, and he’s only making things worse. If he wants a fight, I’ll give him a freaking war.
***
Sebastian
I trudge across the street with my hands buried in my pockets, guilt already roiling in my gut. Snark and sarcasm only feed an angry pot. Sophie’s feistier than Parker made out. And for some reason, she’s chosen to direct all her anger toward me.
It's a shame. I've watched Sophie come and go from the creamery for weeks but haven't worked up the nerve to introduce myself until today. She's dizzyingly beautiful with her bouncy blonde hair and shapely curves. But her dazzling smile takes the cake. Though, I haven't seen much of it lately. What else is brewing beneath her lousy mood? It can't all be me, can it?
Don’t let her get under your skin. Everyone has a bad day once in a while.
I don my apron and begin blending chocolates, adding flavorings, and filling candy molds. Customers come and go, and each time I stop to chat as I fill boxes and gift totes to the brim with Nana's original creations.
I glance across the square to Brain Freeze’s quiet storefront. Maybe Fudgeballs is the shiny new toy. Things will even out soon enough.
Relocating Fudgeballs to Cranberry Corner took a bigger bite out of my budget than expected. Traffic’s been good, but it’s difficult creating something new when I’m the only one behind the counter. I’ll hire someone as soon as I can afford full-time help. Until then, slow and steady wins the race. That’s what Nana always says.
Nana opened Fudgeballs in an old renovated gas station off the highway between Cranberry Corner and Kindlewood. Nana's chocolatier business might have failed if it hadn't been for Louie's Bar & Grill across the highway.
Foot traffic from the eatery kept business alive in the early days. Customers started talking, and word-of-mouth advertising spread up and down the highway like wildfire. But Nana worked slow and steady, doing business at her own pace. She was content to keep the business small.
“Be the tortoise, Sebastian.”She admonished me to slow down when I hurried the process and ruined a batch of chocolates. But she always scolded with a kind, tempered voice.“Anything worth doing is worth doing well.”
I’ve carried Nana’s mantra with me my entire life. Though patience isn’t my strong suit. When I see something I want, I go after it. It’s why I moved Fudgeballs to downtown Cranberry Corner. More foot traffic, a bigger space, and the camaraderie of fellow business owners.
Fudgeballs success depends on me now. I'm no longer Nana's understudy. One day, my success will shine as bright as my brother's, and I'll no longer stand in his shadow.
It’s late afternoon when I catch a break in traffic to eat a quick bite of lunch. I scroll through email and text alerts while scarfing a sandwich and chips. Mail is the usual fare of “you just won,” “on sale now,” and an official notification from the mayor’s office.
This year’s Festival of Lights theme is “The Spirit of Giving.” The mayor’s office hopes to build community spirit, create pathways to new working relationships, and spread the joy of the holiday season. Please direct questions or concerns to Kinsey Bryant, executive aide to Mayor Stanton.
I catch a glimpse of Sophie on the sidewalk in front of Brain Freeze, peering into her window like a bystander rubbernecking a train wreck.
The ladies next door fuss over lights and colorful decorations inside their storefront. They’ve barely begun decorating, but it’s clear Sophie’s slow start is no match for their skillset. No way I can compete with them either.
Unless...