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LATER THAT MORNING around 11 am, Dana glanced up at the large round wall clock in the kitchen.
“Oh, my goodness. I need to be at the bank by 11:30,” Dana said as she finished sprinkling icing sugar on the next batch of finished buttercream cupcakes.
She then dusted off her hands and placed the tray over by the counter, ready for Katie to place on the steel cart and take into the dining room for the display case.
“These babies are going like crazy. Customers are loving Grandma Rae’s Buttercream cupcakes,” Katie said.
“I know. I’m so glad we pulled the old recipe out of her recipe book.”
“Me, too. It’s like we can’t seem to keep up with the orders. This one customer, Mr. Sterge, ordered seventy-five for his son’s 10th birthday party!”
“Seventy-five! That is a tall order, even for a kid’s party. I sure hope the kids don’t end up bouncing off the walls with all that sugar.”
“It should be okay, I guess. I mean, I heard Mr. Sterge’s son is really popular and everyone at his private school’s going to be there.”
“Oh, you mean, Mr. Sterge is popular and his friends want to make sure they’re on his good side by bringing their children to his kid’s party,” Inga chimed in. “You know how it is with popularity these days. The kid’s father is CEO of one of those big shot companies in Toronto. A lot of the kids are children of his associates and those who want to do business with him. Not to mention the kids from his son’s fancy private school near here.”
“Really?” Dana wiped her hands on her apron. “I can’t believe he lives out here in Berry Cove?”
“Of course, you know these rich folks have big houses or fancy penthouse condos in the city but they come here to own luxury private getaways and lakeside properties in Berry Cove that come with tennis courts, massive land, large swimming pools and the fresh country air.”
“That’s true, the mansions on the East side are really fancy—no wonder they’re in the 10 million dollar price range and up,” Katie added. “A lot of people get away here. It’s nice and quiet.” Katie placed the cupcakes on the cart ready to swing into the dining room.
“Well, it’s usually nice and quiet but not all the time,” Dana said, shaking her head. “I mean what happened at Ned’s Antique store the other day was anything but nice and quiet.”
“That’s true,” Katie opened the door to the dining room. “That’s odd.”
“What is it?” Dana asked, curious.
“Old man Ned is still here but he’s sitting alone sorting through paperwork. He’s been sitting alone for quite some time. Like the last time when I went out there.”
“Where’s Tiffany?” Dana asked, washing her hands in the sink. She then unfastened her pink Cozy Cupcakes apron and placed it over on the hook.
“I guess she’s in the ladies room.”
“For so long?”
Katie shrugged. “Yes, it is suspicious. I’d better keep an eye on her but then again...” Katie paused for a moment. “Gerdie Sue mentioned something about her speaking to a therapist.”
“A therapist?”
“Yes, she has trouble managing and coping with some emotional disorder? Gerdie Sue mentioned that she had an outburst at the salon one day and then got on the phone to her therapist to help her calm down.”
“Really?” Could they really trust what Gerdie Sue said? Then again, Gerdie Sue often gets sources right. She did a lot of talking but often it was always very close to the truth.
“Yep. Right there in the middle of her hair appointment at the salon. Someone must have said something to her and it set her off and she got all crazy. Then she got on the phone in front of everyone to her therapist to help her calm down.”
“Wow. Imagine that. Having a therapist on hand every moment of the day to help you through a meltdown,” Dana said.
“Stranger things have happened, cuz...Oh, never mind. Looks like she’s back,” Katie said before wheeling the cart out to the dining area to load up the cupcake display case with more the of the Buttercream cupcakes of the week.
The display was already filled with their regular sized cupcakes and their mini cupcakes: such as Vanilla Cream cupcakes, Triple Chocolate Delight cupcakes, Fudge cupcakes, Strawberry Cream cupcakes, Blueberry Cream cupcakes, Banana Butterscotch cupcakes, Lemon Yogurt cupcakes, 24-Carrot cupcakes and the list goes on. Just thinking about their tasty treats made Dana hungry.
Each week they had a special cupcake of the week with a very special saying on the wrapper and this week was the rich and creamy Buttercream Cupcake specials piled high with delicious fluffy whipped icing and sprinkled with confetti sugar—eaten with a dessert spoon, of course, like all their cupcakes that were piled high with whipped creamy frosting. That was what made Cozy Cupcakes different from the other dessert places. Right now they had a deal going with every six or twelve mini cupcakes purchased in a box, the customer would get a coupon prize in every box which meant they could get a free cupcake and coffee or one free cupcake of the week for the next few weeks.
Dana was quite pleased with herself and her team for the way business was really booming and turning around especially since they managed to save it from bankruptcy after Grandma Rae passed away last year. More and more each day, Dana was glad for the change in her life when she decided to up and leave New York after her ex-fiancé broke her heart and ran off with her BFF, so that she could focus on saving the Cozy Cupcakes Café and bringing Grandma Rae’s warmth, love of baking and business back to the community.
“I wonder why she kept getting up,” Dana said, almost to herself.
“Maybe she’s just got to go,” Inga added while stirring the butter and sugar for another batch of cupcakes.
“Or maybe...maybe she’s been making some phone calls. Oh, wait a minute, she did mention that they have to fill out some insurance forms and since they don’t have their store or the office in their store to do business since the place is still a wreck. I guess she’s making private calls in the restroom so that customers don’t hear their business.” Dana stroked her chin with her forefinger and thumb. She then shrugged and went into her office at the back of the kitchen. She reached for her bag, the bank deposit book and her car keys. She then pulled on her coat and proceeded to walk out of the kitchen.
This was going to be a long day, she had a headache again as if something bad was about to happen.