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I scrunch my face up, and Amanda laughs.
“Actually, that reminds me. There’s a good promotional opportunity happening right here in Heart’s Cove next year.”
My stomach sinks. I don’t have a good feeling about this. “Oh, yeah?”
She stares at me for a beat, as if she’s trying to gauge what my reaction will be. She pushes her blond hair over her shoulder and gives me a beaming smile. “There’s a TV show filming here next year. A baking competition! And it’s for semi-professional and professional bakers.”
Anxiety ratchets up inside me. “What?”
“Filming lasts four weeks. You’ll be partnered up with a teammate of your choosing, so we just need to find someone to join the competition with you. If your book is out and your social media is set up, it could provide a lot of free publicity. People will absolutely love you. It’s perfect, Jen.”
“No. Not perfect. I don’t want to go on some reality show.”
“It’s not a reality show. It’s very professional. It would give you a huge head start to promote your book.”
“I’m not sure, Amanda…” I frown. “I’m not good in front of cameras.”
“Look at it as a test run.” She smiles. “I just sent the application through to your email to review. I filled it in already.”
“Wait—”
“Jen, do you want this book to be a success?”
I huff. “Obviously.”
“You have the talent. You have the recipes. We just need to give you the profile.” She picks up her tablet and starts ticking things off her list. This book is progressing at lightning-speed. I can hardly keep up with recipe development as she puts everything together.
I watch her sort through a few recipes, double-checking them against my notes and nodding in satisfaction. Even with the thought of being on TV making me want to wet myself, I can already feel my resolve weakening. Amanda’s damn good at her job, and even with the whole Fallon thing, I trust her. Maybe she’s right. Maybe any publicity is good publicity.
Maybe a baking competition would be…fun. I’ve never won anything in my life! What if I won?
I clear my throat. “So, this competition…is there a prize?”
Amanda lifts her head from her tablet and gives me a beaming smile. “There sure is. A hundred thousand dollars to put toward your own business.”
I grip the edge of the table. “And the prize…I’d get to keep it?” Visions of a beautiful little bakery attached to the Four Cups Café flash through my mind. I could make custom cakes. I could expand. I could hire an apprentice baker.
Amanda grins at me. “See, this is the thing I love about you, Jen.” When I frown, she puts her tablet down and reaches over to squeeze my arm. “You are so brilliantly confident in your abilities. I mention a competition, and there’s not even a question in your mind that you can win it. Now, I just need you to take that confidence and put it into promoting your book.”
I frown. “That’s different.”
“It isn’t, but we’ll work on that.” Amanda winks, and I let out a little snort.
Yeah, I like her. I said it, okay? I like Fallon’s ex-girlfriend, even if I can tell she’s pining after him. Even if the fact that she still has feelings for him makes it so that I can never get between them. Isn’t it better to be pursuing a lifelong dream?
A hundred grand…that could change my life.
For a few brief moments, I just enjoy myself. A few years ago, I was working in an office for a tech company, dreaming of doing something different. After quitting my job and studying to be a pastry chef, I ended up landing a job at a prestigious Michelin-starred restaurant a couple of towns over. It was great experience, but it was grueling. My boss was a decorated French chef who took no bullshit. I learned a lot, but I was glad to strike out on my own with Four Cups.
Now, I could build something even bigger.
I could never have imagined being here, in the town I love, developing recipes that will soon be shared with (hopefully) thousands of people. Maybe tens of thousands. Maybe millions.
“What’s this?” Amanda asks.
I look over my shoulder to see her by the fridge, peering inside at the plastic-wrapped cakes I’ve prepared. “Oh, that’s the trial run for Fiona and Grant’s wedding cake.”
Amanda straightens up, eyes wide. “You’re making a wedding cake?”
