Page 5 of Taste Me Daddy

‘Michael!’ the salesperson called out, striding over toward him with an outstretched arm and a smile on his face.

‘Brad,’ Michael replied shaking hands and nodding in approval at the new models on display around him. ‘There’s almost too much temptation here.’

‘We aim to please,’ Brad said, looking immaculate in his dark suit, white shirt, and red tie. ‘I’m thinking… this Ferrari. Over here.’

With the soundtrack of classical music playing over the showroom’s speaker system, Michael walked with Brad over toward an impossibly handsome red Ferrari that looked like it had been lifted directly out the Hollywood Hills.

There was no denying that the car was a thing of beauty.

‘I’m thinking… yes,’ Michael replied, a smile on his face as he walked around the car and drank in its sublime curves and powerful rear end.

‘I thought as much,’ Brad said, tossing Michael the keys. ‘We’ve made a clear path so you can literally drive it out of the showroom. See?’

Michael looked on in amazement as there was indeed a clear path out through the electronically opening floor to ceiling window at the side of the showroom.

‘I think this is going to be fun,’ Michael chuckled, taking his seat inside the car and turning the engine on to an almighty roar. ‘Wow. This beauty might be a beast too…’

Michael carefully pulled out of the showroom and hit the streets.

By now, Michael was growing far more accustomed to this kind of crazily expensive car. He was used to getting looks on the street as his engine thundered past pedestrians and fellow motorists.

It wasn’t always this way though.

Michael had built his business from nothing, and growing up the best car his mother ever drove was a rundown saloon that had more miles on the clock than a rocket that had returned from a two way journey to Mars.

Michael dropped the car down a gear as he weaved between the traffic and made his way in a loop back toward the showroom. But as fun as driving luxury cars was, Michael was beginning to sense that the feeling of joy he got from it wasn’t quite hitting like it used to.

Does this make me happy?

I mean, it’s great and all.

But… do I still need to prove myself like this?

Michael thought back to his childhood and how as a freshman in high school he was a bit overweight and would come under fire from some of the bullies in the senior years. Michael had never been badly bullied, not like some unfortunate kids. But still, Michael had faced enough taunts about his weight in his younger years to leave a lasting impression.

Even as Michael grew and developed into a physically imposing senior in high school, he never forgot how poorly he was treated by some. On the one hand, it meant that Michael would never, ever bully someone himself.

But on the other hand, Michael had always carried the pain of the name calling around with him and used it as a motivation to become as successful as he possibly could in life.

And it was beginning to dawn on Michael that perhaps his love of expensive cars and luxury watches was maybe a throwback to his early years and the determination he felt to prove the name-callers wrong.

‘Hmmm, this car’s not for me,’ Michael grumbled, turning the corner and pulling up to the showroom. ‘Not today. And maybe not another day either.’

After parking the Ferrari and saying goodbye to Brad, Michael got into his own car and set Google Maps for downtown. With all of his recent memories of being an overweight kid still fresh in his mind, it felt kind of strange to be going to meet the owner of a candy business to talk about a potential cash injection.

But Michael wasn’t going to let that put him off.

After all, when there were profits to be made, Michael was made of much more pragmatic stuff. Childhood insecurities or not, Michael was determined to go into this meeting with an open mind and hopefully reap the rewards too…

The door to the workshop was partially open on arrival, and Michael’s emerald-green eyes were drawn to a handwritten note just above the door handle:

Please come inside – a veritable candy treat awaits! AA

‘Intriguing…’ Michael said, taking the note off the door and stepping inside.

The very first thing that Michael noticed about the inside of the studio was just how happy and vibrant a place it seemed. With some cheerful but soft music playing in the background, and a myriad of colorful mood boards and design ideas arranged around the space, Michael could tell that this was someone who was committed to their craft.

Of course, this didn’t mean that the business was a good investment. Far from it. But it was a good early sign to say the least.

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