Page 16 of Conquered Obstacles

“Yes, it can be employee housing so you don’t have issues, and we’ll manage it for you,” Colton said… A bit too fast. I saw the way Cora noted it too.

He wanted to have a way to stay in my orbit?

I wasn’t sure, but he owned the business park of my bakery. I could never fully get away from him unless I sold the bakery and moved or… I wasn’t doing that, so there was no point in thinking about it.

He pulled out a notepad and pen and started asking me questions like how many buildings, floors, and units—completely basic questions, and I simply blinked at him.

Cora burst out laughing, apologizing and then laughing all over again when I simply rolled my eyes.

“I have no idea, Colton,” I drawled. “I have no idea how many people we could end up needing or the max we could have to optimize all three factories. Some will eventually want houses or some have houses. People want more food trucks, and they can live there. People want more bakeries. I would think more units and who cares if they’re empty?”

Apparently, that was not the right answer from the way Cora and Colton frowned.

So again, I should not be in charge of things like that, but I didn’t want to be. I wanted people safe and to have a comfortable roof over their heads.

And to not be in charge of that.

I think I mentioned that, right?

“Got it. I will talk with the managers and get some ideas,” he muttered, making some more notes. “And Jamie on the plans to ramp up.” He glanced at Cora. “Or whatever she is going to ask you about?”

I looked to her, not sure what that was about either.

She sighed. “I can’t even pick on him about being nosy.” She let out a slow breath. “My best friend from culinary school, Holly—she’s me but in New York. She’s done shows for years and has—she’s better known like Si-woo knew me.” She waited until I nodded. “She wants to leave her bakery for the same reasons I bailed on mine.”

“And you want me to hire her here?” I hedged, wondering how much more she wanted me to expand into the wedding market in Boston.

“No, New York City.” She nodded when my eyes went wide. “Just hear me out. It’s not as crazy as it sounds because her whole team wants to go with her. They want to walk out, but they will be blacklisted all over given where they work.”

“And I won’t care about that,” I chuckled darkly.

“No, no, you won’t,” she agreed. “And you could work your magic with your money to get a lease kitchen like you got us—and we might actually need a few more. But with the decorations being done and sprinkle blends and basic cakes that can be shipped right there—it’s everything they would need, Arabella. She could hire more culinary student helpers like I have and be set.”

“Under Karma Bakery though,” Colton checked.

“Yes, I made it clear it only works that way, and she agreed that she doesn’t want the overhead and business, just the freedom like I have, but the manager title and fun again,” Cora confirmed.

“You have Gina’s friends who want to open a storefront,” Colton reminded me with a look that it could work. “They don’t want to do a full bakery but more a corner shop with take-and-bake items. Premade cakes from the factory.”

“Is that true?” Cora asked, her eyes flashing shock. “That could be perfect then.” I wasn’t sure how, but she hurried on. “Holly and I wanted to talk to the twins about having a bigger gallery on the website of our wedding cake selection. Most brides want the same type of thing. Their colors but picking exactly what they’ve seen on social media.”

Now it was my turn to be shocked. “Your biggest concern was cranking out cookie-cutter cakes when we met, Cora.”

“No, I know, but it’s not the same, and it won’t be like that,” she assured me. “We can throw in some easy and basic ones to help brides who need to keep costs down, even give them options to pick them up. That’s what Holly and I really want to help with, that there’s no option for but a market for. The delivery and assembling of cakes is a huge part of the cost.”

“In a place like New York City where everything is way too overpriced, you could have a huge niche of cakes meant to be picked up and put together at the venue,” Colton agreed. “Or not even put together, but so much better than grocery store cakes. Say five matching cakes in the wedding colors that don’t cost wedding prices. You could absolutely do that now.”

“I hate you still, but he’s absolutely right and what we want to do,” Cora said. “We want to start a movement and find others like us to come under your umbrella in major cities and have teams. Change the game. I want to—let me have a mockup with the twins and Holly.”

I shrugged. “Cora, do whatever you want. As long as you have the people and can manage them. If you want more kitchens at the place, fine. You more than manage it all, and we can get you more of everything from the factory now. I don’t know about New York. We’d need drivers, and even here, that’s the hard part. If you have six or seven weddings—more in summer.”

“You’d find them,” Colton said easily. “You pay well and—hell, some of my guys would take a Friday night to drive cakes to weddings or whatever. Other catering events. But if you handle this pickup option—there would be a huge market for it.”

I sighed and sat back, rubbing my forehead. “The windows just got installed, and we’re back to café service, but I’m thinking of having two days a week be pickup orders only. We have too much foot traffic. There’s too much chaos.”

“It might not be a popular option, but for the employees, I would do Sundays and Mondays,” Cora said. “It seems to be when the problems always come in. You can’t cut both weekend days. But it’s always some group after church, and I’m not picking on churches, but the kids are cranky after or something. Or there’s a problem in the parking lot—just no. You aren’t a day care.”

“Agreed.” I did have a problem with churches because of my damn brother, which wasn’t the church’s fault. “I was thinking Sunday and Wednesday, but I was worried that would confuse people, but it’s smarter to group it together. And tastings only on Fridays for now.”

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