Page 5 of Sweet Dreams

"Count us in," Beth declared, squaring her shoulders.

Mayor Winters beamed. "Wonderful! I'll put you down as our first official entry. Oh, this is going to be such fun!"

As the mayor swept out in a cloud of peppermint-scented perfume, Reese turned to Beth. "Are you sure about this? You've got a lot on your plate already."

Beth nodded, a determined glint in her eye. "I'm sure. This is exactly what I need. A project to focus on, a goal to work towards."

"Well, if you're in, I'm in," Reese grinned. "Operation Dough-mination is a go!"

They high fived, laughing, only to be interrupted by another chime of the bell. Jessie, Beth's scientist friend, poked her head in.

"Hey, is this a bad time? I smell cookies, and my lab report can totally wait."

Beth waved her in. "Perfect timing. We need your big brain."

As Beth explained the baking competition, Jessie's eyes lit up. "Ooh, this is so exciting! You know, we could approach this scientifically. Optimize your recipe for maximum flavor impact and textural appeal."

Reese blinked. "I understood about half those words, but I'm intrigued."

Jessie was already scribbling equations on a napkin. "See, if we adjust the sugar-to-fat ratio and experiment with different leavening agents..."

Beth and Reese shared an amused look as Jessie rambled on about molecular gastronomy and flavor profiling.

"Jess," Beth interrupted gently. "This all sounds fascinating, but maybe we could start with something simpler? Like, say, which of these cookie recipes tastes best?"

Jessie looked up, a smudge of ink on her nose. "Oh, right. Yes, that works too. We'll need a diverse sample group, and a rating system..."

"Or we could just eat a bunch of cookies," Reese suggested.

"That's basically what I said," Jessie nodded seriously.

As they dove into the great cookie taste test, Beth felt a warmth in her chest that had nothing to do with the oven. This was what she needed–not a man, but her friends, her passion, and a challenge to sink her teeth into.

The rest of the morning flew by in a whirl of customers, coffee, and Christmas carols. By the time the lunch rush died down, Beth was exhausted, but content. She'd just finished boxing up an order when her phone pinged.

Kelly:How you holding up, sugarplum?

Beth smiled, tapping out a reply:

Beth:Better. Busy day at the bakery. Might have accidentally entered a town-wide baking competition.

Kelly's response was immediate:

Kelly:That's my girl! Hey, speaking of sweet things, have you thought any more about my suggestion?

Beth frowned.

Kelly: Online dating, remember? Your soulmate could be just a click away!

Beth rolled her eyes but hesitated. Maybe it was the sugar high or the lingering Christmas spirit, but suddenly, the idea didn't seem so crazy.

Beth:Fine. But if I end up on a date with an axe murderer, I'm blaming you.

Kelly:That's the spirit! I'm sending you a link. Trust me, this site is perfect for you.

Moments later, Beth's phone lit up with a notification. She clicked the link, raising an eyebrow at the site's name: "A Foreign Affair."

"International romance?" she muttered. "Kelly, what are you getting me into?"

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