Page 14 of The Grump

I sighed. “Just say it.”

“I knew you were going to change your mind once you heard my order.”

“I didn’t realize anyone could like so much sugar.”

“I make pralines for a living... for now, at least.” Her smile was still in place, but the light in her eyes dimmed a bit.

For the first time in my life, I didn’t care to talk about business. I wanted to ask more about her. Why had she chosen this line of work? How on earth could she enjoy it so much?

For God’s sake, I had to get myself together. The whole reason I came here tonight was to get more insights on the business and why I need to sell it, not learn more about the woman I was potentially about to lay off.

After we grabbed our drinks, we stepped to the side. There was a wooden counter running along the wall.

“Want to stay here and drink it?” I asked.

“Sure.”

She took a sip and said, “Holy shit. Bella is right. This is amazing. It’s like gooey goodness in more gooey goodness. I can’t believe I’ve never had this in my life.” She looked up at me. “Why are you laughing at me?”

I hadn’t even realized I was smiling. “I’m not. I like watching you enjoy this.”

“Hmm,” she said, then took another sip. “Behind those judgy eyes, I can already hear you thinking about how I could be using this time for business purposes. Isn’t that right?”

I straightened up. “Not exactly.”

“Oh goodness. Let’s have at it.” She set her cup down on the counter. She had a line of chocolate on her lower lip, and it was all I could do not to lean in. Instead, I glanced down at my cup, steadying myself.

“If some parts of the business were automated, you could certainly use your time better. For instance, if you used morekitchen machines and didn’t do individual wrapping of the pralines but rather batched them, that would speed up the process.”

I looked up at her. She was blinking rapidly.

“When did you even think about this? How did you even know that I wrap every praline manually?” she asked.

“It’s obvious from the layout of the boxes,” I said. “And when I came in, you were mixing the batter yourself.”

“We do have kitchen appliances,” she said, “but some things taste better if done by hand.”

“And this whole delivery thing can be easily outsourced,” I continued. “That way, you wouldn’t run into issues like this when some of your team members get sick.”

Bailey took another sip of her hot chocolate, tapping her fingers on the cup. After lowering it, she said quietly, without making eye contact, “Xander, I actually like this way of doing things. I understand that you want this branch to be more profitable, and that’s your right, of course. It’s your company.” She looked up at me. “But there’s no need to put down my current process. We get the job done, and customers shower us with praise. We bring people joy.”

“I’m sure you do, and I’m not trying to minimize your impact,” I assured her. “I sincerely apologize if it’s coming across that way. I realize I’m being blunt, but I don’t mean to offend you.”

She nodded. “I know that. So, what other suggestions do you have for... making the business more to your liking?”

“I haven’t thought about it too much. This came to mind by observing you yesterday and today. I’ll need more time and information to make an actual plan.”

“I see.” She took a few more sips and then realized her cup was empty. She started picking out the remaining marshmallows with a small wooden fork.

“Want another hot chocolate?” I asked.

“Oh, no. That would be too much sugar, even for me.”

“Look, I’m sure you want more in life than baking sweets. Making pralines can’t be your end goal. It’s beneath a pastry chef.”

I instantly realized my mistake, but it was too late. Her eyes went completely cold.

“Again, I mean no offense, and—”

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