Page 2 of Single Mom's Secret Diary
Dad’s bluster vanishes, and he holds his arms open wide. “Yes. Come, hug your papa.”
I step into his arms and enjoy the way he squeezes me tight.
“You make me proud,bambina. Blow their socks off.”
I laugh. “Knock their socks off and blow them away, Dad.”
After another sharp squeeze, he releases me, waving his arms to usher me out the door. “Go, go, go. Don’t be late.”
Grabbing my oversized purse and heading out the door with a smile, I let the moment wash over me. It’s going to be a good day. I know it.
The route I plotted out last night will take me roughly thirty-seven minutes. It’s a bit longer than I prefer, but it takes me out of the middle of town and down toward New Jersey. Right at the border, industrialization has rooted itself among the rolling hills and trees of the Hudson Valley forests.
The building is squat and wide, the parking lot mostly full but not overtly large. How many workers did Nguyen Candy Company employ? I researched the variety of what they offer before my interview, having only gotten to taste a select few to remark on.
Apparently, I’d impressed HR with it, and that’s what landed me the job.
From what little they told me, I will be working directly with their chocolatier—the man in charge of creating new recipes for various seasons. This one is particularly tricky—making a chocolate with all the health benefits of dark chocolate but with the pleasing, creamy flavor of milk chocolate.
It’s not an easy ask, but I enjoy the gritty darkness of freshly ground Mexican chocolate. I still order disks of it from a company I found there nearly a decade ago. Something about the texture sends sweeter signals to my palate than others do.
Regardless, I am sure to enjoy the process.
Pulling through a gate has me showing my ID to a middle-aged guard who has a warm, fatherly smile. He places a short callinside before he lifts the bar and directs me to where someone will meet me to show me my way. I thank him as he nods me on.
All the bustle from the morning crew has passed. It doesn’t make sense to drop me in the middle of that chaos on my first day. So thank you, Pam, from HR. I greatly appreciate it as I saunter toward the door with my bag snug under my arm and pressed against my hip.
Pam, herself, is waiting by the entrance with a grin, her blonde, modern beehive holding a jeweled candy pin in the front. Seeing this kind of enthusiasm for her job endears her to me more than her overly friendly attitude.
“Welcome, Ms. Caruso. We’re so excited to have you here. Mr. Nguyen is waiting for you in his office. He wants to properly greet you before we take you to our chocolatier. Our CEO is very hands-on and passionate. I think you will like him.” Pam waves me forward, and we ascend a set of cement and metal steps to the second floor, where the general feel of manufacturing is lost to the cushy luxury of high-end offices.
The carpet dulls the sound of my heels, the light turns more natural than fluorescent, and the windows showcase the expanse of the wilderness beyond us.
Oh, I can certainly fall in love with this place for this view alone.
Try not to dawdle.
Many of the doors open to offices and a large boardroom. More of them are closed as I’m led to the back corner, where a wide door made of dark wood is cracked open.
Pam knocks, peeks her head in, and waves me forward. “Right this way.”
I step in as she opens the door wider to let me pass, and she swings it nearly closed behind her.
The sight of the man sitting behind his desk stops me halfway into the room.
I blink as if he’s an apparition, but when he stands to approach me, I recognize the way he walks, the discerning glint in his eyes, and the recognition in them.
My new boss is Charlie’s father.
2
Avery
Ten years ago—Spring Break
Sophia, my cousin, drags me to another beach bar overloaded with drunk and rowdy college students. I’ve been ignoring most of it, slipping around those who easily jostle others and keeping most of my drink in my glass.
I’ve gotten myself a margarita at each of them. It’s the only concoction of fruity and sugary alcohol that I can really handle without gagging. Most of the time.
