Page 40 of Billionaire and the Barista

“I’ve seen you at work. You don’t up-sell anything. Your cupcakes sell themselves.”

Her eyes sparkled when the waiter delivered the desserts. Gabriella made harrumphing noises; she plucked the square of candy from the top of the frosting and set it aside.

“That’s cheating.”

“How so?”

“Plucking a piece of Turkish Delight in the frosting and then calling it a Turkish Delight cupcake is cheating.” She cut into the bakery item without ceremony, spreading the cake apart and poking at it with a fork.

“I would have expected to see jellied candies on the inside. These pink areas might have been, but”— she slid a bite into her mouth and shook her head— “there is no flavor signature. And the cake is dry.”

She swapped plates so the cheesecake was in front of her, the cupcake destroyed and forgotten.”

“May I?” I poised my fork over the decimated cupcake.

“Have at it.”

She was right, it was dry and flavorless compared to anything she sold in her shop.

---