sign holder above the door was empty, as if just waiting for a new owner.
Mel tried to picture her retro fifties atomic Fairy Tale Cupcake sign swinging right overhead. She shook her head. No, it didnât fit in here. She was not buying into the franchise.
âI have the keys,â Scott said. He took them out of his pocket. âIâll need to go in and deactivate the alarm. As you can see, itâs centrally located on the street. There are no other comparable businesses in the immediate area. And just so you know, I already had a woman looking at this property this morning and she was very, very eager to lease it.â
âWell, sheâs in luck since itâs not really what I had in mind,â Mel said. She glanced at Holly. âNone of this is.â
Stuart gave her an odd look and then turned to Scott and motioned for him to unlock the door. âLetâs not decide anything until we see inside.â
âRight.â Scott put the key in the deadbolt.
âYou know what, forget it,â Holly said. She put her hand on Scottâs arm, keeping him from turning the key. âI donât know what I was thinking. I canât do this. I canât do anything. Iâm just a stupid showgirl and thatâs all Iâll ever be.â
With a sob, she turned and ran down the walkway toward the fountain in the center of the shops.
âHuh,â Mel said.
âWhat do you mean, âhuhâ?â Stuart asked. âIf you were any colder to her, she would have frostbite.â
âI donât know what you mean,â she said.
âSure you do,â he said. Stuart gave her a shrewd look. âTate told me you were balking about franchising and I was prepared for a little resistance, but I didnât think youâd be so mean.â
âI am not mean,â Mel protested.
âReally? Then why is she crying?â He gestured to Holly where she sat on the edge of the fountain, doubled over and sobbing into her hands.
Mel felt her heart sink into her shoes. She
was
mean. No, even worse, she was a bully, and for no other reasons than she was scared of franchising and Holly was pretty. She was a horrible person.
Four
Mel approached Holly, feeling about as low as a cupcake heading for the floor frosting side down. She hadnât meant to make Holly cry. She just wanted to keep her world in orderâwas that really so wrong? As she got closer, she tried to see Hollyâs face. If the woman was a pretty crier, she really didnât think sheâd be able to offer her much comfort.
Holly had her face buried in her hands and she was sobbing, not delicate little sniffles but deep-throated wails that sounded like someone was stepping on a duck, repeatedly, so that was promising.
âListen, Iâm sorry,â Mel said. âI was being a big jerk and I shouldnât have said what I did. You are probably nervous enough, putting your life savings into a bakery without me making you doubt your abilities.â
Holly peeked at her over the tips of her fingers. âYou were so mean.â
Mel blew out a breath. She would have protested, but Holly and Stuart were right. She had been mean. She glanced over to where Stuart and Scott stood waiting for them. Scott was checking them out and licking his lips. Mel had a feeling he was thinking impure thoughts about them, ew, or maybe he just had a nervous condition.
âIâm sorry,â she apologized to Holly again, hoping to get this over with. âItâs just that this is more Tateâs thing than mine, and when I saw you, well, you really donât look like a baker, and, oh, I have no excuse. I was just an ass. Can you forgive me? Can we begin again?â
âYes, of course, but where is Tate?â Holly asked. âI dressed like this because of him.â
Mel felt her hackles rise, and now she had to rethink being nice to this bimbo. âYou do know heâs engaged, right?