Ganache with Panache: Book 2 in The Chocolate Cafe Series (2 page)

“I don’t think we’re in tacky tee shirt town any more.” Mac breathed. She took a delicate taupe dress from the rack and held it up to herself, turning to see her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirror that leaned against the wall. “Look at these lines! The cut is amazing.”

“You should know, Miss Fancypants,” Brie said wryly.

Mac had always been the one with impeccable taste. Although she hated to admit it, both friends knew that Brie couldn’t tell the difference between a midi and a maxi. When they were growing up and Mac had been pouring through September Vogue, Sabrina had been sketching out her next tattoo. “I’ll go see where Vanessa is.”

“I’m here!” There was a thump from the back room. A few seconds later, Vanessa Wells appeared from behind the canvas curtain separating the shop from the rest of the building.

Her boyish beauty struck Mac immediately. From the elegance of the clothing she was expecting some kind of patrician blonde to emerge, like a willowy Venus surrounded by gauze and designer fragrance. Rather, Vanessa looked like the tomboy in every teen movie that only needed to remove her glasses to become the perfect underdog prom queen.

“Oh my gosh! Sabrina!” Vanessa hollered. She dropped the box she was carrying on the cash register desk and practically leaped into Brie’s arms. “What do you think?”

“It looks great! Are you happy?” Sabrina hugged her friend tightly.

“I am so happy.” Vanessa beamed. “It’s a lot of work to set up but I’m almost there.”

“This is my friend Catharine. We call her Mac.” Without a moment’s hesitation, Vanessa strode across the room and offered her hand to Mac.

Up close, Mac could see how adorable she truly was. She had a face like a Victorian doll, all wide eyes and full lips. However, there was something intelligent in her eyes that led Mac to believe she probably listened to Tolstoy on tape while she sewed her fantastic gowns.

She took Mac’s hand, her handshake firm.

“That dress would look amazing on you,” she said. Mac blushed, realizing she still held the delicate smoky confection to her chest.

“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry. I’ll put it back.” Mac turned and slid it in place next to its other gorgeous sisters.

“No! Don’t worry about it. Try it on. Try them all on, they’re just clothes!” Vanessa laughed. Brie had been right, and Mac liked her already.

“Check it out.” Brie slipped the carefully placed napkin off the basket of chocolates as if she were performing a magic trick. Vanessa gasped as the smell threatened to overpower her candles.

“You didn’t,” she said. Vanessa stood, transfixed, starring into the basket at the beautifully stacked chocolates within. “Sabrina was the most gifted chocolatier in the program,” she told Mac. “We were all so shocked when she graduated and took off to…where was it again?”

“Tibet.” Brie said proudly. “I motorbiked all over Tibet. And I’d do it again. Monkeys, monks, yak’s milk…. exactly what I needed after all that studying.”

“May I?” Vanessa took a glossy, perfectly spherical pink ball from its paper cradle. There was a moment of silence as Vanessa bit into it.

Mac never tired of watching people’s faces when they first tasted Brie’s creations. She had a theory that the first reaction to first-rate chocolate was one of those rare moments when you could really get a glimpse of a person’s true self. The pleasure was so deep, the flavor so magnificent, that the taste wiped all pretenses away from the features.

Vanessa’s features softened with joy. When her eyes opened, Mac saw a kindness there that she would expect from someone Brie spoke so highly of.

“Redcurrant jam and white chocolate ganache.” Brie said proudly. “One of my new favorites.”

“You…are so gifted. You’d better leave all those with me.” Vanessa smiled.

“I’ve been trying to get the mixture right. We’ve got our first catering gig for a wedding in town.” Brie announced proudly as Vanessa reached into the basket for another.

“Wait. Catering job? Since when are we caterers?” Mac asked, annoyed. Yes, she had agreed to take the afternoon off, but that wasn’t because they weren’t busy. They had been absolutely swamped since the summer began and they could barely keep up with demand in their own shop let alone take on someone’s tacky golf club wedding.

“I forgot to tell you, didn’t I?” Sabrina said, cringing. “I could’ve sworn I told you.”

“You probably did. In your head.” Mac mumbled.

“I’m so sorry. Mac? Dearest? Can we do a catering job?” Sabrina put on her best charming face, which, owing to her glaringly obvious beauty, was pretty impressive. She offered Mac one of the shining, champagne-pink chocolates. “Will this change your mind?”

“Maybe,” Mac said, begrudgingly taking the chocolate, “Who is it for?”

“Some woman named Amelia Moore. She just moved here, apparently. Her dad is some very big player in the software industry in the city. They have a lot of money. Does that make a difference?”

“What does she want? Chocolate bride and groom for the cake? Swans?”

“Grumpy gills,” Brie said, “eat your chocolate. I told her straight off already. No chocolate fountains, no fondue crap, no chocolate baskets or statues. Honestly though, I don’t think you have to worry. You’ll even be impressed by her taste—she’s having Zachary Lau design her gown.”

Mac had only been half listening. She’d tuned out as soon as she took a bite of her friend’s magnificent redcurrant creation. Honestly, one bite and Mac would have agreed to almost anything Sabrina had wanted. Vanessa however, seemed to be struggling to get her jaw off the floor.

“Zachary Lau? Really?” She even jumped a little where she stood, her artfully cut bangs flopping into her eyes. “Oh my goodness he’s in town?”

“Who’s Zachary Lau?” Mac had finally come out of her chocolate haze enough to pay attention to the conversation.

“He’s got a summer home up here. How can you not know him? Remember Duchess Emily’s wedding gown this year?” Vanessa pushed her dark hair out of her eyes, trying to subdue her inner fangirl.

“The man is brilliant,” she told Mac, “That dress was on the front cover of like, every magazine. I’ve admired his work for years.”

Mac was embarrassed. The depth of her involvement with her ailing grandfather and his passing had a habit of sneaking up and biting her lately. It was like she had been trapped in a bomb shelter of her own making and was only now blinking into the sunlight at the surprising world around her.

“I can’t believe he’d do a private wedding! These people must be loaded.” Vanessa breathed. Her cheeks had actually turned a slight pink with excitement.

“Recently loaded and more than willing to sample the good life.” Sabrina said, obviously proud of herself. “I know we’re super busy, but Miss Amelia, the princess of new money, will be coming in tomorrow to chat. I promise you, I’ll make this as painless as possible.”

Mac found herself snaking her hand back into the basket for another chocolate.

“I’m just…going to have one more...”

The shop, first thing in the morning, was always Mac’s favorite time and place of the day.

Brie, being her hyperactive self, was usually already up in her ‘laboratory’ above and the smells that rolled down the stairs like the richest, lushest carpet boggled the mind. Despite her inherent flakiness and absent-minded nature, Sabrina was a world-class chocolatier.

Which would explain both the constant busyness of the shop since summer had begun and the fact that she had trouble saying ‘no’ to every sad sack sally with a wedding to plan.

This morning, the summer sun was already streaming through the tall windows that faced the main street. Thankfully, Brie hadn’t been so scattered that she’d forgotten to turn on the air conditioner, and the shop was verging on chilly. “Can’t have my art melting!” she had bellowed a few weeks earlier as Mac had written an enormous check for the state-of-the-art air conditioning system.

It was a lot of money going out but, in all honesty, there was even more coming back in.

Mac took a sip of the Mexican hot chocolate Brie had left for her on the counter and watched the tourist shop owners across the street pull their racks onto the sidewalk. She could see the beads of sweat on their foreheads already. She took another drink, rolling the smooth, spicy chocolate around in her mouth. Sometimes it was nice to allow herself just a few minutes of snobbery. Just a few.

“Hey!” Brie swung herself around the doorway that lead to the stairs . “I didn’t hear you come in. She’s here already, upstairs.”

Mac couldn’t help but sigh. Something about the whole bridal world gave her a vague feeling of nausea. It wasn’t the brides so much as it was the idea of commitment. She’d been struggling with that a lot lately.

“Great. I hope you hauled out your balloon arches.”

Brie scowled at her friend. How could anyone so obviously in love be so bitter at the same time? Of course Mac barely talked about her beloved Detective Louis, but she could see it in the way her pupils widened every time her phone buzzed in her pocket. He had even brought her a rescue dog for heaven’s sake. Not because he was trying to win her over, but because he felt she needed a little extra protection on her morning runs. How was that any sappier than a balloon arch?

“I know I didn’t ask you before I agreed. My bad. I’ll be the first to admit it. But really? This girl isn’t what you think she is. Just… come upstairs and say hi.”

Mac groaned. “Do I have to?”

Brie stood aside and gestured to the stairs. “Yes, boss lady. You have to. C’mon, shake a tail feather.”

Scowling at her friend, Mac put her mug on the counter and followed Brie up the stairs to her studio.

As usual, Sabrina was right—the bride was nothing like what she expected. When the two girls walked into the room the ‘bridezilla’ was sitting on the antique sofa with a young man, who was deeply absorbed in a game he was playing on his iPad.

Amelia had the most incredible copper hair Mac had ever seen. Long and perfectly straight, she held it back from her eyes as she bent over the screen. The young man was large and without a doubt a relation of some sort. He had the same red hair and delightfully round face.

Brie practically dragged her over to the couch, maneuvering Mac through the many tables and crates scattered through the attic. This whole ‘meeting new people’ was getting tiring.

“Amelia, this is Mac. The woman without whom none of this would be possible.”

Amelia looked up at Mac and smiled. She immediately stood up and offered her hand. She was tall and model thin, her limbs snow white and at least three times as long as anything attached to Mac’s body.

“Hello!” she said. “Thanks so much for taking me on. Sabrina was just telling me you don’t do weddings.” Mac blushed slightly.

“No, we’ve never done one. I’m happy you’re the first though.” Amelia laughed and turned to the boy on the couch, still absorbed in his game.

“This is my brother Jax. Can you say hi, Jax?” Without looking up from the iPad, Jax raised one hand in a swift but clumsy hello. Amelia looked back at Mac, the same relaxed smile on her face. “You probably can’t tell, he’s a little busy, but we’re twins.”

“The hair was my first clue,” Mac said.

Brie wheeled one of the many old teacarts she had been collecting from behind a table. On it was a fantastic array of chocolates. No swans. No chocolate baskets. No dipped fruit. Mac was amazed at the beauty and simplicity that Brie had created. Every one of them was hand painted, some with gold filigree and some dusted with silver until they glistened in the morning glow like precious jewels. Any kind of polite conversation came to an abrupt halt. Sabrina stood back, obviously enjoying the moment of reverence.

“Oh my goodness. Were you up all night?” Mac breathed, doing her best to stop herself from grabbing a chocolate.

“Jax look at these,” Amelia said. “Come see. They’re perfect.” Jax stood up to examine the chocolates. And examine he did. Holding his hands stiffly by his face, he rubbed his fingers and stared at the confections with a fierce intensity. When one of his constantly fidgeting hands reached out to touch one, Amelia took it in hers without missing a beat. “Aren’t they amazing? Just look with your eyes, Hon.”

Jax addressed Sabrina without looking at her. His voice was mellow like his sister’s but low and uniquely monotone.

“There are approximately twenty to fifty beans in each cocoa pod, did you know that? It probably took you close to eight hundred beans to make all of these chocolates.”

For once, Sabrina was speechless. She looked from Mac to Amelia, shocked at the sudden burst of knowledge from the quiet, eccentric young man.

“That’s true,” she said. “Completely right. That’s amazing! How did you know that?”

Still not looking up, his eyes seemingly focused inward, he smiled the same lovely smile as his sister.

“I have Asperger’s syndrome. Not ASS-BURGERS,” his smile grew. “People think its Ass-BURGERS but it’s not. It’s AsPERger’s.” He pronounced the words correctly but in the same monotone as before.

Amelia put her arm around her brother and pulled him in for a hug. His hands still fluttering like butterflies around his face, he leaned into her awkwardly.