Better Than Chocolate (25 page)

Up in the office she found Jonathan Templar getting ready to
leave.

“This man deserves a medal,” Elena said. “He has saved us once
again.”

Their hard-drive hero pushed his glasses up his nose. “Slight
exaggeration.”

“No, no. It is no exaggeration, believe me,” Elena said. “You
are the king of the computer.”

“That’s me,” he said with a smile as he zipped his jacket.

“So why are you here,
chica?
” Elena
asked Cecily.

“I have to do a little work on the Mr. Dreamy contest,” Cecily
said.

That produced a frown on Jonathan’s face. He hid it quickly but
not quickly enough.

“I don’t think Jonathan approves of our contest,” Cecily
teased.

“Hey, if it’s bringing in money,” he said diplomatically.

“But it’s beneath you, right?”

“I’m not exactly Mr. Dreamy material,” he said.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Elena said, looking him over. “Lose the
glasses, go to the gym a little. You have potential. Doesn’t he?”

“Absolutely,” Cecily agreed.

Now Jonathan’s face was turning red. “Uh, I’ve gotta get going.
You guys have a good day.” And with that he was out the door.

“Poor Jonathan,” Cecily said. “We embarrassed him.”

“He needs a better self-image,” Elena said. “You should find
someone for him.”

“I’m not doing that anymore,” Cecily told her. “Anyway, there’s
only one woman he wants, and that’s Lisa Castle.”

Elena gave a snort of disgust. “That one. He’ll never get her.
Why do so many men want women who don’t even see them?”

“Misplaced loyalty? Insanity? Who knows? It’s another one of
love’s mysteries.” And why were so many women attracted to the wrong kind of
man? If she could solve that mystery, her own love life would take off.

With a sigh, she sat down at the spare office desk and got to
work finalizing details for the Mr. Dreamy contest. That done, she went on to
check her email.

Before they’d left to pick up Bailey, she’d sent notices to all
the Mr. Dreamy contestants, reminding them of the walk-through scheduled for
that night at Festival Hall. Most of them had responded cheerfully.

Have
the crown ready,
Bill Will had written.
And how about going kayaking with
me when I win?

Good old Bill, the picture of confidence. But his competition
was going to be stiff. There were some great-looking guys entered.

A picture of Todd Black popped into her mind. With his swarthy
pirate face he was probably a shoe-in. Talk about a hypocrite—entering the
contest at the last minute after mocking her so thoroughly. The prize package
had obviously been too sweet to resist.

And speak of the devil. Here was an email from the black pirate
himself.
I didn’t
enter this.

She typed back. Really?
I have your picture and entry form right here at
the office. You barely made the deadline.

A moment later the phone rang. “Todd Black on line one for
you,” Elena alerted her.

“Okay, you’ve had your fun,” he said, without giving Cecily
time to say hello.

Luke had left her feeling warm and happy. Just talking to Todd
made her feel like she’d swallowed a lit sparkler. “Someone entered you in our
contest,” she said, dousing the sparkler with the firm reminder that Todd Black
was a cynical turkey. “Nice picture, by the way. It makes you look like a real
ski pro.”

“I am.”

“Great choice, then.”

“I didn’t send it,” he growled.

“Who did, then?” she asked. “One of your girlfriends?”

“How the hell should I know? It was up on my Facebook page.
Anybody could’ve printed it. Probably my bartender’s idea of a sick joke.”

So her contest was a sick joke. “Some joke. He paid the
twenty-five-dollar entry fee.”

“Keep the money, but un-enter me. I’m not parading around in my
boxers in front of a bunch of horny women.”

“Fine,” she said. “No one wants to see you in your boxers,
anyway.” She flashed on an image of Todd Black in a pair of boxers decorated
with valentine hearts. He wasn’t a walking wall like Luke but he was all male
and she could envision those rock-hard abs and beautifully sculpted pecs with
maybe a smattering of dark hair. There were no sparklers in her chest now. Oh,
no. Those had been replaced with bottle rockets.

“I can think of a few women,” he said. “I do give private
shows,” he added silkily.

Another bottle rocket went off. “Thanks for sharing. If I meet
any brainless bimbos I’ll send them your way.”

“Ha, ha,” he said, and hung up.

“Oh, very original,” she said to the dial tone. She hung up a
little more forcefully than necessary and realized Elena was over at her desk
wearing a know-it-all expression. “What?” Cecily demanded.

“Nada,”
Elena said airily.

“
Nada
is right,” Cecily muttered.
Todd Black was a big
nada
.

Was it hot in here?

Chapter Twenty-One

Sometimes the more preposterous the idea, the greater the
success.

—Muriel Sterling,
Mixing Business with
Pleasure: How to Successfully Balance Business and Love

Chocolate Festival, Schedule of Events

F
RIDAY
E
VENING
:

5:00–7:30 p.m.: Chocolate Walk, sponsored by
Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company

Participants can enjoy special chocolate
drinks and desserts, along with a treat from Sweet Dreams Chocolate
Company.

Participating restaurants: Zelda’s, Schwangau, Der Spaniard,
Italian Alps Pizza

8:00 p.m.: Festival Hall, Ceremony to crown Mr.
Dreamy, sponsored by Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company

S
ATURDAY

8:00 a.m.: Lost Bride Trail guided hike,
sponsored by the Alpiners Hiking Club

Get out in the great outdoors and hear the
legend of the lost bride.

9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.: Lovers’ Breakfast, served
at the Breakfast Haus

10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.: Street Fair

Enjoy the food and craft booths and meet our
local artisans. And be sure to stop by the Sweet Dreams booth to purchase
your “chocolate survival kit” and meet Mr. Dreamy, who will be there from
10:00 a.m. until noon.

11:00 a.m.: The Romance of Flowers, at Lupine
Floral

Learn the language of flowers, get tips on
how to make your floral arrangement last and put your name in a draw to win
a lupine lovers’ bouquet.

1:00 p.m.: Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company
Tour

Come see how we make our fabulous chocolates
and get your picture taken with Mr. Dreamy.

2:00 p.m.: Chocolate High Tea with Mr. Dreamy
at Icicle Creek Lodge, sponsored by the Gingerbread Haus and Sweet Dreams
Chocolate Company. For reservations, call Icicle Creek Lodge

5:00 p.m.: Wine and Chocolate Tasting at D’Vine
Wines

Sample dessert wines made by local wineries
along with locally made Sweet Dreams Chocolates.

6:30 p.m.: Sweet Dreams dinner at Zelda’s,
sponsored by Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company and Zelda’s
restaurant

Tickets are available at Zelda’s and must be
purchased in advance. Seating is limited so make your reservations
early!

8:00 p.m.: Sweet Dreams Masked Ball at Festival
Hall, sponsored by Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company

Tickets may be purchased at the Sweet Dreams
Gift Shop or at the door.

S
UNDAY

10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.: Town Treasure
Hunt

Visit our local merchants and find bargains
on all kinds of treasures. Several stores are the location for valuable
prize packages, which will be awarded randomly to shoppers throughout the
day.

Prizes: Dinner for two at Ludwig’s. One night free lodging at the
Icicle Creek Lodge. A bottle of Riesling from D’Vine Wines. One free trip down
the Wenatchee River with Adventure Outfitters. A coupon for one free small
gingerbread house shipped anywhere within the continental U.S. from Gingerbread
Haus. A snow globe from Kringle Mart (valued at fifty dollars). A box of
chocolates from Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company. One hat, courtesy of the Mad
Hatter Novelty Hat Company. A one-hundred-dollar gift card for Sleeping Lady
Salon and Spa. A twenty-five-dollar gift certificate for Mountain Escape
Bookstore.

We Hope You’ll Enjoy our First Annual Chocolate
Festival!

P
reparations were going forward at warp
speed now.

The decorating committee, headed up by Heinrich and Kevin, had
outdone itself, hanging baskets overflowing with artificial pink and white
flowers from storefront roof overhangs and festooning trees with strings of red
and pink heart-shaped lights. Restaurants were offering lovers’ dinners and the
town chefs had knocked themselves out creating recipes featuring Sweet Dreams
chocolates. With the exception of Johnson’s Drugs, every shop in town was
participating in a treasure hunt, which would lead visitors from store to store
in search of bargains and prizes. Heinrich and Kevin had been creating special
chocolate-lovers’ floral arrangements over at Lupine Floral, incorporating Sweet
Dreams candy, and were going all out on flowers for the chocolate ball, while Ed
York was offering a wine-and-chocolate tasting on Saturday evening before the
chocolate dinner at Zelda’s, which was sold out.

Not to be outdone, the social and service clubs had gotten into
the act. The Alpiners Hiking Club was conducting guided hikes up Lost Bride
Trail. The Rotary Club was sponsoring the Lovers’ Breakfast at the Breakfast
Haus, with proceeds to go to the food bank. The town churches were providing
free taxi service for any celebrants who drank a little too much wine with their
chocolate, and every artist, club and youth group within a ten-mile radius was
going to be manning a booth of some kind, giving visitors a chance to buy
everything from chainsaw carvings to elephant ears. Samantha was especially
excited about the booth Bavarian Brews was running. All their hot drinks would
come topped with whipped cream and a Sweet Dreams chocolate.

Excitement was growing all over town, much of it focused on the
Mr. Dreamy contest.

“I’m sure my Brandon is going to win,” Olivia predicted when
Samantha stopped by to see how preparations were going for the chocolate
tea.

“Are you coming to cheer him on?” Samantha asked, not making
any promises. If she’d had her way, Brandon wouldn’t have been allowed to
compete. Talk about waving temptation right under Bailey’s nose.

“Oh, I’ll be there,” Olivia said. “All the LAMs are going. To
support your mother,” Olivia added. Samantha couldn’t help grinning, and
Olivia’s pudgy cheeks turned pink. “Well, and to admire all the good-looking
men.”

“Olivia, you are a cougar,” Samantha teased, making the color
in the older woman’s cheeks deepen to magenta.

“There are some things a woman never loses an appreciation for,
and one of them is chocolate. I’m sure you can guess the other,” Olivia
said.

“I think I can,” Samantha said. And she had to admit that her
sisters had been on to something. Tacky as this whole Mr. Dreamy contest seemed,
it was a hit, and a moneymaker. And the more moneymakers they had, the
better.

“Everyone’s talking about the pageant, you know. Well, the
whole festival, actually,” Olivia said. “It’s all going to be so much fun.
Everyone’s going to be there.”

Spending money. Samantha smiled at the thought of being able to
walk into the bank on Monday with a big, fat check.
Take
that, Blake Preston.

* * *

“Brown wants to come up and check out the chocolate
festival,” Darren said to Blake. “I told him you’d be happy to show him around,
take him out to lunch.”

Happy? In what parallel universe? “Sorry,” Blake said shortly.
“I’m afraid I can’t help you. I won’t be around on Saturday.” He’d had plans to
hang out at the street fair, buy a ton of stuff at the Sweet Dreams booth, but
not now.

“You won’t?” Darren sounded surprised. “Not very good public
relations.”

“Probably not very good public relations to be seen with the
guy who wants to take our client’s business, either,” Blake retorted.

“Now, listen here, Preston,” Darren began.

Blake cut him off. “Sorry, Darren. You’re on your own.”

“Well, what am I supposed to do with Brown?” Darren
demanded.

“Hey, it’s a nice drive,” Blake said. “And if you decide you
want to do dinner, try Zelda’s. They make a great steak.”

Darren was still sputtering threats when Blake hung up. He
wouldn’t follow through on any of them, though, and they both knew it. Blake was
doing a good job here and bringing in new business from neighboring towns. He
was an excellent bank manager. But he wasn’t a good whipping boy and, after that
disastrous visit to the factory, he was done letting Darren bully him into
unethical behavior. Darren could damn well drive up here with his pet pig, let
Trevor Brown drool over Samantha’s company and eat bratwurst to his heart’s
content. Blake hoped he choked on one.

* * *

By late Friday afternoon the town was full of tourists,
intrepid explorers going from shop to shop, filling bags with merchandise. And
that night Festival Hall was packed with women of all ages. There was probably
enough estrogen to hot-flash the entire forest to cinders and there was
certainly enough perfume in the air to send anyone with an allergy right to the
new medical center. The noise level was on a par with a convention of geese.

“I’d say you’ve got a hit on your hands,” Cass said as the
judges took their places at the judges’ table.

“I’d say we’ve got a potential riot on our hands,” Samantha
said, and wondered who was doing crowd control, since half the police force were
contestants. Across the hall she saw Dot’s daughter, Tilda, tall and impressive
in her uniform, standing at the back, frowning.

Like her mother, Tilda was tough as a turtle’s shell. Nobody
messed with her and if Tilda stopped you for speeding there was no point in
trying to talk your way out of a ticket. But even Tilda might have a problem
controlling this crowd. High on chocolate and hormones, they were ready to party
hearty. The men would be lucky if these women didn’t rip their shirts right off
them.

Oh, yeah. They were removing their shirts voluntarily.

The contest theme music started (“It’s Raining Men”) and the
crowd went wild. Bailey came out on stage wearing a white tux she’d picked up on
sale in a tuxedo rental shop and had altered, along with three-inch heels that
threatened disaster. With her curves and chestnut hair she looked like Betty
Boop 2.0.

The music died down and she spoke into her handheld mike.
“Welcome everyone to the Sweet Dreams first annual Mr. Dreamy competition. Are
you ready for a good time?”

The audience responded with a wall of sound. Samantha glanced
over to where Cecily and Mom sat. Mom was smiling her Miss Manners smile, ever
the lady, even though Samantha suspected inwardly she was cringing and wondering
how she’d gotten roped into this nonsense. Cecily looked smug. Well, she was
allowed. This would go down as a big success and a nice moneymaker.

“Okay, then,” Bailey was saying up onstage. “Meet your
men!”

The music started again and the herd of beefcake paraded across
the stage, some of them seeming more comfortable than others. Of course, Bill
Will had to stop and do a Mr. Universe pose, which produced squeals of
delight.

This really was tacky. Samantha sighed and resigned herself to
a long evening.

The evening proved more entertaining than she’d expected. There
was no talent competition but Cecily and Bailey had come up with other ways for
the men to show off, including a tug-of-war contest that took place in the
center aisle between the seats, as well as a “sweet talker” pickup line
competition where the men got points for originality and sincerity.

Bill Will scored high with “I just had my thrill of the day. I
saw you.” But Joe Coyote stole the heart of both the judges and the audience
when he said, “I’m not real good at pickup lines so I guess all I can tell you
is what I said when I first met Lauren—‘I know every guy here wants you for
keeps but would you give me a chance and go out with me?’” That was rewarded
with a collective sigh.

The final round of competition required each man to explain why
he should be the next Mr. Dreamy.

Brandon Wallace had a cocky comeback when Bailey asked him that
all-important question. “Because once I’ve kissed you, you won’t be able to
dream of anything else.”

Samantha didn’t like the way he looked at her baby sister when
he said that. Wasn’t it time for Brandon Wallace, ski bum, to run away from
home?

Cecily leaned over and whispered, “I should have gotten someone
else to MC.”

No kidding. Bailey and Brandon were only a year apart in age.
When she was a kid she’d had a terrible crush on him and had given him her
treasured rock collection. When they were in high school she’d given him her
virginity. After high school he’d moved on to bigger game but the damage had
been done. Bailey’s heart was locked up and Brandon still held the key.

Samantha could see her sister blush even down where she sat.
Bailey kept her cool. “That’s a pretty big promise,” she said. “Are you sure you
can live up to it?”

In response, he moved closer. “Want a demonstration?”

Of course, the audience did. “Yes, yes, yes!”

“Well, I’m not the judge,” Bailey said, trying to step
away.

She stepped a little too quickly, though, and lost her balance.
The crowd let out a gasp of pleasure as he caught her and said, “Put in a good
word for me.” Then he dipped her dramatically and laid a kiss on her that was
hot enough to melt the contents of all those little pink boxes they’d handed out
at the door. A collective sigh rose from the audience and Samantha growled.

Once he released Bailey she stood there in a stupor, forgetting
her MC duties.

No one seemed to notice. Half the women in the room were in a
stupor, too.

“Oh, my,” his embarrassed mother said faintly.

That broke the spell and the women came back to life, tittering
and clapping.

Olivia didn’t know all the details of Bailey and Brandon’s past
(a good thing for all concerned) but she did know enough to be embarrassed. Her
wild boy wasn’t, however. In fact, he didn’t seem in any hurry to leave. He
covered the mike with one hand and leaned over and whispered something in
Bailey’s ear.

She frowned at him and moved away, reclaiming the mike and her
dignity. “Thanks, Brandon,” she said, dismissing him. “And now we’re down to the
final contestant. Joe Coyote.”