Free Sugar Rush by Rachel Astor

hands. “No, don’t worry. Jess can come in here anytime she wants.”
    Ava’s face relaxed.
    “I wish I could do more for her. She’s becoming like a part of our little family here, but things are tight enough financially as it is…”
    Ava nodded. “Although if more days end up like this, things would certainly be looking up.”
    “Yeah, today was awesome. The perfect day. But only because of the new flavors. Once the novelty wears off, we’ll be right back where we started.”
    Ava shrugged. “You never know. Jess’s marketing tricks might keep things hopping.”
    “Or maybe we’ll win the contest,” Dulcie said, raising her eyebrows.
    “With the new recipe, I don’t see how we can lose.”
    A little jolt buzzed through Dulcie, and if she were honest, the thought of standing at the Taste of the Year Gala receiving the grand prize did zip through her mind.
    “Could you watch the counter for a minute longer? I want to check in with Jess and thank her for everything she did for us today.”
    “Yeah, of course. Take your time. I’ve got a little homework I can work on.”
    “Thanks,” Dulcie said, climbing off the stool, her legs not wanting to cooperate after being off them for the first time all day.
    She grabbed the small box of the new flavors she’d set aside for Jess. Even with the customers asking repeatedly if any might be left in the back, Dulcie’s stash remained a secret.
    The sun made its last descent as she stepped out to the alley.
    “Hey,” Jess said, pulling her coat tighter around her neck.
    “Hey,” Dulcie said, smiling and handing her the box. “I hear you had something to do with the craziness of today?”
    “It did sound pretty busy,” Jess said, excited.
    Dulcie sat beside her on her cardboard. “Didn’t let up all day. Not until we ran out of all the new stuff, anyway.”
    Jess’s expression faltered ever so slightly. Her glance toward the candy box told Dulcie why.
    “Don’t worry.” She beamed. “It’s the new stuff. I set it aside for you.”
    Jess’s grin widened. “Thank God. I’ve been smelling it all day.” She opened the lid as if a great treasure lay inside.
    “So Ava said you got the word out about the new flavors or something?” Dulcie asked.
    Jess nodded, her mouth already full. She moaned over the Coconut Brittle before answering. “Yeah, I still have quite a few contacts from my old job. None of them really know what I’m doing now, so I still have a little business cred.”
    She grinned, but Dulcie felt frustrated that the world hadn’t given Jess a fair shake. She was obviously smart, but marketing was one of the first departments a company downsized in. It might be a long time before anyone started hiring again.
    “Plus, I think some tweets kinda went viral. A couple people must have shown up, tasted how good your stuff is”—she popped the last of the brittle in her mouth—“and tweeted to their friends. Things snowball with the right product. And there is certainly nothing wrong with your product.”
    Dulcie huffed. “Yeah, except this will be the last ever unveiling of anything new.”
    Jess glanced at her, seriousness crossing her face.
    “What about you making new stuff? I know you’ve got the talent.”
    Dulcie shook her head. “I’ve tried before and gotten burned. I can’t risk muddying my mother’s legacy any more than I already have.”
    Jess turned back to her chocolates. “Yeah, well, what about your legacy?” she said, kind of under her breath.
    Dulcie glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. It was a rhetorical question, but one she had never thought about.
    And thinking about it now made her uncomfortable. She stood up. “Thanks again for everything today,” she said, giving Jess a wave.
    Dulcie hoped she would be okay for the night. Thinking about her out in the cold, with who knew what kind of danger, was starting to make her lose sleep.
    “No, thank you ,” Jess said, lifting the candy box. “Anything