All's Fair in Love and Chocolate (Marietta Chocolate Wars #1) - Amy Andrews Page 0,7

They’d even tasked her with scoping out locations.

It had been a shift from her usual role in the company, one she’d enjoyed because more travel. And she’d identified a dozen towns ripe for Delish’s brand of high-quality, low-cost chocolate. But this—establishing new stores then moving on to the next—was what she loved doing best. It suited someone with perennially itchy feet thanks to a childhood spent watching other people living their lives while she was stuck in her humdrum existence in a town in Nebraska where the most exciting—not—thing that ever happened was an annual crane migration.

How she’d long to be able to take off with the people who’d stayed at her family’s motel as they handed in their keys each morning and went on their way to the mythical next place. How she’d counted down the days until she could leave the boredom of suburbia and start living her own life where she could do as she pleased and there was always something new, always another challenge on the horizon.

And, for the next six months, that challenge was Marietta.

The company had queried whether Bozeman with its university patronage and five times higher population was the better place to establish their third store, citing the competition with the already established and popular Copper Mountain Chocolates. Viv knew that the local chocolatier was deeply entrenched in the hearts and souls of Marietta, but it was precisely because of Sage O’Dell’s thriving business that Viv had been adamant.

The people of Marietta and the tourists were already conditioned to look for chocolate. The market was primed for fancy chocolate and happy to pay good money for it, which was half the battle. And Sage’s chocolate was divine—handmade and crafted in the back of the shop on Main Street just over the road and down a bit from here. Viv had tasted it on several occasions when she’d been scouting in the area six months ago and again on her September visit when she’d been negotiating the lease of these premises.

It was, however, expensive—as befitting the bespoke nature of Sage’s selection. Which was fine for a treat. For an occasion. But for the everyday? When a chocolate craving could be satisfied with something almost as good at half the price?

Yep…that’s where Delish came in.

The company sold a wide range of good quality chocolate imported from Belgium and Switzerland, all prepackaged and bought in bulk to keep their costs at a minimum. It was excellent chocolate—Viv’s hips, thighs and butt could attest to that. Was it a lovingly poured and individually handcrafted? No. But it was still damn good and…not expensive.

Comparatively.

There was no doubt Sage had strong brand loyalty but Sage’s prices were going to be Delish’s best asset. Marietta expected to pay through the nose for quality so when they didn’t have to…? That’s why she’d pushed so hard for Marietta over Bozeman. The far bigger town with its larger population had more choices for their chocolate fix and Delish would be just another in a robust market. But here in Marietta—the choices were one. Which made an alternative—like Delish—extremely attractive.

Also, thanks to her research, Viv knew that Marietta was a tourist town, which included a lot of Bozeman residents who often visited on weekends—so Delish would get Bozeman customers. They’d just get them in Marietta. Customers she doubted they would have gotten in Bozeman itself.

Sure, she knew it might take a few weeks for the Marietta store to pick up steam, but Viv, who knew this space inside out and upside down, was confident she’d start to see some nice market share and, with Thanksgiving a month away and Christmas only a few weeks after that, it was perfect timing.

For sure, setting up in opposition to the Copper Mountain chocolate shop had caused a bit of a scandal already. Viv had seen the faces pressed to the papered-up windows all week and heard the rather loud conversations going on outside the shop. The tutting about the audacity of a big corporate trying to ruin a local business, the disparaging of cheap chocolate and the declarations of loyalty to Sage.

Which was all water off a duck’s back.

Viv knew a scandal could be bad for business but also very good. And she also knew that money talked. And that was why she was here—to make money for Delish.

Before moving on to the next town and doing it all over again.

Satisfied everything that could be done for Monday’s opening had been, Viv ducked into the staff