I glance at Georgina, arching my eyebrows. “Yeah?”
The twins exchange a glance. “The diner’s not doing too well. I’m sure they’d appreciate the work.”
My eyes widen. “Are you guys okay? Do you need money?”
Giselle laughs, hooking her arm around my shoulders. “Don’t worry, Ivy. We’re fine. Just be glad there’s seven of us to help you out. Marcus and Mickey have experience in a bakery, and I’m sure Irving would love to expand his milkshake brand to sell it here. You know we all love to work ourselves to the bone.”
“Ask them to come in tomorrow,” I say, excited. “I thought I’d have leftover pastries for tomorrow, but I’m going to have to prep a whole new batch.”
“That’s a good problem to have,” Georgie grins. “You deserve it.”
“Do I?” I ask, glancing around the bakery. My dream business landed in my lap. In the past month, my whole life has transformed.
A part of me feels guilty for doing this without Margot. She’s tucked away in the forest, healing herself, and I’m here profiting off her absence.
She’d be happy for me, though. I know she would.
“Holy shit,” Giselle says, staring at her phone. “You’re trending, Ivy.”
Turning her phone toward me, she shakes it from side to side.
“I am?”
I pull out the phone that Luca bought me, scrolling through my social media. I haven’t had time to look at it all day, and my eyes nearly bug out of my head.
I have thousands of notifications. I’ve been tagged, reposted, liked, followed—you name it. Spoonful of Sugar is everywhere.
“Whoa.”
Georgie squeals, jumping up and down. She hops over the counter, rushing toward me to wrap her arms around my shoulders. “Congrats, babe.”
“Definitely ask your brothers if they want work,” I laugh. The three of us glance at each other, and laughter starts bubbling up inside me. I throw my arms around my two best friends, still in shock over what my life has become.
“I’d better get to work,” I say, wiping the tears of joy from my eyes.
“I’ll help,” Georgie nods, pulling an apron off a hook on the wall. “Let’s prep.”
The Grand Opening of Spoonful of Sugar marks a huge change in my life. For the next sixty days, my life is complete bliss. I get up early, give Prince Luca a kiss on the cheek, and then bake for a few hours before the doors open. Every single day, we sell out of almost everything. Every single night, I work late, prepping for the next day.
I’m in my element.
For the first time in my life, people are congratulating me. They’re flocking to me, not my sister. I don’t love being the center of attention—but boy, do I love my pastries being in the spotlight. For once, it’s not pictures of Margot that I see online. It’s pictures of cinnamon buns and muffins and Danishes and tarts.
George ensures that I sign an ongoing contract with the castle, so that when he leaves to go back to Westhill Castle, the royal family will have a well-stocked breakfast and dessert table.
With the royal contract alone, Spoonful of Sugar can support itself.
Luca is supportive, loving, and attentive. His generosity with his time and love surprises me, and I lean on him more than I thought I ever could. It feels good to have someone by my side. I didn’t realize how lonely I was until I met him.
He officially visits the bakery two weeks after it opens. With his presence comes even more media attention, and the major news outlet run a story on the opening of the bakery.
With the profits from the first couple of weeks, I’m able to hire the twins permanently, and get their brothers to help out, too. I expand the menu to include Irving’s unforgettable milkshakes, and the added exposure gives the diner a bit of a boost, too.
As the days go on, tiredness sinks deep into my bones. I blame it on the late nights and early mornings. When I throw up a few mornings, I blame it on the stress. I have a lot on my plate. My body is used to working hard, but not this hard. I’m sure it’ll adjust.
So, I just get to work. Week after week, I ignore the changes that are happening in my body. I gain a little weight, and I blame that on all the tasting and testing I do in the bakery.
When the first two whirlwind months of Spoonful of Sugar’s life comes to a close, I turn