counter in her pretty yellow minidress, hanging up a Divine Intervention T-shirt with the festival logo and the year printed underneath it. They’d sold out of them so fast the last two years, Carly had doubled her order this year.
Carly set the gift bags on the counter and said, “I could have done that. You’re wearing a dress, for goodness’ sake.”
“I came prepared.” Birdie lifted up her dress, showing off spandex shorts with eggplants printed all over them.
“Eggplants? Really?”
“I said the same thing,” Quinn said as she slid the tray of brownies into the display cabinet.
“That’s about as close to the real thing as my hoo-ha is getting these days,” Birdie said. “I’m living vicariously through you and Zev.”
“Me too,” Quinn said. “Not the hoo-ha thing, just living vicariously through you and your hot treasure hunter.”
They sure were having enough sex to go around!
As Birdie came down the ladder, Carly said, “I guess I should be glad you’re not wearing a thong.”
“Speaking of thongs, you can thank me now for picking out such a sexy one for you.” Birdie waggled her brows.
Carly gave her a deadpan look. “You know I hate them.”
“I’m sure Zev loved it,” Quinn chimed in.
“I wouldn’t know. I took it off before dinner, remember? Commando was way better than having a string up my butt all night.” Carly reached for a package of price tags, realized what she’d revealed, and froze. How had she let that slip?
“What?” Birdie exclaimed. “No-thong Carly went commando?”
Thinking fast, Carly said, “Did I say that? That’s not what I meant. Of course I didn’t go commando.” She slapped the price tags on the counter. “You know me better than that.”
Birdie covered Carly’s hand with hers and said, “I thought I knew you, but, girl, that man does bring out your adventurous side. And apparently the secretive side, too, which I am not okay with. I bought you all those sexy clothes. I deserve all the dirty details.”
Carly pulled her hand free and said, “Sorry, but no.”
“Aha! You did go commando!” Quinn said.
“Where are all the customers that were bombarding us?” Carly grabbed the tags and said, “Focus on work, you guys. I feel like we’re forgetting a hundred things. Oh no! We forgot to make the coconut clusters!”
“Coconut clusters are Friday’s specials, Carly,” Birdie said. “Today is Saturday. We made the specials—don’t worry.”
“Right. Sorry. Missing yesterday totally threw me off.”
“Another good reason for you to hire me full time,” Quinn said. “So you can take a day off every now and again and not feel like it’s the end of the world.”
“That’s not a bad idea, Quinn,” she said, mulling over the idea of having those potential days off with Zev. But now was not the time to get lost in possibilities. They had too much to do. “But don’t worry. I’ve got this. I just need to reorganize my brain. Did I remember to tell you guys that we need to double the amount of fudge we make for samples? We always run out so fast.”
“Yes,” Birdie and Quinn said in unison.
“Good.” Carly tried to recall what had been on her to-do lists, which she’d misplaced. “Did we get the cereals to make the special treats we talked about?”
“I told you we did the last two times you asked. What is wrong with you? Did Zev literally screw you senseless?” Birdie exchanged a worried glance with Quinn. “Where are your lists?”
“I don’t know—about the lists, not the screwing. They’re in the back somewhere, I think.” Why was she so scatterbrained?
Birdie studied Carly’s face. “Your lists are missing? You don’t even usually need the lists for the festival prep. You have it all ingrained in your brain.”
“Maybe the sea air or all the traveling wore me out more than I realized.” Carly sighed and leaned on the counter. “I don’t feel tired, but I can’t focus. Do you think there’s something wrong with me?”
“Yes, but I think it has more to do with a certain sexy man whisking you across the country and romancing you all night long than anything else,” Quinn said.
Birdie grabbed a legal pad from the counter and said, “Lucky for you, I was trained by the best chocolatier in Colorado, and I always have your back.” She rattled off a list of things Carly had mentioned needed to get done. “Carly, why don’t you take a breather? Rest in your office for half an hour. Maybe you’re jet-lagged. Let me and Quinn find your lists and make