Chapter 99
Anthea’s confidence was just as infectious as her smile when she assured she wouldn’t lose a dime on her new venture.
Fanny couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
“Sweetheart, let me give you a piece of my mind. Don’t take offense! It’s not about making or losing money anymore. It’s about closing down or not. Honey, you just opened the doors. It’s best you cut your losses while they’re still small and find someone to take this place off your hands.”
Half a day into the grand opening, there was not a soul had wandered in. Fanny was baffled by Anthea’s unwavering optimism.
Anthea was pretty, but prettiness didn’t fill the seats or pay the bills.
ass
Fanny held a tinge of pity as she continued, “I’ve got my pot to stir, so I’ll leave you to it. Remember to drop by for a cuppa sometime!”
“Sure, Fanny. Pop in whenever you can,” Carole said with a warm smile, escorting her to
the door.
As soon as Fanny left, Carole came back with a frown painting her face. “Ann, maybe we should consider selling the place…” Her earlier confidence had vanished with the absence. of customers on their first day.
Anthea grasped Carole’s hands, her smile undimmed. “Mom, don’t lose heart. The lunch. rush hasn’t even started! Go ahead and whip up a hundred and fifty servings of our roasted rabbits, and the same number of our opening act dessert. I promise you, by lunchtime, we’ll have a crowd.”
Carole furrowed her brows in concern. “Ann, that’s a lot of food that won’t keep. What if no one shows? Won’t that all go to waste?”
Anthea’s store was still empty, and yet she was asking for a feast fit for a festival.
“Don’t worry. Trust me, it won’t go to waste,” Anthea reassured her.
At the sight of her determination, Carole hesitantly agreed, “All right then…”
Waste or not, she could see Anthea wasn’t one to back down without a fight.
After Carole had prepared everything and emerged from the kitchen, a pixie–haired girl walked in, smartphone in hand. “Excuse me, is this Yeager’s Delicacies at 612 Arcadia Avenue?”
Carole, caught off guard, quickly got to her feet. “Yes, that’s us!”
The girl flashed a grin. “Took me a minute to find you! I snagged this coupon online for a free starter dessert. Is that for real?”
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Carole paused, bewildered. What coupon? Free dessert?
That was when Anthea, ever the charmer, stepped in. “Absolutely! Let me take a look at your coupon.
The girl was momentarily starstruck by Anthea’s beauty.
Was she even real? That kind of beauty didn’t just walk into diners every day.
Shaking off her awe, she handed over her phone to Anthea.
Anthea checked the coupon and guided the girl to a window seat. “Right this way. Since you’ve claimed our special offer, here’s our dessert on the house. Enjoy this while you browse the menu for your main course.”
“Thank you!” The girl then cheekily added, “And if I don’t like it, I can just skip ordering more, right?”
“That’s correct,” Anthea replied with a nod. “If you decide you’d like to order, just give me a shout.”
The girl was impressed by Anthea’s easygoing nature.
She had only made a quip about not ordering, but Anthea had taken it in stride.
After Anthea left, the girl took a tentative bite of her dessert.
She had expected the freebie to be mediocre at best.
To her astonishment, it was nothing short of sublime.
Her eyes lit up, and she dove in for a second taste.
Delicious!
It was unlike any dessert she’d ever had.
“Hey! I’m ready to order over here!” she hollered at Anthea, trying to catch her attention.
Anthea approached with an iPad in hand. “What can I get for you?”
The girl spoke between bites of her dessert, “I heard there’s roasted rabbits today. I’ll take two servings of that with several pastas.”
