Sweet Dreams (Ladies of Stanford #1)

3. Two

Two

T he pre-dawn chill nipped at Beth's nose as she fumbled with the bakery keys. The glow of the streetlights made Stanford's main street look like a fairytale winter landscape. On any other day, she might have admired it. Today, she just wanted to lose herself in work.

The bell above the door chimed as she entered Sweet Dreams. She flicked on the lights, illuminating the cozy space she'd poured her heart and soul into for the past five years. The familiar scent of sugar and vanilla enveloped her like a warm hug.

"Okay, ladies," Beth muttered to herself, eyeing the industrial mixers. "Let's dance. "

She cranked up the radio, letting the upbeat Christmas tunes wash over her as she tied on her favorite polka-dot apron. Soon, the kitchen was a whirlwind of activity. Flour dusted her cheeks, and butter smeared her forearms as she kneaded, rolled, and shaped with a feverish intensity.

By the time the sun peeked over the horizon, trays of cookies lined every available surface. Gingerbread men posed jauntily next to delicate snowflake sugar cookies. Chewy chocolate chip cookies nestled against crisp almond biscotti. The air was thick with the aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, and freshly brewed coffee.

The bell chimed again. Beth looked up to see Reese, her assistant manager, frozen in the doorway, her eyes wide open.

"Holy sugar rush, Batman!" Reese exclaimed, taking in the cookie explosion. "Did Santa's elves break in overnight?"

Beth managed a weak smile. "Couldn't sleep. Thought I'd get a head start on the day."

Reese's expression softened as she hung up her coat. "Rough night?"

"You could say that" Beth sighed, brushing a stray curl from her forehead. "Keith and I... we're done."

"What?" Reese gasped. "But I thought... Oh, Beth, I'm so sorry."

Beth waved off her sympathy, not ready to rehash the details. "It's fine. I'm fine. Everything's fine."

Reese raised an eyebrow, gesturing at the cookie mountain. "Yeah, you look fine. Totally fine. This is exactly what 'fine' looks like."

Despite herself, Beth let out a small chuckle. "Okay, maybe I'm stress-baking a little."

"A little?" Reese snorted. "Honey, this isn't stress-baking. This is a full-on pastry panic attack."

Beth's shoulders slumped. "Is it that obvious?"

Reese draped her arm around Beth's tense shoulders. "You know," she began, a playful edge to her tone, "not everyone can whip up a perfect buttercream frosting while avoiding their own emotional turmoil."

Beth sighed; her gaze distant. Reese softened her voice further and inquired, "Care to share what's eating you?"

Beth hesitated before opening her mouth, intending to deflect with a curt 'no.' But instead of the dismissal she had planned, the words tumbled out of her in an unexpected confessional. "I... I found Keith in bed with Gina."

Reese blinked at this revelation, surprise etching lines on her face. "Wait...new Gina? Our Gina?"

Beth nodded miserably. "Yes, and she was... she was on all fours." The words hung heavy in the air.

A multitude of emotions played across Reese's face - shock giving way to indignation, then morphing into a fierce protective glare as she processed Beth's painful disclosure.

"That two-timing, bottom-feeding, scum-sucking--" Reese's creative string of insults was cut short by the tinkling of the bell.

Mayor Judy Winters bustled in, a whirlwind of tinsel-trimmed enthusiasm. "Good morning, my dears! Oh my, it smells divine in here!"

Beth hastily wiped her eyes, plastering on a smile. "Good morning, Mayor Winters. What brings you by so early?"

The mayor's eyes twinkled. "Why, the most exciting news! The town council has just approved my proposal for Stanford's first-ever Christmas Baking Spectacular!"

Reese and Beth exchanged glances. "Christmas Baking Spectacular?" Reese echoed.

"Yes, isn't it marvelous?" Mayor Winters clapped her hands together. "A grand competition to crown Stanford's best baker. The whole town will be there. And of course," she winked at Beth, "we're all expecting big things from our very own Sweet Dreams."

Beth's mind whirled. A baking competition was the last thing she needed right now. But as she opened her mouth to decline, she caught sight of Keith's favorite cinnamon rolls in the display case. Anger flared in her chest. She'd show him what he was missing.

"Count us in," Beth declared, squaring her shoulders.

Mayor Winters beamed. "Wonderful! I'll put you down as our first official entry. Oh, this is going to be such fun!"

As the mayor swept out in a cloud of peppermint-scented perfume, Reese turned to Beth. "Are you sure about this? You've got a lot on your plate already."

Beth nodded, a determined glint in her eye. "I'm sure. This is exactly what I need. A project to focus on, a goal to work towards."

"Well, if you're in, I'm in," Reese grinned. "Operation Dough-mination is a go!"

They high fived, laughing, only to be interrupted by another chime of the bell. Jessie, Beth's scientist friend, poked her head in.

"Hey, is this a bad time? I smell cookies, and my lab report can totally wait."

Beth waved her in. "Perfect timing. We need your big brain."

As Beth explained the baking competition, Jessie's eyes lit up. "Ooh, this is so exciting! You know, we could approach this scientifically. Optimize your recipe for maximum flavor impact and textural appeal."

Reese blinked. "I understood about half those words, but I'm intrigued."

Jessie was already scribbling equations on a napkin. "See, if we adjust the sugar-to-fat ratio and experiment with different leavening agents..."

Beth and Reese shared an amused look as Jessie rambled on about molecular gastronomy and flavor profiling.

"Jess," Beth interrupted gently. "This all sounds fascinating, but maybe we could start with something simpler? Like, say, which of these cookie recipes tastes best?"

Jessie looked up, a smudge of ink on her nose. "Oh, right. Yes, that works too. We'll need a diverse sample group, and a rating system..."

"Or we could just eat a bunch of cookies," Reese suggested.

"That's basically what I said," Jessie nodded seriously.

As they dove into the great cookie taste test, Beth felt a warmth in her chest that had nothing to do with the oven. This was what she needed–not a man, but her friends, her passion, and a challenge to sink her teeth into.

The rest of the morning flew by in a whirl of customers, coffee, and Christmas carols. By the time the lunch rush died down, Beth was exhausted, but content. She'd just finished boxing up an order when her phone pinged.

Kelly : How you holding up, sugar plum ?

Beth smiled, tapping out a reply:

Beth: Better. Busy day at the bakery. Might have accidentally entered a town-wide baking competition.

Kelly's response was immediate :

Kelly: That's my girl! Hey, speaking of sweet things, have you thought any more about my suggestion?

Beth frowned.

Kelly : Online dating, remember? Your soulmate could be just a click away!

Beth rolled her eyes but hesitated. Maybe it was the sugar high or the lingering Christmas spirit, but suddenly, the idea didn't seem so crazy.

Beth : Fine. But if I end up on a date with an axe murderer, I'm blaming you.

Kelly : That's the spirit! I'm sending you a link. Trust me, this site is perfect for you.

Moments later, Beth's phone lit up with a notification. She clicked the link, raising an eyebrow at the site's name: "A Foreign Affair."

"International romance?" she muttered. "Kelly, what are you getting me into?"

But as she scrolled through the profiles of men from around the world, she felt a tiny spark of excitement. This was crazy. This was reckless. This was... exactly what she needed.

Taking a deep breath, Beth clicked "Create Profile."

Name: Beth Mason

Age: 32

Occupation: Baker and small business owner

Interests: Baking (obviously), reading, movies, exploring new cuisines

She hesitated over the "About Me" section. How do you sum up a person in a few sentences? Finally, she typed:

Just a small-town girl with flour in her hair and sugar in her veins. Looking for someone who can handle my sweet tooth and my sassy mouth. Bonus points if you can knead dough or frost a cupcake!

Before she could second-guess herself, Beth hit "Submit." Her phone pinged almost immediately.

You have a new message!

Heart racing, Beth opened it.

From: Yuri_V

Subject: Privet from Belarus!

Hello Beth! I couldn't resist messaging when I saw you were a baker. I used to run a nightclub, and let me tell you, nothing sobers up drunk patrons like a good pastry. Any chance you deliver internationally? ??

Cheers,

Yuri

Beth found herself grinning at the screen. Maybe, just maybe, this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

As she began to type her reply, the bell chimed again. Beth looked up to see Zack from The Daily Grind, the local café, walking in with his usual calm smile.

"Hey, Beth! Got a minute? I had some ideas for a holiday coffee blend, thought you might want to partner up..."

Beth nodded, only half-listening as she finished her message to Yuri. For the first time since last night, she felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach. It wasn't much–just a tiny spark–but it was there.

A sweet new start, indeed.