Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“Thank you for cluing me in on this place. The aroma alone should have gotten me in here,” Craig said with a smile.
“It’s dangerous in here.”
“Only to waistlines,” a cheerful voice said from behind her.
“Hi, Ellie! All good things in moderation, right?” Nora said with a smile before introducing her companion. “Ellie, this is Craig Sullivan. He’s my new assistant manager.”
“Hi, Craig. Welcome to Little Cakes. I’m sure Nora is glad to find you. She’s brought a lot of business into the shopping area. We’re glad she’s here, even if I have to find another employee.”
“I saw the help-wanted sign,” Nora mentioned. “I hope you find just the right person for the job.”
“We have a definite personality type in mind,” Ellie said with a wink. “I’ll let you two talk.”
“Thanks, Ellie. Glad to meet you,” Craig added.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Ellie encouraged.
“So, you opened a craft store and got a bomb threat?” Craig asked.
“Thank you for not saying we opened with a bang. I can almost joke about it now, but it was so scary then. Now, this guy keeps showing up. I don’t know why he’s focused on us. The police are taking this very seriously. I’ve been working with Detective Avery Reynolds. I’ll share her contact information. If he comes back, don’t mess around. Call the police.”
“Gotcha. I’ll keep my eyes peeled.”
“Other than that, I’d love to hear what you think about the stock I selected. Having another set of eyes on what seems to be hot and what are the upcoming trends would be amazing,” Nora suggested.
“I didn’t see a lot of glass fusion materials in the store. I’ve seen a lot of coverage in art magazines for glass pieces. Several students are experimenting with it in my courses.”
“Interesting. I don’t know anything about the materials needed. Could you make me an introductory list of tools and equipment?”
“Of course. There was one thing I thought of as I checked out the space today. That front window is a perfect art space. If you shifted one rack slightly to the side, you could create a workspace and invite artists in to inspire people who walk by,” Craig suggested.
“I don’t think I’d be able to pay anyone,” Nora said thoughtfully.
“I think I could get some students interested. Maybe they could share their contact information if someone was interested in a piece. Starving artists would love to combine a great workspace and a chance to make some contacts. I bet the local news would give you some coverage as a community outreach effort to support the arts.”
“That’s a really good idea. I’m glad you applied for the job, Craig. I hope you’ll hang around for a while,” Nora said with a smile.
“The idea of a stable job to pay my rent and buy supplies makes this a perfect place for me to make my home for a while. I will warn you if art collectors swarm me for my work, I’ll have to give that my priority.”
“I can definitely understand that.” Nora paused to take a bite of her Blueberry Bliss cupcake. “Besides, you’ll never leave Little Cakes after having one.”
“Now, that’s the truth,” Craig agreed.
“Hi, Nora,” a warm voice greeted her from behind. “I bet this is Craig.”
“Mateo!” Nora stood to give him a quick hug. “Let me introduce you. Craig Sullivan, this is Mateo Rodriguez. His family owns La Havana, the Cuban restaurant.”
“Mr. Rodriguez,” Craig said as he stood to shake Mateo’s hand.
“I don’t want to interrupt. Everything is okay?” he asked Nora.
“Yes. That guy came back, but the police took him away. He talked loudly in Craftastic, but didn’t make any huge problem. The best thing is now they know who he is. And he’s banned from the store or they’ll arrest him for trespassing.”
“Perfect. I’ll let you finish your meeting. Enjoy the cupcakes,” Mateo said, leaving after pressing a kiss on her cheek.
“I’m lucky he didn’t steal my cupcake. That’s my… He’s special to me,” Nora explained.
“He wanted to make sure you were okay. He obviously cares for you. And now, I have another place to check out in this area. I’m really impressed by the shopping center. There seems to be just about everything here anyone could need.”
“It’s a great place. And without another craft store anywhere around, I have found a lot of eager customers,” Nora shared.
With that, they dived into some of the nitty gritty details of what Nora wished for Craig to help her with. She liked that he took notes just as she did. They were going to work together like a well-oiled team.
When they returned to Craftastic, Amy oohed over her cupcake and immediately went on her final break to devour it. Nora took the chance to work at the other cash register with Craig so she could share the details of the system and allow him to ring up a few customers to practice.