Page 18 of Only Ever You

Faye wasn’t as impressed. “Yes,those.”

“That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t commit ifyouasked him to.”

Ugh. She could only hope.

“I’m focussed on the bakery right now,” Faye deflected with the truth. Something she knew for certain.

“How’s that going? Did you win the lease for Manchester?”

Faye took a deep breath, because as of recently there were very few people who she’d told about her relocating plans. Of her friends, Maisie and Sienna were the only ones who knew, and the familiar sting of guilt split her stomach once more.

“Yes.” Before Ellie’s excited sounds could turn into a sleuth of ‘congratulations’ and questions, she cut in with, “And I’m wondering if it’s a mistake.”

The excitement on the phone vanished like a dropped doughnut on a London pavement; snatched up by pigeons in the blink of an eye.

“Why’s that?” Ellie’s seriousness was like when they were girls debating over which animated princess was the best. For all of their jokes and teases, they knew when to be earnest with one another.

“What if I’m doing this in the wrong order?” Faye’s heart picked up a beat just thinking that thought aloud. “What if I should focus on creating a larger menu than just doughnuts and the occasional brownie, first, andthenconsider opening another location?”

Her mind had tossed and turned ever since she began searching for potential tenancies outside of London. The move felt right and the timing was good. Her business plan she’d modelled with the help of her old university mentor was steady, and thanks to some recent television spots and online campaigns,Baked By The Dozen’s profits rolled in. A second bakery to expand their reach to the north was the next big step.

But there were so many other things she wanted to try out too.

Expanding her menu would take a lot of investment; time in trialling recipes, money in bulk buying extra ingredients each week, and maybe new appliances forBaked’s kitchen dependingupon what turned out successful or not. She’d have Maisie rebrand their website and social media. Have new menus and signs printed for the interior. They might even have to look at finding additional cabinet space for displays, because she wanted her customers to be able to see for themselves and pick what was on offer.

It was all so much to think of, and combined with the new bakery in Manchester, Faye didn’t know what to do. With leaving London, it would be at least another six months before she would even consider expanding the menu again.

There was just too much …risk.Too few assurances. She wouldn’t take the chance without mulling it over for a million years.

“Why not both?” El offered. “There’s no right way to do this, so you just have to jump in. Expanding the menu is lower risk, yes?”

Knots of stress began to gather behind Faye’s forehead, even as she answered, “Yes.” She desperately needed the chamomile tea that most likely had gone cold.

“So you could try that too. You could make some new things for the Christmas market this week. You’re still doing that, right?”

“Yes …” Ellie’s suggestion actually wasn’t a bad idea. “I could do some experiments, I suppose.”

“It’d be a good way to get some customer feedback, or just see how popular they would be. Think of it as trialling a product before it’s released to the market.”

Trialling a product.Faye could do that. There wasn’t much time to perfect anything new, but she had a few original pastry recipes she knew wouldn’t need tweaking, and she’d played around with a stuffed cookie recipe a few months ago. All of the ingredients were already at the bakery and all that she’d need would be a few hours to bake at most.

“Thanks El.” Faye perked up as ideas began to churn in her mind. “I think I’ll do that. I’ve got nothing to lose except ingredients.”

“You’re welcome. Now—” Faye’s mind saidOh dearat the firm change of Ellie’s tone–“don’t think that you can get away with leaving the topic of Bash and Christmas like you did.”

“El,” Faye drawled. “There’s nothing to say.”

“You don’t sound all that excited about it.”

“I am, I just … I’m—” Excited? Terrified? Worried she wouldn’t belong there? “Nervous.”

“You don’thaveto go to Bash’s family’s house in—where is it?”

“Shropshire.”

“Oh that’s lovely,” Ellie crooned, “even when it's raining and miserable andanyway—”Faye’s brow jumped. She’d forgotten all about the boiled water for her dishes and went to fill the bowl in her sink. “I’d invite you to come with us to Scott’s parents’ for the few days over Christmas, but I don’t think there'd be space with his sisters there as well, I’m sorry.”

“That’s totally fine.” She squirted lemony liquid into the wash bowl and foamed up the suds with a dirty spoon. “I wouldn’t want to invade on Scott’s family anyway. Don’t worry about me.”

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