“So what does that mean?”
“It means that your account is in the red, so you don’t have any funds available.”
“So I don’t have any moneyat all?”
Anna shook her head. “What’s the outlook for the next month in terms of your income?”
“Obviously I hope to make a profit.” Nora sighed. “The problem is that I need the money soon, as I said, I have a lot of outgoing expenses coming up ...” Nora broke off. “Are you sure I can’t increase my overdraft limit?”
“I’m afraid not.” Anna clasped her hands together. “Unless of course you can show me evidence of a major change in income streams in the near future—substantial regular orders, for example, a contract with a business client, something along those lines. Then I might be able to arrange something.”
Nora thought hard. Her shoulders slumped.
“I’m as disappointed as you are,” Anna added sympathetically.
Nora was pretty sure this wasn’t true.
Anna sighed. “It’s terrible to see a small business owner having to beg, but there’s nothing I can do.”
Suddenly Nora couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t buy supplies or pay her staff. What was she supposed to do? Close? Was she really going to have to put an end to her grandmother’s life’s work, a business that had meant everything to Nora’s mother when she inherited it? Was the patisserie going to fold on Nora’s watch?
“But that means I can’t stay open.” Nora could hear the desperation in her voice. “If you could just increase my limit by a small amount, and give me a few months’ grace on the repayments, I can fix this. Iwillfix this. I’ve done it before.” Nora was referring to when she took over the patisserie after her mother fell ill. There were already financial problems, but her mother had never said anything, and Nora had to bitethe bullet. Nora had done the hard work of trimming staff, checking every purchase, and launching new breads and cakes. She had marketed their sourdough loaves harder than ever, because sourdough was hot at the time. Well, to be fair, the sourdough trend had already peaked, and Nymans was late to the party, but even so ... She had managed the transition without any major changes, doing her best to retain as much as possible, because that was what her mother had wanted. It was what Nora had wanted. Nymans had flourished for a few years. Then that hip bakery had opened nearby and lured away customers with its croissants and cardamom buns, and the supermarket started producing fantastic cakes and sandwiches. Espresso House had lured away the high-end coffee crowd. A series of unfortunate circumstances had brought her to this point, but she knew she could turn the ship around again.
Anna heaved another sigh. “I know you’ve done it before, but I can’t see what’s going to change. Things have been going downhill for almost two years, and if you don’t have a plan to turn things around, then I’m afraid we can’t help you.”
“I’m going to be on a TV show,” Nora blurted out. “Let’s Get Baking. Maybe you’ve heard of it?” She couldn’t believe what she’d just said.
Anna raised her eyebrows. “Let’s Get Baking?” She was clearly interested.
“Yes, and according to the production company, bakeries that have taken part have doubled their sales figures during the first month of recording.” She had read that in the email thread between Bea and the company that Bea had forwarded to her.
Anna nodded slowly.
“And I’m going to be in the Christmas special, which is their most popular slot. Filming starts very soon, and it will air in mid-December.”
Anna leaned back in her chair and smiled. “That definitely changes things. That show is incredibly popular.”
“They only choose businesses that meet their high quality criteria, and all of them have experienced an upswing. Several have even become tourist attractions as a result of appearing on the show.”
“Exactly. I went to the one just outside Gothenburg, the old guy who had an inner courtyard with lots of different berries, it was fantastic. We had to stand in line to get a table.” Anna straightened up. “Amazing jelly. If that’s the case, I can increase your credit limit by another hundred thousand, but I’ll need something in writing from the production company.”
Nora did a rapid mental calculation. That would keep the business afloat for another couple of months.
“Thank you.” But even as she said it, she couldn’t believe what she had just promised. She really needed to replace the ventilation system; she had been planning to borrow the money, but that was out of the question for the moment. She wasn’t even sure it was possible. She and Henrik hadn’t exactly gotten along.
She took a deep breath and gave Anna a big smile. She would just have to call the producer and sort it out.
The bank and a ridiculous TV show were going to save the patisserie. Nora felt as if she had sold her soul twice over.
After closing the café that evening, Nora made ten sourdough loaves. Whenever she was feeling frustrated or simply in need of solace, she baked something with her sourdough starter. It didn’t matter if Renée had already produced enough earlier, still she stood there kneading and shaping. If there was too much, she would give a loaf to a regular customer or a friend.
The fresh, sharp aroma and the feeling of the cold, soft dough on her fingers were the purest form of therapy. It took her straight back to the times she had baked with her mother, and all the tension left her body as she worked. The sourdough had meant so much to her mom, who had often said it was a link to her childhood. It meant just as much to Nora and reminded her of everything she had once had: a family, parents who loved her unconditionally, a sense of belonging socomplete that she never questioned it—or imagined that it could be taken from her.
Hugs should be soft and kisses hard.That was exactly what her mom had been like: soft and hard. She was either loving, or arguing. Not so different from Nora, which was probably why they had often clashed.
Without her father as a buffer, Nora’s relationship with her mother had become even more volatile after his death. The quarrels were worse, but their connection was stronger. What bound them together was that they both missed Nora’s father. And they both loved the act of baking and the patisserie itself.
Nora thought about her mother often. Her loud laughter and early mornings. Floral dresses in the summer. The jeans and T-shirts she wore the rest of the year. Nora had kept a couple of her favorite dresses, and they made her think of vacations.
