“Hello.” Oliver nodded and looked over the menu. “Myfiancée and I are hungry; do you have any recommendations for us?”
The man’s eyes were still wide. “Uh, well, it depends on if you like sweet or savory,” he nervously answered.
“Savory,” Oliver and I both answered in unison. We glanced at each other in surprise and quickly looked away, giggles threatening to bubble out of us.
“Okay,” the man said as he thought about what to suggest. “Well, the ham and swiss crepe does well. But truthfully, people really sleep on the spinach and mushroom. It’s my daughter’s favorite.”
He inclined his head toward where a teenage girl sat with her back against the side of the small stall, looking down at her phone. The man, who I assumed must be Hamish, cleared his throat, and the girl looked up at him and then over to us. Her big doe eyes lit up at the sight of Oliver and me. I gave her a small wave, and her lips formed a shocked O.
“The spinach and mushroom sounds delicious. I would like one of those, please,” I ordered.
“Make it two, please.” Oliver smiled at the older man.
“It’s my pleasure, Your Majesty.” The man turned around and quickly got to work making the crepes.
“Are you staying warm out here today?” I asked the teen girl. She scrambled up and approached us, bobbing a curtsy.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Oh, I’m not a royal,” I laughed. “Please, call me Adelaide.”
The girl blushed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” She looked down, anxiety radiating from her.
“Absolutely none taken,” I said kindly. “What is your name?”
“Marella.”
“Nice to meet you, Marella. This is…” I stopped, unsure exactly how I was supposed to introduce Oliver.
“I’m Oliver,” he cut in. “It’s nice to meet you, Marella.”
She curtsied again to him. “Your Majesty.”
“Your father is Hamish, right?” I asked. Marella nodded. “Do you expect to be busy during the festival?”
“We were hoping to be, but now that we’re next to the new chocolatier…well.” She stopped abruptly.
Oliver and I turned to observe the next stall. There was a long line snaking through the path, leading up to a sign that read “It’s Raine-ing Chocolate: A Raines Corporation Company.”
A sour taste filled my mouth. It was bad enough that Renata had spent our childhood being a bully, I was not interested in her father’s shady investments taking customers from a small family business.
When Hamish handed us our freshly made crepes, I took my phone from the pocket of my green pea coat. “Would you two like to take a picture with Oliver and me?”
Marella’s mouth fell open, and I’m pretty sure I heard a squeak come from Hamish.
“Yes. I…we would love that,” Marella stammered.
I approached a passerby and asked them if they could take a picture of us. I would immediately send it to Vanessa and Skylar and ask them to post it, along with the details of the small business. Hopefully it would send some foot traffic their way.
“Thank you so much for this. It’s amazing,” I said through the first bit of my crepe.
“No, thank you both,” Hamish said, tears brimming his eyes.
“The next time we’re here, we’ll stop by.” I waved to Marella. “Have a wonderful day!”
We spent the next couple of hours exploring the market before heading to the hotel to rest and eat dinner. I was nestled into an armchair in my suite readingThe Count of Monte Cristo—a recommendation from Knox; I had loaned him my copy ofJane Eyrein exchange—when Vanessa knocked on the door.
“It’s time to head to the amphitheater,” she called through the door.
