“I’m sorry, did you say bacon?” Charlotte asks, her expression saying it all. She hates this.
“Same question,” I nod, “but different tone. Did you saybacon?!Pass it this way.”
Jen hands me a sample, and I pop it in my mouth, chewing slowly. “Damn, that’s good.”
“So that one is especially popular with our morning weddings,” Jen says.
“People get married in the morning?” I ask, reaching for another sample.
“Yes,” Charlotte answers, taking a small, prudent bite. “It’s becoming quite popular, actually. Mostly during the summer. Sunrise ceremonies with brunch receptions.”
“I almost love that,” I say.
“Honestly, I don’t hate it,” she says. “But most people don’t want to get out of bed when there’s two feet of snow on the ground and it’s dark outside,” she says. I’m smart enough to know that’s her way of saying don’t get any ideas.
“You should try this cake,” I tell her, waving a piece in front of her upturned nose. “Just taste it…for research purposes for future brunch weddings.”
Charlotte snags the cake cube from my hand. “Fine, I’ll try it. Just stop waving it around in my face,” she snaps. She shoves it in her mouth and chews dramatically. “There. Happy?”
Then she stops.
“Well?” I ask.
“Oh my god,” she says with a giggle.
“Good?” Jen asks.
“Good?” Charlotte asks. “It’s freaking delicious.”
I laugh, reaching for another sample, but Charlotte intercepts and swipes it from me, popping it into her mouth.
“So, have we made a decision?” Jen asks.
Charlotte dusts her hands off and swallows. “I mean, it’s really good, but it’s just not what I envisioned.”
“Well, sometimes weddings end up being different than what we expect,” Jen says. “We bend the rules a little.”
Charlotte sighs. “I’m starting to think there are no rules anymore.”
I study her and then turn to Jen. “I have an idea,”
“Oh boy, here we go,” Charlotte mutters. “Let me guess. Cornbread? To match the barbecue?”
“Do you have red velvet?” I ask Jen.
“Absolutely,” she answers.
“With cream cheese frosting?” I ask.
“Of course.”
Charlotte looks at me, and I turn to her. “How’s that for a middle ground?”
She bites her lip. “Well, Holly probably wouldn’t want just plain white,” she says as she thinks about it. “Red velvet is probably perfect.”
“Then it’s settled,” I say. “One three-tiered red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.”
“I love it,” Jen says, writing it down on a tablet.
