Page 1

Chapter 1

“Ten more minutes for the fish, the salad needs to be tossed with the lemon balsamic dressing, and another five minutes for the buns.” Holly Lipinski checked through her mental to-do list as she adjusted her chef’s hat. She was normally so focused at work. You couldn’t afford to take your eye off the stove for a second. If you did, something burned or caught fire.

Today was different. Any time now, she’d find out if her loan was approved. And when it came through, it would change everything.

Holly grinned to herself, her dimples popping in her round cheeks. She’d thought about doing this for months. No, actually years, when she was honest with herself. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy her job as a cook in the dining hall on Prodigy, but she could do more.

She loved to cook and could turn her hand to anything, but desserts were her favorite. In particular, she loved to make her own chocolates. There was nothing more delicious than the feel of a perfectly blended piece of chocolate melting on your tongue. It was a tiny piece of heaven in a devilishly delicious package.

“Holly, get your head out of the clouds.” Her boss, Sally Valentine, nudged her to the side as she ripped open the door to the oven and pulled out a tray of slightly crispy buns.

“Oh, sorry! I had them on my list to check.” Holly stared at the buns as they steamed in front of her. “I’ll fix them. They’ll be fine. No one will notice they’re overdone when I’ve filled them with cream cheese and salmon and garnished with parsley.”

Sally waved her hand over the buns as she inspected them. “They should do. What’s the matter with you? This is the third time today I’ve had to save your butt, or should I say, the customers’ buns.”

Holly ducked her head. She hated letting anybody down. Although Sally was her boss, she was a decent one, and she considered her a friend. “I promise the next batch will be perfect. I’ll guard them like a new-born infant.”

“I’m sure they’ll be perfect. Everything you make turns out divine even if a little overdone on this occasion.” Sally dabbed the back of her hand against her forehead. It was hot in the kitchen, but they’d worked in this environment since Prodigy became operational, so they were used to it.

Holly was younger than Sally by a decade and had perfected her love of cooking since she was a child. When the opportunity came up for a job in space, cooking for different types of aliens and learning about new cuisines that were literally out of this world, Holly had seen a challenge she couldn’t turn down.

She hadn’t regretted a single day. Not even when the space station misbehaved, and the power went on the blink, so they only had two rings to cook with and a microwave. She still managed to serve people great tasting food.

Sally glanced around the kitchen at the other staff busy with the lunchtime orders. “Go on. What gives? You’ve been mooning around here with a smile on your face since you arrived this morning.”

Holly tucked a stray strand of blonde hair beneath her hat. “I’ve done something.”

“Something good?”

“I’m hoping it’s going to be great. You know I’m interested in creating my own range of chocolates?”

Sally grinned. “Of course. I’ve been sampling your treats for six months. I can’t say it’s a burden, you learning to be a top class chocolatier, although my waistband has gotten too tight.”

Holly nodded. She usually wore something with an elasticized waistband, and the jumpsuits most people wore on Prodigy were forgiving, so she never had to worry about overindulging. “The only thing that’s been holding me back is my lack of finance.”

“You’ve come into some money?”

“I’m about to if all goes to plan,” Holly said. “I don’t have the best line of credit, so it hasn’t been easy getting what I need.” Who was she kidding? She had a terrible line of credit. She’d tried various lending agencies to get start-up capital, but they’d turned her down. She didn’t blame them. She had no clue about money and had racked up debts on cards that took years to pay back.

Holly had even become friendly with a couple of the debt collectors who’d turned up asking for money. She’d bribed them with sweet buns and tea and given them what she could to keep them off her back for another month. Money and Holly soon parted company, and she’d almost given up hope of getting her hands on the investment she needed. That was until she’d seen an advert on Prodigy from a Dackin money lender.

“What plan have you cooked up?” Sally asked.

“I’m waiting for approval on a loan.” Holly checked the time. “It should be through soon.”

Sally tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. “I thought everybody had turned you down.”

“They have. Well, almost everyone has. This is a private loan, not through a bank. It’s from a Dackin.”

Sally sucked air between her teeth. “You be careful messing around with a Dackin money lender. They take no prisoners. Don’t miss a single repayment, or you’ll live to regret it.”

“I looked into it. The rates are a little higher than other lenders, but the repayment terms are clear.”

“What if you can’t repay?” Sally asked. “Your chocolate is amazing, but what if your business doesn’t go to plan and you lose the money? It can take years before a business becomes profitable.”

Holly’s gut clenched. That’s what had held her back for so long. What if people hated what she created? What if she spent this money on materials and ingredients for her chocolates and nobody liked them? She’d lain awake at nights thinking about this, but she had to try. She’d played it safe for so long, hiding from her dream. She’d had enough of hiding. It was time to take a risk and reach for her chocolate covered dreams.

She drew back her shoulders. “You’ve tasted my chocolate. If you weren’t lying to me, you know how good they are.”