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Chapter 11

Holly swiped a hand across her forehead as she looked at the empty stall she stood beside. She couldn’t believe it. She’d been here half a day and had sold out.

She’d figured she’d brought plenty of chocolates to satisfy demand. But after a couple of hours, it had gone crazy. People had sought her out and asked to try samples. Nearly everyone had bought at least one box of chocolates.

She bounced on her toes and looked at the few scraps of chocolate left on the sample trays. This couldn’t have gone any better. It was how she’d dreamed it.

Her feet ached and her throat felt sore from so much talking, but it had been worth it. This was a sign she was doing the right thing. She was meant to start her chocolate business, and it would be a fantastic success.

Holly looked around and gave a sigh of contentment. The last of the visitors to the food fair were heading out of the doors, and most of the vendors were packing up as the event closed for the night.

She rolled her shoulders, the muscles feeling sore in a good way. She wiped down her sample trays, packed her equipment, and looked around in the hope of finding a free carrier bot who could take everything to Avel’s ship.

Holly smiled when she spotted Avel strolling toward her, his hands stuffed into his pockets and a smile on his face. From that easy smile, he must have had as good a day as she did.

“How did it go?” He looked at the empty table.

She grinned. “It was brilliant. Everybody loved my chocolate. I couldn’t hand them over fast enough. You’re not going to believe this, but I sold out. I should have made more stock, but I had no idea it would be this popular.”

He matched her grin. “I did. But I have the inside advantage of knowing how great your food is.”

“I was supposed to be here tomorrow as well, but with nothing to sell, we can leave tonight if you like.”

“No sleepover?”

She chuckled. “Afraid not.”

Avel nodded. “I’ll check to make sure there’s a transportation window free. Before we go, how about we celebrate?”

Holly’s back ached, and she was exhausted, but she should do something to mark this achievement. “What do you have in mind?”

“I’ll buy you dinner,” Avel said.

“Oh, that’s lovely of you. But...” Holly peered at her sticky fingers. She must look a mess after hours handling chocolate in a warm, packed room. All she really wanted was a sit down with a mug of coffee and put her feet up.

Avel pulled off a backpack and unzipped it. “I should have said I’ll bring dinner to you.” He pulled out two takeout cartons and placed them on the table.

Holly laughed. “That’s more my style. Pull up a chair. We can eat here.”

They settled on either side of the table. Avel opened the lid of the cartons. A warm, spicy scent drifted out.

“What’s that? It smells amazing.”

“While you were busy selling all your great chocolate, I had a look around the other stalls. I had two helpings of this. It’s Picar spice curry.”

Holly took the spoon Avel offered her and sampled the sauce. “Wow! I don’t suppose you asked for the recipe? I’d love to recreate this.” A heady mix of spices tingled on her tongue.

“He said it was a secret recipe,” Avel said. “I figured you’d like it.”

“I love it. Thanks for thinking of me.” Holly tucked into her curry. She hadn’t stopped for a moment all day, and other than popping a few chocolates into her mouth to keep her going, she hadn’t eaten. “I didn’t see you.”

Avel shrugged. “I kept myself busy. I had a look around, had a few drinks in the bar. Nothing exciting.”

“Did you sample anyone else’s desserts?” Holly tried to make her comment sound light, but she wanted him to love only her desserts and not be tempted by anybody else’s.

“One or two. They weren’t a patch on yours.”

A swirl of pleasure roamed in her stomach. “You should have stopped by for a few samples.”