1 Chocolate Worth Dying For Read Free Page A

Three
    "You'd like me to cater a birthday party for your daughter?" Maxine's voice went up in shock, even as she tried to maintain her professionalism. She counted to herself. One, two, three…eleven days. Eleven days after Ron's death and she was planning a birthday party for her children?
    She listened as Tracey Vandemeer talked about a party based on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory for her twelve year old daughter, Lindy. "It's not good for her to wallow in grief. Losing Ron…" Tracey's voice broke slightly and Maxine felt her heart go out to her. "It's t-o-oug-h on all of, of us."
    "Oh honey, of course it is. Are you sure you really want – " Maxine hurried to reassure her. As much as it was possible to do over the phone, of course. Sitting upstairs in her chocolate making space and miles away from Tracey Vandemeer there really wasn't much she could do except listen sympathetically.
    "Ron wouldn't want us to stop living," Tracey said, her voice a little shrill. "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, was our favorite family movie. The original," Tracey added hastily. "Not that new one with Johnny Depp."
    "If that's what you want then," Maxine said, but there was doubt in her voice.
    carte blanche to spend on turning our house into a Willy Wonka fantasy land. Can you put it together by July 7th ? I know it only gives you twelve days but I've heard…" She stopped, hesitating slightly. "I've heard you lost some bookings and I'd like to do what I can to make up for that."
    "Oh Tracey, I don't want you to worry about that." Maxine felt guilty for every nasty thought she'd ever had about Tracey, every doubt. "Not with everything you're going through. I'll do the party if you want but please don't feel obligated."
    "I like your work. And like I said, Lindy and Ric want the party too."
    "If you're sure…"
    "I'm sure," Tracey said firmly. "Could you come over tomorrow to get an idea of our place? You can go from there."
    "Sure," Maxine said, feeling as if she were in Alice In Wonderland rather than Willy Wonka. She clicked the phone off and sat down in shock.
    Heath looked up from where he was carefully filling chocolate molds. "What's up?"
    "That was Tracey Vandemeer. She wants us to cater her daughter's birthday party."
    "That's great news," he said , his face lighting up in a smile. "See, I told you there was nothing to worry about."
    "It seems…." She paused, shuddering. "I mean she's just buried her husband."
    "People grieve in their own ways," he said. "If she wants to grieve by throwing her daughter a lavish birthday party who are we to complain?"
    "You're right," she said. But she couldn't shake the feeling there was something horribly wrong. Still, as Heath said, for them it was good news. She'd been counting on building the catering side of the business as well as her shop when she leased this space. Though the chocolate shop seemed busier than ever now she wasn't sure how long that would last. Morbid curiosity wasn't a good platform to build your business on.
    As it was she was hoping tourists would start making their way, lemming like, up from where the cruise ships docked and around the inner harbour. To her chocolate shop, Au Chocolat, where they could be wowed by such classics as salted caramels and English toffee, to more trendy chocolates flavored with hot chili and green tea. She'd even come up with a bacon flavored one which was hugely popular.
    "You should rename it, CHOCOLATE TO DIE FOR," Sam Dixon, friend, artist and owner of the art gallery next door, had said, only half-joking. "You're already making news because of what's happened. You need to own it." His intense, blue eyes had held hers like a tractor beam, even as a hint of a smile played around the corner of his mouth and he stirred a cup of coffee. "Do some advertising, turn it to your advantage. I'll give you the sign at cost."
    She shuddered slightly at the idea. "It feels ghoulish," she complained.
    "You didn't kill anyone," he said