The Cupcake Diaries Read Free

shipped tons of prepackaged cupcake mixes nationwide to local distributors. She should know; she’d helped pack them. While a thousand dollars would be cause for her to celebrate, it was probably of little significance to her three employers.
    “The winner of the state competition then advances to regionals,” Ms. Slater informed them. “The winner of regionals is featured in Cupcake Chef magazine and receives a prize of $5,000.”
    “Now, that could be interesting,” Andi said with a smile.
    “Great promo for your new cookbook,” Kim added.
    “The winner of the regionals,” Ms. Slater continued, “is invited to compete in a national bake-off competition on TV, similar to Cupcake Wars. In addition to prime-time exposure, the winner gets $10,000 and the opportunity to showcase their cupcakes at a star-studded show in New York City.”
    “Now you’re talking!” Rachel exclaimed. “Where do we sign up?”
    Ms. Slater’s mouth twisted into a tight-lipped smile, as if finally satisfied they appreciated the contest’s importance. “All the information is included in the packet.”
    After the coordinator left, Stacey let out a low whistle, then said, “You’d think she’d be happier to deliver such great news. At first I thought she was here to deliver a court summons.”
    “Maybe she’s having a bad day,” Andi said and withdrew several papers from the envelope Ms. Slater had handed her. “The state cupcake competition is Saturday, September 6, two weeks after Kim’s wedding. Hmm. We could use the same lemon meringue recipe we’re using for Kim and Nathaniel’s wedding cupcakes.”
    Kim peered at the entry forms in Andi’s hands. “It says we will need to prepare five recipes of our own choosing fresh from the kitchen the day of the competition. Then we present them, one by one, to the Finley Fine Flours panel for judging. Each of the five cupcakes will receive a score from one to ten.”
    “The judges come to us?” Rachel asked.
    Kim nodded. “Yes, the panel travels around the state from store to store, and once they’ve judged each shop, they’ll announce the winner.”
    “We can promote the event and draw people into the shop to watch,” Rachel said, her voice rising. “What an excellent opportunity for publicity!”
    Andi pulled out their Cupcake Diary from under the counter and wrote down some of the info. “Win or lose, we could hand out samples of the competition cupcakes to everyone.”
    “Sounds like fun,” Stacey mused. “Do you think I could be a part of it?”
    They turned to look at her, their expressions hesitant, and her face flooded with embarrassment. Had she really said that, aloud? She hadn’t meant to sound so forward. After all, this wasn’t her competition. Who was she to think she could join in without them asking her?
    “You’ll probably be too busy running the cupcake stand at the beach,” Andi said, giving her a big smile.
    Stacey drew in a deep breath, relieved her verbal gaffe hadn’t alienated the trio.
    Andi pulled out a second three-ring binder from beneath the counter. The cover was decorated with a big yellow sun hovering over a pink umbrella stuck in the ocean beach sand. “Mia picked this out,” Andi said, referring to her seven-year-old daughter. “We figured you would need your own Cupcake Diary to record all your upcoming adventures.”
    Stacey thought of the book she still hadn’t read and doubted Kate Jones would call selling cupcakes on the beach an adventure. Not unless explosives and a whole army of bad guys were involved.
    She glanced at Andi to clarify exactly what was expected of her. “Don’t you mean use the diary to keep track of sales and customer comments?”
    Rachel gave her a wink. “You could also write down the phone numbers of any cute guys you meet.”
    “Describe what the sky looks like at sunset,” Kim suggested.
    “Have fun with it,” Andi encouraged. “You know we write down anything from a new recipe idea to