Cold as a Witch's Toffee Read online

  Cold as a Witch’s Toffee

  by

  Sara Bourgeois

  Chapter One

  “That’s a wrap,” the director called, and a huge smile spread across my face.

  “Am I glowing?” I asked as my assistant handed me a fresh towel. “Please say I’m glowing and not a sweaty mess.”

  “You’re glowing,” my assistant said. “You’re always glowing.”

  I didn’t know her name. She was my third assistant in six months, and there were a dozen before her. None of them could keep up, so I stopped learning their names. I thought of them all as Nancy, and amazingly, when I called them that, they answered to it. Women like that would never have an empire like the one I was building. They just didn’t have enough self-respect.

  “Where’s my Fiji water?” I asked. “You know I’m supposed to have one right after filming. These lights dehydrate me, and my skin is so important to my brand. I can’t sell people Allegra Darling Fitness if my skin is a shriveled mess.”

  “Right away,” she said and scampered off.

  I threw the towel in the first hamper I found. The video shoots weren’t a real workout, so I never actually got sweaty. Plus, those towels were washed by who knows who using who knows what detergent, and like I’d told not-really-Nancy, my skin was part of my brand. I couldn’t have it breaking out because of nasty studio towels. Most people don’t know, but there can be billions of bacteria on an improperly washed towel. Gross.

  When not-really-Nancy returned, she had my Fiji water in one hand and a note in the other. “You’ve got an urgent phone message,” she said.

  I looked at the message, and it was a name I didn’t really recognize. “I wonder who this Lukas Roth is,” I said more to myself than my assistant. “If he’s so important, it’s kinda weird that he doesn’t have my cell number.”

  “The woman who took the message said it was a lawyer.”

  “Oh, I wonder if it’s about my prenup. My fiancé’s lawyer was supposed to be calling me about that any day. I don’t know why that’s so urgent, but I do want to get all of that business out of the way,” I said. “Still strange that he didn’t have my cell, but lawyers are lawyers. Or maybe Dane got busy and forgot to give it to him. We’ve both just got so much to do.”

  “For your spring wedding?” not-really-Nancy asked.

  “Yes, exactly. Good. You remembered something. That’s a thousand times better than the other airheads before you,” I said. “You might make it more than a couple of months.”

  Her smile faltered when I said the last part. I didn’t care. It was doubtful she’d make it more than a couple of months, and I didn’t dare get attached to assistants anymore. Even if this one was smarter than the others.

  “I’m going to go to my dressing room and call him back,” I said. “We’re done for the day. You can go if you want. I’m going home for a kale smoothie and my stylist is meeting me at the apartment for a hair treatment.”

  “Thanks,” she said with a renewed smile. “Have a good evening, Allegra.”

  “Yeah,” I said, but I’d already moved on to calling Lukas back.

  In my dressing room was a salad and another bottle of Fiji water. I pushed the salad to the side. It had cheese on it. I didn’t eat cheese, and I had to laugh at the little packet of ranch dressing next to the bowl. I knew not-really-Nancy wasn’t stupid enough to think I’d eat that garbage, so it must have been some dumb studio assistant. Whatever, I could eat when I got home. All I had to do was get through the phone call, and a healthy and delicious green smoothie would be mine. I dialed the number on the message.

  “This is Roth and Sons Attorneys at Law,” a man said when he picked up the phone.

  “I’m looking for Lukas Roth. I think he’s assisting my fiancé’s attorney on our prenuptial agreement,” I said. “This is Allegra Darling of Allegra Darling Fitness.”

  “Well, Allegra Darling of Allegra Darling Fitness, this is Lukas Roth.”

  “Oh, you don’t have an assistant?”

  “Uh, not today. She’s off. Anyway, this is Lukas Roth, but I’m not calling you about a prenuptial agreement,” he said.

  “Okay, well, what is it? I don’t have a lot of time. I’ve got a kale smoothie and a deep conditioning treatment waiting for me this afternoon. The smoothie is amazing for the skin.”

  “Um. Okay,” Lukas began. “I’m calling because your Uncle Leonard has passed. He left you a portion of his estate, and I need your signature on a few things.”

  “My Uncle Leonard?” I said and tried to remember the last time I’d even spoken to him. “Oh, right. My father’s half-brother. I haven’t heard from him in ages. You said he left me part of his estate.”

  “Yes. He left you his business and a cash bequeath.”

  “His business? What would that be?” It sounded promising. I knew I should remember what he did, but I just couldn’t. It had been important at one point when I was a little girl, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

  “Nutties Sundae Shop,” Lukas said.

  “Like ice cream?” I asked as my enthusiasm died on the vine. “Right, that old shop. I’d nearly forgotten that. I guess I thought that maybe he would have moved on to something more important.”

  “Yeah, so when can you get here to sign the papers? I would like to get this estate settled.”

  “You said there’s cash involved?”

  “Yes.”

  “How much cash?”

  “I would rather we discussed that in person, but more importantly, I need to get the deed to the shop signed over to you. There are also employees who need some direction as to what is going to happen now. The shop has a manager, but I think it would be good for them to hear from their new owner. The business is quite lucrative, and I’d hate to see it suffer because of your uncle’s passing. He wouldn’t have wanted that.”

  “Right,” I said. “Can I come tomorrow?”

  “Could you be here early afternoon?”

  “Well, I have a weekly facial scheduled, but I suppose I could make them squeeze my appointment into the morning. I don’t usually like to get up early the day after a shoot, but I’ll make an exception for cash.”

  “Great. See you then,” he said and hung up the phone.

  “That was rude,” I said to no one in particular.

  I had no intention of meeting any ice cream shop employees, but if what Lukas had said was true, and the store was lucrative, I could sell it off. There was no way Allegra Darling was going to own a place that sold ice cream, let alone work in one. That would destroy my brand. Allegra Darling Fitness did not promote the eating of ice cream unless it was low fat, sugar-free and organic. I doubted that Nutties Sundae Shop specialized in low-fat, sugar-free and organic artisanal ice cream.

  My plan was to go home, have my kale smoothie, do my hair treatment, and then ask my fiancé if he knew of anyone who would be interested in buying the place when he got home from work.

  The car ride home felt like it took forever. My stomach growled loudly. Some fitness professionals and models had a huge cheat meal after a photo or video shoot, but not me. I would be content with my kale smoothie until I made grass-fed sirloin, exactly four ounces for me, and steamed organic asparagus for dinner.

  Dane, my fiancé, was a stockbroker and not a fitness professional, but he took his physique very seriously. He didn’t have as much free time as I did, but Dane still made time for the gym. He kept his diet extra tight too, and that’s what kept his abs looking fabulous despite his long hours behind a desk.

  My man was one of the most successful brokers in the city, and he kept us in a lifestyle that I’d certainly become accustomed to lately. While he’d wanted to get a pren
up sighed before we married, I still reveled in the idea of us joining our lives together. We’d be rich, beautiful, and even better… we’d work together on building our wealth for the future.

  He made a lot more money than me. My line of work was glamorous, but I didn’t make as much as Dane. That would change, though. I wasn’t just some Instagram model. No, I was the next Jane Fonda. I was the next Jillian Michaels.

  The prenup would probably end up protecting me more than him because I was on my way to becoming a bona fide celebrity. The video I’d just wrapped up that day would undoubtedly be the one to do it. All I had to do was sit back and wait for the calls to come in.

  They’d want me on all the talk shows, and I was certain that the networks would be clamoring to give me my own reality TV show. My agent said he’d heard whispers about the whole thing, and my day was coming soon.

  My car dropped me off at Dane’s and my building, and the doorman got the elevator for me. I made a beeline for the kitchen and threw my bag down. I would stick to my diet, but I was a little lightheaded. The sooner I got that kale smoothie in me, the better I’d feel.

  I opened up the pantry to retrieve my sugar-free, fat-free, vanilla cupcake protein powder, and I was horrified. There on the shelf next to the tub of protein was a jar of peanut butter. Not peanut butter cup protein powder. Not powdered peanuts with all the fat squeezed out. It was actual peanut butter. The kind you buy in the grocery store with extra sugar and salt added.

  The only thing I could think of was that the person who’d done our grocery delivery had made a mistake. Maybe Dane’s assistant had put it in there by accident.

  I hated myself because my mouth watered. I could almost taste the gooey confection. My grandmother had made me peanut butter and banana sandwiches after school back when I’d been a fat kid. I had to remind myself that I missed my grandma and not the sandwiches. Food wasn’t a substitute for love. That’s what I told all of my one-on-one clients. Well, that’s what I told them before I had to drop them all for my personal workout and shooting schedule.

  Still, I thought, I could just take the lid off and have a sniff. Smelling the peanut butter didn’t have any calories. So, I did. My stomach growled even louder at the heavenly scent.

  Maybe I could just put a spoonful in my smoothie.

  “No,” I said out loud. “Absolutely not. I will stick to my plan. Peanut butter doesn’t own me. I am successful. I am healthy. I make good decisions.” I repeated a few of my mantras just to ensure I didn’t cave, and then did the best thing I could think of to save myself.

  I took the jar and marched, high ponytail bouncing, out into the hallway where I opened the garbage chute and chucked it down. After I brushed my hands off and smiled with satisfaction, I went back into the apartment and got my tub of protein powder.

  Even though I’d made the smoothie hundreds of times, I still weighed and measured every ingredient. Even the kale. Discipline was success, and I prided myself on sticking to my diet and exercise plan to the point where even Dane thought I was a little extreme. But he loved having a beautiful woman on his arm, and that was the price we both paid.

  Once everything was measured, I threw it all in the blender and hit the button. Two minutes later, I poured the mixture of protein powder, unsweetened almond milk, kale, and one ounce of frozen blueberries into a glass. Then, I chugged the whole thing down in three gulps.

  “Wow. I really was hungry,” I said as I put the glass in the sink for the housekeeper to wash the next day.

  My stomach growled again in protest, but I didn’t want to eat again before dinner. Still, that smoothie was the first thing I’d had all day, so I reasoned that I could have just a little nibble of something. Before I could open the fridge and look for some veggies and fat-free hummus or an Asian pear, they had less sugar and more fiber than apples, the doorbell rang.

  “Saved by the bell,” I said with a chuckle.

  It was Sandy, my stylist. She was a plump woman with a beautiful face and a mane of exquisite auburn hair. I’d tried in the past to get her on a more stringent diet and exercise routine, but Sandy wasn’t interested. I didn’t understand how someone with such a beautiful face wouldn’t try to have a better body, but Sandy said she loved herself the way she was. I didn’t want her to drop me as a client, so I’d left it there.

  “You ready?” she asked as she walked in the door.

  My stomach growled in response.

  “I know you had a show today. If you need to eat, I can wait a bit,” Sandy said.

  “No, I just had my smoothie. I’m fine.”

  “Okay,” she said with a chuckle. “You baffle me, Allegra Darling, but that’s not the point. You’re going to love this new deep treatment I brought for today. It’s from Italy, and it costs a fortune.”

  “Oh, that does sound like something I’ll love,” I said.

  “Usual setup in the bathroom?” she asked.

  “Wouldn’t do it anywhere else.”

  Sandy and I made our way into the master bath. We did all of my hair treatments in there. I didn’t want to get the hair conditioning oils anywhere else in the house, and besides, the master bath in our apartment was to die for. It was wall-to-wall white marble and gold fixtures. You couldn’t have found better in a five-star hotel.

  When Sandy was gone, I decided to start making dinner for Dane and myself. My phone dinged as I was taking the steaks out of the refrigerator. I hoped it wasn’t Dane saying he was going to be late. I wasn’t sure I could hold out for much longer.

  Hey, babe. Got called to a late meeting and then I’ve really got to hit the gym. Don’t wait up. Luv u.

  Dane had been working late a lot lately, but I couldn’t be mad. He was doing it for our wedding, and I certainly refused to be upset about him needing to go to the gym. Taking care of his body was part of securing our long-term future too.

  That’s cool, Sweetie. I’ll just put some dinner for you in the fridge. I did want to ask you a quick question, though.

  What is it, babe? I’m super swamped. We’ve got a huge IPO thing going on. – he wrote back.

  My uncle died, and he left me an ice cream shop. I want to sell it. Do you know anyone who might buy it? I can’t screw up my brand by owning a business like that. The lawyer said it makes money.

  Sure thing. If it’s profitable, I’m sure I know someone who will buy it. I’ve got guys who are always looking to expand their portfolios.

  Great, I’m meeting with the lawyer tomorrow to sign papers. – I said.

  Make sure you get the financials and send them my way. Sorry about your uncle. Good night. Gotta go. – he said.

  I’d wanted to ask him about his lawyer and the prenup, but I figured that would wait. Dane needed me to be strong and supportive, not clingy and needy.

  Chapter Two

  The next morning, I woke up and called for a car to be ready after I had breakfast. I was informed by Dane’s car service that he had restricted all service to in-town only. I thought that was strange, but I told myself he had to have his reasons. They said I’d have to wait two hours for a ride as a few of their usual cars were down for service. I didn’t want to wait that long.

  I’d found a note from him on the counter saying he had an early meeting and had left before dawn. He also had meetings all day. I hadn’t even known he was home, but I loved him for working so hard for us.

  That meant I couldn’t call him to find out about getting car service to take me to the lawyer’s office in Knox Hills. I didn’t have my own car to drive. I’d have to take an Uber or rent a car.

  The idea of a gross rental car almost made me lose my appetite, but I’d eaten so little the day before that my stomach growled anyway. So, I pulled up my meal plan on my phone to see what the day’s breakfast would be.

  I’d had a hunch it was scrambled egg whites and broccoli with lemon, and I was right. It wasn’t one of my favorite breakfasts, I much preferred protein pancakes with sugar-free syrup, but at least it was
solid food.

  I microwaved the broccoli first and then did the eggs the same way. They would have tasted much better if I’d cooked them in a skillet, but I didn’t want to use oil.

  After breakfast, I got on my phone and downloaded the Uber ap. I’d never used it before, but apparently, there was no other way to get a car to come pick you up. At least none that I could figure out. It made me wish I had my assistant there, but she didn’t usually meet me at the apartment in the morning. I told myself that was something I needed to investigate.

  Before I put in for a car, I packed my overnight bag. I didn’t plan on staying in Knox Hills, but it always paid to be prepared. You never knew what was going to happen, and I didn’t want to take the chance of being seen for two days in the same outfit.

  With my bag packed, I put my credit card number into the Uber app and ordered a ride. Someone must have been close by, because it said I’d have a ride in five minutes. Dane’s car service wasn’t even that fast sometimes.

  I went downstairs and waited at the curb. I hated standing that close to traffic because all the pollution was bad for your skin, but I didn’t have to wait long. The blue Impala pulled up two minutes late.

  Before I got in the car, I’d been considering asking the driver if he wanted to take the job of driving me to Knox Hills. After I got in the car, which smelled of stale fast food and feet, I decided to have him take me to the car rental place after all. The rental car would probably smell of old fast food and stinky feet too, but I reasoned that at least they would try to deodorize it.

  The Uber driver dropped me off at the car rental building. I docked his tip two dollars, one dollar for every minute he was late. I felt that was fair. It was important to fulfill your promises.

  Because it was in between busy hours, I didn’t have to wait long to get to the front of the line. “Reservation number?” the woman behind the counter said when I stepped up.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t have one. I just decided to come rent a car.”