Chock Full of Christmas by Anne Chase

Author:Anne Chase [Chase, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Publishing
Published: 2019-11-21T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Abby followed Carla into a classroom two doors down that been subdivided into a meeting room and a small private office.

At that moment, they heard a loud bump through the wall.

“That’s the electrician,” Carla said. “Nothing to worry about. We’re putting in new A/V cabling.” She ushered Abby into the office and gestured to a chair in front of the desk. “It’s usually busier around here, but the fall classes wrapped last week and the winter session doesn’t start till January. We schedule it this way to avoid the holiday crush.”

“The holidays are a busy time for everyone,” Abby said as she settled into the chair.

“We try to use this time to finish our prep for the coming year,” Carla said, then added wryly, “but mostly we end up playing catchup on everything we’ve been putting off.”

Abby chuckled. “I know the feeling, though my slack time starts after Valentine’s Day.”

Carla smiled. “I’ve heard great things about your chocolates. I can’t believe I haven’t tried them yet.”

Abby reached into her handbag and pulled out the box she’d brought with her. “For you. Think of it as an early Christmas gift.”

“Oh,” Carla said, her eyes lighting up. “Thank so you much! You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to.”

Carla gestured toward the lid. “Is it okay if I…?”

“Please.”

Eagerly, Carla slipped the red ribbon off the box and lifted the lid to reveal eighteen assorted chocolates. “Oh, my,” she whispered. “These are beautiful.” She leaned closer and breathed in. “And they smell wonderful.”

“I hope you like them.”

“I’m going to savor these, each and every one,” Carla said. “Though you’ve now presented me with an ethical dilemma.”

“Oh?” Abby said, her eyebrows rising.

Carla’s eyes were twinkling. “Do I share them with my husband — or keep them all for myself?”

They both laughed.

Abby said, “That’s one conundrum you’ll have to figure out on your own.”

For the next few minutes, the two of them talked about the class and the students the class was likely to attract. “The intent is introductory,” Carla said. “Kind of a “dip-in-your-toes-before-diving-in’ thing.”

“Most of the students will be new to the field?”

“That’s what we’ve seen when we’ve run the class in the past.”

“Okay,” Abby said, chewing her lips as she absorbed what she was hearing. “Would it be okay if I give this some thought? Maybe we could meet again next week to discuss more?”

Carla nodded in agreement. “I’d love to swing by your shop, if that’s okay with you.”

“That sounds great.”

“There is one thing I’m hoping we can finalize now.”

“What’s that?”

“The course name.” She swung her computer screen around to let Abby see it. “I’m finishing the brochure and flyer so I can get them printed and distributed. The name of your class is the final piece of the puzzle.”

Abby considered. “The suggestion I heard from Bert — ‘Introduction to Professional Kitchen Management’ — works for me.”

“Perfect,” Carla said, typing in the words. She hit a button on her computer and behind her, a printer started whirring away. “I’m printing you a copy.

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