“And not get the true effect of your work? You might have tried to impress me.”
She chuckled. He pulled her into a hug and then released her.
“Have fun, and be sure to call me before you leave in a few weeks for Hawaii.”
“I promise. Thank you.”
Chapter 12
The aromas were to die for. Chocolate concoctions were on display as far as the eyes could see. Stone and Emerson had started to panic the moment they realized just how many hundreds of people were exploring the festival, and how many displays were there. There were chocolate fountains, flowing into streams of more chocolate on creative displays. It reminded them of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, with every decoration made from candies and chocolate right down to the trees, the roadways, and the little villages. The work and craftsmanship were amazing. There were competitions for chocolate houses and communities, as well as individual items.
They passed by the many machines making homemade fudge, and then the ones hand rolled and cut into squares, ready to be boxed and taken home. They headed toward the awards area where the latest award was being given out to the best individual recipe in hopes that they would find Toni.
Emerson and Stone walked through the chocolate festival in time to see Antoinette win first prize for her raspberry brownie bites. As she accepted her trophy and award, she smiled wide and waved at the adoring crowd. As she stepped offstage, they noticed the many people who shook her hand and congratulated her. It took a lot of patience, but Emerson gave Stone a nudge as she made her way toward them.
She didn’t seem shocked to see them. In fact, it appeared that she wasn’t affected by their presence at all.
“Antoinette?” Stone stated.
She looked at both of them. Her cheeks turned a shade of pink, and she gave a small smile.
“I’m sorry. Have we met before?”
“What?” Emerson asked.
“My name is Antoinette DeLuca, but my friends call me Toni,” she said, and Emerson got it. She wanted to start anew. She was giving them an opportunity to start over.
“I’m Emerson Pierce, and this is my business partner and best friend, Stone Ryder.” Stone shook her hand next.
Emerson thought she smelled incredible. Like chocolate and sweetness all pa
ckaged into a petite and perfect package.
“Congratulations on the win,” Stone offered, and Antoinette started walking back toward her table. They followed, discussing the event and chitchatting. But all Emerson wanted to do was to hold her in his arms and kiss her breathless.
“Hey, where did you two come from? Long time no see,” Tina stated and then Charlie gave them the once-over, before smiling, slightly.
“How are you, Tina?” Stone asked and shook her hand. But Tina pulled him and then Emerson into an embrace. She whispered in Emerson’s ear, “Go get her, tiger. She’s miserable without the two of you.”
Emerson smiled and so did Stone.
“How long do you have to stick around?” Stone asked.
“Oh, we’re all done. This was the last announcement, the biggest of the day, and Bliss came in first with Toni’s brownie bites,” Tina said.
“It was a great day,” Toni added.
“There’s so much to see. They even have tents up outside with more displays.” Emerson added.
“It’s a huge event, and seems to grow bigger each year. We had a chance to look around this morning. I think I like the chocolate fountains the best,” Toni told them.
“Yeah, a lot of ideas were whirling through my head when I saw them,” Stone whispered, as he looked her over. She blushed and the others chuckled.
“Hey, we’ll take care of this stuff. Why don’t the three of you catch up. We have it covered,” Tina told Toni.
Toni thanked them, hugged Tina and Charlie, then grabbed her bag. She started walking out, and Emerson and Stone followed. The moment they were by the small empty enclave by the stairs, Stone pulled her into his arms.
“I missed you so much, baby. So fucking much.” He kissed her and she hugged him back. The moment their lips parted, Emerson took his turn kissing Antoinette. She hugged him tight, and when she pulled back, after he released her lips, she had tears in her eyes.