Dear Ethan: A Second Chance Romance

Chapter 28: Phone Friends

*Jodie*

"Marsha, are you there?" Sam's freckles filled up the screen as we waited for Marsha's face to appear.

We were having our first emergency cake crew ZOOM meeting.

Andie cocked her head to the side before the sound of Spanish curse words made her flinch.

"She's there," I said. Her mic wasn't working but her camera was on.

We went through the agenda I had typed up earlier today.

The first being that I was no longer going to be flying out to film the show. It was disappointing to receive the email but it made sense. A lot of shows had halted filming. The producer had said they were hoping to resume filming next year but who knew what would happen then. If we would still be asked to keep our distance or if things got worse?

I looked at the faces of my team. Sam, Andie, and Marsha. I was grateful for them, pulling together and staying positive despite the circumstances. We needed to stay close.

"Okay, let's go through the orders we haven't gotten out yet. What's the status of those?"

Sam read out loud the last remaining cake orders we had to fulfill. It would keep us occupied for today. But I froze when I saw Sam nervously lick her lips. There was a but coming. She gave me a guilty look.

"I got a few calls this morning that some orders need to be postponed or canceled altogether."

My stomach dropped. There it was. We were waiting for the other shoe to drop for weeks.

Sure people were still celebrating birthdays and holidays but now that congregating in large groups weren't allowed we were missing out on really big orders. And it was almost the wedding season.

Without those orders, we wouldn't be able to afford our monthly rent and get everyone paid out.

Andie and Marsha fell silent. "I can take a pay cut," offered Andie, blinking behind her glasses.

"No way," I replied forcefully. There was no way I would allow that unless we were desperate.

"We'll stay afloat!" said Sam, putting on an encouraging smile. "We just need to explore other avenues."

"Exactly," I said, nodding. Andie looked relieved, taking a sip from her water bottle. She was still in school and didn't have to worry about rent like the rest of us but she was graduating next year and saving up for her college tuition. We needed to figure this out.

We stayed on the call for an hour brainstorming ideas until fatigue set in. There was no easy solution to this. We needed those big orders. And without there being any large gatherings or parties, it was a hard task to ask for.

An idea blossomed in my mind. "What about cold calling larger businesses who want to put together care packages for their employees?" We could team up with other local businesses. It would be a good promotion for everyone involved.

Sam's eyes widened. "Oh my god, I love that! We can ask Judy if she wants to include some flowers too." Andie beamed, nodding quickly. Even Marsha let out a grunt of approval.

The florist shop opened next to the bakery a few months ago. Flowers and cake went hand in hand so we had already sent a few customers her way and vice versa.

I nodded, feeling more excited now that we had a game plan. "Let's do it." Sam's face lit up.

"What about lunch box cakes?" said Sam, tapping her fingers against the counter.