The Spark

Plum

I arrive, and it’s 8 a.m. sharp. Damn, I’m a stickler for being on time.

I remember Maggie making a joke that once we made it, we would actually slack off, get to the office at odd times of the day, but here we are, and still, we’re the first ones in the building.

We don’t allow tardiness, but we do allow our employees to work on a flexible schedule that accommodates their daily lives—we even have a work-from-home option for our operations and customer care departments.

I would like to think our employees are happy. I’ve been an employee before and would have loved to work in a place like the one Maggie and I have created here.

I guess you have been wondering what it is I do, right? Well, it’s simple—I am a baker and cake artist.

Instead of looking at it as what it is, I made the point a bit bigger and better. As a result, we have created over a million jobs in the country and I have become somewhat of an icon.

I can bore you with the details later, but just know I kill it in this industry, and I couldn’t be happier. The long nights and doubts were there—believe me—but I didn’t give up.

I pushed myself, and finally, I wasn’t fishing in the dark anymore. We even have a call center—that’s how busy we are! Suga & Plum Creations, Maggie being Suga. That’s her nickname because she’s the sweetest person I know.

Since the business took off, we haven’t been baking and decorating for a while now. I must admit I do miss being in the kitchen and just letting the creative juices flow.

But it’s been shareholder meetings, photo shoots, and interviews, so you can imagine it’s not from a lack of trying.

We are so grateful to have a team that was able to adjust to our unique style, and as a result, the business is flourishing!

I walk to my office, get in, and take a seat on my Boss Bitch chair—yeah, it’s that big—and switch on my PC.

I grab my phone and order some breakfast on Uber Eats: a breakfast wrap and a dirty chai cappuccino. The thought of food makes my mouth water right now.

I focus my eyes on my PC as I finish sending off my request, and in walks Eva.

“Just the person I don’t want to see,” I say as I squint my eyes.

“Hi, boss lady. You know I would do anything for you. I swear, all I saw was the price they were willing to pay and… How do you phrase it? Yes! I got my tits up and took care of business.”

I chuckle for a few seconds and turn serious again.

I get up and walk slowly up to her. Eva is a few inches taller than me. I am short—five foot one to be exact—and she looks to be five three with heels on, so I am looking up at her, and she stiffens.

I laugh lightly, then say, “Eva, I understand that you love your job and your boss the same, and I”—I pause—“care for you and your well-being.”

She smiles, and I lift a finger.

“Do not make the mistake of thinking that you know me, all right?” I say. “Maggie and I grew up together, and she never makes that mistake…ever.

“If you’re not sure about something, I’d rather you ask me first instead of making an assumption that I will be okay with it.

“For your sake and mine, if you ever act out of your pay grade and make a decision like that for me again, I will be forced to fire you. Am I clear? Fired.”

I don’t blink; I look straight into her eyes. She holds her breath and blinks a few times, then gulps.

I take that as a yes. “You can go now. Don’t forget to send me the details of the meeting.”

She nods quickly and heads out of the office.

I know I seem like a heartless bitch, but how else is she going to learn?

In this business, there is no room for errors. Everyone must know their place and act accordingly. Specifically for me, there must be order at all times, or I’ll lose my shit.

Maggie can be sweet and nice for both of us; I don’t have the desire to. It’s that simple.

I decide to go back to work while enjoying my favorite breakfast. I check my emails and click on the new corporate client who’s making me work after hours. Urgh, they better be worth it, I tell you.

It’s a new company in the IT sector, one I am definitely not familiar with. It also has two owners like us. Interesting…

If you ask me, I hope these clients are men. They are hopeless when it comes to making a decision on what type of cake they want and will pay almost anything to make sure everything is perfect. My kind of client.

The email doesn’t say much. Obviously, the budget is mentioned. The assistant just said “my bosses” and only that they will fill me in with more details once I meet with them. Huh, weird.

I walk off the food I just ate and go check in on my other departments. Maggie is not in, so I am also covering for her.

Everything seems to be smooth sailing. We are also getting awesome reviews and our social media presence is steady.

I decide to go back and get a handle on my own agenda for the day and kick ass.

—A FEW HOURS LATER—

I have just signed five top wedding bookings, and all have paid in full to secure their dates. It’s a nice feeling to seal the deal and to know you’re in demand.

I send the pictures, color palettes, and flavor choices to the factory and secure cake testing sessions for the couples here at our headquarters.

I like making them group sessions, which means more money. Also the clients get to taste more flavors of cake than the ones they initially chose. Happy clients equals happy Plum.

I get back to my office and receive a private number call. I look at it for a few seconds and hesitate, but I answer anyway.

“Hello?”