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Back Salt and Sugar Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. EPILOGUE
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

She doesn’t look at me. “It’s nothing. They’re bills.”

“Yes, but there are so many.”

“Debt is common when you run a bakery.”

“I know.”

Mom looks at me, her jaw tense. “So there’s nothing for you to worry about.”

But then I spot it.

The Deals Deals business card. I reach for it, but Mom snatches it up before I’m able to grab it. She stuffs it in her pocket, trying to pretend that it isn’t odd at all.

“Why did you keep that?” I ask her. “We’re not considering selling Salt, are we?”

“It’s just a business card,” she says, and it doesn’t go unnoticed that she didn’t answer my question. Mom grabs the stapler off a filing cabinet and presses it into my hand. “Now stop dillydallying and go finish your homework.”

Mom’s working so hard to keep Salt’s kitchen spotless for Dona Fernanda’s inspection and working on cake and doces samples, I wonder if booking the job is more important than it seems.

Why else would she resort to stepping on Sugar’s toes to get the gig?

It’s not just a matter of clearing Salt’s reputation, is it? If this is also our only chance to pay all these bills, Mom would do whatever it takes to save the bakery. What will happen if we can’t get the job, though? If we can’t cover these bills?

Just a business card, she said.

And I want to believe her, but I can’t help but feel like Deals Deals is breathing down our necks, ready to pounce when we’re cornered.

19

THURSDAY, MAY 5

We gather at the club for an emergency meeting on Thursday.

Pedro was a jerk last time I was here, but no matter how long I glare at him, he’ll never apologize for treating me the way he did. Especially now that Mom is trying to win that birthday gig Sugar had already booked.

“Sour starch, Parmesan cheese, water, vegetable oil, milk, eggs... And salt, of course,” he reads aloud the ingredients we’ll need today. “We’re making pão de queijo and packaging fresh fruit this afternoon.”

This cheese bread has always been a favorite at Salt, pairing well with hot, chocolatey coffee. Growing up, I used to linger in the kitchen watching Grandma roll the dough into small balls with her hands. Once in the oven, they’d filled the entire bakery with a strong cheesy aroma that attracted customers all the way from Alto da Sé.

It sounds odd to hear Pedro read out the ingredients now. I wonder if he’s chosen this recipe to poke at me. Sugar doesn’t sell pão de queijo. In our neighborhood, this is a Salt-exclusive recipe. He’s good at hiding his true intent, though, reading the recipe like it’s any other.