Charlie made another resolution: she would try to do the same, whenever possible. From now on she was going to take the time to pause in her pursuit of happiness and success and just be happy.

“Only a dozen to go!” Walter sang out and Charlie snapped back to attention and kept working, letting the sense of contentment flow through her as she did.

• • •

Charlie ducked out of the bakery with her cell phone in one hand and the recycling bag in the other. She put down the bag and was about to make the call she had been planning when her phone rang in her hand.

“Sasha! I was just about to call you . . .”

“Great minds,” Sasha said. “Charlie, listen, you have got to give me first crack at producing this show. I mean, this has everything. A built-in fan base—did you see the comments? And last I checked, your views were still skyrocketing. Plus, a good-looking cast, with so much chemistry I nearly went blind from all the sparks. An adorable set, too—that bakery your family owns is beyond charming. Bottom line? I want in.”

Charlie leaned against the outer wall of the bakery, looking up at the sky. The blizzard was over, but there were still small clusters of snow clouds dotted across the gloaming. “Sasha, this is great news. I need to add a few caveats, though. My agent will be in touch about this more formally, but I need you to know, too. First, I’d like to have more control over my own career. I don’t want what I do to always be at the whim of others. And so, I want to be an executive producer, and I need to know there will be no additions to the cast I don’t approve. No antagonistic element, for example. No matter how much you think that works for viewers.”

“Trust me, I’ve had it with antagonistic elements. When I say I want in with this new baking show you’re envisioning, I’m asking in part because I’ve decided to pull out of Bake My Day. I have no interest in working with talent I don’t think is talented! Or total jerks, for that matter.

“It only took one day without you on set to make me realize as much. You are the real deal, Charlie—screw any questionable research the network did that suggested otherwise. I’ve been around long enough to know Austin isn’t going to hold viewers without you there to keep it real. I’m so sorry it took you leaving for me to realize that. I’m also sorry I didn’t tell you right away what I knew about Austin getting the job. I had my reasons, but they weren’t good ones. So, look, I’ve been in talks with some executives from a new streaming service, and this is exactly the kind of content they’re looking for. What do you think of the name Double Sweet?”

“No way! I want to stay away from the word sweet forever. And before we go any further here I have to tell you something, Sasha. It wasn’t me who left,” Charlie began. She knew revealing this to Sasha was risky—she wanted to be executive producer, yes, but she also knew the truth had to come out now or it would be hanging over her head forever. Besides, dishonesty was no way to start a business partnership. “It was my twin sister, Cass . . .”