CHAPTER 1
MEADOW
I take a sip of my delicious coffee as I settle deeper into my chair. Even though I’m in our office for the morning meeting with my girls of Green Mountain High, part of me is in my bakery. It’s where I feel most at home and there is always something to do in my kitchen.
Right now, I’m starting to plan my fall menu since my summer menu is launching soon. Being ahead of things isn’t always easy, but I’ve started to find my rhythm when it comes to seasonal offerings. The hardest part is sourcing the right cannabis additives, and choosing which recipes feature them and which don’t.
That is where Rook comes in.
I would welcome him into my bakery and…other places in my body.
The thought almost hasme snorting my latte out of my nose. Mayer, who is the leader of our little cannabis business troupe, shoots me a strange look. I wave my hand dismissively to let her know she can continue, and not to worry about me.
Her lips thin slightly. To anyone else it would seem like she’s annoyed, but I can see the sparkle of amusement in her eyes. She’s just trying to hide it.
Because right now, she’s in work mode. It’s how she’s always been—work comes first and deserves her entire focus.
We’ve learned to roll with her particular brand of Type-A. It’s also why she’s the one overseeing the entirety of Green Mountain High, the business overall. The rest of us that make up GMH—me, Greylin, and Gemma— we have our strengths, but she is the only person who can be fully in charge of it all.
Greylin takes her side of the business very seriously when it comes to the traditional dispensary. She pays attention to customer trends and within the industry, as well as to what is available to be sold. She makes sure to source the right strains and has what people want when they set foot inside of GMH.
Gemma runs our event space. She is always coming up with new events, as well as ensuring anyone who rents our spaces is taken care of. She loves creating the right party atmosphere for our clients. And everyone leaves here happy.
Since she’s always looking for ways to grow our business, she’s been trying to figure out how to brew a cannabis beer for the shop. She hasn’t figured it out yet, but I have no doubt that she will. Gemma is pretty stubborn when she needs to be.
Then there’s me and where I fit into our business plan.
In a lot of ways, the entire business was built around my dream, one I’ve had since I was a little girl spending as much time as I could in the kitchen with my grandmother. She loved to bake and passed that love, and appreciation, since it is an art form, down to me.
I can’t remember a time when I would walk into my grandmother’s house to find it absent of the scent of vanilla or something baking in the oven. The way she taught me to love was through feeding people; finding the things they love and savor and giving it back to them. It’s how she loved me; it’s how I love in return.
There’s nothing quite like seeing someone bite into something you baked and seeing joy on their face because of it.
“Okay, Meadow,” Mayer turns to me, indulgence written all over her face, “it’s your turn. What’s going on with the bakery?”
It didn’t take long for me to figure out why I’m the last one to talk during our morning meetings. I can get lost in talking about everything going onto the bakery. It’s probably boring to most other people, but for me it’s my passion.
If you don’t have friends who will build an entire business around your dreams and passions, do you even have friends?
I’m aware that I’m pretty fucking lucky. Because we wouldn’t have Green Mountain High if it weren’t for the women surrounding me. All to ensure I have the bakery I always wanted.
“As you know, the summer specials will be launching soon. People are excited to see what is going to be added for summer, especially with how popular the fruity things were last summer and throughout spring,” I tell my best friends as pride fills my chest.
“You’re so cute,” Gemma teases me. There’s nothing malicious in her words and the smile on her face is clear to see. “I could listen to you talk about menu planning for hours.”
I huff out a laugh and roll my eyes because my best friends are more than willing to indulge me, but they have their limits. Hours? I think not. Well, maybe, but her eyes would glaze over before too long.
“I’ve started planning for our fall menu already,” I tell them after sticking my tongue out at Gemma.
My three best friends let out matching groans of frustration, but they smile at me. It’s not like I can blame them for their reaction. I can be extremely focused and overly driven when I’m planning my seasonal menu.
Honestly, I become completely obsessed. When I’m focused on the new menu, nothing else can penetrate my mind. I have to ensure everything is perfect when it comes to the recipes.
And that is all about balance. I need to balance the flavors of fall with the right terpenes and concentrates. My goal is for every pastry I make to be an experience, both when it comes to taste and the effect.
The amount of recipe testing I do is probably out of control; nothing less is possible for me because I want every product I put out there to be perfect. My customers deserve nothing less; it’s a point of pride for myself and in the name of my grandmother.
Hopefully, she looks down on me now and is proud of the way I’ve been able to keep one of the things she loved in this life alive. I’ve modified so many of her recipes, and I swear I almost feel her guiding me as I tweak the things I make.