A time warp had allowed halloween to come and go with most of the town forgetting it happened. Still, There were jack-o-lanterns abound, so Jessica started up her annual "Jack-o-lantern recycling project" at the Cake and Kettle, to ensure she would have enough pumpkin fillings for tarts, pies, cookies, and cakes for the upcoming thanksgiving harvest festival.
Since the office was closed on sundays, Gareth offered his assistance for the pumpkin recycling project. The couple was hard at work with the little bell over the entrance door rang.
In walked a woman who was clearly from out of town. She was wearing "normal" clothes, as opposed to the steampunk finery everyone in town wore. This was not unusual in itself, lots of guests from out of town came to try Jessica's delicious baked goods. But this woman seemed to have an aura of bitterness around her and was drinking from a bottle of very expensive bottled water. "Can I speak to the manager please?" The woman called out in a pompous tone.
"Hello, I am the manager" Jessica said as she approached the woman.
The strange woman's dour expression suddenly changed into a wide grin. "Pleased to meet you! I am the world-famous Hani Vari, Better known on the internet as 'The Food Lady'! I'm here to offer you a fabulous deal!" Ms. Vari extended a hand bedecked with long, fake fingernails.
Jessica glanced down at her own hands, which were elbow-deep in pumpkin guts. Ms. Vari withdrew her hand and prattled on "As I'm sure you already know, people pay MILLIONS to advertise on my blog, but today, I want to sell my products through your quaint little shop!"
For the first time ever, Jessica was mad at her husband for including the Cake and Kettle in the town's tourism brochure. "I make all the products sold in this shop in the back room, from fresh, local ingredients. I don't need any-"
"But my products are all GMO-free, gluten-free, and They are all organic! Normally I charge $1,000,000 dollars to sell these, but I'm only going to charge you $900,000!" Jessica hadn't had time to check her income statements, but she knew even with hers and Gareth's income combined there was no way they could afford this. Jessica waited for the woman to stop inflating her own ego to speak.
"Look, Even though I run this place, I have a PHD from Miskatonic University in mad science. I have studied GMOs as part of my graduate thesis, and they are far safer than say, a man-eating rosebush." Ms. Vari tried to interject, but Jessica continued. "Furthermore, No one in this little town has that kind of money to burn. And no one in town really cares if something is gluten-free or Paleo, or whatever is the food fad nowadays."
Ms. Vari smirked. "Fine, but you'll be sorry you passed up this offer! It could've made me rich! You! I mean you!" She stormed out the door, nearly tripping over Sir Whiskers on the way out.
"What's her problem?" Gareth asked, popping out from the kitchen.
"You saw her too?" Sir Whiskers said. "Crazy lady demanded to see the mayor and wouldn't believe I was it! Apparently she wants to open an expensive health-food store in town, but we don't have any lots big enough to accommodate her plans."
Gareth glanced out the window to see Ms. Vari getting into an outlandish Escalade. He furrowed his brows and a raincloud suddenly Ms. Vari found herself drenched in rain. No where else in town was getting wet. The door on the Escalade slammed shut, and she sped off, never to be heard from again. "Serves you right for insulting my wife."