Chapter 1

It would be a lie if Amanda said she noticed the ‘Help Wanted ASAP!’ sign taped on the spotless window door first, instead of the sweet siren smell of the candy store.

The five-foot-two girl was just going about her day, attempting to find a job in the chilly autumn air. The air was biting, goosebumps rising across flecked skin. With Amanda’s every step, her high ponytail swung like a pendulum, and her broad hips swayed to a beat only she was privy to.

Once, the young woman was thin as a stick, keeping herself so occupied that the thought of food was on the back burners back burner. Ever since the brunette was laid off from her busy HR job, she had been enjoying - some would perhaps say overindulging - fast food. For some reason, the heavy grease and coated salt were comforting to her, which was a much-welcomed feeling, to help quell the shame of not feeling good enough for her bosses to keep her off the chopping block.

Despite the drawbacks of life, Amanda tried to keep her chin up, keeping an optimistic attitude that things would eventually work out. And whenever that jaded monster started creeping up, she just swung through a drive-through, the juices of a thick burger bringing back a touch of positivity.

She was out on her fourth job search of the week - she had just been applying online, but decided to put her feet on the ground, and see if that would help in her pursuit.

And then came the smell.

Heaven on earth, the mixed aroma of sweet, sour, and fruity was tangoing with the crisp air, causing Amanda’s nose to wrinkle like a rabbit catching a whiff of a carrot. When was the last time she had something sweet? The woman could barely recall, trying to avoid the temptation of sweets to fit into her extra small pencil skirt.

Briefly, she wondered if she would fit into them right now, feeling the pinch of tight fabric around her hips as she walked up to the candy store. The sign was hot pink, the fluorescent bulbs flashing the word ‘Melt’. The inside matched the outside perfectly - neon engulfed the design, candy, sweets, and sugar seemed to be exploding from all the displays, the smell was absolutely overpowering. It seemed definitely like a kids paradise.

Not Amanda’s, however. She barely ever touched any type of sugar, her parents growing up instilling that sugar was a terrible thing for your health. And yet… The aroma. It was just, for a lack of a better word on her part, addicting. She could imagine standing here for hours, sniffing the air, and feeling this warm feeling spread in her heart.

Maybe that was just her veins clogging from all the sugar, though.

"Hey there! What can I help you with?" A friendly voice spoke from behind the counter - a cute, thin blonde with the name tag 'Claire'. Dressed in classy all black, with a fitted t-shirt and slim dress pants, Amanda figured that was the uniform.

"I saw the sign in the window, thought I'd apply?" Amanda cursed at herself phrasing it so meekly - her self confidence has really been shot since losing her job.

"You're hired."

The thickening up brunette stared blankly for a few moments. What? No job interview? Even a peek at her resume? What kind of place was this? Her HR mind started going a mile a minute.

"I'm literally the only shop employee right now, my co worker winded up walking out because they got a higher paying job. I'll take any help at this point," Claire saw the blank expression and figured it seemed like she made questionable decisions, when in reality she was just desperate for an extra set of hands in the store.

"Besides, you got a cute face and seem friendly. Perfect for customers!" Claire winked, causing Amanda to glance shyly at her shoes.

And just like that, Amanda was working at Melt.