they leave your place.â
âReally?â
âThatâs right. And Iâm not even counting your mother. Every time she comes in, she buys something.â
âMother can afford it.â Hannah glanced at her watch and slipped into a faster gear. âIâve got to run, Claire. Iâm judging the baked goods contest tonight.â
âGood luck,â Claire said, taking her cue. âIâll see you tomorrow, Hannah.â
After Claire left, Hannah glanced around. People were still filing out of the auditorium, and it was time to make herself scarce. There was somewhere she had to go, and she had to do it fast. If she hurried, sheâd have just enough time for the clandestine treat sheâd decided to enjoy before she joined Willa and Pam at the Creative Arts Building.
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Less than two minutes later, Hannah rounded the corner by the deep-fried candy bar booth. She was slightly out of breath, and she stopped to let her breathing return to a normal rate. There was a friendly-looking woman sitting on a stool behind the counter, and her nametag read RUBY in bright red block letters. No one else was in line at the moment, and Hannah stepped up to place her order.
âWhatâll it be, Maâam?â the woman named Ruby asked. And that meant Hannah had to come to a decision. Sheâd been debating the merits of a Milky Way and a Snickers bar all day. She knew full well she shouldnât indulge in a deep-fried candy bar, especially since sheâd be sampling coffeecake, cinnamon bread, and sweet rolls in less than fifteen minutes. But all day long sheâd been dreaming about a deep-fried candy bar. It was driving her crazy, and the only way to stop thinking about it was to have one.
âMaâam?â Ruby prodded her back to the present, and there was a knowing smile on her face. âItâs hard to choose, isnât it?â
âDoes the Milky Way have the original milk chocolate? Or is it the kind with the semi-sweet dark chocolate?â
âItâs the original with milk chocolate. I wouldnât have it any other way.â
âYou like the milk chocolate best?â Hannah asked, interpreting her comment.
âYou got it right. I donât understand why they wanted to mess with something that was already perfect.â
âNeither do I.â
âI felt the same way when they came out with peanuts in the M&Ms. And I really hate the new Hersheyâs Kisses with fruit and nuts. Theyâre supposed to melt in your mouth without chewing, you know?â
âI know.â Hannah felt sheâd found a kindred soul. âI really shouldnât have a deep-fried candy bar at all. Iâm judging the baked goods contest in less than fifteen minutes.â
Ruby threw back her head and laughed. âYouâre right. You shouldnât. These things are loaded with calories and you canât take just one bite. Once you taste it, you have to finish the whole thing. Itâs addictive.â
âHow many calories does it have?â Hannah asked, hoping that if she didnât eat anything except lettuce for the next two days, she could have one without gaining weight.
âBelieve me, you donât want to know!â
âThat bad?â
âWorse. I started to figure it out once, but I quit when I got up to a thousand. I figured it wasnât a real good selling point.â
âYouâre right,â Hannah said, hoping it wasnât quite as bad as Ruby was making out. âIâve got to taste one, though. Iâve been dreaming about it ever since I walked past your booth this morning.â
âOkay. What kind of candy bar do you want?â
âIâm still trying to decide between the Milky Way and the Snickers. Which one do youâ¦â Hannah stopped speaking and whirled around as she heard someone calling her name. âUh-oh!â she said with a groan. âItâs my