Beyond the human value of these interactions, I also loved doing business with the customers, which sometimes can be like a great, big game. For the most part, transactions were straightforward: I’d name a fair price, the customer would agree, we’d shake, and I’d pop the slip in the back.

There were exceptions, though, lots of them, and once again, my instincts served me well. For example, I could tell a penny-pincher coming a mile away and knew to jack the price up a few hundred bucks so he could feel good when he thought that he had negotiated me down. On the other end of the spectrum were the couples who became my favorites, the ones who came in bedecked in custom jewelry, expensive watches, and designer glasses. You can literally see couples like this coming from a mile away because they sparkle in the sunlight. Inevitably, when I sat down with them, they all said the same thing, “We want your most expensive cake.” To which my reply was always, “You got it!”

As much as I prided myself on being a savvy businessman and world-class negotiator, there were those poignant occasions when I could sense that a couple was on the verge of ordering a cake beyond their means. If I picked up on the fact that somebody couldn’t afford a real showstopper, I’d try to subtly talk them out of it. I heard a couple once whispering about the expense of sugar flowers, an expensive flourish that I had to purchase at that time because I didn’t yet know how to make them. The bride had had a picture of this cake in her head since she was a little girl and they were about to describe to me a cake that would cost thousands of dollars. And yet, somewhere in their discussion, I overheard that they were throwing their wedding at the local VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) hall. I waited for the right moment, then told them, “You know, I can make this cake look just as pretty with real flowers and your guests will never know the difference.” They exhaled in unison and took my suggestion.