She got behind the wheel and pointed the van north toward Highway 5 and the anniversary party. “Did you get your dish sorted?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Good. Was it for something special?” Alysse asked, knowing she hadn’t been paying that much attention to her friend’s life lately as she’d been consumed with Jay.
“Actually, it is. I’ve decided to try out forPremiere Chef,” she said.
“Really? Isn’t that a pretty intensive show?”
“Yes,” Staci said. “It is. If I get on I’d be gone from Sweet Dreams for ten weeks. I wasn’t sure how to bring this up because you’ve been busy with Jay and everything.”
Was Staci thinking of leaving Sweet Dreams? Alysse didn’t know if she could handle that right now. “It’s fine.”
“You look pale and about ready to wig out. It’s just that I’m getting restless.”
Alysse concentrated on her driving. “When will you know if you’re a contestant or not?”
“I’m going to L.A. tomorrow to pre-audition. How lame is that? You have to try out to try out,” Staci said. There was a note of nervousness in her friend’s voice.
“Lame,” Alysse agreed with a laugh, trying to act as if she was cool with it when inside she was slowly going into a meltdown. “Why are you doing the show? You don’t have anything to prove.”
Staci ran her hands through her spiky hair and then shookher head. “I do. I hate the thought of those cocky jerks on TV, whom I know I’m better than, being named Premiere Chef. I mean, come on,” she said.
Alysse just had to laugh at her friend’s ego. But she’d tasted Staci’s dishes at more than one dinner party and knew that she had the cooking chops to back up what she said.
“You’re definitely a good chef, but the competition on those shows is stiff and you’ve been a baker like me for the last four years,” Alysse said. Baking was different than the type of cooking that Staci would be required to do onPremiere Chef.She’d have to cook a meal in less than ten minutes and come up with unique dishes under pressure. It was a challenging environment.
“I’m getting bored,” Staci said. “I’ve wanted to talk to you about it for a while. The timing never seemed right.”
“Talk about what?” Alysse asked. She hated this. Every time she started to feel comfortable and as if her life was on the right path, something like this happened. “Are you leaving Sweet Dreams?”
“I don’t know yet. I want to do this competition to see if I still have it in me to run with the big dogs, you know?” she asked.
Honestly, no, Alysse didn’t know. She liked the quietness of the bakery and the familiarity of the repeat customers. “I don’t see it, although I can understand that you want more. You are Cordon Bleu–trained.”
“Yes. And I think I’m finally ready.”
“For this competition? Or is it about being on TV?” Alysse asked, trying to understand exactly what Staci wanted.
“The competition. I was working in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris before things went belly-up and I ran back here to the States. I want that again. Last night I dreamed I was on the line and we were doing forty covers. The kitchen was crazy and I felt the energy...I miss it.”
“Then you have to go for it. You shouldn’t deny yourself the chance to pursue your dream. After all, Sweet Dreams was my idea and you helped me get it off the ground,” Alysse said. “So what do you need from me?”
“Just some time off to do the show if I get through the first audition. We should probably hire someone to help out with the baking,” Staci said.
“Yes. We’ll have to make some changes, I’d rather spend more time in the kitchen than up front so maybe hiring a full-time counter person would be better,” Alysse suggested.
“That might work. Sorry to spring it on you like this, but you’ve been busy every night after work.” Staci turned and looked out the window at the passing hills of Southern California.
“Yes, I have been,” Alysse admitted. She’d been busy trying to avoid Staci and her asking about the bad-boy Marine she was dating, whereas Staci had wanted to tell her about thisPremiere Chefthing.
“It’s Jay that’s making you rush out the door every night, right?” Staci asked.
“Yes, it is. We’ve been trying to get to know each other again,” Alysse said. It seemed that she and Staci were both heading off in other directions. Maybe they’d both done as much as they could together and it was time for them to try things on their own again.
“And is that working?” Staci asked. “To be fair, you seem to be pretty happy most days.”
Alysse shrugged. “I like him. He can be a challenge sometimes and I’m not at all sure that he’s someone I can spend the rest of my life with, but going out every night reminds me of all I’ve missed. I guess, like you wanting to get back into a Michelin-starred kitchen, I had shut myself off from a lot of things.”
