“Oh, yay,” a high-pitched voice squealed, and then a small body barreled into me. “You made it. I’m so happy to see you again.”
I blinked at the blonde ringlet curls of one of the girls who had been at the audition the same day as me. We’d talked the whole time we waited to get called in. I knew everything, from how many pets she had and all their names to her grandparents’ favorite food.
“I’m Mae, from the audition.”
She must have interpreted my puzzled look to mean I didn’t remember her. I definitely did, but her exuberant greeting took me by surprise. “Hey, Mae. How’s Cupcake?”
Her face lit up. She loved her three cats, but Cupcake was her favorite. She’d talked about him a lot when we first met. And with a name like that, it was impossible to forget him.
“He hates he is at my mom’s, but he’ll get over it. We’ll FaceTime, and I’ll be back before he knows it.” She jumped up and down, her perfect curls bouncing around her head, jostling me since she was still holding on to one of my hands. “This is going to be so much fun.”
My gaze flitted around the cavernous room as I tried to figure out who was who between contestants and producers. “Have you met the other contestants yet?”
Mae threw one of her blinding smiles at me and nodded. “I got here half an hour early. I was just too excited.”
She waved at a guy who was standing on the other end of the room. He excused himself and made his way over to us.
Mae tugged on my hand, which she was still holding for some reason, and I leaned down. She was at least a head shorter than me, even though she was wearing platform heels.
“That’s George. He owns a bakery in Venice Beach. If you need help with anything, he’s your guy.”
George came over, his eyes lingering on Mae. No wonder she thought he was helpful. I just bet he’d help my new friend with whatever she needed.
“Hello again.” After greeting a blushing Mae, he reluctantly turned his attention my way. “And you must be Rayna. I’m George.”
We shook hands, and I decided he would be a good person to have in my corner, even if we were competing for the same prize. “It’s nice to meet you, George.”
One of the producers announced it was time for dinner ten minutes later. Most of the contestants looked as overwhelmed as I felt. I tried not to collapse into my chair.
I found myself wedged between two contestants I hadn’t met yet. “I’m Philipa,” the woman to my right said. She was wearing a knit sweater, her hair twisted into a perfect bun.
I didn’t have time to respond before a voice to my left chimed in. “And I’m Charlie, since we’re doing introductions and all.”
Not sure where to look, I flitted between the two. “I’m Rayna.”
“You excited about tomorrow?” Philipa asked, unfolding her napkin and placing it on her lap. I bet she also knew exactly when to use which one of the three forks and four knives next to our plates.
Charlie grabbed a dinner roll and buttered it. “Definitely. This is going to be a great show. And we’re lucky this is the first season.”
Not sure I would call it luck that they were using us as guinea pigs. But if the show was a success, we’d probably be the contestants most people would remember since we came first. At least, I hoped that was how these things worked.
I had zero experience with the industry I was about to be a part of.
Charlie turned in his seat so he was facing us. “So, what made you guys apply?”
Philipa shrugged. “My husband thought it would be an excellent opportunity to expand our brand.”
I wondered if she even wanted to be here. But her reasons didn’t matter.
“I recently broke up with someone and thought this would be a great way to get myself back on track,” Charlie explained when it was clear I wouldn’t be the next one to answer. “What better way to plaster your face on as many surfaces and screens as possible than taking part in a reality TV show, right? I hope my ex-girlfriend has to look at my smug face every day.”
Okay, guess that breakup wasn’t amicable.
Not wanting this conversation to go downhill, I spoke up. “I’m hoping to open a second bakery.”
My phone chimed in my purse, but I ignored it. It was most likely my niece, Willa. After everything went down a few years ago, she was the only person I talked to these days.
I was friendly with everyone—had to be since I owned a bakery—but she was the only one I’d call a friend.
