My face was red and ready to explode, and Mae worked hard not to laugh the whole trip back. We said our good-byes as soon as the car came to a standstill, then rushed inside the hotel. Once we were standing in the foyer, Mae howled with laughter, and I took a much-needed breath.
“What acow,” she exclaimed. “And what did you do to her? Tell her she needed new hair extensions? Because you need to watch your back, girl. She looked ready to throw you out of a moving vehicle.”
I put my hands up. “No idea. But I’ll make sure not to get in a car with her again. And hide the knives when she’s around.”
Mae put her arm around my waist, and I rested mine on her shoulders, since she was a lot shorter than me. “Probably a good idea.”
She chuckled the whole elevator ride to our floor. “Lock your doors. You never know what crazies will come knocking,” she suggested before disappearing inside her room.
I unlocked my door, which was only around the corner from hers, and stepped into the quiet with a loud sigh.
The sneakers I’d put on after ridding myself of the innocent-looking torture devices I wore all day went into a pile next to the door.
A look at my feet confirmed I had blisters. Since I was already in comfortable clothes, having taken off my dress after we finished filming, undressing was a simple procedure.
When I finished ripping everything off, only my bra and panties remained. Slipping into the hotel robe, I debated whether I’d stay awake long enough for the bath I’d been longing for all day.
Maybe I should just go to sleep. Or get something to eat.
This was far from what I’d imagined a reality show set to be like. But if I ended up winning, it would have all been worth it.
And there was also going to be an episode where we all baked our specialty and got to talk about our businesses. So if nothing else, I’d get a promo opportunity out of it.
My phone was flashing at me, and I checked my messages. Garret had called a few more times from the same number, and Willa kept sending selfies. There wasn’t anyone I had to get in touch with, since I had no close friends except my niece, so the phone went back into the nightstand drawer.
For the first time, I questioned the life I was living. I’d always worked so much that it didn’t matter if I didn’t have many friends. Or any, really. Because all I wanted to do at the end of the day was go home and sleep. I spent all my time at the bakery. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d taken a day off.
When Grayson was still coming to Humptulips, I used to take off a week here and there to spend time with him. We went hiking, kayaking, and bike riding. I stayed away from winter sports after spraining my ankle at one of my unsuccessful attempts to learn how to ski the one and only time I visited Grayson in Aspen.
But I cut off that train of thought quickly. Thinking of anything related to snow and my skiing lessons dredged up memories of the last time we’d seen each other, and unless I wanted to relive the best and worst day of my life, I’d better stop now.
When had I turned into such a sad reminiscing sack?
I couldn’t even get myself to call Garret back. I was tired and felt older than my twenty-eight years. Besides, I trusted Jameson to take care of my ex-brother-in-law. I’d go with avoidance for now. With all the money I’d spent on his debts and bail, I could have redone my bakery.
I’d been trying to stand up for myself for a while. I just hoped I hadn’t made things worse.
But if I was honest with myself, I had to admit that I’d been supporting his irresponsible actions by bailing him out all the time. Just like his brother, Des, had. And Willa. And it was time we stopped.
I turned on the TV for background noise, took off all the makeup, and brushed out my hair. I opted for a shower, the hot water feeling heavenly.
It was another night of tossing and turning, but at least I managed a few hours of sleep this time.
Six
Before the crew shot a cooking segment, they went through every step of the recipe with the art director, prop stylist, and food stylist. And they did that with every contestant.
Every day I spent at the show made me understand all the hard work that went into filming, even if it was only a short segment. I’d never thought about everything that was involved in getting one simple shot.
It also explained the number of people on set. For the first week, I’d tried my hardest to learn everyone’s names, but there were just too many.
I’d survived another two elimination rounds, and we were now down to nine participants. We had another group challenge ahead of us tomorrow and would split up into three teams this time.
“How’s it going?” Grayson interrupted my prep work for today’s dish, a lemon meringue. It was another recipe they planned on turning into a premix to sell at the supermarket. Not sure how well that would work, but I’d give it my best shot.
It was also a challenge to make the pie in only two hours. The dough for the crust needed to chill for at least that long, but I’d have to forego that step for today. And I’d also have to leave out the part where you’re supposed to chill the pie for four hours before serving.
However, since I’d worked on enough recipes over the years, I was fairly certain I could do it. My topping was toasty and light, and the filling was the perfect balance of sweet and sour. Not to mention the flaky piecrust, one of my specialties. I’d declared death to soggy piecrusts years ago and so far had been keeping them away from my kitchen.
