“It’s different cooking against the clock,” Staci said still making notes in her journal. She didn’t want to talk about the other chefs. Really the only one she was interested in had a slow southern drawl. She felt like maybe he hadn’t been at his best today.
Had last night thrown him more than he wanted to admit?
She hoped so. She didn’t want to think she was the only one who was making bad decisions and suffering for them. Yet at the same time she really hoped he wasn’t affected by her. She wanted—no needed Remy to be a carefreekind of relationship. That would make it easier when they went their separate ways. To write off their encounter as just lust.
She turned to stare out the window and focused on the fact that all that training in Paris had been worth it. She’d have never guessed she could win a Mercedes by cooking, granted she’d achieved a lot in baking and even started her own business, but these were skills she’d avoided using since she’d left Chef Renard’s kitchen all those years ago. Skills she’d associated with her poor decisions and resulting heartache. It was gratifying to know that sex with Remy didn’t really feel like a mistake.
Even though she had absolutely no plans to do it again, she didn’t regret it. Hell, she thought, glancing back down at her food journal, if sleeping with Remy raised her cooking to this level she might have to figure out how to sleep with him and not let her emotions get involved.
They got back to the house and all piled out of the Escalades. Staci tried not to watch for Remy but she couldn’t help it. A part of her wondered if he still wanted to meet up with her this afternoon. But she knew he would. If she’d learned one thing about Remy in the short time since she’d met him it was that he never said anything he didn’t mean.
“I guess you’ve got the judges where you want them,” Quinn said. “Hard to believe a little cupcake baker is beating all of us.”
“I’m—
“She’s a skilled chef, Quinn. You can talk trash all you want but it’s the dishes that we are all being judged on,” Remy said in that quiet southern way of his. “She wouldn’t have won if she hadn’t deserved it.”
“Whatever,” he said, storming away from them.
Vivian lifted both eyebrows at her as if to askwhy’s he defending you? Staci just shrugged. She really didn’t have aclue why he had, but there was a part of her that really liked what he’d done.
“Thanks,” she said, as they climbed the steps into the house.
“Remy’s right,” Dave said.
“You did well today,” Staci remarked to the other man.
“I just relaxed like Remy suggested. Stopped hearing the ticking of the clock in my head and I could think about the food,” Dave said.
“Look at you, Remy, giving advice and defending chefs....”
Remy didn’t say anything but entered the house and walked to the open-concept living room and specifically the bar. “I don’t see the point in winning something if everyone’s not playing up to par.”
“I agree,” Vivian said as she joined Remy pouring herself a gin and tonic. “What about you, Stac? What does our winner want to drink?”
“Diet Coke,” she answered.
“And rum?” Vivian asked with a grin.
“No,” she said. She still had to face a talk with Remy about last night and she would need all her wits about her. Everyone broke into groups as they discussed what they would make for dinner. It had a bit of a summer camp feel to it.
Because of her win everyone wanted to be around her and the afternoon passed in a blur as she chatted with all the chefs. Finally, most of the contestants went off to their own space while a few others left to walk on the beach or go surfing. Remy came over to her where she was sitting on a deck chair.
“Ready for that talk?” he asked.
No, she thought. At this moment she was at peace. The chaos in her mind was calm and she was enjoying the fact that she’d done the kind of cooking her grandmother would have been proud of her for doing. But she knew she had to deal with Remy and last night.
“I guess so.”
“I’m not planning on torturing you,” he said with a wry grin.
“I know. It’s just at this moment...never mind. I’ll sound silly if I say it.” She got to her feet and started to lead the way down to the shoreline.
“There’s nothing silly about you, Staci. I underestimated you, that’s probably due to your size.”
“Everyone always does. But as Shakespeare once said... Though she be but little she is fierce.”
“He had it right. It’s always funny to me how much of 17th century wisdom applies to life today.”
