The fact that her reaction was no reaction showed her how much she’d moved on. Though she was used to keeping the past between her and Remy, she knew now that she was over it and really she only had one person to thank and that was her current lover.
The man who’d come in second in today’s challenge. He winked at her across the studio when she’d been announced the winner and she knew he was proud of her achievement. What she liked about Remy was his own ability to give praise and not feel as if it stole anything from him. Jean-Luc hadn’t been like that at all.
They were all told that Staci would have an advantage in the following day’s elimination challenge and were sent one-by-one to record their video diaries about the day and the tripto New York. That night there would be a group dinner at Hamilton’s restaurant, Ramsfeld East, and Staci suspected that Christian had been correct when he’d guessed that’s where their challenge would be the next day.
They had the afternoon free.
“Want to go sightsee?” she asked Remy.
“That’s the first time you’ve asked me on a date,” he said.
“It’ll be the last time too unless you answer correctly,” she warned.
“Then, yes, I’d love to go with you. Where did you have in mind?” he asked.
“I’ve never been to the top of the Empire State Building,” she said.
“You didn’t go with your mom?” he asked, he’d hit all the touristy spots long ago with his parents and his cousins. And he hadn’t been to the Empire State Building since he’d been twenty. As he stood there, thinking of all the places they could go, he finally realized that going back to New Orleans and cooking at Gastrophile was the only thing he really wanted.
“Mom was afraid of heights. Grandma and I decided we’d see a show with her instead of going up. But if you’re game...”
“I am,” he said. “Let’s go.”
When they got down to street level, Remy hailed a cab and gave the driver their destination. They sat in the back seat with the summer sun shining down on them.
“I can’t believe you beat me today,” Remy said. “I guess getting you to relax was a good strategy for you.”
“It seems as if it was,” she said with a cheeky grin. “To be honest. It’s not being relaxed that is really the thing that made me win today,” she said, full of mystery.
“I want to know what it is, but we’re getting out at the end of the block,” Remy said.
The cab stopped and Remy paid the driver. They followed the signs up to the ticket booth and then took the elevator tothe viewing platform. Remy linked their hands together, realizing that even doing this type of thing was fun with Staci. He knew he needed to stop ignoring the truth that needed to be said but he couldn’t.
“Okay, so tell me what made you win today,” he said after he’d led them to a spot away from most of the tourists.
“The truth?”
“Isn’t it always about the truth with you?”
“Yes, it is,” she said. Then she sighed and the breeze ruffled her short black hair. “It was knowing that you were the man you are...that sounds silly, doesn’t it? But it was you and the way you made me feel. I channeled that into my cooking.
He was glad to hear it, he wanted to give her as much as he could so that she’d remember the good times with him when the bad inevitably came. Today’s circumstances had made him realize he needed to step forward before a chef that could recognize him came through the door, like Chef Renard had done.
“You did a good job with that,ma chère.”
“I did. I don’t want to talk about the show though. Thank you for being so supportive about everything. It was nice to look over and know that you were on my side,” she said.
“No problem.”
She ambled over to the rail and studied the City and beyond. “It’s easy to forget that we’re a part of something so huge. I’ve seen more people here today than I normally see in my neighborhood in a year. I mean I like my quiet little life. Is New Orleans like this?”
“The French Quarter is busy all the time. It’s a bit like New York, but the Garden District...that’s where I live, it’s quiet like the little neighborhood you described.”
“Do you think you’ll head back there when the competition is over?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he said, but the truth was yes. He had somany new ideas for Gastrophile. But he couldn’t share them with Staci. And that drove home the fact that this wasn’t as real as he’d been pretending it was.
“Really?” she asked. “I’d think you’d have some idea of what your next move will be.”
