“My father thinks everyone deserves to have a fine dining establishment wherever they live,” Remy said.
“I agree,” Hamilton said. “That’s why I do so many shows. I want audiences to know they don’t have to settle for the same menu and the same dishes each time they go out for a meal. There are more choices, but unless people know about them then often the small, truly creative places close.”
“I agree,” Remy said.
Jack entered the room with a camera crew and placed one cameraman at either end of the room and then made sure they all had microphones on. “I might not use this but I thought it could be useful later.”
The door started to open and Remy watched as his peers filed into the room. Dave and Christian on one side. Erin, Whit and Staci on the other. Staci wouldn’t meet his gaze but even from this distance he could tell she’d been crying.
He felt a rush of emotions so strong that it was all he coulddo not to go to her. Those emotions were quelled when she finally did look at him and he saw how cold and glacier-like her gaze could be.
“There is no easy way to say it other than to tell you that Remy Stephens is not this man’s real name,” Greg said. “He is the son of famed Michelin starred chef Alain Cruzel. I’ll let Remy explain his reasons to you and then we will listen to your comments. We have already conferred and agreed that he may remain in the competition. Remy.”
Remy looked at each of the chefs remembering all the time they’d spent together in the kitchen, but it was when he looked at Staci that he felt the real need to explain. “I know we all have different reasons for entering a cooking competition, some of us are doing so to prove something to ourselves, others to prove something to the world.
“I’m in the former category in that all my life I’ve been treated like I was a master chef simply because of my last name. I have prepared dishes that were developed by my father and grandfather and won praise for them. But I never knew how much of the praise was because of the Cruzel name and how much of it was due to my skills.
“My father has asked me to take over as Chef Patron of Gastrophile—our family’s restaurant in New Orleans. But I didn’t feel ready to take on the task until I knew for certain that I was worthy of the title.
“To find out, I left New Orleans and cooked my way across the country. And when I heard about this competition and read the terms and conditions I knew I could enter and use the Anglicized version of my middle name as my last name. In truth I wasn’t lying too much, I am Remy Etienne or Stephen but that’s neither here nor there.
“I can only say I’m sorry that I deceived you, but I wanted a chance to be treated like everyone else and to have to prove myself one dish at a time.”
Chapter Fourteen
STACINEVERHEARDAMORE eloquent definition of a lie than the one that Remy had told. She wanted to believe that he was merely trying to recover lost ground but there was a truth to his words, she admitted. To some extent she even understood his reasoning. But her heart was a lot slower to forgive.
Remy looked as if he’d been up all night and even though it had only been a few hours since she’d seen him, he seemed tired and tense. A part of her was worried about him until she remembered that he’d lied to her. He’d known what he was doing the entire time.
She didn’t have anything she wanted to say to him. She was following Alysse’s advice and focusing on cooking and winning. She’d go home and lick her wounds, not to mention celebrate.
“Why are you coming clean now?” Christian asked.
Remy cleared his throat and looked directly at him. “Staci and I ran into my parents while sight-seeing and the truth came out. I also had a feeling today that Chef Renard mighthave recognized me and I thought before this went any further I should step up and clear the air.”
“Did you know about this?” Whit asked under her breath to Staci.
“Not until his parents said their last name wasn’t Stephens.”
“Oh, man, I would have been pissed,” Whit said.
“I was.”
“Still are, if your body language is any indication,” Whit said.
“Ladies, please ask your questions to the room,” Pete directed them.
“Sorry, Pete,” Whit said. “My fault entirely. I don’t have any problems with him staying in the competition.”
“Good. Does anyone have any concerns?” Pete asked.
There were a few concerns but mostly everyone seemed to agree that by not using his legally registered name Remy had leveled the playing field. Dave thought that it had given Remy an unfair advantage but since Christian and Erin both were executive chefs in well known restaurants everyone else agreed that Remy was fine.
“If that’s everything then we have a few housekeeping type items and then you can all go get dressed for dinner at Ramsfeld’s East tonight. Jack, do you want to handle that?”
“Yes,” Jack said. “Starting tonight please refer to Remy as Chef Cruzel, rather than Chef Stephens. We will reveal his identity as we film this week’s episode and each of you will be asked to tape a special entry in your private video journals discussing the news and how it affected you.”
“Will we have to do it now?” Staci asked. She didn’t think she was ready to talk on camera about Remy’s lie. Maybe once she had a few days to clear her head.
