“Would Holly and Jin-Yoo please step forward?” Anu said. “Jin-Yoo, while the ice cream was tasty, it just wasn't as complex or imaginative as the other desserts. You had several hours to cook. We expect a bit more from contestants. Holly, your dessert was classic tart, yet had a subtle refinement and intelligence about it. Congratulations, you've won this round. Jin-Yoo, best of luck.”
I checked my phone as I handed back the microphone after the cameras finished their close-up of Jin-Yoo's teary face as Anastasia hugged her.
I had ten messages, and they were all from my brother Jack.
9
Holly
Iwas riding high on my first big win. Maybe I could do this! Maybe I could turn my life around. I didn't want much. Just a kitchen big enough to make a wedding cake and a freestanding tub. Ideally, the tub wouldn't be in the kitchen, but I could make it work if I had to.
I did feel a little bit bad that we had kicked Owen out of his own home, though it was a very nice penthouse.
“Such a pretty kitchen!” I purred, hugging the white marble countertops as Penny and Zane set up to shoot. “Seriously, I bet Owen doesn’t even cook in here. Speaking of which, I’m starving.”
“There's leftovers in the fridge from Thanksgiving,” Morticia said with a slight smirk.
“OMG! Thanksgiving leftovers!” I dumped the turkey, corn-bread stuffing, and sweet potatoes on a plate and heated them up in the microwave while I sketched out what I was going to bake.
“I have to send out boxes for my new subscribers from November,” I said. “I was thinking tarts, chocolate chip-mas cookies, and gingerbread cookie bars. I have a hundred and twenty boxes to mail out.”
“That many?”
“Yes, and that was just from Thanksgiving week!” I told Morticia. “Ever since the drum up forThe Great Christmas Bake-Offstarted, I've had more people wanting to order a Taste My Muffin subscription box!”
“Seems like a lot,” Morticia said as I blew on the turkey and stuffing. She took out a fork and snuck a bite.
I smiled at her.
“No,” Morticia said, eyes narrowing.
“Please?” I wheedled.
“I'm not helping you bake.”
“But you're a good baker!” I cajoled. “You helped me in college.” We had both gone to the same university, but I was in culinary school while she was in art school. I had dormed in a pod with Morticia and her identical twin, Lilith.
“Just help me! You know the gingerbread cookies take forever.”
Morticia heaved a sigh. “Fine.” She tied up her long hair. “But I get the last of the leftovers.”
“We're ready to start filming whenever you are,” Zane said, motioning to his camera.
I narrated as I mixed up the ingredients for the chocolate chip-mas cookies. I used chocolate chunks, of course, but to give it that Christmas pizzazz, I added in green and red sprinkles and white-chocolate chips.
“The trick to the perfect chocolate chip cookie is to take the pan out of the oven every three minutes and slam it,” I said.
Morticia raised an eyebrow at the camera. “Heh. Slam it. Can you tell she has sex on the brain?”
“I do not!” I sputtered. “Don't sully chocolate chip cookies with that kind of talk.”
“She wants a certain someone to sully her.” Morticia smirked.
“Ignore her, please,” I said, waving a hand in front of Morticia’s face. “Now,” I told the camera, “I'm going to use an ice cream scoop to make even balls.”
“Balls.” Morticia snickered.
Owen’s balls looked nice in those boxer briefs.
