Amber was next. “I have a cocktail for you to enjoy with your fried pudding.”
“This is a very strong cocktail,” Nick said, taking a sip.
“Worth almost burning down the studio for?” I asked.
“I’m not sure about this pudding. It's a little bit dry,” Anu said. “You should have seen what Holly did when she reimagined a boiled apple dumpling. This is just boiled fruit bread that you used to make French toast.”
“It's a little off-putting,” Nick said as I picked at it with my fork. “It's dense and dry and a little too eggy.”
Fiona's dessert was nice. She’d made a sugar basket filled with chocolate truffles, candied fruit, and meringue cookies.
“This is whimsical and beautiful,” Anu told her in admiration.
No surprise, but Holly was the winner; Jamila was sent home. I felt like Amber should have been the one to go, but I knew Dana and Gunnar wanted to keep her for the drama. I hung around and waited for Holly to finish with the post-bake-off interviews.
“You don't have any plans,” I told her when she was done.
“Well, actually, I—”
“It's not a question,” I said, taking her by the hand and leading her upstairs.
55
Holly
Once we were back in Owen's condo, I took a shower. I still smelled like burnt fabric and smoky oranges. Though I wanted to spend a lazy, sexy afternoon with Owen, I really needed to do some planning for the Quantum Cyber winter festival; it was in a few days. I wanted to make sure we had all the finishing touches. Too bad Sloane would be there.
Owen had ordered food and had it waiting for me when I came downstairs.
“Wow! The star treatment! I was going to cook, but okay, I'll take it,” I said as I opened the container of cheesy bacon-and-potato soup. There was also a grilled three-cheese sandwich and a creamy Caesar salad.
“It's like all my favorite food groups,” I said, taking my plate to sit on Owen's couch. He followed me and sat down next to me. I rested my head on his shoulder for a second, and he kissed my hair.
“I do actually need to work on your winter festival,” I said, turning on my tablet. “Especially since you are technically paying me. I feel like I haven't done anything yet except decorate your office with Christmas cheer.”
“You had the Christmas Bake-Off holiday party.”
“That was more Penny's idea.”
“You decorated,” he insisted. “Everyone liked it. My employees are much friendlier now.”
“Copious amounts of free booze and their CEO not acting like a sociopath will do that!”
I hung out with Owen for the rest of the evening. I made him watch Christmas movies with me while I went through the catering menu and the day's programming. I was planning it like a mini conference, where there would be several sessions going on simultaneously. Owen's employees had been submitting topics for panels about various projects they were working on. We were planning to hold the talks in the company’s lecture hall. We would also have people in the atrium of the Quantum Cyber office along with two sessions in the main lobby of the tower. Demonstrations of the more dangerous technology like the human-sized drones would take place out in the park. That was where I was also planning my extra-special surprise.
I also had a holiday feast planned with turkey, beef Wellington, and other traditional dishes. To celebrate the fact that Quantum Cyber was an inclusive company, we also had foods from other religions like potato latkes, challah, along with foods from around the world that people ate in December, such asvitello tonato, mince pie, andStollen. There was a large catering kitchen in the tower. Fiona and Morticia were going to help me cook.
I sent out the last email then snuggled next to Owen, turning up the volume on the TV asHoliday in Handcuffsstarted.
“I love this movie,” I said as he wrapped his arms around me. “I watch it several times a year.”
“You watch Christmas movies all year round?” Owen said in confusion.
“Duh, yeah, of course. What else are you supposed to do in July?”
“I don't know. Go outside?”
“No way! Christmas movies all day every day.”
