“Hell’s kitchen, that is!” Archer said cheerfully. “As the bake-off is in two days at the baking festival—”
“Because of course Harrogate has a baking festival.” Greg scoffed.
“You don’t have to be here if you’re going to be negative,” Mace told Greg.
“Someone needs to babysit Hunter and make sure he doesn’t completely derail. He’s blown his last few shots.”
Yeah, I did… in Meg.Stop thinking filthy thoughts.Yeah, it was fucking filthy.
“Okay,” I told Archer. “Start the lesson.”
“Baking is wholesome,” my brother reminded me, clacking a whisk and a spatula together. “You’re doing this for the old ladies who think it’s adorable that you won’t be able to cook, but you tried your best.”
“I can cook!”
“Eh.” Isaac made a wavering motion with his hand.
“If they’re going to think it’s cute that I’m incompetent, then what is all of this for?” I gestured to the display of baking machinery and ingredients.
“You have to be cutely incompetent,” Greg said. “But not so incompetent that you put everyone in the hospital with food poisoning.”
“To that end, we have to get you ready for a variety of desserts that the contest might throw at you,” Archer explained. “There are multiple baking techniques. And we’re going to run through them in the next few days.”
“Yeah, thanks but no thanks.” I was spending the next few days in bed with Meg.
“I don’t think you fully appreciate the gravity of your situation,” Greg snapped. “After that little stunt you pulled at the debate where your brain fell out of your open, gaping mouth, we have to have you as mayor. Otherwise, if Meg wins, she is not going to let a single one of our developments go through.”
“She will if Hunter’s sleeping with her,” Weston piped up.
“No she won’t,” Garrett sneered. “She holds all the cards. I mean, it’s not like Hunter can tell her, ‘Approve my development, or you’ll never see me again.’ He won’t be able to walk away from her. Look at him. His IQ has dropped about ten percent already, and now it’s in a nosedive.”
“I’m going to win,” I assured them. Wasn’t I? Now I wasn’t so sure. All I was sure about was that I was so close to Meg being mine forever.
Greg slammed a large baking book in front of me, making me jump slightly.
“First lesson,” Greg said. “Chouxpastry.”
* * *
“It really isthe blind leading the blind,” Mace remarked as we cleaned batter off the ceiling later that evening.
“Maybe you could hire a chef to teach him,” Parker suggested.
“I don’t think anyone is teaching him anything,” Greg said, watching us sourly as we cleaned.
“You could help, you know,” I snarled at my half brother. “Considering this is your idea.”
He frowned. “I should have had Weston run for mayor.”
Jeez.
As I took out the trash later, I texted Meg.
Hunter:Have any more fantasies you need fulfilled?
Meg:There is one with you dressed up in a sexy butler outfit.
Meg:You show up to my apartment in the middle of the night.
