“Need some help?” Hensley purred.
“No,” I replied sharply and grabbed the closest leafy green and white vegetable.
“Those,” Hensley said, walking her fingers down my arm to my hand, “are bok choy, not”—she rested her head against my arm—“leeks. These,” Hensley said, pressing two fingers against my jaw and turning my head, “are leeks.” She picked up the thick dark green stalk, reached out, and batted playfully at me with the vegetable.
A small part of me wanted her back—wanted to hug her, feel her love, have the fun playful moments that felt like a real partnership, like she had been my best friend.
None of it was real, I reminded myself.
“Thank you,” I said tersely. I took the leek from her and turned to leave.
“That’s it?” Hensley snarled. “You’re just going to leave, throw away everything we had?”
“I didn’t do that. You did,” I reminded her, turning back.
“I made a mistake, Matt,” she pleaded. “I still love you.”
“None of your actions have given me the slightest impression that you even felt a hint of remorse. For fuck’s sake, you were all over the man you cheated on me with right in front of me.”
“Brody’s like that with every woman,” she scoffed. “Look, he’s even after your baking partner.”
I swiveled around. Sure enough, there was Brody flirting hot and heavy with Merrie. He reached up to tug on a tendril of her hair.
“Get the fuck away from my baking station,” I snarled, striding over to confront him.
Brody smirked at me while Merrie awkwardly wiped then re-wiped her hands on a tea towel.
“I was just showing Merrie what she was missing by not having a real man who knew how to bake.” Brody crossed his arms.
Fuck that.
“She already has a real man. And I’m going to help her win the bake-off. I already helped her win all the fan-favorite votes,” I shot back.
Brody scowled.
“Seems you weren’t the flavor this season,” I added.
“I’m going to win fan favorite this time,” he snapped at me. The cameras buzzed around us. Brody’s nostrils were flared.
I, of course, kept my cool. “Sure,” I drawled, “but you might want to mix it up. I think people are tired of your bare chest.”
“Never,” Brody insisted. “Women fall at my feet.”
Merrie suddenly turned toward me and pressed her face against my chest.
I was stunned for a moment. Was she crying? Was she upset? I was going to kill Brody.
“Achoo!” She practically screamed out the sneeze. “Achoo!Achoo!”
Brody, obviously disgusted, hurried away.
I was flabbergasted.
“Did you just sneeze on me?” I asked her.
“My hands are covered in egg, and I can’t sneeze on the food.”
“What the fuck.This is a custom suit.”
