"What's his deal?" I whispered to Nina.
"I don't think he's scowling at us," she replied and looked pointedly at Hartleigh.
"What's up with you and Jack?" Nina asked Hartleigh.
"We have a bond, a connection," Hartleigh said imperiously.
That made me annoyed. I shook off the feeling. I wasn’t jealous, was I? I didn't even like Jack; he was a meanie who hated Christmas.
"Now that we're in the same tower, I bet we rekindle our romance. I didn't win this round because Jack doesn't want to play favorites," Hartleigh told me as we dumped the bowls and spoons in a large bin to be washed by some unknown staff person.
"Could you all come shoot interviews?" Dana called, waving us over. "We don't need much since Anastasia talked with you guys during the round."
"I need a shower," I complained.
"You're fine," she said.
"I'm covered in frosting."
"This is supposed to feel looser and more authentic than those highly scripted reality TV shows," Dana said. "It's a positive that you look like you just spent all day baking."
While we waited, I made a silly face and took a selfie and posted it.
I immediately received comments. One said,
You still look beautiful even covered in frosting
I replied,
Thanks!
The person wrote back,
Can I send you fan mail?
That made me excited. I loved receiving mail!
Sure! Send it to Frost Tower. That’s where we're shooting.
I received a smiley face wearing a Santa hat in return.
"Someone's sending me fan mail!" I squealed to Nina.
"Be careful," she warned. "There are a lot of nutcases in the world."
"It's fine," I said, waving her concerns away. "I have a baking Instagram. How crazy can baking fans be?"
When it was my turn to sit in front of a decorated Christmas tree and be interviewed, I talked about the decisions I had made, what I hoped to do next, and how I felt about the judges' comments.
By the time we were done, the whole day had passed, and I hadn't even eaten a real meal.
"There are no places to eat around here, unfortunately," Anastasia said when she heard Nina and me complaining about our hunger. "We're between subway lines in this weird sort of Bermuda Triangle."
"Leave it to Jack Frost to find the only place in New York City that's not booming," I said as Anastasia waved and stepped onto the elevator.
After we showered and changed, Nina and I cooked a simple dinner of broiled fish and charred Brussel sprouts in the shared kitchen. Then we both posted pictures and interacted with our followers on social media. My fans were clamoring for the first episode. I didn't know when it would be online, but I promised them it would be out soon. Jack's photo came up as I scrolled through my phone to find more bake-off pictures to post. He looked elegant and delicious, like a perfectly artistic cookie, glazed in frosting.
"He's really handsome," Nina said, looking over my shoulder.
