CHAPTER NINETEEN
The next competition was a double elimination, and with everything that had happened, I was feeling the pressure. Gretchen hated me. She made that clear each time she looked in my direction. The producer was cold when he filmed my commentaries.
Shep’s eyes always seemed to follow me, and I knew the others felt it too. I avoided direct eye contact with him at all costs, knowing that his dark brown eyes had some kind of spell over me. I couldn’t risk more drama.
Focus, Claire. Eye on the prize!
The competition was fierce, and I was extremely nervous as Shep did the usual introductions, and the lights from the cameras blared in my face.
We were asked to make our favorite dish, one that offered up a special memory in our life. Then the timer began, and I was rushing to the coolers and pantries, grabbing what looked good. I was working on autopilot, throwing together combinations that sounded wonderful in my mind. Then it hit me. Seared sea scallops, fennel risotto, charred baby tomatoes, and an heirloom vinaigrette. It was the exact dish I had at the Four Seasons with Shep.
Shep’s eyes widened in surprise when he stepped up to my plate. The guest judges were impressed and told me it looked as if it could be served in a five-star restaurant. I tried not to smile as I knew it actually had been. Shep seemed so pleased, and it was obvious he remembered that I ordered the dish with him. I wasn’t sure why I chose these particular foods. I honestly don’t think I considered it a special memory, it was just the only thing on my mind.
“Why did you choose this dish?” one of the judges asked. My chest tightened, and my throat became scratchy as I panicked for an answer, one that didn’t involve Shep. “I had this dish after receiving some very good news,” I said, not willing to give any more specifics.
Disappointment flared in Shep’s eyes at my response. Did he expect me to profess my love for him right there on camera?
Aiden and Derick both had strong dishes, but Elle and Janine were critiqued pretty hard by all the judges, even Shep. It wasn’t surprising when they were called down as the two going home, but it was bittersweet to see Elle leave the competition. Janine on the other hand, I was glad to see her go.
Bye Janine!
“You’re going to win this thing,” Elle shouted to me and waved as she climbed aboard the airport shuttle, then she gave Aiden a wink.
I looked at him, just in time to see him give her a look I couldn’t read. Then he turned to me and extended his arms with a playful look on his face. Since the cameras were off, I ran to him, and he lifted me from the ground in a celebratory twirl.
“We did it, top three,” he said cheerfully.
“What was that look you gave Elle?” I asked.
He looked at me funny. “Oh, nothing. Just a mean mug; kind of a way to say fuck you, but love ya,” he laughed.
I hadn’t realized they had gotten that close, but Aiden’s smile assured me it didn’t mean anything. We’d all gotten close over the past weeks, good or bad. Of course, my little escapades and rumors that flew through the set didn’t really allow me to get really close to anyone except Aiden and Elle.
Gretchen made an announcement that the fourth, fifth, and sixth place chefs would be returning to the show to assist in the next competition. I was relieved that Elle would be returning but felt a nasty nag in my stomach at the thought of being paired up with Janine.
She would sabotage me for sure if given the chance.
He leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. “You and me baby, final two,” he said softly.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I scolded. “Derick has proven to be pretty tough.”
Aiden rolled his eyes. “He’s nothing.” He gave me a wink as he walked towards his camper to pack.
Shep caught me before I made it to my camper. “Hey, I really liked the dish you chose.”
Our eyes locked, and I felt myself get lost in their depths. “I, uh, I, just couldn’t think of anything in the moment.”
His eyes softened, saddened, and they lost some of their grip on me. He ran a hand through his hair. “Well, I thought maybe it was because you had a good night that night.”
Dangerous things began happening low in my belly as I took in that glorious smile. He was a handsome man, an extremely handsome man.
I cleared my throat, pushing back the sudden emotion that wanted to shoot through me. “I’m sorry, I just couldn’t think of anything else, and it was the last good meal I’d eaten.”
It took everything inside me to turn and walk away.
I could feel his eyes burning through me. I knew he was aware I’d lied about the dish. I did have a good night that night, that wasn’t something I could deny. But it was over, and I was back with Aiden, where I belonged.
My camper looked empty as I packed my last bag. I started to zip the large case when I realized the boutique bag from Four Seasons was hanging out of the edge. I pulled it out and peeked inside at the sexy blue dress. I ran my hand across the silky material and closed my eyes. I could feel Shep’s hand on my lower back, his breath on my neck and his eyes on mine. There was something about that man, something I needed to avoid.
I shoved the bag into the suitcase and zipped it tightly. I pushed open my door and dragged the cases down the two small steps and onto the ground. Aiden smirked and reached for my large case. “You really need to learn to pack lighter,” he teased. “What would you do without me here?”
I laughed. “Well, for one, I would get more sleep,” I teased back.
“I don’t think you mind missing out on sleep, darlin’,” Aiden said with a wink. I blushed. He was right. Even with all the emotional complications, I needed our long nights in each other’s arms. Now that I wasn’t worried about what anyone thought, we spent most of our nights together, and no, we didn’t sleep much.
Just three of us on the airport shuttle felt eerie but exciting. I could see the ghosts of all the past contestants — their smiles, their frowns, their accusing glares. Yeah, I wasn’t missing any of them, except for one. I wondered what Elle was doing, and if they’d told her she was returning for next week’s competition.
Gretchen told us there would be a challenge to compete for the order on how we selected our partners. I needed to choose first because I wanted Elle. Janine would ruin me. Sam was incompetent, so Elle was my only real chance at making it to the final round.
I looked at Aiden and then at Derick, wondering if Derick could actually beat out Aiden, or possibly even me. Aiden had the most experience between the three of us, but Derick had pulled some amazing dishes out of nowhere here lately. I knew I needed to step up my game if I wanted to win this thing. The thought of competing against Aiden scared me, not because I thought I would lose against him, but because of what it might do to our relationship if I did actually win.
“Welcome to Kansas” was plastered on a large sign along the road. Green fields, rows of golden wheat, and endless blue skies filled the outside of my window. Aiden’s hand slid into mine and his lips pressed against my cheek. I snuggled up against him and stared out at the empty space as we drove down a lonely highway towards our next farm.
The shuttle pulled down a long dirt road lined with cornfields and stopped at a large red barn. We were ushered out and onto the property where we met the owners, Bernie and Marie. They were sweet, a little eccentric, but very friendly. They immediately served us iced tea and small sandwiches with a meat mixture that resembled ham salad, but tasted nothing like any I’d ever eaten.
Aiden shoved his hand in my back pocket and walked beside me as they gave us a tour of the farm. “You two a couple?” Bernie asked.
“Yes,” Aiden answered quickly.
Shep glared in our direction as he answered and I looked away. A part of me loved hearing Aiden announce that we were a couple, but with everything going on in my life right now, it was also bittersweet.
The week seemed to fly by with only the three of us there. The work on the farm was easy, at least easier than it had been on the others. I shucked corn, rode on the big machine that rolled the hay into bales, and learned how to make homemade ice cream with Marie.
Aiden was so attentive, so sweet that I was starting to feel very attached. I could see a future with him.
“I could open a restaurant in LA,” Aiden said. He was lying on the mattress of his camper, his arms folded behind his head. He stared at me with a strange intensity that made me squirm. “I mean, we could open a restaurant in LA.” His smile widened, and his eyes danced as I almost burst from my skin.
I leapt onto the bed and pounced him while covering his face with quick kisses. “I would love that,” I said, trying my very best to mean it.
His hands wrapped around my waist and slid to my ass. He pushed me hard into him, and I felt his excitement. I got lost in his eyes as he leaned up and pressed his lips against mine.
“Challenge!” Derick shouted from the door with a quick bang. I jumped up and flung open the door; Derick was already heading towards the old farmhouse.
“Let’s go!” I exclaimed. This was the moment I was waiting for. I needed to win this so I could pick Elle as my partner in the next challenge. Otherwise I was screwed.
I’d complained to Aiden about my situation over and over, and he assured me that everything would work out the way it was supposed to. He never came right out and said it, but he insinuated that he would help me get Elle on my team.
I pulled Aiden by the arm towards the set and stopped as Gretchen greeted us with her trusty clipboard. “Today we will start the challenge with a blindfold taste test,” she announced after the cameras were set and rolling. I looked over her shoulder at the three white covered tables. Six silver domes were on each table, and under them I assumed was our tasting challenges. From other challenges, it was clear Derick’s pallet was weak, but Aiden’s was amazingly precise. I felt a calmness wash over me as Aiden leaned into me, his chin on my shoulder. “We got this,” he whispered.
We were lined up and blindfolded one by one and given a set of headphones to block out any answers from the others. Shep fed us bites of different foods and then noted each of our answers. I wasn’t sure how well I’d done; a few of the items had thrown me off.
Shep pulled my headset off and reached around to untie my blindfold. I smelled his cologne and my stomach clenched as it sent me back to the hotel where he’d kissed me so passionately.
Gretchen stood in front of us with a clipboard and smirked as she told Derick he only got two correct. Relief washed over me as she told Aiden he missed only one. “Claire,” she said with a sarcastic tone. “You got three correct.”
So I was second, that’s okay.
I would pick second, and Aiden knew I needed Elle. He would work well with anyone, even Janine who adored him.
The dark shuttle van that sat in the driveway opened, and Sam, Elle, and Janine stepped off. They were lined up in front of us while Shep announced the twist for the viewers. Janine glared at me, Sam refused to look at me, but Elle smiled.
“Aiden, since you won the challenge, you get to pick first,” Shep said. “Who would you like to help you through this next challenge?”
My heart pounded in my chest as I waited to see if he’d choose Janine or Sam. I knew Sam was the weaker cook, so I assumed he would select Janine and leave Derick to struggle with Sam’s slow and combative nature.
As the seconds passed, I watched Aiden draw out the moment for the cameras. The producer pointed at him, cueing him to speak. “I choose Elle,” he shouted.
My heart sank, and I know my face went pale. I couldn’t believe he’d chosen my only hope.
“Claire, since you came in second in the challenge, you can pick next,” Shep said. “Who do you want on your team?”
Elle had bounced over to Aiden’s station like she was on a pogo stick. She gripped his arm and squeezed it, neither of them looking in my direction. I felt betrayed.
It’s a competition Claire, don’t take it personally!
I couldn’t help but take it personally. If Aiden wanted to select Elle, why didn’t he tell me? Why did he let me believe he was on my side?
“Who do you select, Claire?” Shep prompted.
I stared at my choices. Janine’s eyes were beady and glazed with hatred. Sam looked up, barely smirked and then rolled his head back against his shoulders like he was bored.
“Sam,” I said softly.
At least Sam wouldn’t sabotage me; he was too lazy. I was basically on my own with this challenge, with each of my opponents having a strong team member to help them through. This sucked!
Focus. Eye on the prize.
Sam proved to be as lazy as expected. I left him with jobs that didn’t require much attention while I ran myself to death to get things done. Rage flowed through my veins as I watched Elle and Aiden working so smoothly together. Was this planned all along?
Shep announced that time was up, and I threw my hands up in the air. Derick looked disappointed, and I noticed Janine trying to console him. Aiden and Elle looked extremely pleased with their dish, and I felt somewhat indifferent about mine. It wasn’t my best, but I knew it was still pretty damn good. Was it enough to keep me here?
Aiden glanced over at me and smiled, smirked really. My mouth fell open in exhaustion and disgust as he winked in my direction. Shep walked up to the tables, examining each dish carefully. The other two judges were Bernie and Marie, the owners of the farm. My nerves sang as they each tasted my dish. The compliments were basic — good flavor, looks great, cooked perfectly — but nothing extraordinary was said about my accomplishment, probably because it wasn’t extraordinary.
My skin crawled as Aiden and Elle received the compliments I had hoped for. Shep told them that their dish was the best in the competition so far. Bernie went on and on about how unique the blend of flavors was. Marie didn’t say much; she was too busy stuffing her face.
When they moved to Derick and Janine, I finally began to relax from the tension. He had forgotten to plate one of the main components of his dish, and without it, they said it was too sweet. His bacon was sitting in the pan on the stove, a task that Janine had been in charge of plating. I guess it wasn’t just me she wanted to hurt, it was anyone. Poor Derick.
It wasn’t a surprise when they announced that Aiden and I would be going into the finale. I had been waiting for this moment and had pictured myself running into Aiden’s arms at the announcement. Instead, his arms were wrapped around Elle.
The producer came out from behind his camera and congratulated us both on the win. He shook hands with Derick, saying a few kind words of encouragement and then sent him away from the set.
“You’ll be given the week off to sharpen your skills before the finale,” he announced. “We’ll meet back in Texas on the Thompson Farm where it all began to provide you with your final challenge and announce the winner. Good luck!”
Shep gave me a soft, almost apologetic smile that seemed to have ‘told ya so’ written all over it. I shrugged and took off towards my camper. I needed to pack my bags, clean up my temporary home where I had thrown stuff everywhere. I had spent most of the week in Aiden’s camper, only coming into mine to grab more clothes and toss my dirty ones in a pile on the floor. Once I cleared my head, I would deal with Aiden.
As I started packing everything neatly into my suitcases, sorting the dirty clothes from the clean, I calmed down. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with my week off, or if I’d even be spending it with Aiden. But I was thrilled at the possibility of a break.
When I finished, I set my suitcases by the door and took a deep breath, reminding myself that this was a competition. Aiden had a right to pick Elle. He had come in first, and she was the strongest chef. I wished he’d chosen differently, but it was a game. Only a game…
My anger lightened as I walked across the field to Aiden’s trailer. I decided not to be mad at him, or even look at it as a betrayal. Why should he bow down and take a lesser cook for me? Would I have done it for him?
What we had was strong, stronger than this. If we could get through the tabloid rumors and him treat me so sweetly and trusting, I owed him the same respect by simply congratulating him and letting him know I was proud of him. I pulled my shoulders up from their slump, pushed a smile on my face and opened the door to Aiden’s camper, ready to be strong and sweet about his victory.
I stopped as I took my first step into the camper. My heart stopped too, then began to pound so hard I could feel the swish of blood in my ears. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I quickly pushed them back as Elle turned to look at who had just interrupted her riding Aiden’s cock.
She reached for the sheet and covered her small perky breasts. The image of them bouncing in front of Aiden would be etched in my mind forever. Aiden calmly slid up on the bed, pushing his back against the faux wood wall after Elle rolled off of him, a tattoo on her ass visible as she struggled with the sheet. Bile rose as I noticed a heart with Aiden’s name written inside.
“What’s going on?” I asked, calmer than I expected.
“You were going to find out eventually, Claire,” Elle said coolly as she snuggled against my boyfriend.
“Find out?” I asked, still confused by their indifference to being caught in this position.
“Yes, find out…” Elle said sarcastically. I wanted to leap across the room and slap her sassy mouth. Who the hell did she think she was?
“Claire, I’m really sorry,” Aiden said. His words said one thing, but his face another. I watched as his lips curled into a smile and his eyes seemed to dance at the excitement of destroying my heart.
“I’ve known Elle for a long time,” he explained in a tone one would use with small children. “So, technically, you were screwing her over.”
My mouth fell open, but no words came. I relived the image of Elle’s naked body climbing off Aiden, and the tattoo with his name surrounded by a heart on her ass cheek. They had been close, too close at times, but why?
“Why would you do this to me?” I was still trying to piece this all together, to make some sense of it, but I couldn’t.
Aiden lifted a shoulder. “Just insurance.”
I was disgusted, devastated and felt like a fool. How could I have fallen for this?
Elle rolled her eyes and leaned against Aiden. “It’s just a game.”
“A game? It’s just a game?” I was finally getting my voice back. “You pushed me to sleep with him, why?” I asked, still not understanding the insurance.
“People aren’t perfect, Claire,” Elle said and had the audacity to look bored.
I couldn’t look at her face any longer, and Aiden’s was so full of himself I wanted to punch it right in the nose. My entire body shook with anger, and my tears were no longer preventable.
They fell down my cheeks as I ran towards the producer’s trailer. I beat on the door frantically until it finally flung open. Gretchen stood there with a hand on her hip as if she were irritated at being disturbed. When she saw my face, my tears, my devastation, she relaxed her stance, and her face softened. “What happened? Are you okay?”
I shook my head. “I just need my phone,” I pleaded.
“Of course,” Gretchen said calmly and disappeared into the trailer. “I was actually getting ready to deliver this to you.”
“Thanks,” I replied and took the phone from her hand.
I ran back to my camper and locked myself inside.