“You did what?” Di asks. She’s wearing a fringed dress made from dollar-store shower curtains. Mama Bear sees her as he walks by, looks her up and down, then gives her a thumbs-up. She returns it.
“Shhh,” I tell her. We’re in HEAT, and the third round is about to begin. “I don’t want everyone to know. Zack could be filming.”
Di shakes her head. “As your hag—”
“You’re not my hag.”
Di continues, “I’m behind you going porn star.”
“Seriously, Di!”
“You should kiss guys. A lot of them. But you went from never kissing a guy to kissing two older ones. Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Completely,” I say, knowing I’m lying. “They’re both hot. They both like me. They offered me help. And it’s KCC, the KCC.”
“They’re married. To each other. They don’t need a boyfriend.”
“It doesn’t need to be like that. It’s just some kissing. And I liked it. They’re good kissers.”
“Because you have so much experience there.”
“Any louder and we’ll need to get you a mic. Thanks for broadcasting my sexual history.”
“There’s nothing to broadcast. It’s not like you’re a big stud.” She grabs my arm and looks at me. “Theo, are you sure this isn’t a big deal? You’re not one to take risks. In baking, yes. In life, not really.”
“I’m good. They’re good guys.” My stomach grinds a bit. “It’s all going to be fine. Better than fine. It’s like a dream. Two super-hot older guys want me.”
“Except you’ve been feeling so shitty about yourself. Suddenly these two guys are hitting on you and being nice and promising to do stuff for you,” Di says. “I don’t want to ruin anything, but—”
“Then don’t,” I say. “I’m going to see where it goes. They’re cool and attractive and powerful, and yeah, I don’t know why, but they’re into me.”
“Fine,” Di says. “But you should be careful.”
“Everyone’s telling me to be careful. Being careful nearly got me cut from this contest. Taking risks got me noticed. What do you know?”
I can see by Di’s face that I shouldn’t have said that last part. We stand there not saying anything for a while. It’s almost showtime.
“You’re on soon. You’d better go get ready,” Di says and leaves to take her seat.
The restaurant is full, as many tables as can fit crammed in whether they fit the décor or not. Even the bar is packed. There’s no standing room. The servers can barely move among the crowd.
I’m already sweating. My heart is beating fast. This is the most people I have ever been in front of. And I have to perform, to cook, to prove that I deserve a spot in the finals. I barely scraped through last time. This time I need to show KCC I have talent. I need to prove that I deserve his attention, his help, his respect. I need to be creative, risky, unexpected. I want him to see me as a top chef. Even if I’m eliminated today, I want to go out letting him know that I earned my place here and that he didn’t make out with some loser. I don’t want him thinking he shouldn’t have put his faith in me.
Mama Bear calls us out. Zack, Dennis and I wave at the cheering crowd as we take our places.
“HEAT’s very own Hungry Games!” Mama Bear declares. “That, by the way, is what I call my pizza order after the show. I’m serious. The staff all wonder who will live to deliver another day. But enough about me. Tonight’s theme is… late-night snack plates!”
As soon as I hear the theme, I relax a little. I love whipping up quick and delicious snacks after I’ve spent the day baking. This is like a jacked-up appetizer round. That satisfying last bite before you fall into bed.
Mama Bear holds his hands in the air, his bushy armpits spilling over the top of his evening gown. “Wait. There’s a twist. All these lovely people paid to be here tonight. We want them to get their money’s worth. So your task is to present not only the four required plates, but to feed the entire audience. Then they will vote. And those votes will count. But don’t worry. We are giving you double your prep time and two assistants. One of your choice and one volunteer.”
Di is at my station before I can call her. She pulls off her outfit. Underneath she’s in a tank and cutoffs. I open my mouth, ready to apologize.
Di shakes her head. “That’s over. Let’s do this,” she says.
When it’s time for an audience member to volunteer, I see arms waving from a table of the same cute guys from last week. The one who winked at me is saying, “Me! Pick me! I volunteer as a tribute! Team Theo!”
He nearly skips up to my station.
“Hi,” I say. “Um, thanks for your enthusiasm.”
He grabs my hand and shakes it. “I’m Benji. The pleasure is all mine. My friends and I think you’re the best.”
Mama Bear calls, “Ready, set, HEAT!”
Di, Benji and I huddle.
“We don’t have a lot of time,” I say, taking the lead. My nerves have calmed. This is my territory. When I’m in the kitchen, I’m in control. “I’ve done this type of thing before when I’ve been assigned cafeteria duty. We have a lot of people to feed, so we need to keep things simple but extremely tasty.”
“So what are you thinking we could do?” Benji asks.
“Nachos,” I answer.
“Is that enough?” Di asks. “Creativity, remember.”
I nod and grin. “Slumber-party nachos.”
Di smiles too. “Oh. My. God. Yes. You’re winning.”
Benji looks confused. “What do these nachos do? Watch horror movies and talk about boys until 3 AM? Or is ʽsleepoverʼ code for going out clubbing and stumbling home before dawn?” He laughs. It’s loud and escapes almost like he’s barking. He covers his mouth and looks embarrassed. I think it’s sweet.
Di laughs too. “He makes fried won tons stuffed with ground chicken and veggies cooked in a ginger soy sauce. Then he loads them up with nacho stuff like melted cheese and shredded lettuce. Oh! And the hoisin, siracha and lime sauce he drizzles over is insane. They’re so good.” She’s almost drooling.
“Perfect for a horror flick then,” Benji says.
“Yep,” I say before going into command mode. “We’ll do this like an assembly line. I’ll man the fryer. Di, you get the plates counted. Benji, you’ll prep the toppings. After you get plate numbers, Di, preheat the ovens, get the plates warming, and see what cheeses we have. Then you can help Benji. I’ll make the sauce and be manning the fryer and the stove. I’ll be shouting out orders as we go so keep an ear out. Okay, let’s do this!”
Di looks shocked. She only ever sees me in the kitchen working alone, not giving orders.
“Team Theo!” Benji cheers as he grabs an armful of vegetables and heads to the sink to rinse them. Once he starts chopping I notice he’s using the wrong knife to hack at a red pepper.
I go over and hand Benji a larger knife. I stand behind him and show him how to hold the knife properly. I put my hand over his and help him cut the pepper into strips. “Easier now, right?”
Benji gulps. “Definitely,” he says. I head back to my station.
After that, Benji keeps brushing against me as he preps. He answers everything with “Yes, Chef!” It makes me smile. I wonder momentarily if he’s finding excuses to be near me. Nah. I doubt Benji’s interested in me. He’s so slim and funny, and he’s not bad in the kitchen. I don’t think I’m his type. I’ve seen his friends. We’re too different. I’m sure it’s only the tight space and my size making him brush against me. I’d like to give it more thought, but I need to stay focused. The won tons are easy to burn. That would be a big setback.
Di and Benji ask for more directions when they finish tasks. They handle heating up the broiler and arranging the dishes for plating. Without being asked, they see jobs and do them. We’re working together like a well-oiled machine. When we get the five-minute warning, we rotate the dishes among us for plating, broiling and garnish. I taste the sauce and just before adding the siracha I decide to use wasabi instead. I don’t want to get called out for not being creative again. I taste the mix and it’s good, but not good enough. I add some honey for a touch of sweetness and a bit of cocoa to hint at a Mexican mole. I give it another taste. My usual sauce is good. This sauce is great.
Benji takes care of drizzling the sauce and sour cream while and Di tops the plates of cheese-smothered won tons with scallion and shredded lettuce. I do a final check before handing off to the servers.
“Hot stuff over here!” Benji calls as the final seconds count down. Benji and Di join me in pumping out the last plates.
When the last plates leave our station, I throw my arms around Benji and Di. I pull them in for a hug. “We’ve got this,” I say to them. “I just know it. Thank you.”
Di releases me first. She collects her outfit, then checks her reflection in the metal countertop. “There’s the confidence I’ve been waiting to see. Maybe going porn star does that for you,” she says as she reapplies her lipstick.
“Porn star?” Benji asks, lifting an eyebrow.
“She’s joking,” I say. “But she’s not funny.”
“We should do this again,” Benji says. “It was fun.”
“You two make a good team,” Di says.
“We three,” I correct.
“I should get back to my friends,” Benji says. “We’ll be voting for you.”
“You’re awesome,” I tell him as I give him another hug.
Benji leaves but looks back and smiles over his shoulder. Di reaches for the extra nachos. She shoves some into her freshly painted mouth. Then she shoves some into mine.
“This sauce! she says. “OMG!”
“I know,” I mumble through my mouthful of nachos.
After what seems like only a few minutes, Mama Bear addresses the crowd. “Attention, everyone. I’ve just had word from the judges. We have the results already. Unfortunately, Dennis wasn’t able to make enough of his appetizers for the whole audience. Without the audience vote, you’re done. I’m sorry, Dennis. We really loved having you here.”
Mama Bear pauses. The crowd goes silent. “That means our finalists are Zack and Theo. One of these two talented chefs will be our winner. Don’t forget to get your tickets for the finale here at HEAT.” Lots of cheering and clapping.
Di squeals and squeezes me. When she lets go, I feel someone grab me and turn me around. Benji is bouncing up and down. He wraps his arms around my middle, his face against my chest.
Benji lets go as KCC and Brandon arrive. Brandon hugs me, then KCC. Benji, now behind KCC and Brandon, waits a minute before he steps out of the cooking area. I look over KCC’s shoulder at Benji. I smile at him and give a little wave. He gives me a big grin and a bigger wave back.
As he hugs me, KCC whispers in my ear. “Time to celebrate. Get rid of your friend. Meet us in my office. Be discreet.”
As KCC lets go and Brandon nods at me, I feel a bit like throwing up. It must be the excitement.