by Ward, Alice
Aiden was on a lounge chair outside his camper as we walked by. He jumped up and stood in our path, his hands jammed in his pockets. I could tell he was irritated as he eyed Shep and then me. “Where did you two sneak off to?” he asked.
I stiffened. “I was at the bar with Elle.”
Aiden didn’t look convinced as he looked over my shoulder to see no one else with us. “She decided to leave with some guy,” I explained. “Shep was rounding everyone up and was nice enough to walk me back,” I added with a warm smile to soothe his worries. I didn’t need Aiden questioning my relationship with anyone.
“What do you mean she left with some guy?” he asked, concern flashing across his face. “Was she drunk?”
“No, tipsy maybe, but not drunk.”
Aiden gave another glare towards Shep as if to tell him he could go. To soothe him, I leaned towards Aiden, kissed him softly on the cheek, and gripped his hand in mine. Shep’s face paled, and his jaw clenched as he struggled to form a smile.
“Well, I’ll see you both in the morning then,” he said quickly, then continued on the path towards his camper.
This was going to be a long five weeks if I had to walk this emotional tightrope.
Then Aiden took me in his arms and pulled me into his camper, and I didn’t worry about anything else for several hours.
CHAPTER TEN
e
Ten avocados sat on each of our eight stations.
“Today, you will make your best dish using avocado,” Shep announced. “I expect it to be creative, reflective of your own culinary style, and of course, delicious.”
We were instructed towards the large pantry and a cooler truck in the field where we could gather more ingredients, but the avocados at our station would be the only ones available to use for the competition. I noticed Aiden waving at Shep. When he walked over to him, Aiden said something in his ear which was immediately ignored.
“Time starts now!” Shep announced.
I ran to the cooler and grabbed fresh ingredients. In the few minutes we’d been allowed to come up with a plan, I’d decided to make a fresh corn and avocado salad featuring an avocado and cilantro dressing to showcase my California-style cooking. The dish was simple but displayed several techniques that I felt could push me into the next round. To add a bit of creativity, I scooped out the guts of one avocado to create a guacamole style sauce and stuffed the shell with a perfectly fried egg and some herbs, green onions and crumbled candied bacon bits over the top.
Aiden seemed distressed as he cut into his avocados. I watched as he tossed several into the trash beside his station and then moved towards Shep. “My avocados aren’t ripe,” I heard him say.
“Well, you’ll have to make do,” Shep replied.
I didn’t have time to get sucked into the drama, but Aiden was making it difficult not to as he huffed back to his station and began slamming things around.
Everyone else seemed content with the fruit they were given, so I wondered if Shep had purposely created this obstacle for Aiden in hopes to rid him from the competition and get him out of his way.
“Hands up,” Shep announced.
I stood with my hands high in the air and stepped back from my plate. The dish was extremely attractive and delicious, so I knew it would get me through, but I hoped it was creative enough to gain another win.
Shep and two other judges, guests that I remembered from his show, walked around the tables and tasted each dish. They offered up their critique immediately instead of waiting until the end this time, and many were getting poor marks for not thinking outside of the box.
By the time they got around to me, it was obvious that they were disappointed in most of the other contestant’s dishes and my stomach flipped as I felt suddenly insecure about the salad and egg that sat in front of me.
Shep smiled at me and shoved his fork into the salad. “Simple, but delicious.” He smiled and looked at the fried egg stuffed in the avocado shell. “Now that’s thinking outside of the box,” he offered, and the other judges agreed.
Relief fell over me as they all moved to the next station. When they landed at Aiden’s, the complaint from all three judges was the texture of his avocados. “They weren’t ripe,” Aiden explained with obvious irritation in his voice.
“Well, a great chef knows how to leap an obstacle, not use it as an excuse,” Shep said sarcastically.
After they tasted each dish, Elle, myself, and Janine were brought up front as the top three. When they announced the winner I was surprised to hear Janine’s name and not my own. Aiden was called in the bottom three, something no one expected. I held my breath as they called the loser, and when it wasn’t Aiden another rush of relief fell over me. This time, to everyone’s surprise, it was Monopoly man who went home.
The competition was over and Gretchen announced the remaining seven would be heading to Maine. “It’s a large self-sustaining farm that runs a bed and breakfast,” she said cheerfully. Her finger pushed her thick-rimmed glasses back up her nose where the sweat had caused them to fall before pushing her black hair away from her face. It was hot in Florida, almost too hot to function, so Maine sounded like a delightfully cool treat.
I rushed to Aiden and wrapped my arms around his waist. He pulled away, obviously still irritated by the outcome of the competition. “At least you made it,” I said with encouragement.
“At least I made it?” he said hatefully and pulled my hands from around his tense body before walking away.
“He’ll cool down,” Elle offered, taking my arm. “Let’s get on the shuttle, at least it’s air conditioned.” She snickered at her own sarcasm and I struggled to stay quiet in case Aiden could hear.
I gave Aiden his space and stayed with Elle during the ride to the airport and the flight. When we got off the bus, we were all assigned rooms. Again, I would be bunking with Elle. Aiden was nowhere to be found. I knew he had gotten off the bus ahead of us, but within minutes, he was missing.
Gretchen pushed through the crowd of contestants and crew to grip Shep’s arm. “We have a meeting with the production crew.” She spoke quickly and without her normal perkiness. Shep rolled his eyes, looked around the crowd and then followed her into the producer’s trailer that was set up next to the large bed and breakfast.
“What’s that about?” I asked Elle. She shrugged, grabbed her suitcase, and headed towards the house.
I looked around for Aiden, but he was still nowhere to be seen. “Right this way, ladies,” a small redheaded woman with bright pink lipstick that clashed with her skin tone said cheerfully. I picked up my suitcase and followed her into the large colonial house and up the spiral wooden staircase to a small room at the front of the hall. “If you need anything, please just let me know,” she said and shut the door behind her as she left.
“Well, this is better than the campers,” Elle said as she flopped her body onto the larger bed in the room. “A little too cutesy for my taste though.” She picked up a ruffled throw pillow and tossed it to the floor.
“I’m going to go check on Aiden,” I said, ignoring her rantings about the floral prints and the puffy valances on the windows.
I walked down the long hallway and peeked into each room to search for him. Derick, a tall man with a goatee, was in the last room alone.
“Have you seen Aiden?” I asked.
“He’s my roommate, but no sign of him yet,” he replied.
The woman with the pink lipstick stopped me at the bottom of the stairs. “Can I get you something, sweetie?” She seemed irritated that I was already out of my room.
“No, I’m just looking for someone,” I replied, noticing the relief on her face. It had to be tough running a bed and breakfast and pleasing pretentious guests day after day. I chuckled to myself as I thought about how we’d all been living in campers for the last week. This was luxurious compared to that. Doubtful she would have too many complaints.
Outside, I stood on the front porch and took in the
view of the farm. It was clean, organized, and seemed to go on forever. The producer’s trailer door opened, and Shep walked out, followed by the producer, Gretchen, and two other production crew members, and finally Aiden.
Shep and Gretchen headed towards their trailers, and the production crew stayed in a huddle outside the producer’s trailer while Aiden headed towards the house.
“What was that all about?” I asked, filled with concern.
“I filed a formal complaint on Shep,” Aiden said, his blue eyes blazing. “He purposely tried to sabotage me in the last competition.”
“How?” I asked but already knew.
“My avocados, they weren’t ripe. I told him that before we started and he just smiled and walked away,” he snapped.
“So, what’s going to happen?” I asked. “Will they throw him off the show?”
Aiden laughed, and the sarcasm dripped from his lips as he tightened them into a straight line. “Yeah, right,” he scoffed. “Heads up. They’ll probably want to talk to you.”
“Me, why me?” I panicked.
“Because the entire reason he’s trying to get rid of me stems from you and his jealousy,” Aiden insisted. “I told you the kind of man he was, Claire, and the more you lead him on, the harder he’ll be on me.”
“I haven’t led him on!” I exclaimed, rage and hurt warring with each other.
Aiden’s eyes were heavy and lingered on mine as his mouth relaxed and his lips parted. I could tell he was struggling for the right thing to say, and in this moment, I didn’t feel there was a right thing. He’d already said enough.
“I see how he looks at you, and he’s constantly giving you special treatment. The others see it too. You need to steer clear of him. He’s probably just creating this drama for better ratings.”
“I have no desire to be in a dramatic love triangle for better ratings on this show,” I insisted. “I left California to escape drama, and to focus on my career.”
“I’m sorry, it’s not your fault,” Aiden said softly. He reached out his arms and pulled me into his chest. I was standing on the top step of the porch while he was on the bottom. It felt strange to be taller than him as my head leaned down onto his shoulder, my body relaxed into his arms.
Was Aiden right? Was Shep eliminating any competition for me? Or was all this for ratings?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
e
Finding time alone with Aiden had become difficult during our week in Maine. The drama that surrounded us with Shep, the complaints about sabotage and the possible love triangle I was caught up in kept us a constant commodity in front of the cameras. No matter where we tried to sneak off to, the cameras found us.
I was never pulled into the producer’s trailer or confronted by Shep about Aiden’s allegations, and for that I was thankful. Gretchen seemed to push me towards Shep every chance she got, and I assumed it was all for better ratings. I avoided any extra contact with Shep, only doing what was asked and cautiously keeping my friendliness under control, even when I knew the cameras weren’t filming.
The woman who ran the bed and breakfast was sweet, but it was obvious she was becoming overwhelmed with the constant filming. I think we were all just as relieved on our final day there as she was, with me being the one with the most relief flowing through my veins. She was constantly watching over us, practically tucking us into bed at night. Each time I tried to sneak out of my room, she caught me and sent me back to bed like a grounded teenager. Any plans of meeting Aiden away from the cameras were botched by the redhead and her pink lipstick.
Gretchen rounded us up, and the crew carried our suitcases out of the bed and breakfast, placing them near a row of black Lincolns where we could see them. What a tactic, rattle our nerves knowing one of us would be grabbing our suitcase and leaving after this competition. No pressure. I had to focus more now than ever.
When Shep announced that yet another of us would be going home, we all took a quick glance at our remaining competition. I still felt I was a strong contender, but with so many others standing next to me, some professional chefs, I was still shaken by the news.
It was obvious that Shep was still irritated with Aiden as he walked around each station and made small talk with everyone except him. He tasted sauces, asked about the inspiration for each dish while the cameraman filmed, but he never approached Aiden’s station.
He complimented the creativity of my dish and slipped his hand on my lower back as he leaned in and tasted my cheese sauce. Aiden’s station was directly behind mine, and I knew he wanted him to see his hand in hopes of rattling him even further.
When Shep walked away, I looked over my shoulder at Aiden and winked. He smiled and nodded, letting me know he wasn’t perturbed by Shep’s brassiness.
“Hands up!” Shep announced loudly.
The guest judges this round were established chefs I’d never heard of before. One owned a restaurant in Las Vegas that he boasted was rated top-notch by Gordon Ramsey, and the other owned a restaurant in Los Angeles that Asher and Lauren had taken me to once. It was upscale, like really upscale, and if it weren’t for their generosity, I would have never been able to afford a meal there.
Shep had amazing things to say about Elle, Janine, and Derick’s dishes. The judges raved about how smooth my sauce was and how decadent it made my dish. Aiden was passed over even though it was his turn to be judged and Shep focused on the other three dishes, complimenting each before turning to Aiden.
“Your tuna is seared perfectly, but it could have used sauce,” Shep said. The other judges lapped up their bites and offered up some of the best compliments of the day, which seemed to irritate Shep.
They huddled together, discussing their opinions on each dish for what felt like an eternity while cameras focused on each of our faces. With so many compliments flying around, it was hard to determine which two contestants would be going home.
“Janine, Elle, and Claire,” Shep announced, and my heart sank while my fingers began to tremble. “You are the top three.” My heart fell back into place as my breath gushed out of me.
“Elle, you had the best dish of the day,” the Las Vegas restaurant owner announced proudly.
I was relieved to be in the top three and not up for elimination, but my heart raced as I stared at Aiden behind his station. He looked calm, almost cocky as his name was called for the bottom three.
Derick was safe, and he joined the three of us, while Sam, Aiden, and Liz stood before the judges.
“Sam, you’re safe,” Shep said, and Sam pumped his fist and walked over to us. That left Aiden and Liz, an older woman I’d only spoken to once or twice.
I closed my eyes and held my breath while Shep announced Aiden’s name. “Your dish was dry and lacked flavor that I would expect from a professional chef,” Shep said coldly. “But, you’re safe.” My heart calmed, and my fists unclenched at the news.
Liz was quickly ushered to the front where she was given her last comments by the judges. Shep offered up some encouraging words about her skills and told her never to stop cooking before letting his eyes fall back on the remaining six that stood before him.
“We won’t be getting on a plane. Instead, we’ll all travel by private car to the next farm in Vermont,” he announced.
Gretchen quickly rushed in and organized the group. She sent Aiden in a car with Derick and Sam. Elle, Janine, and I were assigned another car. I blew a kiss to Aiden as he climbed into the backseat of his black Lincoln. He winked and shot me a beautifully warm smile.
“You two are becoming quite the item,” Elle said. I scooted into the seat next to her and let Janine have the other window seat. “Yeah, he’s starting to get to me,” I admitted.
“So, this isn’t just for ratings?” Janine asked. “It’s real?” Her blonde hair was perfectly smooth and straight. I didn’t know how she managed to stay so put together all the time. My dark hair was frizzed from the stress of the competition and the humidity.
I shook
my frazzled head. “Of course it’s not for ratings.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just something that others had suggested,” she said.
“I’m actually doing my best to avoid any drama caught on camera,” I admitted. “That’s why I haven’t spent much time with Aiden this week. The redheaded babysitter at the B&B was always on watch.”
Elle laughed. “Maybe they hired her to spy on your whereabouts.”
Janine leaned forward and covered my hand with hers. “You really like him, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I really do,” I said with a sigh and leaned back in my seat.
“So, there is nothing between you and Shep?” she asked, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
“No, of course not,” I scoffed and closed my eyes.
I hated that so many rumors had been flung around during these past weeks. I wanted to ask her what she’d heard, and who had said it, but I didn’t. I wanted to relax, enjoy my airplane free trip to the next farm, and hopefully once there, spend some alone time with Aiden.
“I thought he was just a fling,” Elle said. “Ya know, since you’d been with the same man since you were twelve.”
Janine’s mouth fell open at that bit of news.
“It may have started out like that, but I guess I’m just not the fling type,” I said and shot Elle a knowing glance. I wanted to say, “Like the type to leave a bar with a stranger after just three drinks,” but I didn’t.
She smirked back, reading my mind.
“I just don’t want the cameras catching any of this drama,” I said. “I want to be known for my cooking, and that’s it.”
Elle barked out a laugh.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“Well, Claire, you’re already known for drama, that whole scandal with Asher Reynolds and all.”
I hated that everyone knew so much about my life. When I was held up with Asher and Lauren, the tabloids dug into my entire life and brought out every skeleton I’d ever tried to hide, which thankfully, weren’t many. But I didn’t appreciate the world knowing that I’d flunked out of college my last semester and had to go back to finish. Or that I’d been with the same man since I was twelve, only to be dumped over a decade later. Hell, even the fact that I once played a man in a school play was all out there for everyone to read.
