by Ward, Alice
“I love these cool Vermont nights,” she said. “I sleep like a baby.”
Maybe she hadn’t done anything. Maybe she was just making small talk. Maybe I was being paranoid.
Her lips were bright pink, the same shade that had been plastered on my mirror. I smirked and let my eyes linger on her lips while she continued to go on and on about how much better it was sleeping here than in Florida.
“I love that lipstick,” I said. “I’ve never seen that shade of pink before.”
Her mouth stopped moving, and her eyes softened as they met mine. “Thank you, Claire,” she said. “Yes, it is unique. I special order it from a boutique in New York.”
She seemed oblivious to my discreet accusations. What was going on? It had to have been her who destroyed my camper the other night and wrote on my mirror in that exact shade of pink. Wow, she’s a good actress if she’s guilty.
“Good morning.” Elle leaned in from behind me and placed her chin on my shoulder.
“Good morning,” I replied.
“I was hoping for a real breakfast,” Elle grumbled as she pushed in front of me and grabbed a jelly donut and a container of orange juice.
Janine had a bowl of fruit and a can of tomato juice and was already making her way to one of the tables. I grabbed an orange juice and two glazed donuts and looked back at Elle. “I don’t really want to sit with Barbie this morning.”
“You still think she’s the one who’s sabotaging you?” Elle asked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“Yes, who else has that shade of pink lipstick?” I whispered. “She probably has a suitcase full of them in her camper.”
Elle shook her head and laughed as she pulled me towards the only other empty table. “So, what’s going on with you?” she asked seriously. “You seem like you’ve lost your edge here.”
“That’s because everyone here is on edge… because of me,” I complained. “I’m thinking about just calling it quits and going home.”
“Why would you do that?” Elle exclaimed. “You’re one of the best chefs here. You actually have a chance at winning this competition.”
“It’s just not what I signed up for,” I admitted. “All this drama and me being right in the middle of it is why I left Los Angeles.”
“Claire, you’re being foolish,” Elle warned. “Don’t walk away from your dream.”
“I don’t even know if this is my dream.” I blinked back a rush of tears. “I came here to figure out what I wanted more than anything, and all I know for certain is that I don’t want any more drama.”
Elle reached across the table to grasp my hand. “If it really is little miss Barbie doll causing you grief, do you really want to give her the satisfaction of running you off?” Elle asked.
“No,” I mumbled. “But, it’s not just her.”
I looked around at the crew, some of them were huddled together whispering, and I couldn’t help but feel it was about me. Everyone had treated me coldly this week, and I knew the filming was being edited to make me out to be a huge slut. I couldn’t bear for my friends and family back home to see any more of this. I’d done enough damage; it was time to go home.
“Don’t leave, Claire. You’ll end up regretting it for the rest of your life,” Elle insisted. “See how the competition goes today at least, please.”
I nodded and agreed to stay on, at least for the final competition here in Vermont. I still wasn’t sure what I would do after it was over or if it mattered what happened to Janine. If she was sent home, would I stay?
Gretchen walked around with her clipboard, taking notes as we finished our breakfast. The production crew moved tables and folded chairs as she pointed, following her orders like she was their queen. As she moved towards us, her glasses pushed down on her nose.
“We have about thirty minutes before the competition if you need to get dressed.”
Her eyes lingered on my shorts and then to the low cut tank top I wore. Elle was wearing the same type clothing, and her smaller, perkier breasts were actually more revealing in her thin tank top than mine were in the one I had chosen.
“Are you saying this is inappropriate?” I asked coolly.
“If that’s what you’re comfortable wearing, it’s fine. I just thought since…” Gretchen’s voice trailed off for a second. “It’s just with everything that’s happened…”
“I’m very comfortable in this outfit, thanks,” I said, lifting my chin.
Elle giggled as Gretchen walked away. “See what you’d miss if you left?”
This was exactly why I wanted to leave, but also partly why I wanted to stay. I wanted to prove myself in this competition and snuff out any rumors that were flying about me sleeping my way to the win.
Two of the crew members appeared next to us. They smiled awkwardly as they nodded towards our table. “Sorry, ladies, we need to get the set constructed.”
Elle rolled her eyes and stood from her chair, leaving her garbage for them to clean. I grabbed my paper towel and empty orange juice carton and followed her.
“Where are you two sneaking off to?” Aiden yelled as he rushed towards us.
“Just getting out of the way,” Elle said sarcastically. It was obvious she was used to being catered to, and that she wasn’t capable of taking shit from anyone. I admired her strong personality, even though it was abrasive at times.
Aiden took my hand and pulled me towards him with so much force my hip bounced into his. I almost tripped over my own feet as I struggled to balance myself. “Hey!” I yelled playfully.
“What, you don’t like it rough?” he asked as his eyes danced down my skin. I wondered if this was a new game I could expect at the next farm. Maybe he would tie me down or want me to spank him? I giggled as I thought about Aiden bent over my knee.
“Claire!” Gretchen called out. I turned to find her waving her arm to motion me towards her. “Phone call!”
My heart stopped for a moment at the urgency in her voice. Our phones had been taken away during the filming to keep the results a secret, so I had been shut out from the outside world for a few weeks. What was wrong? I felt my face pale as my blood all worked towards my fast-beating heart.
“I’ll catch up with you later,” I said to no one in particular and ran towards Gretchen to find out what was so urgent.
There was no expression on Gretchen’s face to offer any hint as to who was waiting on the other end of her phone, or what was wrong. She handed it to me and walked away to give me privacy.
“Hello?”
“Claire?” Lauren’s voice was a welcomed but scary melody to my ears.
“Lauren?” I asked in panic. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Kennedy,” Lauren said calmly. “She collapsed in court and is being rushed to the hospital. I just thought you would want to know.”
I sank to the ground, every horrible scenario possible flashing through my head. “How is she? How’s the baby?”
I knew it was too early for her to deliver, and a pregnant woman collapsing was never a good sign, especially when it was Kennedy, one of the strongest women I knew.
“There is no word on either of their conditions yet,” Lauren said, her voice starting to shake. It was obvious she was scared. I was scared too. “I’m really sorry for bothering you during the show,” she apologized.
I wiped away a tear. “No, don’t be silly, I’m glad you called.”
“Asher and I are heading to Boston now,” Lauren said. “We can let you know more when we arrive.”
“No,” I said and stood back up. “I’ll meet you there.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Lauren said softly. I could tell she wanted me there but hated to interrupt the competition. “I’m only a little over three hours from Boston, I’ll get a car and head that way.”
Lauren seemed relieved to hear I was that close. They were just arriving at the airport, and it would be several hours before they could reach Boston. “But, Claire, don’t rush. Don’t
miss out on a competition. If I get there before you, I’ll call to give you an update.”
I pushed my hair back from my face, thinking everything through. “They’re starting one in a few minutes, and then we’re headed to Illinois.” I lowered my voice. “Lauren, I don’t think I want to stay here anyway—”
“No, Claire,” she practically shouted at me. “You’re going to see this through. Compete, win, then come here. There is plenty of time.”
“I don’t need this, Lauren. There’s a lot of, well… drama,” I admitted.
“It’s a reality show. Drama is mandatory.” Her voice softened. “Promise me, Claire. Promise that you won’t leave before the competition.”
I wiped away another damn tear and took a shaky breath. “I promise, then I’ll talk to you when I get there.”
Gretchen began walking towards me the second she saw me disconnect the call. I explained what was happening and told her I wanted to compete then head to Boston. “I can meet you in Illinois,” I said.
I was surprised that she was so gracious. “You can take one of the cars,” she offered. “Let’s get this rolling so you can get to your friend.”
There was no time to talk to Aiden or Elle before we were ushered onto the freshly assembled set. Each of the six stations had grills, a small prep counter, and a basket of fresh produce and meats.
Lights blasted on as the cameramen took their places all around us.
“Make your best burger,” Shep announced.
I stared into my basket and browsed through the contents. There were several types of meat, veal, beef, chicken, and venison as well as loads of fresh vegetables and buns in assorted styles and sizes.
What was the catch?
“The one ingredient you must all use is under your station,” he said with a smirk. We all reached under our stations and pulled out a large white jug of fresh maple syrup. Once I spotted the bacon, I knew this would be a breeze. Sliders with maple candied bacon made with venison and veal blended meat.
I worked quickly, and even though Elle tried to get my attention several times, I pushed through the competition and remained focused on my promise to Lauren.
Janine’s burger was dry, using venison and nothing else. I was certain she would go home until they called on Sam. His burger was raw, his onion too strong, and Shep complained that he hadn’t tasted any maple syrup in the dish since he was only able to take a small bite of the outer edge of the burger. He was sent home, leaving Elle, Aiden, Derick, myself, and of course Janine to continue on to Illinois.
Gretchen rushed me away from the others as soon as the cameras shut off. “Here, your bags will be sent to Illinois,” she said, handing me a set of keys. “Take the last car at the end of the drive. It’s fully gassed.” She handed me my cell phone. “I thought you might need this, but remember to honor your agreement to not speak about anything taking place with the show.” I took the phone and hugged her tightly to thank her before running towards the car she said I could borrow.
I knew Aiden would be worried, wondering where I had taken off to so abruptly, but I assumed Gretchen would fill everyone in on my departure as soon as she could.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
e
I dialed Lauren’s number as I drove down the long winding roads towards the interstate. It went directly to voicemail. Shit, they were already on the plane. I pushed the gas pedal to the floor and followed the road signs to I-93 S.
After almost three hours on the road, my phone rang. “Where are you?” Lauren sounded frantic.
“Almost to my exit, where are you?”
“We just landed. We’re taking a car to the hospital. We can meet you in the lobby.” She sounded calmer than before.
“Sounds perfect,” I agreed and hung up.
I took the exit my GPS displayed as my route and followed the directions to the hospital. I looked around the parking lot for Lauren and Asher as I parked, but didn’t see anyone other than an elderly lady carrying a bouquet of flowers towards the front entrance. My heart raced as I wondered how Kennedy and the baby were doing. I parked, got out of my car, and rushed inside.
“Claire!” Lauren called out as I made my way through the revolving doors. She wore a long white sundress, strappy sandals and had her hair spun high into a messy twist on top of her head. She looked beautiful, classy… like a million bucks, or a billion bucks. I suddenly felt dressed very inappropriately in my cut-off jean shorts and low cut tank top.
Asher stood, extended his hand and pulled me in for a hug before Lauren could smother me herself. He was dressed in Crocs, khaki shorts, and a loose wrinkled shirt that was only halfway buttoned. His bright pink muscle shirt underneath was clashing with the other subtle colors in his attire, making me feel a little less self-conscious about what I wore.
“It’s so good to see you guys,” I gushed as Asher released me and Lauren snatched me up for her own hug. “How’s Kennedy and the baby?”
“Jackson is meeting us down here with an update,” Lauren said. “Asher just got off the phone with him to let him know we were here.”
The elevator doors opened, and Jackson appeared. He looked calm, and he smiled as he moved towards us. My heart raced, anticipating only good news. “She’s doing better, and the baby is strong like his momma,” Jackson said proudly.
“His?” Lauren asked with a squeal of excitement.
“Yes, it’s a little boy,” Jackson boasted.
“Oh my God, that’s amazing news. Can we see her?” I asked.
“Of course, I’ll take you up,” Jackson said.
On the way up to Kennedy’s room, Jackson filled us in on what was going on. “You know she’s stubborn. She wouldn’t take a day off, and she insisted on seeing this court case through, even though she knew she would be on her feet most of the day.”
We nodded, that wasn’t news to any of us. We knew how persistent and strong willed Kennedy could be, especially about her job.
“So, what did the doctors say?” Asher asked.
“They said she was dehydrated, and she bumped her head pretty good when she fell,” Jackson said. “Her morning sickness was leaving her physically exhausted.”
We followed Jackson out of the elevator and quietly down the long hall. He stopped at a large door with the numbers 348 bolted on with shiny silver screws. A sign had been posted — “Shhh, Mommy Sleeping” — along with a cute cutout of a pregnant woman holding her belly. It was so surreal that Kennedy and Jackson were having a baby. I was just now starting my life, and not doing a great job as far as I was concerned, and they were already bringing a new life into theirs.
Jackson pushed open the door and held it for us to enter. Kennedy looked absolutely amazing for a woman who had just collapsed. Her hair was flowing past her shoulders with large thick curls, and her hands rested on her belly beneath the thin white blanket that was draped over her. Her eyes widened as we neared her bed and her perfectly painted red lips parted into a beautiful smile. “You guys didn’t have to come here,” she said softly.
“Are you kidding me?” Asher said. “There was no keeping these two from you.”
Lauren moved towards her bed first, leaning over and giving her a tight squeeze. “I’m so glad you’re both okay.”
I took my turn, cutting in front of Asher and wrapped my arms around Kennedy. It was so good to see her. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed my friends until right in that moment.
“Oh my, you had your cooking show. Is it done?” she asked softly. I could tell she was concerned I may have been booted already.
I smiled. “I’m still hanging in there.”
Asher finally pushed his way to Kennedy and took his turn at a hug. I knew he had a strong admiration for her, especially after all she done to clear his name, and Lauren’s.
Jackson took a seat in a wide leather chair. “Now, if you three can talk some sense into her, this won’t happen again.”
“I was fine this morning, just tired is all,” K
ennedy explained with an eye roll. “I really thought I could get through the day, and I almost did.”
“So, what’s the big case that made you risk your health?” Lauren asked sternly. Even though Kennedy was about to be a real mother, Lauren was more motherly than any of us.
“Oh, nothing exciting really, just a city zoning issue,” Kennedy downplayed her role. After Asher and Lauren’s case, Kennedy had made quite a name for herself, and we knew any case she was involved in was high profile, not just a simple city zoning case. “Tell me about you guys, what have I missed?” she asked cheerfully.
“Oh you know, just enjoying the peace and quiet,” Asher deadpanned. He took a chair next to Jackson and leaned in to get the basketball game scores. Jackson had his phone set up on a stand on the table in front of him with the game playing. It was obvious he had been stuck in that room for longer than he liked. He was a good husband, sitting by his wife’s side, and I knew he would be a great father.
“Yeah, almost too peaceful and quiet at times,” Lauren said with a cute snicker.
Asher lifted his eyes from the game and winked at her. “Yeah, so that’s why she was so eager to jump on a plane and come see the action here in Boston you caused,” he directed his comment towards Kennedy with a smile.
“Well, I’m glad I could help bring some excitement to your life,” Kennedy said playfully.
“Is that what this is all about. You had this planned, didn’t you?” Jackson teased. “A day in the hospital for you to relax, some excitement for Asher and Lauren. So how was this benefitting Claire?”
“Well, it did get Claire out of the drama stirring during her cooking competition,” Lauren quickly interjected.
“Drama?” Kennedy asked concerned.
I blew out a breath, wondering how much I was allowed to share. “Yes, there’s a bit of drama happening on the show,” I admitted. “And I’m in the center of it all.”
“Oh no. Nothing too bad I hope,” Kennedy said.
I let out a long sigh and sat on the edge of her bed. She was my attorney too, after all. Client attorney privileges probably trumped non-disclosures, surely.
