by Hillary Avis
She shook her head, giggling. “It’s a compliment, really.”
“Where’s Alex? Isn’t he supposed to be catering, too?” Milo asked, looking around. “Is that him sitting up front by Kimmy?” It was. Even from the back, his slicked-back hairstyle was unmistakable. Inside his shiny suit jacket, his shoulders were clearly tense. She felt sorry for Kimmy that she had to sit next to him.
Milo nudged her and Bethany nodded absentmindedly. What’s Alex so worried about?
Standing at the microphone, Ben waited for the crowd to settle. “I’m so pleased”—he put his hand to his mouth, apparently overwhelmed with emotion—“to welcome you to Newbridge Station today to award the prizes for the Ultimate Freakin’ Cook-off.”
Bethany sat up straight, surprised. So The Tenderizer and Mayor Strauss were able to agree on a winner?
Ben went on. “As a result of the show’s generous contribution and a significant donation by the Lazam Family Foundation, the restoration of this historic building is fully funded!”
Bethany joined the crowd in clapping loudly at this news, and Ben once again wiped his eyes as he waited for the applause to wane.
“I never thought I’d see the day, folks. But here we are—in only a couple of weeks, we’ll reopen with state-of-the-art systems behind these beautiful old walls. They’ll take us into the next century and beyond.”
Beside her, Milo jotted notes with a stubby golf pencil. He bit his lower lip as he scribbled, all his attention focused on his work. Cute—but terrible as a stake-out partner. No wonder Milo was a journalist and not a police detective. She looked up at Charley, who was keeping a close eye on the podium—and on Chuck Bolton and Mayor Strauss, who stood beside her behind Ben. Now that’s a stake-out.
Guiltily, Bethany checked on Clementine, realizing that she hadn’t exactly been vigilant herself. Clementine was staring at her own plates of food as if in awe of them. Bethany knew the feeling—the feeling of realizing your own power to create something good. I have a feeling that Clementine won’t be limiting herself to toast forever.
From the podium, Ben cleared his throat. “We’ll have a big celebration when we open our doors to commuters again, but as a small preview, I’d like to show you one small piece of this beautiful building. When we began construction, workers found an original mural behind a wall, one that had been hidden for decades. It was well-preserved, and with the help of local artist Ryan Lazam, it has been fully restored.”
Ben motioned to Ryan, who stood proudly beside the curtain, his hand on the pull that would open the drape to reveal his handiwork. Two other people stood beside him, a man and a woman. The man was as tall as Ryan and had the same broad shoulders, but he was older and balding, his steel gray hair matching his steely expression. In contrast, the tiny woman next to him gazed adoringly at Ryan, a small smile quirking the corner of her mouth. Bethany recognized the expression—she’d seen it many times on Ryan’s face. Must be his gazillionaire parents.
Ryan ducked his head in response to the crowd’s polite clapping and pulled the cord. The curtain fell away, revealing a broad expanse of painted wall. Bethany gasped in spite of herself.
The mural was full of vibrant energy. On one side colorful fishing boats sailed into the brilliant blue harbor. Bethany recognized several Newbridge landmarks in the background. On the other side of the mural, scores of men and women strained as they pulled nets full of fish from the water. It was an extraordinary feat of perspective and color that led the eye from the ocean to the shore and highlighted the interconnectedness of the city and the sea.
“Whew,” Milo said under his breath. “I was expecting something a lot more boring.”
“I know! It’s crazy that it was hidden so long.” Bethany joined in the fervent applause for the newly restored artwork.
Ryan grinned, taking in the appreciative reaction to his work. His mother clutched his arm proudly, and even his father’s expression softened. Mr. Lazam blinked rapidly—were his eyes welling up, too? Bethany furtively wiped away her own emotional tears before Milo saw and teased her about it.
But not everyone was enjoying the big reveal. In the front row, Olive seemed to be trying to placate Garrett, patting him gently on the back and whispering in his ear. Alex threw up his hands impatiently, and Bethany could almost hear his thoughts—get to the point, will you?!
As the applause died down, Ben turned the podium over to Mayor Strauss, who rose from her seat next to Charley and straightened her fuchsia pantsuit before striding to the microphone. Ned adjusted the camera on his shoulder and circled the podium to get a better angle on her speech.
“Thank you,” Mayor Strauss said, dipping her head slightly. “To the whole Lazam family. The city and people of Newbridge owe you a debt that can never be repaid.”
Polite clapping, shorter this time. Everyone’s hands are sore—I know mine are.
The mayor pursed her lips. Maybe she was expecting a larger response to her first statement. “Today is a happy occasion, but I’d like to acknowledge the tragic passing of a stalwart member of our community. Despite the fact that he criticized me at every turn, he will be missed. Please, let’s take a moment of silence for Judge Trent Gallagher.”
Mayor Strauss paused, her eyes downcast. Bethany bowed her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Clementine grab a cocktail napkin off the top of a pile and blow her nose into it. She must have really loved him—the judge was a lucky guy to have that kind of devotion. It was too bad he hadn’t recognized that before he died.
Eyes still downcast, the mayor took advantage of the silence to grab a water bottle from under the podium. Bethany stiffened as the mayor sipped, but then saw that Charley seemed at ease and relaxed. She must have put that bottle there herself.
“Rest in peace, Your Honor,” Mayor Strauss intoned, and the crowd raised their heads. “If I could have you join me at the podium, Mr. Tenderizer?”
Chuck nearly leaped to his feet, and Ned scrambled to get a shot of him in time. He put both hands on the podium, nudged Mayor Strauss out of the way, and nearly shouted into the microphone. “Folks, this is big. It’s the biggest shocker in Ultimate Freakin’ Cook-off history. You are not going to believe it. It’s going to rock this town—and this nation—forever!”
A murmur ran through the crowd, and Mayor Strauss frowned. She tapped Chuck on the arm so he’d relinquish the microphone, but he ignored her. Her eyes narrowed to slits and she elbowed him in the ribs.
“Ouch!” He grabbed his side and jumped backward to avoid another dig, and Mayor Strauss smiled beatifically and resumed the central position.
I guess she doesn’t like anyone stealing her spotlight.
“As I was saying. The Tenderizer and I couldn’t decide on a single winner of the chili cook-off. All the contestants created such wonderful entries.” She surveyed the crowd, smiling like the Mona Lisa.
Such wonderful entries? What about the chili that everybody hated, like Alex’s fish recipe?! Or Clementine’s chili from a can?
“I don’t think The Tenderizer is a big fan of showing weakness on camera,” Milo murmured next to her. “Check it out.”
Behind the mayor, Chuck Bolton was getting steamed. Bethany watched his face turn three shades of tomato before he grabbed a giant cardboard check from behind his chair and stomped around the podium until he was standing directly in front of the mayor, blocking the view of her from the crowd with the oversize prize money.
“Luckily the popular vote agreed with my pick!” Chuck boomed. “So the winner of your vote will win both the cash prize and the front-page food feature!”
In the front row, Alex Vadecki sat up straighter as Mayor Strauss grabbed the mic from the stand and scurried around the podium, placing herself in front of Chuck and the check. “If all the chefs could please join us up here?” she asked sweetly.
Olive helped Garrett to his feet and he shakily walked over to stand beside the mayor. He seemed to have aged a decade in the days since the co
mpetition. Alex took the spot beside him, adjusting his narrow black tie and smoothing down his hair as Ned took the opportunity to get a close shot of each person’s face.
“Come on, Bethany,” Clementine said, the expression on her face urgent. “They’re waiting for us.”
Bethany looked up, surprised. In all the fuss, she’d forgotten that she was still eligible for the award. She stood and scooted past Milo into the aisle.
He caught her hand as she passed and gave it a little squeeze. “Good luck.”
She shot him a quick smile and then followed Clementine up to the front and faced the crowd. The sight of all the people staring at them made her feel a little dizzy, and she got even more claustrophobic when Ned shoved the camera in her face. She swallowed hard and tried to smile.
The microphone screeched as Mayor Strauss gestured to the assembled contestants. “One of the participating chefs, Monsieur Adrien, is unable to join us, as he is overseas. In his place, we ask his sous chef, Kimberly Caldwell, to join us and represent the chef and his restaurant.”
Yeah, the restaurant that doesn’t exist and the sous chef that he fired. Bethany snorted, and then nearly burst out laughing when she saw Kimmy’s face. She looked like she couldn’t decide whether to scream or vomit. Before Ned could swing the camera around and capture her face, Bethany motioned her to come up and stand beside her. Thankfully, Kimmy didn’t waste any time and managed to put on a neutral expression. Olive beamed at them from the front row and made a heart shape with her hands.
“I really hate being on stage,” Kimmy muttered. “Like really, really hate it.”
Bethany patted her on the back. “It’s OK. This’ll all be over in a minute.”
Mayor Strauss threw one hand in the air, flourishing it dramatically. “And the winner of the Newbridge Chili Cook-Off is—”
“Hold up, hold up!” Ned put down his camera and stood in front of the contestants with his hands on his hips. “I can’t see the check. You all are blocking it.”
“Can’t have the star of the show in the back of the crowd,” Chuck joked with an edge to his voice that was surely directed at Mayor Strauss. He came around to the front and shot her a look, purposely bumping her with the edge of the cardboard check. Shocked, Bethany turned her head to look at Charley, who sat forward in her seat, ready to defend the mayor if things got more physical. But then mayor grabbed the corner of the check and bent it so it wasn’t poking her anymore. Chuck gasped.
The woman can defend herself! Bethany grinned. She guessed being a career politician had taught Mayor Strauss a few tricks.
Ned was growing more flustered as the crowd was growing restless waiting for the big announcement. “I can’t fit you all in the shot. Mayor, do you mind taking your seat? The Tenderizer can present the award alone.”
“I don’t think so. We made the decision together, and now we can present the award together.”
“Someone wants their TV time.” Chuck mugged at the crowd and got a big laugh.
“We all do,” snapped Alex. “This is a waste of time. Who won?”
I guess not you, Alex, or you’d want all the pomp and circumstance, right?
“You’re all winners,” Mayor Strauss said, scooting closer to Chuck and gripping one side of the check. “That’s what’s important to remember. Newbridge is winning, so you’re all winning.”
Garrett snorted. “Some are winning-er than others, though.”
Bethany bit her tongue to keep from laughing out loud and studiously avoided eye contact with Kimmy, whose shoulders were shaking. She knew if they looked at each other, they’d both lose it.
“I think I’ve got it now. Can we have quiet in the audience?” Ned called irritably over his shoulder. The buzzing in the crowd ceased, and he gave a signal to Chuck. “And...go.”
Chuck yanked the check out of Mayor Strauss’s hands and held it above his head. “And the winner of the popular vote is...Monsieur Adrien of Café Sabine for his white bean and chicken chili!” Bethany heard Kimmy’s sharp intake of breath beside her.
Mayor Strauss smoothly stepped out in front of Chuck’s giant check and held up her hand, cutting off the crowd before their applause began in earnest. “Unfortunately, he has been disqualified. It came to our attention that he did not prepare his dish himself, and therefore he is ineligible to receive the award.”
The crowd rumbled, their confusion and unrest mirroring Bethany’s own unsettled feeling. She frowned. The judges knew Monsieur Adrien was disqualified when they decided to award the cash to the winner of the popular vote. So why’d they have Kimmy come stand in for him? Was it just so they could humiliate her on camera?
She stole a glance at Kimmy, who was looking mortified due to the stares from the crowd. Bethany grabbed her hand and squeezed. “They all know you did the cooking,” she said quietly. “That’s why they’re looking at you.”
Chuck stepped forward, too, bumping Mayor Strauss in the back with the check. She shot a murderous look at him over her shoulder before pasting a politician’s smile back on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but Chuck beat her to it. “We’re breaking all the rules today, folks. You want to know why? Because the Ultimate Freakin’ Cook-off doesn’t give prizes for second place. The Tenderizer only hands this check to winners!”
I guess they’re not going to give the prize out at all. Bethany’s heart sank. She hadn’t realized until that moment that she’d been secretly hoping that her chili might win second place. Alex and Clementine were out of the running for sure—no matter how obnoxious Chuck Bolton might be, he cared about food. He wouldn’t give a huge prize to someone who made a downright awful chili. With Kimmy’s amazing French version out of the running, nobody could pass up a gorgeous blend of chilies like she’d found at Yasmin’s shop.
Well, except certain food critics who supposedly don’t like spicy dishes but drink hot sauce straight. Bethany rolled her eyes at Milo in spite of herself. Anyway, if she didn’t win, that left Garrett, and he needed the money more than any of the rest of them. It was devastating to think that the prize wouldn’t be awarded at all.
Ned motioned Mayor Strauss and Chuck together, and they grudgingly obliged for the camera. He pointed at Mayor Strauss and counted down on his fingers: three...two...one...
“Luckily, we do have some winning chefs in town!” Mayor Strauss lifted her chin proudly. “Once The Tenderizer and I realized that we could make our own rules, we decided to honor the will of the people. We’re awarding the prize to the real chef behind Newbridge’s favorite chili—Kimberly Caldwell!”
For a moment, Bethany’s ears rang. Am I hearing this correctly?
Kimmy reached out and clutched her arm so hard it hurt. “Pinch me,” she said.
“What?” Bethany turned toward her, and it felt like everything was happening in slow motion—people leaping to their feet, Kimmy’s strained expression, Ned’s camera hovering a few feet away.
“Pinch me. This isn’t real.”
The crowd’s roar of approval finally hit Bethany’s ears all at once, and a grin spread across her face. She peeled Kimmy’s fingers from her arm and gave her a little shove toward Mayor Strauss and Chuck as they stood there waiting, still jockeying slightly for a better grip on the giant check. “Go on. You won!”
On Bethany’s right, Clementine clasped her hands gleefully. “Oh, I’m happy for her! She’s finally getting the credit she deserves! She was Café Sabine.”
Beyond her, Alex snorted and sucked in his cheeks sourly. “She didn’t even pay the entry fee!”
Garrett just nodded, frowning a little. That was as good as a squeal of joy from anyone else. He knew Kimmy deserved the win. In the front row, Olive teared up, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. Were the tears of joy or of sadness? However happy Olive was for Kimmy—and she had to be thrilled—this meant she and Garrett would have to sell the Honor Roll, Olive’s lifetime dream. Bittersweet.
Bethany watched as Kimmy accepted the check, looking dazed. She
really did it—she won! Bethany’s throat tightened. She couldn’t have been happier if she’d won the prize herself. Now Kimmy could strike out on her own and open her own restaurant! Or take an amazing honeymoon or put a down payment on a little house.
The audience was still clapping, and even Chuck Bolton looked a little emotional. He let the crowd have a moment, and then raised his voice to yell over the applause. “We’ve never had such a dramatic ending to an episode before, but that’s how we roll on the Ultimate Freakin’ Cook-off. We find winners wherever we go—and we might be coming to your town next! Tune in next week as we watch Vermont’s best maple syrup producers light a fire under their competition! I’m The Tenderizer and you’ve been tenderized! See ya next time!” He waved to the camera for at least ten seconds, until Ned gave him the all-clear signal. Then he dropped his arm with a stormy expression directed at Mayor Strauss. “Way to make a mess of my outro, lady. I have half a mind to walk out of here right now.”
“What did I do?!” Mayor Strauss put her hand to her chest and blinked innocently.
“You kept getting in my shot!”
Mayor Strauss’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know—I’ve never been on a television show before.”
Chuck rolled his eyes. “Right. Mayors never give news interviews.”
“That’s different!” Mayor Strauss protested. “They just tell me where to sit. If you’d give me even a hint of instruction about where to stand, I might have followed your imaginary rules!”
Chuck exploded, but not at the mayor—at Ned. “Why do I even have you on staff! You have one job, and that’s to wrangle the talent. But here you are, just standing around like an idiot! Get to work—herd these sheep off the stage so I can do my job!” He stormed to the podium without a backward glance.
Ned shot Chuck a disgusted look that said exactly what Bethany was thinking. Ned does a whole lot more than one job—he basically runs the whole show! But he didn’t say anything. He just put down the camera and nodded to the assembled contestants.
