Coming Home

by Kimberly McKay

  “Oh no. I wish they’d stop telling people that.” Anne laughed nervously, and looked directly into the camera to say, “I’m not a chef.”

  “Okay? What are you then?”

  Anne swung her attention back to her helper. “I owned a café, where I whipped up lots of creative soups, salads and sandwiches.”

  “Sounds like a chef to me.” She encouraged Anne.

  “When I think of a chef, I think of expensive restaurants, where entrees are served with decadent desserts. I only served creative concoctions in a deli.” Anne urged politely.

  “Well, what are we making tonight?” Allyson asked thoughtfully.

  “Chinese chicken salad, a Japanese noodle dish, called Namasu, and mochi undagi for dessert.” She smiled and rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

  “Huh.” Allyson paused.

  “What?”

  “Well, that sounds like chef material to me, but what do I know?”

  Anne grimaced and rolled her eyes before pulling chicken from the refrigerator.

  “Here, Miss Claire … I marinated the chicken this morning, before I knew I’d be heading on a date. That way it could sit all day in preparation for the salad. If you could take it out and put it in a separate bowl, please.”

  Anne handed her one of the bowls, which Chad had given her as a gift.

  Allyson was waiting for her chance to bring up the date with her son, and couldn’t wait to see what Anne thought of Chad. She’d already seen him after he returned from their date. It didn’t take much to recognize how happy he was.

  In any normal dating situation, this would make any mother’s heart light up to see her son invested in a nice girl. But this was a dating show, where many of the girls may not be what they appear. She was looking forward to getting to know Anne to see what she was made of.

  “Speaking of date … how was it?” She raised her eyebrows and grinned.

  Anne stopped to look at Claire, who looked to be in her early sixties. She searched her blue eyes, and had the most unusual feeling that they’d met before. She cocked her head, and put that feeling aside to answer her.

  Anne bit her lip, and shrugged. She leaned in and whispered; hoping the cameras wouldn’t pick it up. “It was … really nice.”

  Anne’s dreamy look told Allyson all she needed to know. This girl seemed to care for her son. Now she needed to know whether she liked Chad for himself, or because he was on television.

  “What was it like hanging out with someone so famous?” She dug a little deeper.

  “You know. For starters, I didn’t even know who the bachelor was when I came on the show, but I admit once I found out it was Chad Chambers – I was a bit star struck. I mean, who wouldn’t be?”

  Allyson’s hopes were fading, but she gave Anne the benefit of the doubt and listened to her banter on.

  Anne took out the ramen noodles and handed them over. “Here. Can you break these up for me? They’re for the salad.”

  “Sure. You were saying?”

  “Well … while I was with him today, I totally forgot about his persona. I felt like I was getting to know this everyday average boy next door … except there is nothing average about him.”

  Her heart swelled, knowing she could rest easy about Anne. After all, this girl had no reason to lie to her.

  “Sounds like you like him.”

  “He makes me nervous. He’s funny and sweet.” Anne finally admitted, “I think I like him. Oh, crap!”

  Allyson laughed at the look on Anne’s face. She looked particularly disturbed. “What’s wrong with liking him? Isn’t that the point of this show?”

  “No! Not for me …” She wiped her hands on a dish towel, and started to pace the floor. “I didn’t come here to find love … or even like. I’d sworn off all men.”

  Allyson’s radar went up. If she wasn’t here to date Chad, why bother?

  “Then why did you come?” Her brow furrowed, in obvious concerned for her son.

  “My friend’s convinced me to do it. I didn’t even apply. I got nominated.” She half-laughed, stopping to pace long enough to see Allyson’s face.

  Allyson stopped breaking up the ramen noodles, and turned to lean against the counter, arms crossed.

  “You look upset, Claire. Have I said something wrong?”

  Afraid she was going to blow her cover, she visibly relaxed. She dropped her arms to her sides and picked up the dishtowel, Anne had been using.

  “No, not really. I’m just concerned … for you. It sounds like you’re distraught.” She was partially telling the truth. “What happened to make you swear off all men?”

  Anne sighed and started in, “Last year, I was in a serious relationship, and he cheated. It broke my heart.” Anne paused and looked up to Claire’s face. It was still tight, with concern. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m over him. It was a speed bump, but enough of one that I didn’t think dating was for me anymore.”

  Anne pulled out a large pan for the Namasu, and handed the bean noodles to Claire.

  “After I run water in this pot, can you break them up in it?”

  “Sure.” Allyson started unwrapping the Japanese noodles in preparation.

  “So, I left California for Oklahoma City, to follow my best friend, who was getting married.”

  “Wow, that’s a big adjustment. Gutsy.” She admired Anne’s initiative, but wondered if it meant she was unstable.

  “Maybe. But nothing was left for me in California anymore, and as my family is few and far between - I needed to find some direction in my life. My ex, Brent, wasn’t letting me go and if I was to figure things out – or even breathe – I needed to leave. So, I went to Oklahoma to attend the wedding, and stayed for a while until I figured things out.”

  “So your friends, the ones who got married, nominated you?” Allyson asked.

  “Not really. Their best man did.” Anne laughed, remembering Guy Masters. “He was hitting on me the whole time we were there, and didn’t like that he crashed and burned.”

  “As you’d sworn off all men.” She laughed. She liked this girl … crazy history or not. She thought Anne was refreshing and forthcoming, something you didn’t come by very often.

  “Right!” Anne lifted a fist. “Anyways, he figured that if he, being the debonair doctor chick magnet he was, couldn’t get he job done – maybe a dating show could.”

  Allyson’s eyes went wide. “I might have been offended at his trickery.”

  “Oh, I was! Trust me.” Anne smiled. “But … my best friend, Chastity? The one who got married? She convinced me that this could be my fresh start, as nothing was holding me back. I remember her saying to take a chance. So, I did. Even if I’m wary about this whole process … I’m taking a chance.”

  “So you said Chad makes you nervous? In a good way?”

  “Maybe … in that girly mushy kind of way, but also in the uncomfortable way. I mean … he’s an actor. He seems genuine, but how do I know for sure?”

  Allyson wanted to reassure her, that her son was for real. She wanted to be able to tell Anne that her boy didn’t lead people on, or tell lies – but couldn’t without blowing her cover. So instead she just bit her lip, and said, “Well, I guess you’re going to have to trust your gut.”

  “Well I’ve done that, and it got me hurt. That’s why I’m nervous.”

  Allyson reached over and patted Anne’s hand for reassurance.

  “Women’s intuition never fails us – we just need to tune in a bit more from time to time. You sure you didn’t know something was going on with your ex? And you just ignored it?”

  Anne thought about it for a second, and if she were honest with herself Allyson had a point.

  “Maybe. Thanks.” She shyly smiled. “You’ve helped me a lot. Especially with all that’s on my mind lately.”

  “More than …” Allyson almost said ‘my son’ and had to bite her tongue. “… dating Chad?”

  Allyson noticed how sad the young woman’s eyes grew. An
ne slowly nodded.

  “Since being here out in the middle of nowhere. It’s given me nothing but time to think. And, I just miss certain people in my life.”

  As she was at the camp, where she met her dearly departed husband, Allyson understood more than anyone.

  “Have you lost someone close?” She asked.

  “Sort of. I lost touch with my sister a long time ago. I was sort of shut out of her life by certain people in our family. And being here is something we would have liked to do as kids. It’s just hard. I never thought such a quiet place could evoke so many emotions from my past.”

  Allyson’s heart ached for Anne. “I know. It’s really hard. I’m facing something of similar nature. I lost my husband a few years back, and we used to come to a camp … just like this one.” Her eyes clouded up.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Look at me. I didn’t mean to get you upset. And, my sister is still okay as far as I know.” Anne’s eyes clouded. “You’ve lost your love. That’s so much harder. I’m sorry.”

  Anne gathered her in for a soft embrace, to which Allyson savored. This girl had a good heart, and would be a good choice for her son. Quickly she withdrew, with fervor. Her eyes darted to the kitchen counter.

  “Look at all these ingredients still left to prepare! We’ve got to get back to work.”

  Anne nodded, knowing they’d both shared a little too much. She handed Claire a.k.a. Allyson some eggs and put another pan on the burner.

  “Scramble all of these, my friend,” she ordered.

  Allyson saluted and began cracking the eggs with pure joy. She may be very well preparing a meal with woman of her son’s dreams … or at least she’d hoped. She liked their rhythm in the kitchen together, and looked forward to doing it again. She couldn’t wait to fill Chad in with her thoughts.

  Chapter 18

  With Anne gone from the cabin, Cara thought it the perfect time to organize a friendly softball game for the girls. With her gift from Chad in hand, she walked to the center of the room, and put her whistle to her lips for a short but very sharp shrill.

  At first she was baffled by Chad’s gesture with the whistle … especially when other girls received much more personal gifts than her. However, since Terrence had reminded them to use their gifts and time wisely, she thought it was a perfect item to help her put her plan into action.

  And with organizing a game for the group, she hoped she’d kill two birds with one stone. She could show Chad that she was a team player, in wanting to do something nice for the girls, while hopefully revealing Anne’s true colors.

  Ever since their first meeting at the hotel gym, she thought her to be overly competitive and too uptight for her own good. Maybe this game would bring that out, so everyone else could see what she did.

  Cara smiled to herself as she viewed her audience. These were her compadres … in her camp. Only a handful gave Anne the benefit of the doubt. She’d worked hard to make sure the girls she’d bonded with were of the same mind as her. And so far, her snide remarks about Anne had most convinced most.

  A few girls still thought Anne’s smile and warmth was genuine, but after this game maybe they’d come to their senses.

  “Ladies, I’ve called you here to today to set up a friendly competition.” Her voice rose with authority.

  She watched their eyes light up and continued, “Unfortunately, Anne can’t be here, but I’m sure Kamryn will fill her in.”

  Cara sent a less than warm smile in her direction, to which Kamryn raised an eyebrow.

  What’s she up to now? Kamryn pursed her lips and spoke up.

  “Anne’s not here because she’s over in the kitchen - cooking all of us dinner. And trust me, it’s going to more than make up for all the mess hall madness we’ve eaten to date.”

  She sent a wide smile to the eleven girls around her. The room exploded in a collective murmur, to which Kamryn could tell the girls were excited to sample her friend’s cooking. She raised an eyebrow, sending Cara an evil eye across the room. It was a clear message that said tread lightly.

  Cara cleared her throat, and clapped her hands.

  “Quiet down … quiet down. Yes, while Anne’s so generously preparing us a meal. I’m planning something a little more fun – a softball game between the two cabins. And since Anne isn’t here to put her two cents in, I think she should be a team captain for her cabin. Since this is my idea, I’m of course the other team captain.”

  “Of course.” Lauren, another contestant sitting near Kamryn, muttered softly. She turned to Kamryn and whispered, “She’s only nominating Anne as the other captain to make herself look good.”

  “You know she’s gunning for Anne, don’t you?” Kamryn whispered back.

  “Yeah. It’s common knowledge.” Lauren nodded up to the six girls, who were sitting closest to where Cara was standing, and added, “And Cara has them conned too.”

  Cara paused and looked in their direction.

  “Busted.” Lauren whispered out the side of her mouth. Both girls stopped talking and turned their attention back to her.

  Cara turned to the cameraman and smiled. Her goal here was to look as magnanimous as possible. Although dating Chad would be wonderful, she thought this show could also bolster her modeling career.

  “Since Anne can’t be here – can you give her the team roster?” She nodded to Kammy, the assistant who had been assigned to help them.

  Abbey, a.k.a. Kammy, smiled and wove her way through the room to take the paper from Cara. Most of the girls moved out of her way with a smile. She filed a mental note of the one’s who didn’t.

  Cara lifted her own list and read aloud the names on her team.

  “Tina, Staci, Rachelle, Trinity, Brandi, and Brianna. Since you’re all in my cabin, you’ll all be on my team. The rest of you – Brooklyn, Kamryn, Denise, Chantal, and Lauren – will be under Anne’s leadership … good luck. Be sure to check the roster for your positions.” Cara pinned the list to the wooden post above her bed. “We’ll start practice tomorrow and our game will be in two days.”

  As the group started making their way to exit, she yelled, “Oh and ladies?” Cara waited until she had their full attention. “I’ve already had approval that the winner of the game – gets a group date with Chad.”

  For the second time that night, Kamryn heard the excitement burst from the women around her. This game was just taken up a notch. It wasn’t just a friendly competition anymore.

  “Wow. That would be nice to have some time … finally.” Lauren turned to Chantal, another contestant standing nearby.

  They both looked to Kamryn simultaneously, while Lauren asked, “How’s your ankle?”

  “Oh, it’s fine. It was less of an injury than I thought.” Kamryn laughed in remembrance of her ruse to give Anne time with Chad.

  From the corner of her eye, she could see Cara craning her neck to eavesdrop. She grinned, thinking she could use her story for Anne’s advantage at Cara’s expense.

  “Actually, if I’m to be honest.” She slightly raised her voice so that Cara could hear. “I faked the whole thing.”

  “Why would you do that?” Chantal gasped.

  “I would do everything I could to stay with Chad. Are you crazy?” Brooklyn, another girl on her new softball team, wandered over to join the conversation.

  Since it was now an open discussion, Cara turned around from her group of girls to join in. Any details from Anne’s date would be a welcome addition she could use to arm herself against her at the game.

  “No, I’m not crazy. I just know when I’m on the losing end. If I were to have a chance with Chad at all … it would have to be a one on one.” Kamryn smiled at Cara, through the crowd of girls that were tuning in. “I mean – you should have seen the way he was looking at Anne. I was a third wheel from the first second and I knew that if I could bow out gracefully – she would have a better time. And I could hopefully gain his sympathy for another date.”

  Kamryn saw Cara’s eyes twitch with e
nvy, and continued, “I mean – who wants to play second best from the start? I want his full attention.”

  “Sounds like Anne’s real competition.” Denise piped up. “So did she say anything about her date when she got back?”

  “No, she doesn’t kiss and tell.” Kamryn delighted as she saw Cara’s back stiffen with jealously. She then laughed out loud and added, “Better watch out ladies and bring your A game.”

  Kamryn looked to the rest that had gathered around her. She didn’t like misleading the group that Anne actually kissed Chad, but it was worth it to see Cara’s reaction. Besides, it was a common phrase … so it wasn’t really a lie.

  Cara spun around to study her team roster, and changed the subject. She’d had enough.

  “Speaking of game – shall we go strategize with our own team members before dinner?”

  Chad’s sister, Abbey, watched the interplay between the two with interest. As her brother’s confidante, she knew he hadn’t kissed Anne yet, but had really wanted to. Abbey thought it was almost as if Kamryn was spurring Cara on, to see how she’d react. She loved being a part of this process, and couldn’t wait to fill Chad in.

  The girls quickly filtered out to the common area. Although Cara was ready to get away from the rest of them to clear her head, she needed to stick with it to win this game more than ever. Now that she knew there was a real connection between Chad and Anne, her main objective was to silence the threat of Anne LaSal.

  She had also seen the latest twitter results, and knew both Anne and Kamryn were show favorites. However, she held a top spot as well. So, rather than go off on her own to strategize, she needed to play nice to get the girls on her side and bump up her likeability with America.

  And, as this recent news about Chad and Anne’s date had her jealous side rearing, it only fired her up more than ever to beat Anne and her team. No one would play her for a fool – especially not princess Anne.

  Now she just had to figure out how to get a one on one date before the softball game. Anne wouldn’t be the only one to kiss Chad Chambers.

  After Anne put the finishing touches on the dinner plates, she, Allyson, and Abbey placed them on trays for the girls, who had started assembling in the cafeteria.