Chapter 20
ROB
“Today I’m here in the seaside town of Haverton for the much-talked about Bake-off War between former Super Bowl winning star linebacker, Rob Vilmer and his former college teammate turned culinary rival, Mateo Cavaretti.
” The stunning blond pivoted on her four-inch heels and flashed a megawatt grin.
“Rob, thank you for taking a minute to chat with me.”
I inclined my chin politely. “No problem.”
The better response was, “Not like I had a choice.”
Bill had set up the interview and told me to be nice. “This is Marissa Martin, kid. She’s a big deal at the network. This is national…not local shit. With this kind of exposure, you’ll be selling bagel franchises across the country within two years.”
I glanced over at Bill and his wife who were sampling complimentary bagel bites from the Big H tent. And yes, we’d erected tents on the football field for the event.
The sheer volume of attendees had turned our simple bake-off into a mini circus. We didn’t want anyone who’d made the trek to Haverton to walk away disappointed. If that meant renting tables and giving away hundreds of dollars worth of sample sized goodies, so be it.
Boardwalk had a similar two tent setup on the opposite sideline—one for pizza samples; the other to sell T-shirts, tote bags, ball caps, and miscellaneous merchandise.
The judges’ table sat in between and another fifteen tables belonging to a variety of local businesses lined the perimeter of the field.
We’d collectively decided that it was in our best interests to extend the invitations to other small businesses in the area to participate—Seaside Donuts, Whole Goods Bakery, and Marina Gifts to name a few.
After all, Haverton didn’t run on bagels and pizza alone and with a few thousand people in attendance and millions viewing online, the bake-off had become a golden advertisement opportunity.
Seriously. The stadium was buzzing with cheer and goodwill. There were games and prizes for kids, balloon arches, and geez…Amber had even hired a deejay. It was impossible not to get caught up in the festivities.
I could almost forget that this had all started as a war with my neighbor that we’d expected to settle on neutral territory with fewer than thirty witnesses to stand in as peacekeepers just in case that hot-headed Italian chose violence.
But now…everything had changed.
I had changed.
“A football player bake-off has to be new one,” Marissa exclaimed, smiling wide for the cameraman to my left. “Last year you were considered one of the toughest linebackers in the league. Were you planning a bagel enterprise even then?”
“Yes. I didn’t think of it as an enterprise, necessarily.
Just something I wanted to do.” I gave my spiel about my grandfather’s bagel shop in Pennsylvania, my college experience at Haverton that had made it possible for me to play pro football, and my desire to give back to the community.
“But the bake-off idea was my partner’s. Amber’s a genius.”
“And what about Mateo Cavaretti? Are you still feuding? Hang on! I’ll ask him myself.
” Marissa clasped Mateo’s elbow and dragged him into the frame…
as if magically pulling a rabbit out of a hat rather than literally reaching for the guy who’d been waiting off camera for his cue.
“Mateo! Hi, it’s great to finally meet you in person.
I’ve been following this bake-off journey, along with the rest of the world, for weeks.
I had my first slice of Boardwalk pepperoni pizza and it was delicious. ”
A lazy, sexy, lopsided smile transformed my boyfriend’s handsome features into something godlike. “Thanks.”
Marissa might have been a professional, but she wasn’t immune. She fluttered her lashes and licked her top lip. “You were quarterback on the same team as Rob in college. Were you two friendly?”
“No, but I respected his work on the field and followed his career after college.”
“You played in the pros too. Did you ever run up against Rob in the NFL?”
He shook his head. “Just on the pizza-bagel front.”
Marissa twittered appreciatively. “Boardwalk Pizza has been around for decades, but I understand that pizza bagels are new on your menu. Is that right?”
“Yeah.”
“How do you think you’re going to do today?” she asked, leaning closer to him than necessary.
“We’re gonna crush ’em,” Mateo deadpanned.
Marissa giggled as she spun toward me. “And what do you have to say about that, Rob?”
“Bagels are too well-rounded to panic.”
Mateo snorted. “Is that a bagel joke?”
“Yeah.” I grinned.
“It was terrible.”
“Oh, really. Do you know any pizza jokes?”
Mateo looked straight into the camera. “Don’t get saucy with me, Vilmer. In crust we trust.”
Marissa burst into laughter and held her hand up to Mateo for a high five. “Love it! Good luck to you guys. And thanks for bringing a piz-za, well-rounded joy to the world. You’re both winners in my book. This is Marissa Martin. Back to you in the studio, Chet.”
I shook her hand and stepped aside to speak to Bill while Marissa gushed all over Mateo.
I didn’t realize Bill and his wife were chatting with Amber until I approached. I set a hand on her shoulder and greeted the group.
Amber beamed and hugged me, standing on tiptoe to kiss my cheek. “This is a home run, Robbie.”
I nodded in agreement and opened my mouth to respond just as I overheard Marissa say, “Yes. Get a shot of her too. I think she’s Rob’s girlfriend. Or are they married?”
Bill was speaking now. Something about how impressed he was. “This town is a gem.”
“So cute,” his wife agreed. “You did a wonderful job with this event. There’s a little bit of everything. But I’m afraid I’m going to miss out on those ocean-breeze candles if I don’t buy them now. I’ll catch you later, hon.”
I had a feeling that was a rehearsed line to give Bill and me some privacy, and I might have jumped at it if I hadn’t been distracted by Marissa’s comment.
Rob’s girlfriend. Rob’s wife.
“I’m gonna join her in a sec. You got one interview out of the way. The gal from ESPN is here, and that guy in the plaid getup is an influencer. Supposedly famous. I don’t think you need my two cents for this part, but you know how to reach me when you’re ready for the rest.”
I shook Bill’s hand and waited till he’d walked away to address Amber.
“This is nuts.”
She snickered good-naturedly. “Absolute bonkers. Pizza and bagels…who knew?”
“You did. Thank you for this. Thank you for everything.”
Amber punched my biceps. “You’re welcome. But it’s not like you didn’t help. No one would have shown up if it weren’t for you and Mateo.”
“I don’t mean just today. We’ve been a team for a long time, Am, and I don’t think I tell you enough how important you are to me.”
She pushed a wayward curl behind her ear. “Are you trying to make me cry or something?”
“No, nothing so devious. It just seems important to let people know how you feel about them. That’s all.”
My best friend knew me well. Amber’s lips twisted as she glanced at Mateo who was standing with Sal, Vanni, and Jimmy by the judges’ table.
“I’m happy for you,” she whispered. “Under that crusty crust, he’s a good guy.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“So are you. The best.” She dabbed a tear at the corner of her eye and growled. “But if you ruined my mascara, I’m going to hurt you, Robbie.”
“You’re beautiful.” I tugged one of her curls and checked my watch. “Shall we get this show on the road?”
“Let’s do it.”
Amber chose seven judges: Great H’s current hotshot QB, Coach Malveney, three food bloggers, and two random fans in attendance.
Our online audience had set the challenge for each of us to make our version of the perfect pizza bagel. Great H Bagels and Boardwalk Pizza provided samples to feed the crowd that had shown up, but the pizza bagels the judges would taste had been made specifically by us.
Let’s keep it real: My bagel was better, but Mateo’s toppings were far superior. If combined, we’d have made the perfect pizza bagel, but separately, it was up to the judges’ palates.
“I like this one,” Coach stated, pushing the plate forward.
The QB milked his off-field moment in the spotlight, biting into one, lifting his brows to the delight of the audience, then frowning and moving on to the next plate before ultimately choosing one. “Yo, this one.”
The crowd went wild.
Our two locals weighed in next.
“I think you’re gonna win,” I whispered, sidling close to Mateo.
“For sure.”
“Asshole.” I nudged his shoulder and laughed, sobering a moment later. “The truth is that no matter whose name they call, I’m the winner.”
He huffed. “How does that math work?”
“I’m with you,” I replied, clapping as the locals finished judging.
The three bloggers were next. Their spiel about consistency, flavor, and texture was nothing but static. There was something so raw and earnest in his gaze, and I couldn’t ignore it.
“Oh, yeah?” Mateo’s eyes were bright and filled with something that looked a lot like affection and…hope.
“Yeah. If you hadn’t instigated a damn pizza war, this might never have happened. But I don’t care about bagels or pizza. I just want you, Mateo.”
“First of all, you started the war. Not me.” Mateo stabbed a finger at my chest and gazed deep into my eyes. “And second, I want you too.”
I licked my lips, overcome with emotion. This wasn’t the time or place, but damn it, the lump in my throat was the size of a grapefruit. “Fuck, I want to kiss you.”
No, it was more than that. I wanted to shed skin and own my truth once and for all. My chest ached with unspoken words and the weight of heavy secrets I didn’t have to keep anymore.
Mateo nudged my elbow. “Careful. You’re asking for trouble if you keep that up.”
Amber took the mike from the food blogger. I heard her thank the town, the volunteers, Boardwalk Pizza, the Cavaretti family, Mateo, and me. People were watching us. I could feel the curious stares, but it was white noise.
He was everything. The only thing that mattered.
“And the winner is…Mateo Cavaretti!”
Mateo grinned and threw his arms in the air, pumping up the crowd with juvenile antics. I had to laugh…and roll my eyes, more aware of the static crackling the air.
“Your bagel still sucks,” I snarked, shocked that my voice didn’t hitch.
“Yeah, I know. I think my winning personality sealed the deal,” he boasted with a playful wink, slapping high fives with his cousins.
“That must be it.”
Mateo’s eyes twinkled merrily. “You look like you can’t decide if you want to punch me or kiss me.”
“Actually, I know exactly what I want.”
I grabbed his face in my hands…in public, on camera, ready to be broadcast across the Internet—and kissed him as if my life depended on it.
A surprised hush fell, immediately chased by a whooping roar of approval.
Mateo chuckled against my lips. “You realize that you just came out, right?”
“Yeah, I ’spose I did. I’m glad. I’ve wanted this for a long, long time.” I laughed because it felt so fucking amazing, and blurted, “I love you.”
His nostrils flared, and his eyes took on a stormy sheen. I could see battles play out in his head, see him looking for loopholes, traps, and tricks the way he’d done for so many years. And I could see the moment he realized there was no reason to fight, no reason to hide.
Mateo smiled tenderly. “I love you, too.”
We kissed again, then turned to the crowd with our arms raised.
My heart soared in my chest. This was a real win.
We were a touchdown in the final seconds of a championship game, a Super Bowl ring, and a billion-dollar lottery ticket all in one.
He was a gift out of the blue, and I was going to do my best to make sure Mateo knew I was in this with him all the way.
Beginning with bagels and pizza and leading to… a new start.