Chapter 30 Faye
FAYE
“Can I please have everyone’s attention?
” Shelly Sweetchild said from the raised platform at the end of the ballroom, from which the three judges could observe the competition.
Everyone was busy prepping. Faye hadn’t slept for more than an hour, but her second cup of coffee at breakfast was kicking in nicely.
All the competitors wore black aprons with their names embroidered on the top right-hand corner. At least if Faye didn’t win, she’d get to keep it. They were also allowed to keep the new utensils and chopping boards.
“This is your last chance to make sure you have everything you need. We’ll be streaming in fifteen minutes, so please no swearing until we call a finish to the round,” Shelly informed them.
“I’ve cleaned every inch of our station, and I’ve double-checked our ingredients,” Luisa said, but Faye was frantically searching the kitchenette.
“I can’t find my recipe binder for the prep,” she exclaimed.
“I don’t see it. Did you leave it in the truck?” Luisa helped her check the rest of her bench.
“No – I swear I left it on the chopping board before we went for breakfast. We were only gone thirty minutes, it can’t have walked off alone!
” Faye searched the cupboards, filled with the ingredients she needed for the next two rounds in case she made it to the final, but there was no sign of her recipes.
They hadn’t been allowed to bring their phones into the event hall, as the organisers wanted theirs to be the only recording, so she couldn’t even check her backup notes.
“Sorry to bother you,” she said to Maxwell at table eleven beside her as he prepped his ingredients. “Did you see a small pink binder?”
The man ignored her.
“Excuse me? I said, did you see a pink binder? Or anyone with a pink binder?”
“I don’t have time to chat, or ingredients to spare,” he said curtly, not bothering to look up as he measured out flour and sugar.
“No one stole your binder. In the same way you didn’t steal your spot in this competition.
” He put aside the bowl and gave her a smug grin.
She might have left the dining room last night, but she had clearly been the topic of discussion at the bar.
“I thought you might’ve seen where it went, considering we were right beside each other,” Faye said shortly, leaving before he could reply.
She heard some giggling behind her at tables two and three.
The other contestants had obviously taken it to mess with her.
Peter had made up the binder for her so she’d have her recipes and checklists in one place; she hated to think it had been chucked in the bin over a petty squabble.
She didn’t need the recipes, but it would have been nice to have them to refer to.
Ignoring the whispers, she went back to her station. She was about to start calling out the prep to Luisa, but when she turned around, Luisa was grinning at her like an idiot.
“I believe you might be missing something,” Peter whispered in her ear, holding out the pink binder. Hearing his voice was like breathing fresh air.
“Where did you find it?” Faye asked, noticing that Maxwell was no longer smiling smugly.
“Doesn’t matter; it’s found its way home.” Peter glared at Maxwell, who quickly averted his gaze and returned to his prep.
Faye dropped the topic, not having time to waste. The timer on the screen behind the judges was ticking down fast.
“Are you even allowed to be in here?” Luisa asked, putting down a tray full of dry ingredients.
“Reapers can go wherever they please.” Peter winked and kissed Faye’s forehead, silencing her fears. She suspected some emotional management on his part, but she wouldn’t begrudge it.
“He really does have the Matherson ego, even in death.” Luisa rolled her eyes.
“Thank you for the binder, but you need to wait until the audience is called! You’ll get me disqualified.” Faye gently pushed him away from her kitchen, even if she didn’t want him to go.
“We were called ten minutes ago. See?” Peter spun her around, and Lucy waved at her from the seats. Faye hadn’t heard the doors open, too focused on the prep.
“Fine, but you need to go back to your seat. You’re a terrible distraction.”
“Good luck.” Peter stole a kiss and hurried back to join Lucy just as the lighting changed and Shelly’s voice came over the speaker to announce the start of the dessert round.
Faye looked to Luisa, who nodded. She was ready. Ingredients for the pumpkin pie were prepped, the oven preheating, and it was now or never.
Later that evening, after hours of baking, her feet and back ached, but the pain was well worth it as the contestants heard the final buzzer.
Faye had sailed through the round; her pumpkin pie had earned her full marks, and she’d been moved to table one, while six contestants had been eliminated.
She’d smiled so hard it started to hurt.
Peter had cheered the loudest in the crowd, and she’d wanted to cry when she saw her friends sitting around him. Not in a million years had she ever thought this was what her life would be. It felt too good to be true, but she was going to bask in every moment.
They were waiting for the judges to finish sampling the final rounds, and the competition was steep.
One baker had prepared a tower of profiteroles, and another a three-tiered cake with sugar art.
They were professionals, and Faye couldn’t quite believe she was in the final six with them.
She tried to remind herself that she had every right to be here, and seeing Peter and her friends waving in the audience removed any of her lingering doubts as she waited on stage with the other finalists.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Bethany whispered, standing by Faye’s side. “Can I hold your hand?”
“Really? I thought you were far too confident to be so nervous,” Faye said, surprised; Bethany’s towering, crisp white wedding cake with chocolate-sculpted flowers was clearly the standout.
Faye was sure she would win. Then again, given that a cupcake had beaten Lin’s ornate sugar-domed chocolate mousse in the first round, looks weren’t all the judges considered.
Technique and taste clearly took precedence, so she still harboured some hope.
Bethany chuckled as the judges finished tasting and whispered amongst themselves. “Are you kidding? I might talk a big game, but if Lin wins, I’ll have to crawl into a hole and die.”
Faye chuckled. Clearly, there was more to their rivalry than just this competition. She offered her hand, and Bethany happily took it. It was lucky there wasn’t another round, because she was crushing Faye’s fingers.
“So dramatic,” Lin scoffed on the other side of them.
“Bite me.” Bethany winked, and Lin looked as if she wanted to lunge.
“I’d rather take a bite out of you than your cake,” Lin snapped.
“Stop flirting with me, Lin,” Bethany retorted, and Faye genuinely wasn’t sure if they were about to claw each other’s eyes out or fall in love.
They were so busy quibbling they nearly missed Shelly announcing the winner. However, the confetti exploding around them gave it away.
“Congratulations, Bethany De Luca!” Shelly repeated, and Faye nearly toppled over when Bethany hugged her. Lin’s groan was nearly louder than the audience’s cheering.
“Congratulations! You really deserved it,” Faye said, happy it wasn’t Lin or one of her friends. She clapped as Bethany took their prize.
She was so distracted that she nearly missed the runner-up.
“Second place, Faye Parker!”
Faye’s hands shot to her face in shock. She thought her smile was going to break her face when she realised she’d beat the others who had been so mean.
Bethany wrapped an arm around her shoulder and insisted they take the winning picture together.
Seeing Peter and Lucy in the audience, clapping, made the moment all the sweeter.
Faye received a cake-shaped trophy and an envelope with a check for twenty-five thousand euros, which would’ve been enough to help her upgrade the kitchen and hire a part-timer.
Lin, in third place, left the stage in a huff, refusing to shake Chef Sweetchild’s hand when she’d accepted her bronze cupcake-shaped trophy.
Coming off the stage, Faye tried to contain her laughter as her friends and Peter hooted and howled for her as though she’d come first. Their support meant more than any prize.
She was first in their eyes, and as the ribbon was placed beside her pie, she knew that just making it here, with people she loved, was worth everything in the world.