The Baking Games

Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

SAVANNAH

It is time yet again for the judges to come around and look at what we've made. They were very impressed with Rhett’s lemon and blueberry pavlova. I have to admit, it looks delectable. I'm hoping I can sneak over and have a bite once they announce who's going home. They come over and look at my tropical pavlova and rave about it. Tessa says that she would expect to have it on a tropical island at a fancy restaurant, which makes me feel good. Marco says something similar, and he eats an extra helping of it.

Then, it's time for them to go over to Connor. He's standing there with a smile on his face like he's just invented the wheel or something. "So what have you made for us, Connor?" Chef Alain says, looking down at his pavlova with a questioning look on his face.

"I have made a matcha and red bean pavlova."

Red bean? He made a dessert with red beans in the final competition? What on earth is he thinking? I look over at Rhett, who is stifling a laugh. We both know that this can't be good.

"Exactly what is this?" Tessa asks, looking down at it.

"Well, I made a matcha meringue base infused with matcha powder for green tea flavor."

"Green tea meringue?" Marco says, looking at him quizzically.

"Yes, and then I made regular whipped cream with vanilla flavoring. But the unique thing about my dessert is that I made a sweetened red bean paste and then dolloped it over the whipped cream. And then I topped it with fresh strawberries," he says as an afterthought.

"Oh, my," Tessa says as she goes to take a bite. "I guess I must also try some of this red bean paste.” She puts the bite in her mouth, and then the camera zooms in so that we can see it on the big screen. This isn't good. My heart starts to race. We might've pulled this off. They don't look like they are enjoying Connor's dessert, which would mean that Rhett and I get to battle this out in the wedding cake competition.

Chef Alain takes a bite. "Oh my goodness." For a moment, I think that he might be impressed, that he will say that Connor thought outside the box and made a dessert that should go down in history. Instead, he turns and spits it into the trash can. They've never done that with anyone during this competition.

"You don't like it?" Connor says.

"No, I don't like it," Chef Alain says, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "What on earth were you thinking, Connor, using red bean paste in a dessert during a final competition?"

"I thought it was very outside the box," he says, crossing his arms.

"Yes, it was outside the box and down the street. It was outside of this universe. It was not good."

Connor's face starts to turn red. "I'm sorry, Connor, but this is terrible," Tessa whispers as if everybody on national television can't hear her.

"I think it's pretty clear that we have our two finalists," Chef Alain says, pointing across the room at me and Rhett. We both stand there staring at him like we don't understand the words. "Congratulations, Savannah and Rhett. You will battle it out in the wedding cake competition tomorrow, and we'll find out who wins The Baking Games !”

SAVANNAH

"We did it! We did it! I can't believe we did it!” I yell as Rhett and I reenter the house alone. We're the only two people here. We could run around like crazies if we wanted to.

I can't believe we started with so many contestants, and now it's just the two of us ready to battle it out. At the beginning of this whole thing, I thought I would be miserable being in the house with Rhett. I don't know how I never saw this side of him when we were in pastry chef school, but I'm glad I got the chance to do so.

Life will return to normal in a couple of days. I’ll be back with my sister, and Rhett will be back on a cruise ship sailing in the middle of the ocean. I don’t know which of us will win, but honestly, I would be happy for either of us.

Sure, I want the money. I want an easier life. I want to be able to breathe when the bills come in. I want to pay for college for my sister. I want to buy equipment and put down money on a lease for my very own bakery. I want so many things, but right now, I only want to spend as much time with Rhett as I can. Even if it's make-believe, it's been fun. He's very good at pretending.

"I know. I can't believe we did it either," he says as we sit down in the courtyard.

"Of course, you can. You believed you would win this whole thing from the moment you walked in the house."

"Yeah, some of that was a little bit of false bravado," he says.

"I can't believe you're admitting that."

“It's true. When I first got in here, I was really surprised at the amount of skill that our fellow contestants had."

"Really? Well, you certainly didn't let on at the beginning.”

“It would've ruined my reputation if I seemed like I was the least bit daunted by these other people."

"I can't believe we're the last two standing. Honestly, I thought I would go home very early. I'm not much of a competitor."

"I think you're a lot more of a competitor than you think you are, Sunny.”

"Well, either way, we're almost to the finish line, and I want to say that you deserve this just as much as I do."

"Same to you," Rhett says, reaching over and taking my hand. "You deserve the world. I know you haven't had such an easy time in life, but how you approach everything with such positivity inspires me. I'm actually going to try to take a little bit of that into my regular life when we go back home."

It makes me sad to think about us not spending time together anymore. "Yeah, going home. I haven’t really thought about it because it made me so sad to miss my sister, but now I will get to see her in a couple of days. It's going to be wonderful to be together again.”

"I'm really happy for you," he says. "And I, of course, am jumping straight back onto the cruise ship. I was only able to get the six weeks off. So whether I win or lose, I have to fulfill my contract. I'll jump right back on the ship the day after this competition ends.”

"Really? So you're not going to get any downtime?"

"No, I'm not. I have to go on at least one more run. If I win, then, of course, I'll quit. If I don't, I’ll just return to my normal life until I can find something better."

"I know you'll find whatever it is that you're looking for, Rhett. You deserve it. Whether your family supports you or not, I do."

"And I thank you for that. I really do," he says, squeezing my hand. "I'm going to miss spending so much time together, and I literally never thought I'd say that about you, Savannah Greene.”

"Ditto," I say, laughing.

SAVANNAH

The kitchen is alive with activity. We have more cameras, lights, and excitement in the air. Rhett and I are both positioned behind our stations, each of us nervously standing there, tapping our fingers or moving from foot to foot.

They finally get Dan miked up, the lights lit up before him, and it's time. This is it, our final competition.

"Welcome to The Baking Games !” he yells out. I can hear the theme music playing in the background. "Tonight, we are so excited to present to you the final competition of The Baking Games . This competition will last a total of four hours. Our last two finalists will make the wedding cake for celebrity couple Keaton Mallory and Keira Donaldson." Dan pauses for dramatic effect as if people at home stand up and clap.

"You can watch the full competition live online using streaming. Those who are watching this on TV will only see the last ninety minutes of the competition with a summary at the beginning of what's happened so far. Then, in the last fifteen minutes of the show, the audience will be allowed to vote, and those votes combined with our judges and our two special guest judges will determine the winner of this competition. So why don't we go ahead and introduce our two guest judges," he says, pointing at the judging table. They have fancied it up with twinkle lights and detachable curtains around the table.

Our three judges are sitting there. Dan points off through another doorway and says, "Please welcome Keaton Mallory and Keira Donaldson!”

Oh my gosh, the actual celebrity couple is here. Why did it never dawn on me that they would be the ones who would help judge the wedding cake? After all, we'll be making a cake that we would then have to recreate for their wedding in a few weeks.

Rhett looks at me, surprised as I am, but Rhett is not into pop culture at all. He has no real idea who these two people are. He's only seen them in passing on magazine covers or movie trailers, but he's definitely not a fan.

Me? I'm a huge Keira Donaldson fan. I've followed her career since she started as a child actor. She's one of my favorite actresses. They walk out, smile, and wave in our direction.

Dan puts the microphone in front of Keaton. "So Keaton, what have you thought of The Baking Games so far?" He's very handsome, even more handsome in person than he is in the movies. He would put Brad Pitt to shame, and I love Brad Pitt.

"Well, so far, I have seen a lot of talented people," he says. Very diplomatic.

"What about you, Keira?"

She smiles broadly. "I'm a huge Savannah fan," she says. I feel like I'm going to melt into a puddle on the floor. I put my hand over my mouth. "I think she has done amazing and been such a sweetheart in the process. I would say that Rhett is a very lucky man," she says, winking in Rhett's direction.

He turns and smiles at me. "I would say you're right." Again, I don't know if he's pretending or being serious, but it doesn't matter. By this time tomorrow, we will both be back in our normal lives like none of this ever happened.

"So Keira, tell the contestants what you're looking for in your wedding cake."

"Well, I'm looking for something unique that speaks to our relationship or our own interests, something that will be a showpiece and can be showcased in photos when we have our wedding layout in People Magazine ."

My heart starts to race. People Magazine ? My cake could be featured in People Magazine . That's insane to think about. So much is happening at one time that I can barely take it all in.

"Great. Okay, contestants, are you ready to get started?" We both nod. "Then let's get this competition going in 3, 2, 1… go!”

As soon as he yells, we both start scurrying around our stations. As usual, Rhett grabs his sketch pad and starts drawing something out. I have no idea what he's planning. We didn't talk about any of it in advance. The one place I think I might have a leg up is that I know pop culture. I know a lot about Keira Donaldson and about her relationship. I know what she likes and what she doesn't like.

One of the things that stood out to me in an interview with her was how much she loves fairy tales. She plans to write children’s books about fairy tales when they have kids. She even has a castle painted on her bedroom wall in her New York City apartment.

So I decide to do a fairy tale castle wedding cake. It will be very ambitious in the four hours allotted, but either go big or go home, right?

I start to work on the design. I will make a six-tiered cake, and the top will be designed as a castle turret. I'll even do sugar towers and flags. This will require detailed sugar work to create the castle walls, windows, and drawbridges. I'll use edible glitter and shimmer dust to give it a magical sparkle.

Each of the six tiers will have a different flavor profile. Tier one will be a vanilla sponge cake with blueberry and cream cheese filling. Tier two will be a coconut cake with pineapple curd and coconut buttercream. Tier three will be a carrot cake with walnut pieces and cream cheese frosting. I want to ensure carrot cake is included because it's Keira's favorite. Tier four will be a pistachio sponge cake with rosewater buttercream. And tier five will be a dark chocolate cake with a mint chocolate ganache. The castle turret will be made of white chocolate sponge and a raspberry mousse filling.

For the finishing touches, fondant in pastel shades will be used to create a fairytale look. Sugar ivy and flowers will climb up the castle walls, and I’ll make tiny little sugar figurines of the bride and groom in their royal attire. If this doesn’t win, then nothing I could make would. I’m very confident in what I’m planning and hope nothing goes wrong.

RHETT

Savannah definitely has the upper hand on this one. I know she follows pop culture, which I don't. It's just never been my thing. I've seen these two celebrities before but don’t follow their lives closely.

But still, I have skills. I know I can make an impressive wedding cake. I've done it before. Anytime someone gets married on one of the cruise ships, it's usually me sketching out the cake and making it with my crew, so I know I can do this; it's just coming up with an idea.

The fact that these two are celebrities immediately makes me think of Art Deco—something glamorous. After all, Kiera looks like she would enjoy that. She's wearing a very crisp, off-white pantsuit with beautiful jewelry. I have to believe that she'd love Art Deco.

For the design, I will do a four-tiered cake with very sharp, geometric edges. Each tier will be adorned with intricate Art Deco patterns, sugar decorations, and bold geometric shapes, including fans, zigzags, and chevrons, which will be all over the cake, painted in metallic gold, silver, and black. I will do a mocha sponge cake with espresso buttercream and chocolate ganache for tier one. And then, on tier two, I'll make a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting with just a hint of vanilla.

Tier three will be a champagne cake with strawberry and champagne buttercream. Finally, tier four will be a dark chocolate sponge cake with raspberry filling and chocolate mousse. I’ll put a striking black fondant base with gold and silver edible paint for the finishing touches, creating that Art Deco design. I'll even use edible pearls and crystal sugar shards to add extra glamor and sophistication.

I think I could win with this. I can't see what Savannah is doing, and I know it’ll be great whatever it is. But I will put my best foot forward and try to win this competition. And who knows? Maybe if I win the $200,000, I can take Savannah on a very nice vacation and actually admit to her that this isn’t make-believe for me; this is real life, and I want her in it.

SAVANNAH

The bell to end the competition dings. I can't believe that's the final bell for the whole competition. It's over. There's nothing else that I can do to change the outcome at this point.

I'm really impressed with my cake. I was working down to the final minute, and I thought I wouldn’t finish it, but I did. It looks like a real princess castle, and I'm proud of myself. That's not something I say lightly.

I look over and notice that Rhett has made some kind of Art Deco cake. It's beautiful. It looks like a work of art. Now, it just comes down to the judges, the home audience, and most especially Keira and Keaton on which cake they prefer to have at their wedding. I really don't know.

Keaton and Keira are very into the artistic scene in New York City, so they could very well choose to go with Rhett's cake. Or if Keaton really wants to do what Keira likes, they'll choose my cake.

Either way, I'm happy I got to go through this experience, and if I don't win, maybe the notoriety of being on a reality show like this will help me get a better job than the one I work in now.

I don't think I've been as nervous as I am here waiting to be judged. Maybe I was nervous that time that Big Thelma stood behind me when I first started working at the bakery and made me make forty-eight doughnuts in a short period of time. She said it was a test. I'm not sure for what because she ended up taking most of the doughnuts home with her. Maybe she was testing how high she could get her blood sugar.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Dan says, “it's time for the moment that we've all been waiting for. For the last six weeks, our finalists have created exceptional desserts and proven themselves to be two of the top pastry chefs in the world. Now, they have designed two stunning wedding cakes, and our judges, along with Keira, Keaton, and the home audience, will decide the winner of The Baking Games . Let's get started with Rhett's Art Deco cake."

The judges, along with Keira and Keaton, walk closer. “Rhett, I have to say that this cake is visually stunning. The way you’ve made these geometric patterns is so precise, and the gold accents give it a beautiful elegance,” Tessa says, leaning down and looking closer. Rhett has cut a piece for each of them to try. The judges, along with Keira and Keaton, each take a bite.

"Wow, the flavors you chose are bold. Can you walk us through them?" Marco asks.

"Of course. The bottom layer is a dark chocolate sponge cake with raspberry filling and chocolate mousse, the third tier is a champagne cake with strawberry and champagne buttercream, the second tier is red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, and the top tier is a mocha sponge cake with espresso, buttercream, and chocolate ganache."

Keira smiles. "It looks so beautiful, almost too beautiful to eat. And with so many different flavors in the layers, it's hard to decide which one I like the most. The chocolate and raspberry combination is just divine. The bitterness of the dark chocolate is perfectly balanced by the tartness of the raspberry."

Keaton nods. "Yes, it's hard to pick which is my favorite layer, but I think it might be the red velvet cake."

"Well done, Rhett. You definitely brought your game up to be in the finals," Chef Alain says. "Good luck." Rhett shakes his hand and nods, looking over at me. Now they're walking toward my station.

"So, what have you made here?" Tessa asks as she walks up.

"Well, I made this fairy tale princess cake, which might seem a little odd for a wedding, but I chose it because I know that Keira loves fairy tales and plans to write children's books when she has kids. And I also know that she has a fairy tale mural on the wall of her apartment in New York City." Rhett looks over at me, surprised that I knew so much. He has a knowing look on his face, like he's almost proud of me.

"It is just gorgeous," Keira says, leaning down and looking around all the little details. "Oh my gosh. Did you actually create little figurines of both of us?"

I nod. "I did. That took a while. I tried to make them look very similar to what you actually look like."

"This is amazing. I absolutely love this cake. It doesn't even look like a cake," Keira says.

"Yeah, it's really beautiful, and you really spoke to what Keira loves," Keaton says, putting his arm around her waist.

"Tell us about the flavors in your cake," Marco says.

"Well, it's a five-tier cake, obviously. The top tier is a vanilla sponge cake with blueberry and cream cheese filling. The second layer is a coconut cake with pineapple curd and coconut buttercream. The third tier is a carrot cake with walnuts and cream cheese frosting. The fourth tier is a pistachio sponge cake with rose water buttercream. And the fifth tier holding all of it up is a dark chocolate cake with mint chocolate ganache. The turret at the top is made of white chocolate sponge with a raspberry mousse filling."

All of them look surprised at what I could accomplish in such a short time period. Honestly, I feel like I need to go lie down and take a very long nap.

"This is absolutely amazing, Savannah. You really went above and beyond."

"Thank you."

"Okay, folks. We will give the audience at home fifteen minutes to go ahead and vote. We'll also show some unseen moments from the season while we wait for all the votes to come in, and then we will announce the winner of the first-ever Baking Games competition. Don't go anywhere," Dan says to the camera as we cut to a commercial.

"This really is beautiful, Savannah. I'm so impressed," Keira says.

I feel very starstruck at the moment. I want to ask her for her autograph, but I feel that might be out of place in this situation. "Thank you very much. I had a lot of fun making it."

"Good luck," she says, walking away. I look at Rhett; he nods at me, and I nod back. We both know that this is it. The thing we've been waiting for all these weeks, the thing we're both trying to get and only one of us can have.

After a very long fifteen minutes, Dan pulls the microphone up to his mouth, and I know this is it. Rhett and I are now standing next to each other, holding hands. I can feel him squeezing tighter than he normally does.

"We want both of you to know that this was a very hard decision for the judges, and the audience votes were super close, closer than any other of the competitions this whole season. So, in the end, it actually came down to Keira and Keaton to make the decision. It is their wedding, after all. So we would like to congratulate the winner of The Baking Games , which is..." long pause for dramatic effect, of course, "Savannah!”

My eyes fill with tears of joy. I can't believe that I won. I know my sister is probably jumping up and down in our living room right now, watching me win. Rhett hugs me tightly. "Congratulations, Savannah! You deserve it. I’m so proud of you,” he says, his lips against my ear.

"Thank you, Rhett. Your cake was amazing, too. I'm just so happy right now." Tears stream down my cheeks like a river.

"Well, there you have it, folks. Savannah Greene is the winner of The Baking Games . Thank you all for joining us on this incredible journey. We can’t wait to see you all during season two next year!” Dan says as sparkly confetti falls from the ceiling. I won The Baking Games , and I can't believe it.