Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
J oyce’s stomach was in knots. She’d looked at the clock a thousand times today. She knew the episode went live at eleven sharp. It was all automated once Lucas had it uploaded. There was no stopping it.
Not that she wanted to. Not much, anyway. There was a good part of her that thought this was a lot of foolishness. Her and Beryl acting like bigshots in the kitchen. What had they been thinking?
They hadn’t been, that’s what. Now it was too late, and they were going to be on the YouTube for all to see. What would people back home think? Maybe they wouldn’t see it. Did anyone in the U.K. watch Lucas’s show? She didn’t know.
“Joyce.”
She blinked and looked at her sister, who was cleaning up her baking things. “What?”
“You’ve been standing there, staring off into space for I don’t know how long. What’s gotten into you?”
Joyce smoothed her apron. “The show goes live today.”
Beryl smiled. “I know. Innit wonderful? I can’t wait. Just a few more minutes.”
Joyce’s mouth fell open. She stared at her sister. “You’re excited about it?”
“Sure. Aren’t you?”
Joyce took a deep breath. She needed air. “No. I’m…terrified.”
Beryl frowned at her. “You? Terrified? You must be joking.”
“I’m not. What if we look like a right pair of idiots? What if people laugh at us?” She twisted the edge of her apron in her hands. “I don’t want to be made a fool of.”
Beryl took Joyce by the arms. “You listen to me, now. Lucas is a fine young man. He wouldn’t make us look like fools. No one’s going to laugh at us. You heard what Frankie said last night. People love him. They trust him. They’re already going to be on our side.”
She gave Joyce a little shake before letting go. “What’s gotten into you?”
Joyce swallowed and took in more air. “You’re right. I’m sure you’re right. I don’t know what’s come over me.”
“Stage fright,” Beryl said.
“Maybe.”
“I had a touch of that last night. It’ll pass. Go sit. I’ll make some tea and we’ll have a watch. Bread’ll be in for another forty minutes anyway.” She shooed Joyce toward the table. “Go on now.”
Joyce gave a little nod and went to the table. She’d brought her laptop with her today for just this purpose, but now, she was no longer sure she wanted to see the episode at all. What had come over her?
Maybe she just needed a cup of tea and a biscuit to set her right again.
Or maybe this whole thing was going to be a disaster.
Beryl brought the laptop over and set it in front of Joyce. “You get it ready while I fix the tea.”
Joyce opened it and stared at the blank screen. There was no avoiding the inevitable, she supposed. She pushed the button to start the computer.
Just then, Mitch and Kyle came out of Kyle’s room. They’d been in there talking for some time. Both of them had smiles on their faces.
Kyle rubbed his hands together. “I’m going to get Ruthie and fix her a bottle, then we’ll be ready to watch.”
Joyce’s chest felt tight. The screen flickered to life.
Mitch nodded. “I’ll get a bottle warming.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Kyle went into Ruthie’s room.
Beryl brought two cups of tea to the table and placed one in front of Joyce. “Drink that, now. You’ll feel better.”
Joyce picked up the cup and took a sip. It was good. Beryl knew how to make a cup of tea. Joyce took another sip. It helped. Tea always helped. She prepared herself for the worst. She opened a browser and connected to YouTube. From there, she went to Lucas’s channel, which she’d already subscribed to.
There was no new episode yet. She checked the time. A few minutes yet to go.
Beryl returned with a plate of biscuits and sat next to Joyce. Kyle, with Ruthie in his arms, took a chair on the other side of Joyce. Mitch brought the bottle to Kyle, then sat.
He adjusted the laptop so they could all see the screen.
Joyce felt like she might throw up.
Mitch was staring at her. “You okay?”
She shook her head. “I’m…nervous.”
“It’ll be all right,” Kyle said. “You guys are going to be great. Don’t you worry.”
Easy for him to say. Joyce drank more tea and tried to breathe. She really didn’t know where all of this had come from, but nothing like this had ever happened to her before.
How was one supposed to act while on the verge of public humiliation?
Mitch moved the cursor, then tapped the touchpad. The screen refreshed and a new video appeared front and center. Their video.
Joyce inhaled as it began to play.
Lucas appeared after the fancy intro that featured the logo Frankie had designed. “Hello, fellow foodies! Welcome to a very special episode of Prime Kitchen . I have two amazing guests here with me today, Joyce Crenshaw, and her sister, Beryl Furling. They’re all the way from the U.K. and they’re going to teach us how to make something incredibly delicious, the traditional Sunday roast. I can tell you firsthand you do not want to miss this. Ladies, take it away.”
The camera cut to Joyce and Beryl standing at the stove, smiling.
Joyce put her hand to her mouth. That was her. On video. She looked like a blooming idiot.
“Wow,” Kyle said. “You guys look great.”
She glared at him. “Are you daft? I look like a right mental case.”
Mitch snorted. “No, you don’t. Listen, I know it can be a shock when you see yourself on video for the first time, but trust me, you look fantastic. Both of you.”
“Hush,” Beryl said. She tapped the button to turn up the volume.
Joyce sat quietly as the episode went on. Beryl seemed to be enjoying it. Kyle and Mitch laughed and smiled. Slowly, Joyce started to feel less like throwing up.
Didn’t mean she suddenly liked seeing herself on the screen. It was awkward and strange to see herself like that. Beryl didn’t seem to have that problem.
Joyce finally smiled when Frankie appeared as their taster. Frankie looked beautiful. She said such nice things about the food, too.
Lucas closed the episode by asking his viewers when they’d like to see Joyce and Beryl again, then gave everyone a farewell as he joined Joyce and Beryl in a wave.
Joyce exhaled, glad to have it over.
“That was brilliant,” Beryl said with a big grin. “Proper brilliant.”
Kyle handed Ruthie to Mitch. “Hang on, let’s see if there are any comments yet.”
Joyce stared at him. “Comments?” Her sense of panic returned. For a brief moment, she’d forgotten about the comments.
Kyle turned the laptop a little and scrolled down below the video. He nodded. “Yep, they’re starting to come in already.”
He leaned in. “‘I’m living for Joyce and Beryl. Can they adopt me? When are you having them back? Tomorrow? Please!’” He paused. “Hang on, there’s more. ‘Great episode, Lucas. Loved the special guests. Food looked fantastic. I might attempt those roasties.’”
Mitch grinned at Joyce. “Don’t go getting a big head, now.”
“Wait,” Kyle said. “I’m not done. ‘If these two opened a restaurant, I’d eat there every day. When does their cookbook come out?’” He laughed. “They love you guys.”
Beryl fluttered her lashes. “We’re famous, Joycie.”
Joyce and Beryl’s phones started going off. Both devices were on the kitchen counter by the sink.
Beryl hopped up. “I’ll get them.” She returned with the phones, handing Joyce’s to her as Beryl read from her own screen. “Lucas said the response has been great. He’s already gotten emails asking when we’re going to be on again. He said he wants to talk to us about setting up the next filming time.”
“This is mad,” Joyce said. “How can all these people like us? We’re just people like them. We’re nothing special.”
Mitch shook his head. “That’s not true at all. You’re very special. Something that clearly came through the screen.” He kissed Ruthie’s head. “Tell ’em, Ruthie.”
She let out a little screech, probably more because of the sound of her name than anything else but it was sweet all the same.
Joyce tried to take it all in with the graciousness their mother had taught them, bless her. She glanced at Beryl, who seemed to be glowing. “What would we make?”
“Does it matter?” Beryl said. “We’ll just pick a dish. Bangers and mash. Toad in the hole.”
“Your cottage pie is pretty amazing, Joyce,” Kyle said.
Beryl nodded. “There you go. Cottage pie it is. Always a crowd pleaser. You can do that and I’ll do jam tarts for pudding.” She looked at her phone again. “I’ll text Lucas.”
“Hold on,” Joyce said. “Give it a minute, would you? I need to…think about this.”
Their phones went off again. This time the messages were from Harper, Frankie, and Willa. More sweet, supportive, wonderful words.
Joyce got a little teary-eyed. It was hard not to believe such things when they were coming from a variety of sources. “Were we really that good?”
“Joyce,” Mitch started. “You were very entertaining, the food looked great, and having eaten it, I know for a fact it tasted even better. This could be the start of something big.”
“I don’t need anything big,” she countered. “I have you and Kyle and Ruthie. And now Beryl. I have everything I need.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Beryl said. “Might be fun to be a little famous.”
“You’ve gone barmy,” Joyce said. She tipped her head at Mitch, still looking at her sister. “He’s famous and he hates it.”
Mitch laughed. “I don’t hate it. I hate some of it. But the truth is, I know my success is a blessing. I might act like I hate it sometimes, but I’m well aware of the benefits it’s given me. The life it’s allowed me to live. Don’t be so hasty, Joyce. You never know what might come of this.”
“You really think so?”
Mitch nodded. Kyle nodded. Beryl nodded. Ruthie had fallen asleep.
Joyce took a breath and looked at her sister. “All right. Tell Lucas we’ll do it one more time.”