Chapter 24
CHAPTER 24
SAVANNAH
After our date the other night, I feel like I've been walking on Cloud Nine. Rhett and I have continued to pretend like we're a couple, holding hands, snuggling on the sofa outside, and stealing the occasional quick kiss—nothing major, but enough to convince the audience that we're in a budding relationship. Do I want a deeper kiss where we maul each other like in the movies? Um, yes. But do I want my little sister to see that on national TV and taunt me for the rest of my days? No.
Whenever he gives me that quick peck on the lips, I wait for something more, but I don't think he wants to overdo it. He probably wants to do just the least amount possible to convince people to vote for us and not lead me on at the same time.
I’m willing to take whatever I can get, whether it’s a hug or holding hands. I've never felt so connected to someone. Even after dating Connor for two years, we didn't have a connection anywhere near like this. The other bonus of us pretending to be a couple is that it's driving Connor insane. He can't stand it. He hates to lose and makes snide comments whenever given the chance.
Today is the first challenge where we will dwindle down to three contestants. I could go home today; any of us could. It's unnerving to make it this far and think that there's a chance you might be leaving in mere hours.
I'm standing in the industrial kitchen with Rhett on one side and Lainey on the other. Connor is on her other side. Of course, they're not speaking because they broke up. I don't think it was ever really official, anyway. Lainey just thought it was, but she's been much easier to deal with since their breakup. She's actually talking to me, and we've had some decent conversations. Lainey isn't as bad as we all thought she was. She just puts on a really nasty suit of armor, but slowly, I think she's letting that go.
"Good afternoon, contestants,” Dan says. I like Dan. He's growing on me. His teeth aren't. They're the size of skyscrapers and way more white than anyone's teeth should be, but I don't mind him as much as I did in the beginning. "I can't believe that we are entering the last week of competition," he says, smiling at us. It's more of a genuine smile than it was when we started. I hated the fake smile he would do at the camera, although he still does it sometimes. He's the perfect TV host. In fact, I can't really think of another job that he could do without scaring people with those teeth.
"In our first competition, where we will lose one contestant, your challenge is to make an opera cake. Make it unique. The judges will look at the flavor and the little details you put into it. The audience, of course, will be voting at home. For those at home who don't know what an opera cake is, this classic French dessert consists of multiple layers of almond sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup and then layered with rich coffee buttercream and dark chocolate ganache. It's also topped with a smooth chocolate glaze. The cake is usually rectangular in shape and looks polished when it's done correctly. Contestants, your challenge is to do a new take on an opera cake. Switch it up and impress the judges. You'll have three hours to complete this task, so let's get started. Your competition begins in 3, 2, 1… go!”
We all run to our stations. I don't have time to look at what anyone else is doing. I'm just going to focus on my own task at hand. I decide to think outside the box and do a raspberry and white chocolate opera cake. I will lightly soak the sponge cake in raspberry syrup. I'll use a raspberry buttercream made with sweet, fresh raspberries. Then, I'll make white chocolate ganache and use a raspberry glaze to give it a vibrant pink color. Hopefully, it will be enough to win.
RHETT
We are down to the wire. We only have three challenges left before someone is crowned the winner, and today, somebody's going home. At this point, it could be any of us. I think we're all on a fairly even playing field.
I've had the chance to watch what these other pastry chefs can do, especially Savannah. I know anyone could pull this out at the end. Impress the judges and the home audience, and you get to stay. Make one mistake, and you might be going home. It's a lot of pressure. I would hate to think I got this close to winning the whole thing and then got sent home before Connor or Lainey. If I lose to Savannah, I won't feel nearly as bad.
The last few days of faking our relationship have been the best days of my life. Holding her in the garden and dancing, finally pressing my lips to hers. These are things I never thought would happen, but they are the greatest blessings in my life right now.
It's not that I haven't kissed other women before. Of course, I have, but I’ve never felt anything as I did with just that simple little kiss on Savannah's lips. I hadn't planned it, but at the moment, it just struck me as the right thing to do, and she seemed to be okay with it. In fact, we've done it a few more times, but I haven't pushed it further than that.
It's bad enough that I asked her to fake a relationship. I don't want to feel like I'm pressuring her into something she's not interested in or ready for. So I have to be okay with just holding her hand, putting my arm around her, and occasionally sneaking a peck on the lips. Then I go take a cold shower.
Right now, I have to focus on making an opera cake. It's not something I've made a whole lot, and Dan made it clear that it needed to be innovative. So I decide to do a hazelnut and caramel opera cake. I'm soaking my sponge cake in hazelnut liqueur syrup. I'm making caramel buttercream and a milk chocolate ganache. The glaze will be a shiny caramel glaze that I think will really wow them.
I can't afford to look over at Savannah, or I'll stare at her. I'll watch what she's doing. I'll sit there impressed by her skills, and then I won't get my own cake done. Then, I’d be leaving here in a few hours. I can't let that happen, so I continue to work on mine.
This is it. We're coming to the end of this competition, and as much as I want to stay in this house with her forever, I also want to win. I want to get to the end. I want to make that money and start my life. But winning would mean Savannah lost, and that's something that's hard to deal with as well. One of us is going to win, and one of us is going to lose. There's no way around it.
SAVANNAH
It seems like the bell rings for the end of the competition five minutes after it starts. I can’t believe how quickly the time went. I like how my opera cake came out; it looks like Rhett’s is good, too. I can’t really see what Lainey made, and Connor is further down, so it's impossible to spy on him.
The judges come out and start walking around. They start at Rhett's station. He explains his caramel and hazelnut opera cake. The judges each take a bite and nod.
Chef Alain speaks first. "This is a very beautiful opera cake with a wonderful, rich flavor. Well done, Rhett." The other judges seem to agree.
Then, they make their way over to Connor's station. Connor is smiling as if he's won the whole thing.
"And what did you make?"
"I made a raspberry pistachio opera cake," he says. His is not as pretty as Rhett's, or maybe I'm just biased. The judges try it.
"It's good. Definitely has some unexpected flavors," Tessa says. She's always flirting with Connor, so I can't tell if she really hates his dessert and just doesn't want to tell him or if she actually likes it.
Then, they move over to Lainey. Now that it’s sitting on the counter, her opera cake looks very strange. It has a vibrant green glaze and looks like something that just came from a nuclear power plant.
"And what do we have here?" Marco asks, eyeing it carefully.
Lainey smiles. “I really wanted to think outside the box, so I made a matcha and black sesame opera cake."
The judges' mouths drop open. "Tell us how you made that," Chef Alain says.
"Well, the sponge cake is infused with matcha powder, and then I soaked it in a light matcha syrup. Then, I used black sesame to make a buttercream and white chocolate ganache. I topped it with a matcha glaze, which is giving it this really cool green color." She seems quite proud of herself, but the judges don't seem impressed.
Tessa takes a bite and almost spits it out. "Did you taste this, Lainey?"
"Well, no. I was too busy making it."
"Yeah, this is not good. It tastes like the sesame seeds were burned, and there's a very bitter flavor."
Marco takes a bite at the same time as Tessa and looks like he's having trouble swallowing it. "Yes, I agree. This is not good, Lainey. Not good at all.”
Lainey's eyes fill with tears. I think she knows what's about to happen to her, but she's probably hoping that my dessert is terrible. I hope she's wrong.
They walk over to my station.
"And what did you make, Savannah?" Tessa asks, taking a sip of water to try to get the taste of Lainey's cake out of her mouth.
"I made a raspberry and white chocolate opera cake. I lightly soaked my sponge cake in raspberry syrup, made a raspberry buttercream and a white chocolate ganache, topped with this vibrant pink raspberry glaze."
I stand there with my hands behind my back, waiting for them to taste it.
Tessa is first, and when she tastes it, an immediate smile spreads across her face. "This is lovely. So light and refreshing."
Each of the judges nods as they take their bite. Thank goodness. I know I have passed this round.
A few moments later, they give Lainey the unfortunate news that she'll be going home. I see tears streaming down her face. I actually feel bad for her. A week ago, I couldn't have said that. I walk over and give her a quick hug, the only one of the contestants who does that, and then she disappears out of the room.
"Well, congratulations, contestants," Dan says. "The three of you have made it to the next stage of the finals. I'll see you tomorrow for your next competition. Go rest up."
With that, we turn to walk out of the kitchen. Rhett walks over and takes my hand, which is becoming the most comfortable thing in my life. Connor glares at us and walks out. He can't stand to see it, which makes me laugh whenever I see it bothers him. One of the best things about leaving this house is that I'll never have to see Connor again.
SAVANNAH
Being in the house with just Connor and Rhett is like watching a before-and-after presentation. Connor is the before. The ugly thing you’re trying to make pretty. The terrible thing you’re trying to make good. The only problem is that Connor never changes. He has steered clear of me and Rhett, for the most part, staying in his room. He has now switched to a totally separate room from Rhett. The quicker we can get him out of this house, the better.
On the other hand, Rhett and I have spent lots of time together. We sat in the hot tub, played pool, and played checkers and chess. He’s taught me card games, and we've cooked almost every meal together in the kitchen. It's like a very domestic thing we're suddenly doing, and I can't say that I'm not enjoying it.
For the first time, as much as I miss my sister, I feel a connection to another human being, and I will miss him too. It seems like no matter what I do in my life, I'll be missing someone. But I have to focus on the prizes: the cookbook deal, the wedding cake for the celebrity couple, and the $200,000 that I desperately want to see in my bank account.
While I’ll always cheer for Rhett, I know that I need this money more than he does. Even though his family treats him as an outcast, Rhett is so skilled that he will get a fancy restaurant job somewhere. He just has to have that belief in himself. He will be running some fancy pants place before too long. But if I don't win this money, I'll work at the grocery store with Big Thelma for the rest of my life. I will become the next Big Thelma. Only they’ll call me Little Savannah.
So, while I'm enjoying our time together, I'm also well aware that we are competing against each other, which is a strange place to be. Our next competition is tonight, and I can hardly wait. For the first time during this whole thing, I feel excited.
I'm ready to get behind my station and do my work. I'm becoming increasingly confident in my skills, and when I get back home, whether I win this money or not, I will look for a different job, something better than the grocery store. Hopefully, having it on my resume that I was on a reality TV baking show will help get me in the door. And if I win, even better.
"You know you can't do that," Rhett calls from the other side of the pool table.
"Do what?" I ask, playing dumb.
"You're supposed to call the pocket before you hit that eight-ball."
"You're just mad that I'm about to beat you."
“Maybe so," he says, laughing. "But you're still supposed to call the pocket."
"Well, I play by my own rules, Rhett," I say, walking over to him pretending to be seductive. I rise up on my tiptoes and kiss him on the cheek. "Do you have a problem with that?" I ask softly.
His face turns red. "No, actually, I guess I don't." He grabs me around the waist and picks me up, swinging me around in a circle. That's when Connor walks into the courtyard. He stops in his tracks, makes a gagging noise, and then hangs his head. "What's your problem?" Rhett says.
"My problem is that I'm stuck in the house with you two fawning all over each other. Why don't you just call in the justice of the peace and get married already?" he says, walking over and falling down onto the sofa.
"Are you jealous, Connor?" Rhett asks as he walks toward him, stalking him like prey. I kind of want to tell him to stop, but I also want to see what happens.
"No, actually, I'm not jealous. I've already been with this woman, and trust me, if you're still with her in two years, you'll be desperate to get rid of her, too.”
"Excuse me, Connor, but you didn't get rid of me. I got rid of you,” I say, crossing my arms.
"Because you're obsessed with your sister, Savannah. Nobody is obsessed with their sister like you are. It's ridiculous. Nobody is going to put up with that."
"I would," Rhett says.
I look over at him. "You would?"
"I think it's wonderful that she's so dedicated to her sister and that she loves her like that. It's inspiring."
"Well, I didn't find it inspiring," Connor says, rolling his eyes and lighting a cigarette. "I found it annoying. When you're dating someone and about to marry them, they should be the center of your world."
"Well, it sounds like you're pretty obsessed with yourself, Connor. It's probably best that you be alone," Rhett says, taking my hand and walking me out of the courtyard.
"That was fun," I whisper to him as we enter the house.
"Yeah, it was pretty fun."
SAVANNAH
We're back in the kitchen again, awaiting instructions on the second of our three final competitions. Now that Lainey has gone home and left just the three of us, this competition is down to the wire.
Dan takes his place in the front of the room and brings the microphone to his mouth. "In today's competition, which is the last one before the actual finals, you'll be making a pavlova. Just like with the opera cake, we want to see a take-off on the pavlova and how you can make it different from how most people make it. For the at-home audience who doesn't know what a pavlova is, it's a meringue-based dessert named after a Russian ballerina. It features a crisp and delicate outer shell with a soft marshmallow-like interior. It's typically shaped into a large circular form with a slightly indented center holding different toppings. Many times, it's garnished with whipped cream and fruits. For our contestants here, we want a unique take on the pavlova. You will have three hours to complete this. Once you're finished, another person will go home, leaving our final two contestants to battle it out in the wedding cake competition."
That's the first time Dan has admitted that the last competition is the wedding cake for the celebrity couple. I have to start thinking ahead of time about what I'm going to make. I believe I can win this pavlova competition, but we'll see. I look over at Rhett, and he smiles at me, winking. It gives me butterflies in my stomach, but I can't concentrate on that right now. Instead, I have to pay attention to what I'm doing. I immediately decide that what I want to make is a tropical pavlova. I'll make a meringue base with a hint of coconut extract and then use a coconut whipped cream with a touch of vanilla. I'll top it with the tropical fruits of mango, pineapple, kiwi, and passion fruit pulp and then garnish it with toasted coconut flakes. I don't think anybody else will do something similar.
RHETT
The competition is heating up. Of course, I can't stop winking at Savannah. I really have to pay attention. I want it to be the two of us standing in the final, competing against each other. For some reason, I don't feel competitive with her. I just feel like we're working together. The only problem is that only one of us can win. My chivalrous side wants to let her win, but I also know she would never want that. She wants real competition. She wants to know that she can do this, and I want to know the same thing.
I look over to see what she's making, but I can’t tell just yet, so I need to focus on what I'm doing. I opt to make a lemon and blueberry pavlova. I'll make the meringue base with a hint of lemon zest. Then I'll use a tangy and smooth lemon curd and top everything with a blueberry compote. I'll cook the fresh blueberries with a little sugar and lemon juice and then spoon it over the lemon curd. I can already taste it.
All I have to do is get through this competition, and then we can get to the finals. We can do the wedding cakes and see who will be crowned the winner, and then it's time to go on with our lives. But for some reason, I'm having a hard time imagining my life without Savannah every day.