We will be dedicating the contest to her memory.”
Wow!
Kizzy was good. Even though I knew the truth, she almost had me blubbering. I edged closer to the pavilion and peered at Lee Kimbrough, who was standing behind her partner. She was in the shadow, so I couldn’t see her expression, but her posture was tense and she had her arms folded tightly across her chest. It looked to me as if everything wasn’t hunky-dory in cupcake land.
After introducing the contestants, Kizzy waited for the applause to die down, then said, “Now please give a warm welcome to our esteemed celebrity judges.” She gestured to a trio standing next to her, then put a hand on the shoulder of a woman dressed in an exquisite blue-and-white polka-dot sheath. “Thomasina Giancarlo is an award-winning pastry chef originally from Naples, Italy, and the owner of Something Sweeter Restaurant in Kansas City.”
As Kizzy went on and on about Thomasina’s accomplishments, I studied the tiny woman. I found it odd that someone who wore a size 2 was a pastry chef. Didn’t she eat her own confections? Where did all the calories go? The only things large about her were her breasts and lips. From a certain angle, she looked like a blow-up doll.
I returned my attention to the gazebo when Kizzyturned to the imposing woman next to Thomasina and said, “Next, we have Annalee Paulson. Annalee is the star of
Sugar and Spice
, the hit baking show on KCMTV.”
The local television station ran mostly reruns with an occasional cooking program and farm report to provide variety. I hadn’t seen
Sugar and Spice
, but I knew my grandmother was a fan. Gran and her friend Frieda were somewhere in the crowd, and although I hadn’t spotted them, I was sure that if she knew that Annalee was a judge, Gran was doubtlessly in the front row.
Kizzy paused as the audience finished clapping for Annalee, then indicated a handsome African-American man, and said, “Last, but not least, we have Vance Buddy. Mr. Buddy is a renowned cookbook author, blogger, and winner of the prestigious
New York Centennial
Best Cookbook of 2013 Award.”
Vance resembled a thirtyish Denzel Washington and I could hear some of the women next to me murmuring that he could bake their bread anytime. I had to agree that I wouldn’t kick him out of my kitchen, either.
As I was fantasizing about his buns, a girl standing next to me with the words BUTTERCREAM IS M Y FAVORITE ACCESSORY embroidered on her pink T-shirt giggled and said, “I’m surprised Kizzy chose Vance as one of the judges.”
I turned in time to see the teen’s male companion roll his eyes, then paste an interested look on his face and ask, “Why are you surprised, Liza? It sounds like the guy has the creds to pick a winner.”
“Because of what Vance wrote about her cupcakes on his blog.”
“You read his blog?” the boyfriend asked, then muttered, “That explains a lot.”
“Sure.” Liza giggled again. “He always postspictures of himself shirtless, eating whatever he’s writing about. And, man, that dude is ripped.”
“So, what did Mr. Centerfold say about the chick’s cupcakes?”
“He said that the cake was dense and dry, like its creator, and the frosting was as bland as the company had grown to be in recent years.”
The boyfriend cracked up. When he got his breath, he said, “Maybe the cupcake chick didn’t see the blog.”
“Oh, Kizzy saw it all right.” Liza crossed her arms. “She sued Vance for defamation or libel or whatever. But he took down the blog, so the case never went to court.”
“So they made up.” The boyfriend shrugged, clearly bored with the conversation. “Maybe she asked him to be a judge to mend fences.”
“Highly unlikely.” Liza snickered. “Vance lost a lot of followers over his removal of that blog. His readers felt that he’d caved in and given up his First Amendment rights.”
“Tragic.” The boyfriend slung his arm around Liza’s shoulders and the couple
Wow!
Kizzy was good. Even though I knew the truth, she almost had me blubbering. I edged closer to the pavilion and peered at Lee Kimbrough, who was standing behind her partner. She was in the shadow, so I couldn’t see her expression, but her posture was tense and she had her arms folded tightly across her chest. It looked to me as if everything wasn’t hunky-dory in cupcake land.
After introducing the contestants, Kizzy waited for the applause to die down, then said, “Now please give a warm welcome to our esteemed celebrity judges.” She gestured to a trio standing next to her, then put a hand on the shoulder of a woman dressed in an exquisite blue-and-white polka-dot sheath. “Thomasina Giancarlo is an award-winning pastry chef originally from Naples, Italy, and the owner of Something Sweeter Restaurant in Kansas City.”
As Kizzy went on and on about Thomasina’s accomplishments, I studied the tiny woman. I found it odd that someone who wore a size 2 was a pastry chef. Didn’t she eat her own confections? Where did all the calories go? The only things large about her were her breasts and lips. From a certain angle, she looked like a blow-up doll.
I returned my attention to the gazebo when Kizzyturned to the imposing woman next to Thomasina and said, “Next, we have Annalee Paulson. Annalee is the star of
Sugar and Spice
, the hit baking show on KCMTV.”
The local television station ran mostly reruns with an occasional cooking program and farm report to provide variety. I hadn’t seen
Sugar and Spice
, but I knew my grandmother was a fan. Gran and her friend Frieda were somewhere in the crowd, and although I hadn’t spotted them, I was sure that if she knew that Annalee was a judge, Gran was doubtlessly in the front row.
Kizzy paused as the audience finished clapping for Annalee, then indicated a handsome African-American man, and said, “Last, but not least, we have Vance Buddy. Mr. Buddy is a renowned cookbook author, blogger, and winner of the prestigious
New York Centennial
Best Cookbook of 2013 Award.”
Vance resembled a thirtyish Denzel Washington and I could hear some of the women next to me murmuring that he could bake their bread anytime. I had to agree that I wouldn’t kick him out of my kitchen, either.
As I was fantasizing about his buns, a girl standing next to me with the words BUTTERCREAM IS M Y FAVORITE ACCESSORY embroidered on her pink T-shirt giggled and said, “I’m surprised Kizzy chose Vance as one of the judges.”
I turned in time to see the teen’s male companion roll his eyes, then paste an interested look on his face and ask, “Why are you surprised, Liza? It sounds like the guy has the creds to pick a winner.”
“Because of what Vance wrote about her cupcakes on his blog.”
“You read his blog?” the boyfriend asked, then muttered, “That explains a lot.”
“Sure.” Liza giggled again. “He always postspictures of himself shirtless, eating whatever he’s writing about. And, man, that dude is ripped.”
“So, what did Mr. Centerfold say about the chick’s cupcakes?”
“He said that the cake was dense and dry, like its creator, and the frosting was as bland as the company had grown to be in recent years.”
The boyfriend cracked up. When he got his breath, he said, “Maybe the cupcake chick didn’t see the blog.”
“Oh, Kizzy saw it all right.” Liza crossed her arms. “She sued Vance for defamation or libel or whatever. But he took down the blog, so the case never went to court.”
“So they made up.” The boyfriend shrugged, clearly bored with the conversation. “Maybe she asked him to be a judge to mend fences.”
“Highly unlikely.” Liza snickered. “Vance lost a lot of followers over his removal of that blog. His readers felt that he’d caved in and given up his First Amendment rights.”
“Tragic.” The boyfriend slung his arm around Liza’s shoulders and the couple
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