might have fared a little better. She’d completely embarrassed herself during that interview, and worse, Maya seemed to know exactly why. She’d probably gotten a good laugh about the pathetic, star-struck lesbian blundering around.
*
“You’re not a contestant this time, Maya,” Hugh said over his shoulder as he strode toward the kitchen set. “You can’t eat lunch with them.”
“Why not?” Maya stretched her legs to keep up with him. During Maya’s season, Hugh had been an assistant to one of the producers. And in the ensuing seasons he’d worked his way up to associate producer. As a past winner, her association with the show had never really ended. She’d returned several times for challenges when the show brought back all-stars to compete against the newbies. And in all of those years, he hadn’t slowed down a bit.
“We have a special lunch catered for you and the guys.”
“If I choose to—”
He stopped short and pulled his cell phone from his pocket, apparently in response to a vibrating alert. He touched the screen, his eyes glued to the display. “You’ll have an unfair advantage if you spend more time with your team.”
Maya shrugged. “Wayne and Jacques are free to do the same, aren’t they?”
“Just don’t do it, okay? You’re a mentor—a star—and we want you set apart from the competitors.”
“Okay.” She still didn’t understand what the big deal was, but she’d comply. Of course, none of the mentors on her season had eaten lunch with her team. In fact, they’d pretty much looked at her like she didn’t deserve to be there. Perhaps that’s why she sympathized with the wide-eyed chefs.
C HAPTER F IVE
“Damn it,” Maya muttered to herself as she watched her team bickering.
“What was that?” Wayne asked smugly.
“Nothing.”
Thirty minutes into the elimination challenge and her group had already fallen noticeably behind. The contestants had to work within their teams to design and decorate a cake for a client’s retirement party. Two representatives from each team had met with the client and taken the ideas back to the others. While Lucia and Alice had handled that task, Shannon and Damien had begun gathering balls of fondant, layers of cake for carving, and other supplies.
The problem for Team Vaughn began when the four of them got behind one worktable. They disagreed drastically over design, taking up far too much time deciding what to do. Then when they finally started work, they were too rushed. Damien’s fondant work was sloppy, and the faster he tried to go the worse it got. Alice tried to micro-manage the team and as a result didn’t seem to be getting any of her own tasks done. Shannon let Alice walk all over her, first in the design phase and then while implementing the idea. Lucia worked consistently on her items, but she didn’t participate much with the team.
By the time Eric called time, Maya’s team had already been beaten. Maya almost felt more exhausted than if she’d been the one up there under the lights working. She mostly remained silent during the judging of each cake, letting Wayne and Jacques give the critiques.
Wayne’s team was awarded the win, and he puffed up with pride, leaving the judges’ table to give them all high fives.
“Maya, since your team came in last, one of them will go home.”
Eric dismissed the other two teams and they headed back to the hotel. He sent Maya’s team to the lounge area to await their fate. While the crew reset to shoot the elimination, Maya took her place behind the long, elevated desk designated for judging. Wayne and Jacques joined her.
“Okay, let’s hear it.” She turned to them with a resigned sigh.
“They’re kind of a mess.” Wayne furrowed his brows as if to soften his words.
Maya nodded, biting her lower lip.
“ A mess would have been preferable.” The slight French lilt to Jacques’ tone made him sound haughty no matter what he said.
Maya tamped down the
*
“You’re not a contestant this time, Maya,” Hugh said over his shoulder as he strode toward the kitchen set. “You can’t eat lunch with them.”
“Why not?” Maya stretched her legs to keep up with him. During Maya’s season, Hugh had been an assistant to one of the producers. And in the ensuing seasons he’d worked his way up to associate producer. As a past winner, her association with the show had never really ended. She’d returned several times for challenges when the show brought back all-stars to compete against the newbies. And in all of those years, he hadn’t slowed down a bit.
“We have a special lunch catered for you and the guys.”
“If I choose to—”
He stopped short and pulled his cell phone from his pocket, apparently in response to a vibrating alert. He touched the screen, his eyes glued to the display. “You’ll have an unfair advantage if you spend more time with your team.”
Maya shrugged. “Wayne and Jacques are free to do the same, aren’t they?”
“Just don’t do it, okay? You’re a mentor—a star—and we want you set apart from the competitors.”
“Okay.” She still didn’t understand what the big deal was, but she’d comply. Of course, none of the mentors on her season had eaten lunch with her team. In fact, they’d pretty much looked at her like she didn’t deserve to be there. Perhaps that’s why she sympathized with the wide-eyed chefs.
C HAPTER F IVE
“Damn it,” Maya muttered to herself as she watched her team bickering.
“What was that?” Wayne asked smugly.
“Nothing.”
Thirty minutes into the elimination challenge and her group had already fallen noticeably behind. The contestants had to work within their teams to design and decorate a cake for a client’s retirement party. Two representatives from each team had met with the client and taken the ideas back to the others. While Lucia and Alice had handled that task, Shannon and Damien had begun gathering balls of fondant, layers of cake for carving, and other supplies.
The problem for Team Vaughn began when the four of them got behind one worktable. They disagreed drastically over design, taking up far too much time deciding what to do. Then when they finally started work, they were too rushed. Damien’s fondant work was sloppy, and the faster he tried to go the worse it got. Alice tried to micro-manage the team and as a result didn’t seem to be getting any of her own tasks done. Shannon let Alice walk all over her, first in the design phase and then while implementing the idea. Lucia worked consistently on her items, but she didn’t participate much with the team.
By the time Eric called time, Maya’s team had already been beaten. Maya almost felt more exhausted than if she’d been the one up there under the lights working. She mostly remained silent during the judging of each cake, letting Wayne and Jacques give the critiques.
Wayne’s team was awarded the win, and he puffed up with pride, leaving the judges’ table to give them all high fives.
“Maya, since your team came in last, one of them will go home.”
Eric dismissed the other two teams and they headed back to the hotel. He sent Maya’s team to the lounge area to await their fate. While the crew reset to shoot the elimination, Maya took her place behind the long, elevated desk designated for judging. Wayne and Jacques joined her.
“Okay, let’s hear it.” She turned to them with a resigned sigh.
“They’re kind of a mess.” Wayne furrowed his brows as if to soften his words.
Maya nodded, biting her lower lip.
“ A mess would have been preferable.” The slight French lilt to Jacques’ tone made him sound haughty no matter what he said.
Maya tamped down the
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