For the Love of Cake (28 page)

“You probably should. At least until after the show is over.”

With that reminder, Shannon glanced at the clock, then sat up quickly. “Shit. Our car’s going to be here in thirty minutes.” She jumped out of bed and began putting on her clothes.

Maya leaned up on her elbow and watched her. After Shannon had her shirt on, she smiled and pointed. “Your shirt’s inside out.”

“Damn it.” Shannon yanked it off and fixed it.

“I wish we could blow off the show and stay in bed all day.” Maya flipped back the covers, got up, and crossed the room naked. While Shannon still rushed around getting dressed, Maya leisurely pulled the carafe from the coffeemaker as if she actually did intend to abandon her responsibilities for the day.

“You’re not helping.”

“Oh, was I supposed to be?” She put on a robe but let it hang open in the front. “I finally got with the woman I’ve been thinking about for weeks. Forgive me if I want to enjoy it a bit longer.”

“Weeks, huh?”

“Let’s just say I’ve had some interesting showers lately.” Maya stepped close, grabbed her waist, and kissed her.

“Yeah? Try having them with another girl in the suite,” Shannon said. When Maya’s expression changed, Shannon laughed and pushed her away. “Pervert.”

“You know, if you need a little more privacy, there’s a very roomy shower stall right in there.” Maya tilted her head toward the adjoining bathroom.

“I don’t have time for that right now. Where’s my purse?” She searched the room and found it where she’d dropped it by the sofa.

“Do you have your room key?”

Shannon dug into her purse, then held it up triumphantly. Maya handed her a travel mug of coffee and led her to the door. She closed her robe and tied the belt.

“Go down to your room. Shower and change, quickly. You don’t have much time.”

“Alice is going to ask where I’ve been.”

“Tell her you were at the hospital. It’s mostly true, anyway.”

“Maya, I—”

Maya pressed her lips to Shannon’s, stopping whatever she’d been about to say.

“We didn’t have time for the kiss and for talking, and I really wanted to do that.” She opened the door, stuck her head out to check that the hallway was clear, then pushed Shannon outside. “I’ll see you on set.”

She closed the door and left Shannon alone in the hallway before she could say anything more. Shannon got in the elevator and pushed the button for her floor. During the brief ride, she used the mirrored finish of the doors to frantically try to tame her hair. She wished she looked more like she’d spent the night in the hospital and less like she’d been rolling around in bed. Alice might buy it, if she kept her distracted with talk of the baby.

*

“The winner of this challenge and the first chef to win a spot on the finale is—” Eric paused, scanning the four of them. Shannon counted to five in her head, having a feel for his dramatic rhythm by now. “Alice.”

Alice covered her mouth and jumped up and down. She looked like she wanted to say something; in fact, she appeared to be bursting with the urge, but by now she’d learned that Eric would want to continue quickly.

“Ned, you are also safe and on to the finale.”

He didn’t waste any time with the next reveal, leaving Shannon stunned. Ned gave a fist pump on his way out of camera range. Shannon glanced at Mason, and he looked as nervous as she felt. She hadn’t been confident going into this elimination.

Despite being exhausted and distracted by Maya, her work had been solid, but not as creative as Alice’s. She’d thought she could edge out Ned for the second spot, but that clearly wasn’t the case. So now it was down to her and Mason, and in just a few minutes it would all be over for one of them. The idea that she could come this far and be sent home shook her.

As usual the mentors stood opposite them, next to Eric. When she met Maya’s eyes, she thought she detected a tiny smile, but she couldn’t be sure. Maybe she’d imagined what she wanted to see, because when she looked again, Maya’s expression was almost neutral. After the night—and morning, they’d just spent together, if she were going home, wouldn’t she see some trace of that in Maya’s face? Unless it really didn’t matter to Maya. She had Alice in the finals, so her team would be represented either way. They hadn’t taken the time to define their relationship. Just because sleeping with someone was a big deal for Shannon didn’t mean Maya viewed things the same way. If even half the tabloid reports were true, she had plenty of casual sex.

“Mason.” Eric’s voice interrupted what might rapidly turn into a panic attack for Shannon. She braced herself to react gracefully either way and, if it went badly, not to let them see how destroyed she was. “Mason, you will not be competing in the finale this year.”

“Oh my God,” Shannon whispered. She turned to Mason and hugged him. Then she exited to where Hugh motioned for her, giving Mason his time to say good-bye to the mentors.

Hugh took her arm and led her farther away. “This was a close elimination, and some of the producers thought it might be safer to give it to Mason. That photo almost cost you this finale,” he said so quietly only she could hear.

“What changed their mind?” She wasn’t sure how she’d feel if Maya had been the one to save her. She wanted to believe she’d earned this spot on her own merit.

“It was Wayne’s endorsement that saved you.”

“But Mason was on his team?”

“Yes. He was.” Hugh walked away without another word.

She turned and watched the rest of the proceedings on the kitchen set. Wayne had chosen her over his own team member. Just when she’d accepted that she had no control over the outcome of the show, she apparently had done something to convince Wayne she deserved to be in the finale.

Mason was escorted away, and Shannon knew he would be taken back to the hotel to pack. By the time the three remaining contestants returned, he would be gone. As she tracked him across the set, she caught sight of Maya, who was watching her as well. When their eyes met, Maya winked and Shannon smiled in response.

This morning, when Shannon had hurried into her hotel room after leaving Maya’s, Alice came out of her bedroom. She immediately began asking about the baby, apparently assuming she’d just rushed in from the hospital. Letting her continue to think so was easier than she’d thought it would be. She went to her own room, mumbling about needing to grab a quick shower before they left. She raced through her morning ritual, not bothering to dry her hair before twisting it into an updo.

Once they’d arrived on set and finished in makeup, Hugh hustled them into the kitchen to begin the day’s challenge, citing lost time yesterday as the reason for the rush. Shannon hadn’t had even a second alone with Maya since she left her hotel room. She’d caught Maya looking at her several times, and each time, Maya seemed to be angling away from the nearest camera as if she didn’t want to get caught. Though their eye contact remained brief, Shannon thought she saw the heat of their shared secret in Maya’s gaze.

She hadn’t had much time to evaluate her own feelings, and she had no more luck figuring Maya’s out from a mere glance. If their situation were simpler, if their worlds weren’t so drastically different, if they didn’t have to worry about how their actions impacted the show and their careers, she might feel freer to just enjoy what could be between them. Their time together was about more than just the amazing sex they’d had this morning. If nothing more happened between them, yes, she’d have the memory of their physical interaction. But the closeness she’d felt the night before as they talked about Shannon’s family and Maya revealed the truth of her miscarriage, those were the moments she cherished.

When she looked at Maya now, the attraction still flared, along with a renewed arousal at knowing firsthand what it felt like to be with Maya, but, even more amazing, underneath flowed an unexpected layer of intimacy that went beyond the physical. She desperately wanted to know how Maya was feeling. Maya had told her this was different than others she’d been with. She didn’t know where they were going, or if they had a future, but she’d feel like a fool if this all ended along with the show.

C
HAPTER
N
INETEEN

“Settle down, chefs. I know you’re all excited about making the finale, but we have some business to attend to first.” Hugh interrupted the round of hugs and exclamations among the three finalists. “We’re going to be filming another segment, which will give you an idea of what your final challenge is. After we finish here today, you’ll have a celebratory dinner with the mentors tonight. Tomorrow, you’ll each head home until the finale. During that time, we’ll be sending camera crews out to interview your families and friends, get some shots around your towns, and, in some cases, your former jobs. You’ll also use this time to plan and practice your final cake. When you return, you’ll be expected to create your cake from scratch. Someone will contact you regarding a list of supplies you’ll need us to have on hand for the finale. Any questions?”

No one spoke up, though Shannon’s head swam with questions, and she’d bet the others’ did as well. Instead, she focused all her energy on listening to what Hugh said and trying not to get overwhelmed by the events of the last two days. She’d become a grandmother, slept with a woman who was closer to her daughter’s age than her own, and made the finale in a nationally televised reality show. But listing those events in her head didn’t help, and suddenly she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Hugh gave them a few more instructions, then told them to take a quick break before meeting in the kitchen to begin the next segment.

As soon as he dismissed them, Shannon wound her way toward the door leading outside. Alice called out to her, but she kept going. She moved among the crew with ease, remembering how that first day there seemed to be so many of them. Now she barely noticed the commotion around her.

When she reached the door, she burst through it and immediately sucked in a lungful of fresh air. She leaned against the side of the building, bent at the waist, and grabbed her thighs. She closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe slowly. The door opened beside her, but she didn’t look up.

“Hey.” How could one softly spoken word from Maya send an ache through her chest?

“We shouldn’t let Hugh find us out here alone. Apparently, my tenure on the show barely survived the last time.” She forced a neutral tone into her voice. She had to regain control, and being around Maya wasn’t likely to help.

“Yeah. Okay.” Maya paced a few steps away from the door, then spun back toward her. “I—uh, I came out here to see how you were doing with what happened between us. And I guess now I know.”

Shannon straightened and looked at her. But she immediately realized that might have been a mistake. The wounded look in Maya’s eyes hurt her. “Maya—”

“No, it’s okay. Really.” Maya held a hand up to halt Shannon’s words. “I didn’t think you were the celebrity-notch-on-your-bedpost type. But hey, at least you’ll have a good story to tell at cocktail parties about how you fucked Maya Vaughn and got her to fall for you.” When Maya reached for the door handle, Shannon grabbed her arm and she froze.

“I don’t go to cocktail parties.” Shannon grasped Maya’s shoulders, turned her, and pushed her against the door. She kissed her aggressively, pouring out the swirling emotions of the past two days. Maya clung to her, and Shannon could feel her granting access to every part of her. Shannon lifted her mouth only far enough to rest their foreheads together. “Say that part again about how you fell for me.”

Maya took her face in her hands. “I really have.”

Shannon sighed. “I hope you know that I’m not interested in you because you’re famous. It’s just—so much has happened in the last two days and I’ve had so little sleep. I feel a little like I’m going crazy.”

“I know how that is.” Maya pulled her in for a quick hug before releasing her. “We’re begging to get caught out here.”

Shannon nodded.

“You just have to get through one more day. Then you’ll have some time off to recover and prepare before the big show. And since I haven’t said it before, speaking both as your mentor and your friend, whatever happens, I’m proud of how far you’ve come.”

*

“Since we brought Maya back from season one, we thought we’d bring back her final challenge as well. Maya, do you recall what it was?” Eric turned to her with his stiff posture and trademark toothy grin.

“Of course. We designed a wedding and groom’s cake for a very special couple.” She didn’t add that the particular celebrity marriage hadn’t survived the seven years since.

“Nashville is known for all kinds of music, but especially country music. For your final challenge, you’ll be making two cakes. Chefs, please welcome country music’s power couple, Viola Embers and David Nash.”

The three competitors clearly recognized the duo as they entered. Maya did, too. She enjoyed their music separately and their collaborations as well.

David’s reputation as a hard-partying but big-hearted country boy had endeared him to country fans for years. They loved that he looked like them, a thick guy who frequently wore blue jeans, T-shirts, and a ball cap onstage. He wasn’t one of those guys who wore a western shirt and hid behind a guitar. His appeal had only increased when he teamed up with Viola Embers, America’s young sweetheart from Oklahoma. He’d reportedly wooed her while they were on tour together. Since their engagement announcement, they’d done all the talk shows, and Maya had heard rumors of a reality show. She couldn’t imagine ever giving the press that much access to her life, but they apparently didn’t mind the lack of privacy.

“Viola, I understand David proposed to you onstage. Is that right?” Eric prompted her.

“Yes, he did.” Her high-pitched speaking voice matched her bubbly personality. But when she sang, her tone deepened and took on a richer tenor that seemed too mature for her age.

“Is it fair to say this was love at first sight?”

“Oh, Lord, no. When we got put on the tour together, I couldn’t stand him. Every night after the show, he and his band played poker until all hours. And soon he had my band joining in.”