Page 16 of The Baking Games

“This is ridiculous,” I say, standing up to face her. I can feel my heart starting to pound in my chest. I’ve had panic attacks in the past, although not in a few years. I hate this feeling. “We’re grown women, and fair is fair. I chose this bed, and I’m keeping it.” I stand my ground, staring into her icy blue eyes. I can see her lips pursing, and I swear one of her eyelids is twitching so hard that her giant fake lashes might fly off and put my eye out. I wonder for a moment if she’s going to hit me. She definitely looks like she wants to, but she’d probably break a nail. One of the camera people gets so close that I think the lens will bop me on the nose.

“Fine!” she suddenly shrieks and stomps to the middle bed. I’m in shock. I’ve never seen a grown woman act this way. It’s like she got stuck at age thirteen. Or four.

Maggie looks at me from across the room, stifling a laugh. I already like her.

A few moments later, Lainey leaves the room, evidently heading for the communal bathroom in the hallway. Maggie walks over to my bed.

“What on earth was that all about?”

I shake my head. “I have no idea, but I wasn’t giving in. I want you to know I’m very nice, though. I don’t get into arguments with people.”

“Oh, honey, this place will bring out a side of you that you didn’t know you had.”

I wave my hand. “No. I won’t let it. I stay positive, or I would have a daily mental breakdown.”

Maggie sits on the end of my bed. “I’m positive too, dear, but this is a competition. Don’t you want to win?”

“Of course! But do we have to argue and fight to get there?”

She turns and looks behind her toward the door. “Yes, I think we do. These people are the best of the best. They’re not gonna go down without a fight, I do believe.”

“Can I tell you something?” I say, without thinking.

“Of course. What is it?”

“I know two people in this house, and both of them hate me.”

“What? You know people?” The camera crew is lingering around us. It’s so weird to have the feeling of being watched all the time.

I look at the camera. “Yes, and I don’t think it was an accident.”

Suddenly, the camera turns away, and a producer comes running into the room. That’s definitely not supposed to happen. Producers and contestants stay away from each other. The producer, who I think is named Andy, motions for the cameras to leave and then looks at me.

“What are you doing?”

“Excuse me?”

“You can’t divulge behind-the-scenes secrets about the show. You signed paperwork, you know.”

“What did I say?”

Maggie looks as confused as I feel. She scurries away back to her bed. Well, as fast as a woman with an apparent hip problem can scurry.

“You looked at the camera and said you didn’t think it was an accident.”

I stand up, putting my hands on my hips. “Well, I don’t think it was an accident. You obviously brought my ex-boyfriend and the guy I hated from pastry chef school and stuck them in a house with me.” It’s even more infuriating to me when I say it out loud.

His face turns a shade of red I haven’t seen before. “Look, it’s fine to say that you know people in the house. It adds drama. It’s not fine to speculate on the workings of the show.”

I look up to see Rhett standing in the hallway, looking into our room. I glare at him, and he continues walking. How much of that did he hear?

RHETT

Something’s going on in Savannah’s room. First, I heard what sounded like yelling, and then I saw Barbie doll stomp out of the room. Has the drama already started?

I can’t help myself, so I walk down the hallway and peek into the room. Sure enough, producers are in there talking to Savannah. What did she do? I can’t imagine she started drama. She’s the least confrontational person I’ve ever met.

That was one of many reasons we couldn’t stand each other in pastry chef school. Granted, I was a bit prickly at the time. I hated going to night school. It felt like defeat. I wanted to spend my days learning the craft at some fancy school, but my parents refused to help me financially unless I agreed to attend medical or law school.

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