Page 18 of Winner Takes All

“This is my dream all on a table, the plans for my restaurant,” I tell her, unable to keep the pride from my voice. “I’ve been working on this for a couple of years, but finally got all of the plans in a couple of weeks ago. I’m hoping to make it happen.”

She looks surprised, but nods, her eyes scanning all of it. “This is impressive, Victor. It seems like you’ve put a lot of time into it.”

I’m a little surprised at her genuine tone. There’s no sarcasm, no walls, simply curiosity. I let out a breath of relief. “I had a lot of time to think about it on the down times in the Marines. I found that cooking made me happy when I was there, and the guys constantly told me how good I was. Maybe it went to my head,” I tell her with a laugh. “I want to build something that will last.”

She’s silent for a moment. Then she gives me a smile. “I can understand that,” she says. She reaches down and touches one of the blueprints. “These are solid. What do you want to cook?”

“Are you trying to steal trade secrets?” I ask with a laugh.

“Maybe, but I’m also curious,” she says, chuckling herself, the sound music to my ears.

“I don’t want a fixed menu. We live in a place that has year-round harvests and I want to utilize that through a seasonal, local menu with added dishes from around the world. I want to do a farm-and-sea-to-table concept with my own little twists. Most importantly, I want to keep it fresh and as organic as possible. I want people to feel like they’ve had Grandma overcooking her favorite recipes and walk away feeling they’ve had a special experience. We don’t realize how much food impacts us until we watch shows likeAlonewhere people struggle to find food. People bond over meals, fall in love over meals, and share their lives over meals. I want to be a part of all of that.”

She looks impressed and I feel another surge of pride. “I can’t say I hate the idea. You really have it together on this.” There seems to be a bit of envy in her voice, but I try not to focus on that. This isn’t a competition. The more I think about it, the more I love the idea of a collaboration. Can we put our differences aside and come together? What would be better than having my dream restaurant? Maybe having my dream partner at my side while I do it. We truly could be a team.

“I’ve been dreaming about it for a long time. Every spare moment has been spent planning. I wanted to love mechanics, and I don’t hate them, but cooking is my passion. It’s not only about the finished product, though, it’s the entire process. It’s about getting the ingredients right, then taking a bite and having an orgasm in my mouth.”

This makes her laugh. “I’ve never heard it described that way before,” she says.

“My mother would be horrified. Let’s not tell my dad that one,” I say in a conspiratorial whisper. “Mom believed a good meal together could solve the world’s problems. It’s a way to bond, to share, and to let go of worries. My family always shared dinner together even when we were busy. It was the one time we pushed the rest of the universe out and focused on each other.”

She’s quiet for a moment then nods. “You’ve always been this way, Victor. I’ve always admired how you don’t do things halfway like so many people.”

“When we’re young, we think we have all the time in the world, but the older I get the more I realize how short our years actually are. I want to get the most out of them.” I pause fora moment. “We’re doing nothing but talking about me, though. What are your plans after the competition? You’ve moved back home, have a very successful vlog, but I really don’t know what you want tomorrow. I’d love to know more.”

She lets out a sigh as she leans against the table, her defenses completely down. “I don’t know. I change my mind every other minute. I know I want to cook, but I’ve finally come home to Seaville and I don’t want to leave again. Coming back has eased my soul. It’s where I want to be. I’ve always wanted to have my own show, but if I get one, they might want me to move. I entered this contest with the goal of possibly getting a show, but I think I’d turn it down if that meant I had to move to New York or Vegas or something. There are shows done from home likeThe Pioneer Woman, but those are more the exception to the rule. I don’t have some massive ranch to entertain viewers while I cook.”

“You don’t need a ranch to entertain anyone, but if that’s what it takes, let’s find you a ranch. You can have chickens, goats, and cows,” I tell her.

She laughs. “I wouldn’t mind having chickens. There’s nothing better than farm fresh eggs. Besides, I love watching their antics,” she says.

“I’d tune in to watch you chase chickens,” I tell her.

She laughs again. I wish every time we came together it could be this easy. Maybe someday it will be.

“I’ll figure it out. For now I’ve been focused on the festival. The big day is coming and I’m still going to smoke you even if we seem to have a bit of a truce right now,” she says with a smile. I’m glad to see there’s no heat behind her words.

There’s a beat of silence, comfortable for once. I take in a breath and decide to push my luck a little bit. “You know, Nik, we could combine forces. We could do a restaurant show. I’ve always enjoyed watchingHell’s Kitchen.”

She laughs. “I could definitely yell at you like Ramsey does to his cooks,” she says.

“We certainly entertain the folks in Seaville. Why not give a shot at entertaining the world?” It surprises me how appealing this thought is.

She shakes her head. “I don’t think the world can handle us.”

“Wecan barely handle us,” I say. “I think the world would enjoy it all.” I grin at her. “If you aren’t ready to do the Victor and Nikki show, how about something simpler like finally agreeing to a real date with me? No competition, no rivalries, just a fantastic date with food, talking, laughing... and dessert.” I wink at the end and her cheeks flush.

“It would be theNikkiand Victor show,” she says, making me laugh hard. I notice my dad looking up from Nikki’s engine and grin at him. He could’ve had it done fifteen minutes ago, but he’s my hero right now.

“That sounds even better,” I tell her.

She shakes her head. “Us dating isn’t a good idea, Victor.”

“Why not? We like each other, Nik. We might have our rivalries, but we burn hot together.”

She hesitates, her eyes flicking away for a moment as if she’s arguing more with herself than with me. I wait. “Because we’re enemies,” she finally says. There’s no heat in her words, more like hesitation, as if she needs to believe this.

I step a little closer, lowering my voice. “We’ve never been enemies, Nik. We’ve been competitive, but I believe it’s because we burn so hot together we don’t know how to handle it.”

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