Page 21 of Winner Takes All

“This is great, guys. Keep it up. I have this live and the comments coming in are awesome!” Sia says.

I inwardly groan, but smile for the camera. “I hope you guys like this. It’s a one and done. This man’s insufferable,” I say with a laugh.

A comment flashes on the screen.Is this the man you were ranting about? Jump that man! He’s hot.

I turn away from the screen. I absolutely don’t want to see that kind of comment.

“It’s the man, alright,” Sia says as she looks into the camera. “I’ve been watching them dance around each other my entire life. They sure make the kitchen hot!” I’m going to kill her when the camera stops rolling. She turns the video back on Victor and me.

We finish our dish, then plate it up. Victor puts his arm around me, and with so many eyes on us, I can’t pull away. “We make a mighty fine team,” he whispers.

I simply look at him, trying not to get lost in his gaze. I don’t know why I’m still fighting this. Maybe because it feels too good, too easy. Maybe my fear is it will all come crashing down around us if I let my guard down. I wouldn’t care about that happening with most men, but with Victor, I have a feeling it would hurt beyond repair.

“I don’t think I’m ready for a team effort,” I tell him.

He doesn’t push me, just gives me his confident smile that does funny things to my gut. “We’ll see what happens as you think about it. I know how that beautiful brain of yours works. You’ll be doing calculations and thinking and thinking. I’m confident in the conclusion you’ll come to.”

We start to clean up and a woman approaches, a cameraman behind her.

“Hello, I’m Pam with the Food Network. We’ve been watching the two of you and like what we see.” Her eyes are gleaming, and my heart starts pounding. “Very impressive,” she adds. “We’re going to keep watching but might want to talk about some opportunities.”

“It’s great to meet you. I’m so glad you’re enjoying yourself,” I tell her.

“Oh, we are. This is great. Glad we came. We’ll talk later.” With that she turns and walks away. I find my breath coming out a bit quicker.

Victor raises his eyebrow and I see a spark of ambition in his eyes. “Looks like they like us as a team as well.”

I swallow, my mind spinning. “Maybe,” I say, not wanting to get my hopes up.

The crowd continues to support us, and soon we’re pulled apart as a flurry of handshakes and congratulations are given out. I realize as I move from person to person that I’m not as scared as I was before. Maybe I’m running when I shouldn’t be. When does it come to the point that I’m simply being a fool? Maybe I’m long past that.

I don’t know, but for now I’m going to enjoy the moment. The crowd, the thrill, the way my heart’s pounding, the way Victor looks at me. I’m going to enjoy it all. That’s enough for now.

Chapter Eleven

Nikki

The bonfire crackles and pops, sending sparks spiraling up into the darkening sky. The salty breeze off the ocean brushes my face, cooking my skin and whipping my hair about. I grab a rubber band and tie it back. One problem solved. If only my emotional wellbeing was as easy to fix.

I pull my knees up to my chest and hug them close to my body, staring into the flames. The smell of burning wood mingling with the faint scent of the sea fills the air all around us. It’s one of the most comforting smells in the world. It’s even better as my best friends, Sia, Courtney, and Sasha, are sitting here with me, their faces illuminated by the warm, flickering light, the stars twinkling high above us.

I know the conversation is coming, and I need it, even if I’ve been trying to avoid it since I came home. These three aren’t the ones who will let me avoid speaking the truth, though. It’s why we’re friends, why we get along so well. Honestly, the bottom line is that I’m tired of running from my feelings.

I love all three girls but Sia’s been my rock since we were young. She’s the first to start. “Let’s talk about the big, charming elephant in the room... Victor Fortier,” she says. Her voice is light, but her tone is serious.

I let out a groan. “I know. I know. I know.”

“You clearly like him,” Courtney says with a big grin. She’s sitting cross-legged on the sand, her long hair tied up in a messy bun. “It’s also more than obvious the man’s crazy about you, which isn’t a terrible thing.”

Sasha smiles as she sits, toasting a marshmallow over our beautiful fire. “You two worked incredibly well together at the festival yesterday. Damn, Nik, the chemistry was off the charts. I was getting hot standing fifty feet away. I went home and attacked my husband.”

I roll my eyes, but can’t help the smile tugging at my lips. “I’ll admit we worked well together. It felt like we’ve always been in the kitchen as a team, but it’s not just chemistry. It’s... complicated.”

Sia reaches over and pushes her shoulder against mine. “It’s totally about chemistry. You’re making it complicated when it doesn’t need to be.”

I give her a look, but she’s not wrong. I’ve been thinking about this all day. If I’m honest with myself, which I seem to have a difficult time doing, I’ll admit I’ve thought about it for months, maybe even years. It’s continuously twisted me up in knots as I try to figure out what to do.

“Victor is... complicated,” I say, using the same word again. I don’t know how else to describe him. I have a lot of words I can use but that’s the one that comes to the forefront. I sigh. “Victor’s competitive and stubborn and gets under my skin like no one else can. Sometimes he makes me feel like maybe, possibly, something could happen. It frightens me to imagine it though.”

---