Page 58 of Forever Home

“Adding the secret ingredient.”

“Salt?”

I nod, taking a pinch as I sprinkle it over the mixture. “It helps to enhance the flavor. Aren’t you a chef?”

“Don’t start,” he growls as I throw my hands up, laughing as I back away towards the leftover lattice dough.

“Don’t be so touchy…”

It isn’t until the pie is in the oven after a heated discussion with Jaxson on how he’s supposed to do the lattice that the director calls cut on the scene and I realize I’d forgotten we were filming.

A sudden hesitation of uncertainty fills me as Jaxson steps forward. His eyes are wide, and a slight guilty feeling fills my stomach with the realization that I may have just fucked this up for him.

“I’m sorry… I know this is supposed to be—”

“Oh, stop it!” The director chuckles with a wave of his hand. “This is exactly the ‘IT’ factor I was looking for! The comedy and reactions between you are exactly what will make this cooking show perfect!”

Say what?

My eyes shift to Jaxson, who's just as surprised as I am, before what the producer just said really sinks in. I didn’t agree to this to be part of his show. And I’m in no way in hell trying to steal his thunder. Jaxson worked hard for this.

“No, no… that’s not what I was trying to do,” I reply, shaking my head as Jaxson shoots a look as if to tell me to be quiet.

The last thing I meant to do was to step on his toes and steal the light from him. It’s just that watching him fuck up the simple task of making an apple pie struck a nerve in me that awoke my impulses to jump in and take over.

I never expected that our constant bickering would make the producers of the TV show like me. Hell, Jaxson and I have always been like this. Even when we were kids.

“Look, we want this show to keep going. But the only way that’s going to happen is if you’re in the show as well,” the producer says, glancing between Jaxson and me. “I mean, come on… there isn’t another cooking show out there that would be able to compete with this. Your act would be one of a kind. Don’t you want to be a hit?”

Jaxson’s eyes meet mine, and I can tell from his gaze that he’s silently pleading with me to say yes. This means everything to him, and as much as he’s pissed me off, I don’t want to be the reason he misses this opportunity. Though, it wouldn’t really be me but his lack of skills making desserts.

“I don’t know… I mean, I have to help mom with the bakery—”

“You will be compensated for this… say $1000 per episode with a guaranteed 20 episodes for the first season of this show?”

My mouth drops at the numbers he’s giving me. Twenty thousand dollars for the first season of this show, and I get to do what I love plus spend time with Jaxson? The offer is tempting, my mind slowly processing the information as I bite my bottom lip.

“Can I have a moment to think about it?”

The man nods, gesturing for me to take a moment before turning back towards his cast, speaking to them about how they want to make the show proceed even though I hadn’t agreed to anything. It’s as if he knows I’m going to say yes, when I don’t even know.

Glancing at the timer on the stove, it marks twenty-five minutes remaining. My heart is hammering within my chest as I turn and head towards the back door in desperate need of fresh air.

One thing about working in a kitchen, it gets hot really quick.

The moment the cool air meets my face, I let out the breath I’d been holding. How is it that I’ve recently been contemplating my future? Thinking about the cake shop that I want to open up and wondering how long it would take me to save up enough money. And now, I’m being offered exactly what I need to make it happen.

“Are you okay?” Jaxson’s voice coming from the partially open back door catches me by surprise. My eyes meet his briefly before I step forward, hands on my hips trying to calm my racing mind.

“I didn’t mean…”

“I know,” he replies, stepping out to join me. “But honestly, you saved my ass there. I appreciate that.”

To hear him almost thank me for what I did makes me stop. After our bickering over the apple pie, I’d half expected him to go off on me. To tell me how I was fucking things up for him, but instead, he was thanking me.

I let out a soft bit of laughter, shaking my head. “I never meant to jump in though. This is your dream, Jaxson… not mine. I don’t want to take away from that.”

“You’re not, Madi.”

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