Page 3 of Sensuous

Again, he puts his hands up, but this time he smiles. “Nobody’s trying to get you to settle down. If anything, I just wanted to point out that you might find some potential girlfriends who share the same interests as you do.”

“Don’t worry about me finding potential girlfriends. There’s no shortage of them in my life, so I’m good.”

Likely sensing he can’t change my mind about this reality show nonsense, he walks away, leaving me to my job I already love. I don’t need to be on some drama-filled reality show pretending to hate other contestants while I attempt to make some dish from lima beans, quinoa, and a sauce some jackass producer thinks would be funny to include.

No thanks. I’m good right here in the kitchen of CK where I’ve been since I graduated from culinary school and where I’ll be until I own this place sometime in the future.

CHAPTER TWO

Kat

I lean backagainst my not-so-wonderful couch with the weird spring that pinches your hip that my mother and father so kindly gave me five years ago when I started working right out of culinary school. Staring at the business card that Jonathan guy gave me, I have to admit a million dollars could solve nearly all my problems.

And any left over would be a lot easier to deal with if I had that much money.

“So are you going to do it or not? I personally think you should,” my roommate Sadie says, interrupting my fantasies about what I’d do with a million dollars.

Setting the card on the coffee table in front of me, I try to play it cool so she doesn’t go over the top with this whole thing. “I’m seriously considering it. It could be fun, and I know my boss would be willing to give me time off in exchange for some free promo on the show.”

Sadie jumps up out of her chair and excitedly waves her arms in the air. “You’re going to be famous! This is so great!”

So much for trying to keep my friend from going overboard.

“It’s just a local thing, Sadie. These are the prelims. I’d have to win this local competition and then win the regional and national ones to be famous.”

Her shoulders sag so she looks somewhat deflated as she sits down on the chair again. “Then you’ll be locally famous. That’s still pretty great. Have you thought about what you want to do when you win the million dollars? Just remember us little people when you get big, okay?”

Looking around our mediocre apartment, I smile. “I promise if I win that we’re moving to a nicer place. Maybe somewhere down near the bay.”

Sadie’s blue eyes get big at the mention of new digs. “Oooooh, a great place where we could have parties and invite hot men to hang out with us?”

Waving that idea away, I chuckle. “I’ll leave the hot men and party planning to you. I’d just like somewhere with a great view. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“Somewhere I can lay out and get some sun without guys like those creepy brothers down the hall constantly coming out to gawk would be so great, Kat. Do you know the last time I tried to get some sun they sat out on the grass and made a running commentary about how I looked in my bikini? What assholes!”

The Prescott brothers are pure pervs, no doubt. I’m pretty sure they live with their parents, even though they’ve got to be in their thirties, and they never fail to make some lewd comment every time they see Sadie or me. They think that will endear them to us.

They’re wrong.

“I swear if I win we’re moving to a better place.”

That brings a smile back to Sadie’s face. “When. Not if you win but when. You’re a fantastic chef, Kat. Wait until those producer people get a load of what you can do.”

As much as I want to think I could win this cooking show competition, I’m secretly worried the other contestants will be from much better restaurants. Frederick’s isn’t bad, but it’s no five-star place. I’m not even sure we’d rate four stars on some days, to be honest.

“Well, I guess I’ll find out soon.”

“Tell me again what they said. How many contestants will there be? Did they tell you any names? We could go scope out the competition since tonight’s your night off. I am a little hungry. Actually, I’m a little thirsty. Let’s go out and get a drink to celebrate your good fortune!”

Before I can say no to that suggestion since the last thing I want to do is go club hopping on my night off, Sadie is off like a shot toward her bedroom. “I’m going to wear that purple dress I bought a while back. Now that I have something that resembles a tan and I don’t look like some sick Victorian woman who’s hoping to escape typhus, it’s going to look incredible!” she yells out.

“I’m really not sure I want to go out tonight. It’s my only night off all week, and I’m feeling pretty beat.”

Damn, that sounds pathetic. Twenty-five-year-old women shouldn’t sound so sad. It’s just that I only have one night away from work, and I’d planned on relaxing tonight.

Sadie pokes her head out from behind her bedroom door and scowls. “Seriously, what is wrong with you, girl? We never go out anymore. That needs to stop tonight. Between our two jobs, we’ve forgotten what having a good time feels like. So get dressed in something hot and let’s go! Should I go for sexy beach waves or leave my hair straight?”

Reluctantly, I stand up and head toward my bedroom to do as she’s ordered. “Leave it straight. Your hair looks great that way. The light bounces off your highlights and makes your brown hair look even better when you go straight.”

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