Page 69 of Fire and Icing

Dustin takes a seat in one of the director’s chairs and I turn and boost myself into the one next to him.

“I’m just going to introduce you two,” Branson says. “If you could each introduce yourself and then tell how you met, I’ll follow your intro with a few fun questions and then we’ll let you settle into your room. Sound good?”

We give the okay and the cameraman says, “Ready? Filming in three, two, one.”

Branson leads with an intro. “I’m here with Emberleigh Holt and Dustin Reed, two of our contestants at the annual Plated Bake-Off.”

The cameraman shifts position and points at me. “Hi, I’m Emberleigh,” I say to the camera. “I’m from Waterford, Tennessee and I co-own my bakery with my best friend, Sydney. It’s called Baker From Another Mother.”

The cameraman points at Dustin. He looks into the camera and smiles, “Hi, I’m Dustin. I’m a fireman in Waterford, and I don’t own a bakery. Trust me, you’re all glad I don’t.”

Branson laughs, and I smile. It’s such a Dustin answer. He’s at total ease, where I’m a ball of nerves. To be fair, I’m the one with skin in this game.

“So, I’m going to ask you a few questions so our audience can get to know each of you a bit better. Let’s start with how you met.”

Dustin must get whatever green light he’s looking for from me because he engages the camera again. “Well, it’s one of those stories you don’t want to repeat. But here we are. I basically went on a call to a house fire. It was Emberleigh’s kitchen. I hauled her out in a fireman's carry.”

“Like a manhandling oaf,” I mumble under my breath.

Dustin bursts into laughter.

“What did you say, Emberleigh?” Branson asks.

“It’s a private joke.”

We have a private joke.

I don’t think I ever realized it before this moment.

Dustin has somehow managed to weave himself into my life. He snuck up on me with all his smiles and thoughtful gestures. And now we have a private joke.

Dustin glances over at me and winks. Then he grabs my hand and interlaces our fingers. He gives me a reassuring squeeze and rests our conjoined hands on my thigh. His movements are so quick and natural I don’t even have time to pull back or flinch.

“How did you go from a fire rescue to dating?” Branson asks me.

Thankfully, Dustin and I prepared some answers in advance. I didn’t want to be caught off guard. We decided to base everything we say in reality. It makes our little fabrications easier to remember and harder to mess up.

I tell Branson about Dustin being tasked with picking up the donut order and how he came by the bakery with dinner for me one night. “And then … I don’t know. He just worked his way into my heart.”

“Awww,” Branson says.

When I glance over at Dustin, he’s staring at me, a look of slight bewilderment on his face.

Maybe he didn’t realize how well I’d be able to pull off a charade. It’s not difficult to talk about him, considering how much time we’ve spent together since he moved to Waterford.

Dustin turns toward the camera. “I tend to have that effect on people. It’s hard to hold a grudge against me. I’ve got plenty of other failings and shortcomings. I’m just somehow easy to forgive, I guess.” He looks at me. “But she gave me a run for my money at first.”

“You can’t let a man think you’re easy,” I tease. “Make him work for it, right?”

Branson laughs again.

“Okay, so how about each of you describe your partner in one word.”

My partner.

For the contest, obviously.

Dustin doesn’t miss a beat. “Irresistible.”

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