Page 86 of Bake You Mine
“He brought a backup. It’s in the oven warming drawer. I think he’s forgotten.”
The producer sprang into action, and soon enough, the message was relayed to Chip and Diana, who prompted Liam to get the backup.
Then the light switched on inside Liam. He opened the warming drawer, pulled out the backup, and his smile returned.
“This is why you always have a plan B, folks.”
The incident couldn’t have taken more than fifteen seconds, but it seemed much longer.
“You know, Chip and Diana, Aubrey told the producer to remind me I had a backup.”
Diana tittered out a laugh. “But aren’t you two competing? I mean, that’s why you’re here?”
“She’s the kind of person who has everyone’s best interest at heart.”
He looked past the monitor at Aubrey. Their eyes met, andshe exhaled. She was glad to help because this contest was meant to be won fair and square.
After a commercial break and a news update, Aubrey’s segment went off without a hitch. Maybe witnessing Liam’s segment not go as planned, and him surviving it, told her silly little brain that this wasn’t a big deal. It hadn’t been a repeat of her teenage nightmare.
All those days of worrying were for nothing. Chip and Diana cooed over the adorable macarons. The little trio may not have been a true showstopper like Liam’s pasta brain, but they did look adorable. She’d settled on the flavors at the last minute, once she’d gotten the shapes and decorations down. The pumpkins were chai latte flavored, the ghosts were white chocolate macadamia, and Frankenstein’s monster was pistachio chocolate.
While Chip and Diana reported the next news segment, Aubrey and Liam retreated to the green room, where Gary waited.
They’d have one more segment at the end of the hour, where Chip and Diana would make a production of handing over a golden envelope to Gary with their choices, with a reminder that the winner would be announced on Monday’s broadcast. Thank God, they didn’t have to wait that long to find out.
While waiting, Aubrey texted Tom to ensure the Halloween macarons were already in the case and they’d stay stocked with them through October. Samantha had reported quite a crowd in the shop watching the segment on the tablet she’d set up, and right after, orders started streaming in for the macarons.
“I’m glad I don’t have to worry about my customers asking for that Goddamned brain,” Liam said.
“You never know.” Gary peered at Liam over the top of his copy ofThe Washington Post.
“Even if they ask, it’s never happening.” He turned to Aubrey. “Thanks for reminding me I had a second brain.”
Gary cocked an eyebrow. “First, you’re calling Aubrey beautiful. Now she’s giving you competition advice. If I didn’t know better, I’d say something was happening between you two.”
She gave Liam a grateful smile before turning to Gary. “We’re both nice people, duh.”
He laughed. “Well, there’s no denying that. But this is a competition, remember?”
One of the producers came in and informed them they needed to be back on set for the final segment.
“To the victor go the spoils,” Liam said.
Her breath went out of her in awhoosh. “Neither of us has won just yet.”
“Soon enough.”
He stood and held out his hand to help her to her feet. The two returned to the stage, with Aubrey feeling more nervous than excited.
twenty-six
Despite the pastabrain flopping on live television, the rest of the day passed uneventfully. They’d returned to Port Fortune a little after eleven. Liam had gone straight to the farmer’s market to scout ideas for the day’s specials.
Sure, he winced every time he remembered that brain goingsplat. But the embarrassment would’ve been tenfold without Aubrey’s insistence that he make a backup brain. She already looked out for him like they were partners. Maybe that was a reach, but he couldn’t help how he felt.
He was rifling through a basket of spaghetti squash when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and found his mother’s face on the screen. He sighed as he accepted the call.
“What’s up, Ma? Don’t Joanie and Carolyn have court today?”
