Page 87 of Bake You Mine
“I have two minutes to tell my son how proud I am of him! My baby, on live TV.”
“The brain exploded. If I’m counting on their vote to win, I’m not sure I have it.”
“But you looked so handsome!”
Liam groaned, getting the typical hot chef BS even from his mother.
“Oh, stop it. I know it tasted good; you used my marinara and meatball recipe! And aren’t you glad Aubrey said to bring a backup? She’s getting extra garlic bread at dinner tonight.”
He’d forgotten all about his mother’s dinner for Aubrey to meet the family, as if she didn’t already know everyone. “Crap, I forgot, and I need to work tonight. I’ve been absent from Elevation too much lately.”
“It won’t be all night. We’re having an early dinner. You’ll be back before the rush. Might as well see if the new sous can hack it, right?”
“Enrique and Lacy are kicking ass. But I’ve been away so much, they must think I’m a slacker.”
“They might as well get used to it, because you’ll be gone more often after you win!”
There was no point in arguing. It would be tonight or another, and he’d rather get it over with. “Alright, alright, Ma. We’ll be there.”
After tonight, he wanted to return to a regular schedule for as long as possible. Either way this competition panned out, his life was about to get crazier.
“Don’t forget your bells, tee-hee.”
She hung up after making her lame Mom joke, leaving Liam shaking his head. He sent Aubrey a text, asking if it was okay. She replied moments later, saying the dinner had been on her calendar. She was onit.com, always.
Another text came through, this one from Jason Morse.
Hey, Liam. I’m emailing you some general info about Devour. No pressure!
He checked his email and found a detailed email from Jasonillustrating their properties, financials, and staff. He had one hell of a team. Liam could see himself among them, in his pressed chef’s white with the Devour logo above his name.
He tugged on his whites, finding the Elevation logo. He’d debated for months over font choices. Somehow, he doubted he’d have that kind of freedom with Devour.
Pressure formed behind his eyes. Thinking about it too much was giving him a headache. He replied to Jason’s texts acknowledging the email and telling him he’d get back to him.
All those worries could wait until tomorrow.
“Mom, where are you going?” Daphne poked her head out of her room.
“I’m having dinner with a friend, little bug.”
“Can I go with you?”
The image of Daphne sitting across from Brody with all the loving, loud Linleys, came and went before Aubrey could form an attachment to it. Because if she did, her heart would be torn from her chest if it didn’t come to fruition. She couldn’t think of how it would impact her, let alone ponder the damage it would do to her kid.
“Not tonight. Grandpapa made some chicken noodle soup for dinner, though.”
“Is Liam the friend you’re meeting?” Daphne leaned in the doorway.
Aubrey wanted to keep her kid safe from heartbreak, but Daphne was no dummy. If she lied, her kid would see through it. If not now, eventually. “Yes.”
She jumped up. “Then can I please, please come? I loveLiam.” She held her hands under her chin and batted her lashes at her mother.
Aubrey put an arm around Daphne’s shoulders. “Liam and I are just getting to know each other, Daph. So that means while we can do fun stuff like the haunted house, sometimes we need grown-up time, too.”
“I’m not a kid!”
“You’re kind of acting like one right now.”
