Page 20 of The Sweetmate
“Thank you. I promise I’ll get some better photos today.”
“Better? Don’t downplay what you’ve already done. My uncle recruited you for a reason.”
He gives me what I consider his signature wink and strolls off. Seriously, I’ve never met anyone who winks as much as this guy. Yet he somehow pulls it off. I shake my head and begin to wander around the set.
There are three prep tables with mini-kitchens behind them. Attached to each table is a stove and oven.A wall is lined with ingredients and two giant refrigerators. I take photos, zoomed in and focusing on different equipment around the kitchen.
“You’re never going to believe the latest bullshit.” Casey’s voice comes from behind me.
I spin around to see him with foundation streaks on his face, a salon cape wrapped around him, and a poor stylist chasing after him with a makeup brush.
He releases a frustrated sigh. “I thought I’d be baking! I’m here to bake.”
“I’m going to need more details before I can join you in being irate.”
“First, I appreciate that you’re prepared to stand by me in outrage. Second, turns outI’mthe celebrity judge. They want me to walk around and yap with everyone. Worse, what if I have to admit if I don’t like someone’s dish. Then I’m back to looking like the asshole again.”
“That’s more screentime. And it guarantees you’ll be in all five episodes.”
“I wanted to wow everyone. I wanted there to be reports of how spectacular my desserts were and how I won in a clean sweep. Not some puff piece in a short online article as host and jerk-off judge. How am I supposed to be taken as a serious baker when I’m not even qualified to be a competitor? I’m the taste tester! I’m the sideshow entertainment.”
My chest tightens at the sound of defeat in his voice. No. Not on my watch. We’ll fix this. But first, Casey has gotten the whole set’s attention. We do not need anyone uploading any photos or videos of his outburst or aggravation with the situation. It’ll only make matters worse.
I lean into him and whisper, “We can make this work to our advantage. You will show what a role model you can be as their mentor. Give advice. Do what you do best and be charming.”
A flicker of hurt crosses his face before it’s replaced by anger. “I’m more than a show pony. I’m not some pretty puppet or court jester.”
I snap my fingers in his face. “Hey. That’s not what I meant. Can you please get out of your own head and self-pity for five minutes?” My hands wrap around his broad and strong shoulders. “You are going tohelpthe contestants. Give ideas. Interact with them and show them what makes this show the most entertaining and memorable bake-off anyone has ever watched. We already know you can bake. But can you teach? Isn’t your goal to inspire? Here’s your opportunity! Be their mentor. Be the role model of these contestants that you want to be for everyone.”
I’m caught off guard and completely unprepared when Casey’s strong arms embrace me and lift me off the ground.
We spin in a circle before he cheers, “You’re a genius!” Easing my feet back onto land, he chuckles. “I’ve never had anyone talk me from the ledge like that.” He rubs the back of hisneck as an adorable hue of pink colors his cheeks. “I appreciate you finding the silver lining and helping me see this from a different angle. You’re right. I’m excited now for this.”
My instincts tell me not to give him another hug. Again, reporters are here, bystanders who probably all own a cell phone with a camera—witnesses everywhere. His happiness is infectious, which is the only way I can explain why I wrap my arms around him. “You’ve got this,” I whisper to him.
“Thank you.” His voice comes out husky and breathless, as his lips linger along the edge of my ear.
Let’s pretend that didn’t happen. While we’re at it, I’m going to imagine I’m not turned on right now. I scramble back from him, putting a respectable amount of space between us. “You’ve got this,” I repeat louder and, to my immediate regret, give him two thumbs up.
Casey returns the gesture with the biggest goofy grin. I quickly pull my photo up and snap a photo. As he goes back to hair and makeup I log into his socials and post the photo. I make a status wishing everyone a great day and, “Whatever the day brings, you’ve got this.”
It’s only thirty minutes later that he returns. I stand back and watch as they direct him and show him where all the cameras will be placed. The goal is for the contestants to use three secret ingredients. He can spend up to ten minutes with each team of two. For the most part, he doesn’t have a script, and before long, they’re yelling action.
Casey Riis somehow manages to become even more magnetic when a camera is on him. The man is a natural in front of an audience. A little voice in my head keeps telling me that he might not be as bad as I originally made him out to be, but then he looks at me and winks. Quickly, I avert my gaze, because I am not blushing right now. Nope. Not me. I’m not going to swoonover the man who just purposefully made a dirty pun about eating the center of a fruit while looking at me. Not happening.
I snap photos and take lots of videos. Tonight, I’ll go back and edit. For now, I have no clue what I’m even going to use some of this stuff for, but I’d rather be overprepared and have too much material than not enough.
“What are working on over here?” Casey asks two bakers. They tell him they were originally going to use the secret ingredients of bananas and nuts to make a banana split cupcake, but they see two other teams already doing that.
“The clock is ticking. Y’all have any ideas what you’re going to do, or push forward and hope yours is better than theirs?
“Three cupcakes of the same flavor? I don’t like our odds but I can’t think of any other combination of banana and nuts.” The contestant looks completely defeated.
Casey curls his upper lip and begins singing a few choruses ofSuspicious Mindsby Elvis Presley.
One contestant looks confused but then the other one snaps his fingers. “Elvis Prelsey! His favorite sandwich was banana, peanut butter, and bacon!”
His partner’s eyes widen, and she raises her hands up in excitement. “We could do a banana cake with peanut butter frosting!”
