Page 101 of Kiss Me Forever

That made me laugh. “You could talk about something that wouldn’t get us in trouble.”

“I could, but why do that when I have a better weapon?”

"It is a very good weapon," I agreed, looking to either side, but no one was within earshot. Besides, everyone minded their own business. The competitors didn’t mingle—they all stuck with their mentors. It was easy to tell who was who because we had badges. I wondered if others were weighing their chances to win or if they were discussing the other projects. I honestly couldn’t do that. I couldn’t think about it anymore. I was nervous enough as it was.

Klaus returned a few minutes later, and his plate was full of goodies. I spied risotto with mushrooms, salad, and beef stroganoff.

"That looks amazing," I said. I put a hand on my stomach because suddenly I could feel a tiny bit of hunger. “What do you know? I am hungry.”

We all laughed.

"Come on, let's go fill our plates," Luke said.

We walked side by side to the buffet. It was huge, but then again, there were many people. The chafing dish with risotto was already empty, so that was off the table, but I did take some beef stroganoff, and I even saw polenta with baked tomatoes on top and took that too.

There was tension in the air. It was a good thing they were announcing the winners right after lunch because I didn't think I could take the stress of not knowing for weeks or even days. Then again, it probably wouldn't be as exciting if we weren't all here together in one room. We’d all seen what our competition could do.

Klaus had already finished his plate by the time Luke and I returned to the table. "I'm going for seconds. This is great," he said. “

"I'm going to get some coffee. Who wants one?" Luke asked.

Klaus and I both raised our hands. "I'll just take it black,” Klaus said. “Thank you, boss. You're awesome."

And he was indeed. I loved that about him—that he didn’t think it was below him to bring coffee for the team.

I ate with small bites. Despite being hungry, I was still nervous. But I was happy that I was eating; otherwise, I might get sick later in the day.

The assistant came in, announcing that we had five minutes to finish up and head back to the auditorium.

I gulped down my coffee quickly after Luke brought it. I still had a few bites of polenta on my plate, but I couldn’t swallow any more food.

My stomach constricted as we walked back into the presentation room. This time, we could sit as we pleased. Everyone chose to sit with their mentors as far as I could tell. I was between Luke and Klaus.

Elsa Redford was up on the stage, and the crowd quickly quieted down.

"Welcome back, everyone. I think we're all more or less relaxed, with our stomachs full. I'm not going to keep you here for long. I know you're all nervous, and you want to know the outcome. I’ll announce the winners first and then the prizes. Remember that the top ten projects receive an award. You’re welcome to use the accolade on your résumés. It will open a lot of doors. So, without further ado, here are the seven projects that will receive an award but not a prize.”

She recited seven names. Carson was among them. Now I was downright stressed out. What if I didn’t get anything at all? If I wasn’t a prize winner, I got nothing.

“And now for third place. John Beurer. A round of applause, please.”

The whole room cheered, and a guy stood up a few rows in front of us, bowing slightly to the stage and waving to the room. He sat down quickly as the applause dwindled.

“Second place goes to Steve Wood. Congratulations.” We all cheered for him as well.

I was beyond nervous at this point. I couldn’t even think; it was more than likely that I wouldn’t win, and that was making me ill.

Elsa cleared her throat, and the room quieted down once more. “And this year’s winner is Megan Pierce. Congratulations.”

Oh my goodness.My entire body was rigid. My throat closed up. I couldn’t move.

Did she really say my name, or did I imagine it?

Luke leaned in, whispering, “Get up, Meg. Everyone is cheering for you. Congrats, babe.”

I turned to him. He was grinning at me. I wanted to kiss the living daylights out of Luke right here in this room, but I had to behave.

Dazed, I got up, soaking in everyone’s cheers and applause. I couldn’t believe it. I wanted it so much, but I hadn’t dared to dream that I’d actually win.

After I sat down, Elsa continued.

“Well done, all three of you. And now, I want to announce the prizes. Third place will receive a one-year internship in New York, accommodations fully paid. The second-place winner will be rewarded with a check for fifty thousand dollars. As for the first-place winner, you will receive the grand prize of one hundred thousand dollars. In addition, we are happy to announce that we have secured cooperation with an architectural firm in Shanghai, so the winner is going to spend two years there."

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