The LIVE light went red, and Kelly practically ran toward the door.
Brenda was there waiting on her. “I’m so happy for you.”
“I can’t believe it.” She wanted so badly to be able to share the news with Sara or Mom. Someone who would truly understand how important this was to her.
“Believe it,” Brenda said.
“You don’t understand. I just beat the executive pastry chef at the fanciest ski resort around. They’re known for their desserts. His bio must have four paragraphs of education and five of awards!”
“I can believe it. Your dish was amazing. I told you not to worry.” She nudged Kelly with her elbow. “See, you’re beating good competition.” Brenda spoke into her radio, asking for approval to take Kelly back to the hotel. “Let’s get you back so you can rest up for tomorrow.”
She’d done what she’d come to achieve. She was as good as the other great bakers. “How am I supposed to sleep after this?”
Brenda clicked her fingers. “Oh, my experience is that as soon as you put your head down, this adrenaline rush is going to start wearing off. You’ll sleep like a rock.”
“I hope you’re right.” But she knew herself better than that. Her mind would be running through scenarios all night long. “Bring on the coffee in heavy doses tomorrow morning.”
“I can do that,” Brenda said, then her radio sounded again. “We’re clear to leave. Let’s go.”
She led Kelly down the long hall to the back elevators. A black limousine waited outside for them.
“Would it be okay if we walked back tonight?” Kelly asked. “It’s not but a few blocks and I sure could use the fresh air.”
“Sure.” Brenda held up a finger and called in the change, then rapped on the passenger window to let the driver know he could take the rest of the night off. She turned to Kelly with a wide grin. “Let’s walk.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Yes!” Andrew punched a fist into the air.
When the other desserts came in, he knew he’d nailed this round. His dessert looked so refined compared to the others. Taste was another matter—they were all pretty tasty, but presentation he had. Only one other plate was a close second.
Lori rushed onto the set. “Congratulations!”
“Thank you.” Energy coursed through him, only it was a bit anticlimactic to have no one to celebrate with. “Can we go somewhere and celebrate?”
“I’d have to get it cleared. Do you really think you should go out? You have another big day ahead of you. You need to be at your best.”
“Heck yeah. We’re in New York City, and I just won the first round of this competition. It’s a meal. Come on. Humor me.”
“I can ask. Anywhere specific in mind?”
He remembered Francois introducing him to the owner and chef at a place here in New York. “How about 2520?”
Lori laughed. “That place is booked at least four months out. We couldn’t get in there if we tried.”
“Tell them Francois Dumont’s head chef is in town and would like a table.”
“Let me clear it with production first. If they say it’s okay, then I’ll call the restaurant.”
“Deal.”
She called in the request to production, then hung up and dialed 2520 and spoke to the maître d’.
“Ah-ha!” Andrew was looking forward to this.
He could tell she didn’t expect to get a table, but she dropped his name and Francois’ like he’d told her to.
She hung up the phone and gave him the stink eye.
Maybe it hadn’t worked.
“Son of a gun,” she said. “I guess you are somebody special. Production laughed when I asked them if we could go there, but said if we could score a table we could go. You know this is on your dime, right?”
“Oh yeah, not a problem.”
“Excellent. I’ve always wondered what that place was like.”
“Tonight you’ll find out.”
She reached up and hit the button for the speaker to the driver. “We’re not going to go back just yet. Please take us to 2520. It seems we have a reservation.”
Andrew sat back in the seat as if on top of the world. He might actually be able to win this thing.
He stared out the window, enjoying the triumph.
Then someone on the sidewalk caught his eye.
“Whoa!” He slapped the window, and opened the door. “Stop!”
“What are you doing?” Lori grabbed his arm.
“Make him stop the car.”
“Stop,” Lori yelled to the driver. “You,” she said to Andrew. “You calm down.”
“I can’t. Wait right here.” He jumped out of the limo and cars honked as he raced to the sidewalk, dodging people. “Kelly!”
She turned around, her mouth dropping open. “Andrew?”
“I knew that was you,” he said, huffing and puffing. “What are you doing here?”
The woman with her squeezed her arm.
“There…there was a fire at the resort down in Orlando,” Kelly said. “My friend Brenda was there. RBA sent us up here as a consolation prize. It’s been crazy. We just arrived.”
“Hi,” Brenda said, shaking his hand. “We were headed to dinner.”
“You have to come to dinner with me. It’s my only night off,” he lied. “I can’t believe you’re here in New York. You should have called me.” He wondered if she had. Maybe Lori wasn’t passing along his messages.
Kelly patted her pockets. “You won’t believe this, but I left my phone in the rush to get us out. I haven’t been able to call anyone.”
“Total chaos,” Brenda agreed.
The limo must have gone around the block, because it was pulling up to the curb and Lori didn’t look happy when she jumped out. “What are you doing?”
Andrew noticed the look on Kelly’s face. Was she jealous? Just a teensy bit? “Kelly, meet Lori. She’s my friend’s fiancée. The one who’s opening a restaurant this weekend. He’s busy, so I’m taking her to dinner at 2520. It’s an amazing restaurant. You and Brenda should come with us.”
Kelly looked at Brenda and shrugged. “I don’t know?”
“On one condition,” Brenda said. “We don’t talk
