"Right. Remember, it's done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean." She rubbed her hands on her apron. "Ready to start the frosting?"
A grin spread across his face when she pulled cream cheese from the refrigerator. "Better hide that from Everson. We can't risk any tackles or fumbles this time."
Laughing, she stopped mid-step as inspiration struck. She lobbed the package in his direction. His eyebrows winged up, and his super-fast reflexes snapped into action as he easily caught it.
The host stopped by their station. "Nice moves. Looks like you two are having fun."
"We are." Ashley grinned at him. "Sometimes, playing with your food is a good thing."
The audience laughed.
"Tell me, what are you making?"
Xavier came over. "Chocolate crinkle cookies and a cake recipe that's been in Ashley's family for years."
"What's the cream cheese for?"
"The frosting. And we better get started on it." Xavier directed the host away with practiced ease. He'd probably had lots of experience. And the confidence to back it up.
Ashley focused on what she could control, mixing the ingredients for the chocolate cream cheese buttercream frosting. Xavier helped, adding in the cocoa powder and vanilla to the butter, and then the powdered sugar a cup at a time. She drizzled in milk until they achieved a thick, but spreadable consistency.
Xavier set the bowl to chill in the fridge. "Twenty minutes to relax and clean up our station."
She handed him a towel to wipe away the smudges of cocoa and powdered sugar. "Twenty minutes to worry, too."
"No worrying. We've got this." He moved with confidence and surprisingly easy grace and he wiped down the counters. Then, he uncapped a bottle of water and pressed it into her hands. "In any game, it's important to stay hydrated. Helps keep you thinking clearly."
Taking a slow, deep breath, she nodded and raised the bottle to her lips.
In the neighboring station, Tyson looked stressed. And Blackstone looked angry. Flour and other ingredients were scattered across the counter. The bakery owner dumped a tray of cookies into the garbage and then snatched a fresh sheet from the quarterback's hands. "I'll finish this myself. Handling cookies is a much more delicate process than tossing around a football."
Hands up, Tyson backed away. "Go for it, man. I'll start on clean up."
When the cameraman came by, both men smiled, but neither held the expression for long. Then the TV host swept in. Blackstone beamed, but Tyson hung back. Xavier muttered under his breath and then edged his way over toward his teammate, joking with him to the delight and amusement of the crowd.
Ashley kept watch over the ovens. If the cookies got too dark, she couldn't serve them. Her stomach in knots, she twisted the oven mitt. Worst-case scenarios and possible ways to fix baking disasters ran through her thoughts. She gasped as strong hands landed on her shoulders.
"Relax," Xavier's low voice murmured close to her ear. "You look so tense. Don't worry. They're going to turn out fine."
"Right. Sure. No worries here. Only our first chance at the prize. Which could be our last chance if this doesn't go well."
The timer beeped, and he pulled the mitts from her grasp. After donning them, he opened the oven, releasing a blast of heat. "What do you think?"
She peered at the tray he held. "They look good. Let's get them out."
"Got it." He winced, likely at the heat slamming into his face and set the trays on top of the oven. The scent of the cookies wafted over her, as sweet and comforting as one of her mother's hugs.
Fighting off the threat of tears, she reset the timer. "We can take them off the tray in a couple of minutes."
He tossed the oven mitts aside, and his hand found its way to the back of her neck. "Our cookies look good."
Her muscles melted under his massage. "I'm happy with them. Did you see what everyone else was making?"
"Everson's team had triple chocolate cookies. Tyson and his baker have some type of chocolate mint thing. I heard the host say that someone is making macarons."
She leaned against him, drawing strength, calmness, and comfort. "The cake has fifteen minutes left on the timer."
Her nerves hadn't lessened much as she transferred the cookies to a cooling rack. Or when she and Xavier tested the cake and removed the pans from the oven. Any misstep could end in ruin, so attention and careful moves were key.
Throughout the lulls in the baking, the host kept the audience's attention on a large screen TV that showcased each Frenzy player and their foundation or the charity they were playing for. Then, they ran through the bakers. Ashley cringed as her audition video played on the screen.
Xavier slid his arm around her shoulder. "Why the grimace? It's a good video."
"You're used to seeing yourself on screen. I'm not."
He raised a brow, as though considering her statement, and then nodded. "Point taken."
She turned away from the screen. "Let's frost that cake."
Her hands shook as she worked. The host announcing the dwindling minutes added to the frantic atmosphere of the last-minute rush.
"Five... four... three... two... one... Stop your work."
Ashley dropped everything and stepped away from the counter. They'd finished on time, and the cake looked pretty good with a delicate pattern of swirls.
As the judges made the rounds to the stations, Xavier downed a bottle of water. "Waiting is the hardest part. It's like when the officials are reviewing a challenged touchdown."
Finally, the judges and host reached them. "Tell us about your desserts."
"We have for you a chocolate almond crinkle cookie and a chocolate cake with chocolate cream cheese buttercream frosting."
The first judge bit into the cookie. "The texture is perfect, but I would have liked a hint more of cinnamon."
The second judge shook her head. "I disagree on that, I think the amount of spices was perfect."
"Now, let's move on to the cake." At the host's prompting, the third judge sampled it. "This cake is moist
