Everson shrugged and pulled Ryan close. "I'm not. That was too much pressure. It'll be more fun to bug the guys instead. That producer," he paused to point to Liz, "asked me to take a turn with the host's microphone during the next round. So I'll get to invade your workstations."
Xavier groaned. "Great. Better not sabotage me."
"Would I do that?"
"Maybe not you..."
Ashley caught Blackstone's gaze as the teammates bantered. Ignoring him hadn't worked so well. She resolved to do better. Winning the competition would be sweet revenge. She wouldn't let anything stand in her way.
* * *
Event room A was much quieter than the massive room that housed the competition.
Xavier soaked in the lack of constant noise. After the events of the day, he didn't mind a little time to himself to recharge and gather his thoughts before launching into the interview.
Advancing to the next round made him happy, and Ashley ecstatic. She'd seemed too stressed during the actual competition. He'd have to help her loosen up during round two.
Beside him, she rested her hand on her hip and twisted, stretching her back muscles. "I can't wait to soak in a hot bath. I think every single muscle in my body was tightened today from the stress and pressure."
The offer to give her a hand was on the tip of his tongue, but he thought of their "deal" and then how the temptation for both of them was too great.
Thankfully, the show's host arrived with Liz and Gary. "Ashley and Xavier, we'll go live with this too. Just act natural."
Xavier rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. After years of on-camera interviews, talking directly to the camera was as easy as holding a conversation with the person behind it.
Gary got into position, and Liz gave the host the signal. He smiled a toothy grin worthy of a toothpaste commercial and began. "We're here with Xavier Brennan and Ashley Yates of Team Bliss Bakery. So, you two, congratulations on moving on to round two. But let's talk about round one for a minute. What was it like, baking live tonight?"
Ashley laughed. "In a word, stressful."
"Like I was in a no-huddle, hurry up offense all night long," Xavier added. "But Ashley's great and she kept us on task."
The host nodded. "Some teams looked a little unsteady today. How do you think you'll get along as teammates?"
Xavier opened his mouth, ready to spout off the typical athlete answer about playing as a team, but Ashley laid her hand on his forearm, stopping him.
"Xavier has already gone above and beyond as a teammate. We've spent a lot of time practicing for this competition. He's dedicated. In fact, he was on his way to New York to co-host Pro Football Daily, and stopped by the bakery to get some cupcakes for everyone who works on the show. My delivery van broke down right before he arrived. I had a huge cake that had to be delivered and no way to get there and time was running out. He insisted that we use his SUV, then rushed to catch his train. But he missed it by a minute and missed his chance to be on the show. All because he helped me."
Xavier rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. Embarrassment twisted with surprise and pleasure. "Gotta take care of your teammate, right?"
"Not everyone would do what you did." Then she shifted her gaze to the camera. "I really hope the football show producers give him another opportunity. He deserves it."
Touched, Xavier turned to her. She'd said that she'd try to make it up to him. Those cookies for him and his dog were more than enough. Hell, just her thought to even try to help him was more than enough. But to do what she did here, on live TV? Definitely a badass warrior move. "Thanks, Ash."
The host cleared his throat. "Yes, well. Moving on to performing in this competition. You mentioned to me earlier in the round that you were using family recipes?"
"We are." Xavier caught Ashley's gaze, and they shared a smile. "We both lost our moms to cancer, so using their recipes in this battle of Cakes Against Cancer, just felt right."
As Ashley spoke about the bakery being her mother's legacy, and how she got into baking, Xavier sat quietly.
"How about it, Xavier? Anything else to add?"
He quickly launched into a pitch for his foundation and ended with a plug for the upcoming 5k run. "There's still time to register for our charity 5k run this Saturday morning. As an extra incentive, Ashley will be there, and she'll have sweet treats for the finishers table."
* * *
Saturday morning came too early. Rising before six o’clock to make sure he arrived early at the event venue was tough when he’d only gotten a few hours' sleep the night before.
He and his team spoke to volunteers and vendors, and he worked his ass off to help out wherever he was needed. The bi-annual 5k raised a good amount of money for his foundation. Ensuring a positive experience for everyone involved meant that they would keep returning, and the event could keep growing, and his small way to honor his mom would contribute to helping find a cure for such a devastating disease.
The race route would take runners on a course around the sports complex, under the highway, and back again. Fun and fast, with plenty of volunteers cheering the runners along their way. The start and finish lines were in line with the giant Frenzy logo at the stadium’s top. He was grateful for the organization’s support.
Seeing Ashley set up at a table with Bliss Bakery’s sunny logo gave him an energy hit. She was flanked on her right by Shane and Leo staffing a table for the family gym, and on her left by Mario.
Xavier hadn’t spoken to his
