“And I’ll keep my promise.” When she’d shown up in tears at his door again, he’d nearly canceled on the competition. Family was family. Period. He’d have found a way to make ends meet, even if it had meant more debt and credit cards and who knew how many more years working for Carlita with his creativity on a choke chain. But Lucia had made him swear, said she’d walk right out the door if he put off this trip for her. And there’d been too much of a chance she could have ended up back at her old house if she’d walked out. At Robert’s house.
At the mere thought, he clenched and unclenched his fingers around the phone. “I’ll keep my ringer on the whole time.”
Lucia sighed. “They won’t let you do that. You could be cheating somehow.”
“I’ll work it out. You call me if you needanything. I can be home in a few hours if you need me.” He’d still get however much pay he’d already earned. From the show and Carlita. “You call me, Lucia. I mean it. I’ll take the signing bonus, flip them off, and head back.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re lying. But thanks.” Her voice softened slightly. “And you’ll call me every night?”
“Of course. I’ll find out when we finish up every day and we’ll plan from there.”
“Thank you.” Another little crack in her voice. “I mean, I don’t know where I’d go—”
“I’m your brother. It’s what family does.” Anything to get her away from Robert. Even a temporary fix was preferable to the alternative. “Now go on and enjoy your day. I need to get in the shower before they call us down to tour the kitchen. You have no idea how disgusting I look.”
“I’m sure you look fine.” She sighed. “Good luck, Tristan. I know you’re going to do great.”
“We’ll see. Maybe I’m up against Julia Child reincarnated.”
“You could smoke Julia Child. Unless they ask you to roast a chicken. Then I don’t know.”
He chuckled. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Night.” She hung up.
Tristan set his phone down and flopped back on the bed. A king-size, where he could actually stretch out. Aroomwhere he could spread out. No one else to bother him—thank God they weren’t sharing, because with his luck he’d have ended up with Henry fucking Isaacson—just a place to relax and sleep.
That was the intention, anyway. But after two seconds, Tristan snatched up his phone to watch the promo trailer yet again. He knew almost nothing about the show he was walking into. Not really. The producers had reached out to him through Carlita a few months prior—apparently his awards and write-ups had caught their attention—and he’d had an interview with them over video call. Some basic info had been traded back and forth, about his past employers and his training. Then seven weeks ago, a representative from Eatery TV had flown out to Seattle to talk with him in person and try his food. After that, he’d been signing contracts and getting the rundown on what they were willing to tell him. Which hadn’t been a lot. Filming dates, location, compensation. Nothing that would“give away the game,”as the rep had said, but a baseline. If not a very useful one.
However, he had access to their teaser trailer. Fifty-three seconds of heavily edited footage that he kept watching and watching, hoping he’d be able to gleansomethingfrom it that hadn’t shown up the last half-dozen times.
One last attempt. He queued up his obsession once again. An acid-green background, followed by a glint of silver. A butcher knife whistling past before slamming through a big, white-frosted cake and revealing the pale brown interior. The knife stuck into the green wall behind it with a satisfying thud as the words began to flash by.
America’s Top Bakers
Competing for a Quarter Million
Nine Won’t Make the CUT
One Will Rise to the Top
The knife was pulled out, smeared with white frosting and little brown crumbs. Probably spice cake or carrot cake.Which still tells me nothing.
A sharp musical sting gave way to the next bevy of words floating past.
An All-American Baking Showdown
Judged by Dexter Wilson
That was the most concrete fact the trailer provided, but it was info he’d also gotten from the Eatery TV rep. It wasn’t that useful. Dexter Wilson was famous for writingEverything You Need to Know About Baking. Which meant his competition show could be pulling fromanything.
Get Ready
Get Set
Get Baked!
The show’s logo pushed onto the screen for the last few seconds, followed byComing Soon to Eatery TV. And that was it. Still providing no clues, but it brought up all his worries about competing yet again. In front of Dexter Wilson, no less. Plus two other judges yet to be revealed.
