Accepted under the mentorship of your idol and the world's hottest chef Gordon Ramsay, you must prove your skill and determination through competing in Hell's Kitchen- A month long cooking contest versus fifteen other fierce contestants and difficul...
The interior of the restaurant seems frozen in time. Aside from JP and his staff working to clean up the mess, most diners are still seated. Gordon, who had been following behind me, moves to the front and claps his hands.
"Hop to it, ladies. We've got dessert to serve!"
His words thaw the icy atmosphere and Hell's Kitchen roars to life once more. The patrons talk, various clangs and shouts come from the kitchens, and–if it weren't for Janice's eyes burning a hole into the back of my head–I could believe nothing had happened at all.
Abel looks out over the pass until I meet his eyes. He tilts his head questioningly and I give a thumbs up. A small smile slips onto his lips.
When I enter the kitchen, Christina captures my attention. "The chocolate-stuffed strawberries and mini cheesecakes are ready, but we're waiting on the bread pudding."
"How long?" I ask, looking at Shaun's dessert station.
"Three minutes, Chef. Wanted them to be warm when you came back, but didn't want to overcook 'em."
"Good thinking, Shaun," I praise as I survey the food, glad he remembered Ramsay's suggestion for a clear glass to show off the pudding's layers.
Mercifully, desserts practically serve themselves. Preparing the dishes is as easy as a few chocolate swirls and dots on the strawberry plates, fruit-flavored colorful gelée dots and strawberry pomegranate crème fraîche on the mini cheesecake plates, and the bread pudding gets a dollop of fresh whipped cream with mocha powder on top.
Gordon spends his time at the pass closer to me than usual. I chalk it up to his protective instincts. Not that our relationship staying secret will be important after the next hour. I do not know how he plans to carry out the reveal–I only hope I can handle it.
Taylor looks hyped as she helps to bring up the last of the bread puddings. When she reaches me, she bounces excitedly. "I think you won! You had to have! You handled everything exactly how a head chef would. I'm proud of you." She beams, wrapping her arms around me.
"Thanks, Tay," I say, her enthusiasm boosting mine impossibly higher as we squeeze each other tight. I feel like I handled the pass with finesse, but Abel appears as confident as I do when I look across the way to where he is sending out his last desserts. A small part of me is self-satisfied seeing that I finished my service ahead of Abel, even if it was only by a few minutes.
Gordon checks both mine and Abel's passes one last time before tossing his hand towel over his shoulder and clapping once. "Pack it up everyone, the final dinner service is over!"
The patrons clap, cheering for both competitors in equal measure.
"Good work, (Y/N)," Shaun praises from across the kitchen.
"You too, Shaun!" I shout back.
Bella approaches Taylor and me, looking shy for the first time in her life. "Hey, (Y/N)," she says. I turn to her with my arms open, pulling her into a hug. She laughs, a small and sad smile on her face. When I let her go, her eyes are shining.
"Thank you for not giving up on me. I'm so sorry I treated you the way I did when we first met. I'm not the best at making friends, especially girl ones, but I'm grateful to have you as one. Please keep in touch after this is over, okay? I don't want to slip back into old habits and I think you help keep me grounded." She hands me a paper with her number on it and gives me another hug. "Love you, girl," she says, then turns to leave.
I grab her hand and pull her back into another quick hug. "Hey, I love you too. Thanks for having my back, Bells. I really couldn't have done this without you."
She blinks, and a tear slips down her face. "You've got me all worked up now, stupid pregnancy hormones," she says, wiping it away with a small laugh.
"Don't I know it," I say, laughing. When Taylor's face pales, I realize what I've said.
In a quick act of course-correction, I add, "Those hormones have had you all sorts of emotional, but finally you and Dave can settle in and relax for a while."
Bella didn't catch my slip and looks giddy as she turns toward the blue kitchen, admiring Dave from afar. "Yeah, no kidding! Speaking of Dave, I gotta go. See you when you come through the winner's door, (Y/N)," Bella says, then skips off toward Dave, launching herself into his arms so that he staggers backward, laughing.
Taylor grabs my arm, then takes my hand. "You're...?" She looks at me, desperately trying to convey her question wordlessly.
I hadn't intended Taylor to be the first to know, but it seems my mouth is a mile ahead of my brain after the strain I'd been putting on it. I give her a small, barely perceptible nod.
She claps her hand over her mouth, squeezes my hand tightly, and her feet do a tippy-tap dance on the floor.
"(Y/N)," Janice's voice grates on my ears.
"What?" I ask, my expression flipping from joy to annoyance in an instant.
"Final interview time while they clean up the kitchen. Come on hurry, Abel has already done his." She gestures for me to follow her to the green room. I sigh, release Taylor's hand, and follow Janice.
I take a seat in the single chair in the center of the green screen room and smooth out my head chef jacket.
"So how do you think you preformed, (Y/N)?" Janice asks, taking a seat across from me.
"I know I couldn't have done any better than I did. I poured my heart and soul into every piece of food that left the pass and I have no regrets."
She leans in. "Do you think you picked the right team members?"
"Aside from the obvious, of course. I'm thankful that I got to have both Taylor and Bella, and Shaun had already proven himself to be a brilliant partner. Truthfully, we didn't even need a fourth. I wish he hadn't come back."
"He was kicked for something outside of his cooking ability, (Y/N). People deserve a second chance. No one could have known what he'd do."
The desire to swing a cast-iron pan into Janice is almost as strong as it was when I swung one into Garrett.
"No, Janice. Some people don't deserve a second chance. If anyone gets blood in the food I serve at my restaurant then denies it, I will fire them on the spot."
Janice crosses her arms. "So you're confident 'Gordon Ramsay's London Cuisine' is your restaurant, then?"
I nod. "Supremely."
"Abel said the same thing."
"Great, then the restaurant will be in capable hands."
Janice looks at me challengingly. Her mouth moves to form words, but she backs off at the last moment.
"Good work out there. I'll see you after the winner is chosen," Janice says, offering me her hand.
I push the chair back and stand, leaving her hanging and closing the door behind me with a smile on my face.
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