Soggy Bottoms

2 - Black Forest Gâteau

Alvin felt that he didn't really want to alter the technique of the traditional Bavarian recipe too far in case he upset Mary again with his variance of good techniques. This time he was going to stick to his guns and do the old chocolate-cherry combo.

Arriving in the tent, Alvin saw that the station where Stu used to cook had now been removed as if he had never been there in the first place. He wanted to feel happy that he had managed to move up in the competition but he still felt like he had lost a good comrade and that the competition was only going to get tougher from there on in.

As usual, Alvin had his mood perked by the arrival of Paul who greeted him with a somewhat inappropriate "Hey good lookin', what's cookin'?"

"Nothing but your hot buns, Sugar"

"Oh you." Paul rolled his eyes at Alvin and continued with his routine inquiry. "Is anything special going in today, Alvin?"

"Only your chiseled Jawline when I'm done; I'm keeping it old but gold, just like you."

"My my, you're making me blush. If you keep this up, cake might not be the only thing going into your oven tonight."

At that point Mary was well and truly fed up with the two incompetent buffoons blathering away next to her and had to resort to pulling her co-star by the ear.

A very sore-eared Paul still managed to slip in a cheeky wink to his favourite baker before being forced to engage with the other bakers that he had almost completely forgotten about. When he was Alvin he felt like he was in his own little safe haven away from all the troubles of being a professional judge and sage in the ways of baked goods.

Left to his own devices, Alvin continued to go to town on his wet goop with the thought of Paul still in his mind. Getting a bit distracted, he accidentally stirred his mix a bit too hard and spilled sauce down his apron. He tried to turn away to hide his shame from the other bakers, but there was one particularly experienced baker that had been watching all along from the other end of the tent. Paul "Eagle-Eyes" Hollywood had completed his interviews and thought it was time to stroll over and help the poor clumsy man out.

Paul strutted up to the desk where an embarrassed Alvin was trying to avert his gaze by looking down at his shoes and whistling nonchalantly.

"Making a bit of a mess are we? We can't be having that in my tent."

Paul snatched up the nearest tea towel and kneeled down before an Alvin that looked more flustered than a Frenchman in the battle of Waterloo. Paul reached out to the quivering man to face no resistance as he wiped the apron clean; taking the opportunity to feel Alvin's slender figure, albeit behind far too many layers of clothing in his opinion.

Coming back from his daydream, Paul realised that the apron had been clean long ago, although neither parties involved seemed to mind.

"Good as new, you little ruffian." Boasted Paul, admiring his handiwork.

"Not quite sir; you missed a bit." Remarked Alvin with point to the speck on his nose.

As Paul leaned over to finish the job, Alvin closed his eyes for protection and waited to be cleaned. When the tea towel reached his face, it seemed much slimier than he had remembered and when he opened his eyes, he was met with Paul's smiling face; the tea towel was lying on the counter.

Alvin couldn't find the time to retort due to being so stunned that he couldn't stand, so he sat down on his stool and watched the mystery in a hulking body that was Paul. He figured that he could never really know what was going on in Paul's mind but also that he didn't need to know anything more than that he was there and was interested in Alvin.

After inserting his semi-gelatinous composition into the metal heating cuboid, Alvin watched his cake bubble in the oven to take his mind off the complications of his life; the time consequently rocketed by until it was time to take it out again.

After being called up, Alvin displayed on the desk for the judges to see; them commenting on the smooth edges, creamy sauce and inhumanly good taste. Paul scooped a finger full off the top and noted that it tasted just as good, if not better than when he tried it raw.

Despite his well-executed demonstration of an old German favourite, Mary had to be the dampener on the mood by saying that the idea was too cliché and not interesting enough; Alvin knew from the knowing smirk he was receiving that another judge might be thinking otherwise.

This week might not have been the best for improving Alvin's reputation as a revolutionary baker, but he knew that as long as Paul was there to support him, Alvin was the best baker in the world.