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 morning after the fourth there are an exceeding number of groans from the beds. Both Bella and Gina show clear signs of a hangover. Thankfully I didn't drink too much, so I don't have to deal with the aftermath.
We got back to Hell's Kitchen at around 10pm and headed straight for bed. Gordon and I tried our best to not be suspicious and merely told each other goodnight before parting.
When I sit up in bed, Taylor gives me a knowing grin from where she's peeked her head out from under her covers. I feel a rush as I realize that last night truly did happen. Gordon Ramsay confessed his love to me. He wants me to be with him. He wants me to meet his wife.
My muscles tense. I wonder when he's going to have us meet. Will it be this Sunday?
What do I even say to her? I would have never imagined myself in this position where now I have to confess to a woman I've never met that her husband and I are in love and have slept together. It's like walking into a war zone soaked in gasoline with a giant beacon over my head and pockets full of grenades. Anything could go wrong and completely ruin my chances with Gordon– she may even get me kicked off Hell's Kitchen entirely. I try to swallow the lump forming in my throat.
I get up out of bed and change into my chef's jacket, running my fingers over my name embroidered on the chest. I belong here. I was invited here for a purpose. That purpose has grown to be even greater than a shot at being Gordon's head chef in London. I've been given the opportunity to be loved by the most handsome, intimidating, powerful man I've ever met. My heart flutters as I picture his sincere look as he reminded me of his love for me before I closed the door on his room last night.
Everything is going to work out. I have to believe that.
Bella is unusually quiet at breakfast, she pushes her eggs around the plate with her fork and holds her stomach with her other arm. Gina manages to eat her food, then goes to lay down in bed before we're called downstairs.
This time it's Sous Chef Scott who retrieves us from upstairs.
"Come on down guys, Chef Ramsay has a new challenge prepared for you!" he shouts, spurring us to move.
I put away my plate and join everyone standing outside of the kitchens. Chef Ramsay runs his fingers through his hair before smiling at us all and clasping his hands together in front of himself. There is a large black curtain behind him, obscuring our next challenge.
"Good morning, Chefs!" he says excitedly.
"Good morning, Chef!" we respond.
"After a long relaxing day, I hope you all are well rested and prepared for your next challenge." His eyes sweep over us all before he moves to stand next to the black curtain. With one fell swoop, he pulls the curtain away to reveal a carnival booth complete with multicolored balloons tied to a corkboard wall. To further the carnival feel, Jean-Philippe is wearing a colorful rainbow wig and a red clown nose standing behind the countertop that holds each team's darts. When we all look at him he honks the nose with a smile. A few of the red team members snicker among themselves at how absolutely ridiculous JP looks in his clown getup.
"In these balloons are ingredients that each of you will be using to make a dish. Proteins are in the red balloons, vegetables are in the green balloons and in the white balloons, you will find your carbs. Every ingredient you get, someone has to use in their dish," he instructs us all.
"I'll explain a bit further. Each person will have three darts. If you fail to get at least two balloons popped, you will be given one extra dart. Preferably, to get one protein, one vegetable, and one carb ingredient. You are welcome to trade one ingredient with one of your teammates. Try to help each other out, because the team with the most pleasing dishes will win this challenge. Now, if we're ready, will the first two chefs please step up to the booth?" Gordon steps back and opens his arm towards the carnival booth with a grin.
Pietro and Red step up to the booth. JP stands in the far corner, away from the dartboard.
"Be sure to throw your darts one at a time and give JP time to collect the paper that falls out, we don't want him getting impaled now, do we?" Gordon jokes. JP shoots him a worried glance.
Pietro grabs his first dart and throws it, popping a white balloon. JP picks it up and announces the carb, brown rice. He throws his second dart and gets a red balloon that JP reveals it as being salmon. Pietro throws his final dart and gets a green balloon. JP reads off asparagus from the scroll of dropped paper then hands over the papers to Pietro.
Gordon cycles through each of the chefs fairly quickly. Red managed to get two proteins and one vegetable, Bella gets all three colors, Gina misses two darts and ends up with only a protein and a vegetable while Taylor ends up with two vegetables and one carb.
On the blue team, Abel and Garrett hit all three colors, Dave somehow hits three carbs, Shaun hits two proteins and a carb and Kalyani misses two darts, leaving her with only a protein and a carb.
I take a deep breath as Kalyani steps back from the counter. My turn and almost half the balloons are already popped. The protein balloons are the least plentiful and the most important. I'll have to aim carefully. Gordon gives me an encouraging smile from the sidelines, which relaxes me a bit.
I carefully line up my first toss and throw it, aiming for a red balloon. It dips just a bit short and pops a green balloon just below it. JP unravels the paper and announces that I've gotten green beans as my vegetable. I try to steady my breathing and aim for the same red balloon. With a satisfying pop, the red balloon shrivels up under my dart. JP takes the paper out and reads off my protein– rack of lamb. The corner of my lips draw up into a smile. So far, everything I have is perfect. I just have to get lucky on my carb.
I roll my final dart between my fingers and aim for a white balloon like my life depends on it. Gordon watches with just as much intensity as I feel. I send the dart flying.
POP
A green balloon crinkles as the air escapes it. Gordon gives me an apologetic glance as JP picks up the paper.
"Cauliflower, Chef," JP says, then hands me the scraps of paper that make up my ingredients.
Well, it's not ideal, but at least I'm not without a protein. I take my papers and head back to the chef lineup.
Gordon begins to draw the curtain back over the booth. JP, who had been picking up scraps of balloon off the floor, pops his head over the countertop and gives Gordon a confused look. As Gordon approaches JP, he pushes the top of JP's poofy rainbow wig back down under the countertop and closes the curtain entirely with a playful grin.
"Well? Go on and deliberate over who's trading what ingredients. You have five minutes!" Chef Ramsay waves us into the kitchens.
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