Page 54 of The Baking Games

CHAPTER 15

RHETT

I tried my best to talk her into it. We stayed in the bathroom far too long, and then Lainey knocked on the door because she needed to touch up her makeup. She should be finished by sometime tomorrow.

We went through dinner with everyone, sat at the table, and listened to lots of small talk, but all I could think about was my plan; if we could just convince the viewers that we were falling in love, they would keep us around for longer.

Sure, I should want to win based on my own talents, but I know myself, and I know how other people react to me. I'm a nice guy, but sometimes you can't see it. I seem like a grump, a grouch, a pessimist. Sometimes I feel that those things are true, but I know there's a different man inside of me somewhere. He's just a little too scared to come out and show his face.

Either way, I can't think about that right now. All I can think about is how this plan would work if Savannah would just agree to it. Sure, I could make some kind of bold move for the cameras, but she's liable to punch me right in the nose if I try to hold her hand or sneak a kiss on her cheek. She's having none of it.

I get the feeling that Savannah is a romantic at heart. She wants that big grand love and doesn't want to pretend with me on national television. I can see her point, but I know that $200,000 would be a nice amount to see in my bank account. In the end, only one of us can win, so maybe she doesn't want to give me a leg up by participating in this charade.

"I'm exhausted," she says, which makes me laugh. "What are you laughing at?"

"You're always tired. Maybe you should get your blood checked."

We're walking upstairs to the bedroom. Maggie is already lying down and snoring by the time we get there. I think she's narcoleptic, but I would never say anything. She's a sweet woman, but she sleeps like a rock, and she snores like a freight train.

"Let's not wake her," Savannah whispers.

"I don't think that's possible," I whisper back.

The producers disconnect us for five minutes so we can change into our sleep clothes. I am in a pair of shorts and a white T-shirt, and Savannah is in a pajama set with shorts and a little top. I try not to glance at her legs. They're very nice, but she's made it supremely clear that she does not want to be my fake girlfriend. We both slide into our beds, pulling the covers up, and she turns out the lamp, and then it's just darkness. I've never understood how people can go to sleep like this.

When I go to bed, it's a whole routine. First, I stay up as late as possible until I’m about to fall over. Then I turn on the TV and lie down in my bed. And at some point, I pass out. When I wake up in the morning, the TV is still running. I turn it off and go on about my day.

But apparently, there are people just like this who turn off the light, lie down, and go to sleep. It seems like magic. But Savannah's not falling asleep for some reason, even though she said she was tired. The moonlight is shining into the room, casting a long line across our beds and the hardwood floor. I can see her staring at the ceiling.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I guess I wasn't as tired as I thought." Her voice sounds different. Sad. Is she crying?

"What's going on?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm thinking about my sister and what she's doing. We've never been apart this long."

"It's great that you have such a wonderful relationship with her. I wish I had that with my siblings.”

"You don't?" she says, turning her head. "I didn't even know you had siblings."

"Yeah, I've got two brothers. We're not close."

"Why not?"

"I guess because I'm the black sheep of the family," I say, staring back up at the ceiling. "They're all attorneys and doctors in my family. They wanted me to follow suit, and I didn't, so here we are."

"Surely they're still very proud of you. I mean, you're working with celebrities on yachts."

"Yeah, my mom thinks I should own the yacht, not cook for people on it."

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's hard not to have a supportive family."

“It's definitely difficult.”

I realize I’m on national television, so I don’t want to say much more, but I’m glad I got to share at least that much with her. I don't share much with anybody.

"I know how hard it can be not to have people cheering you on. The only person that cheers me on is Sadie. My mom never could do that in my life, really. She was a mess."