Page 9 of Sugar Lips
He raises his eyes to look at me. “You were?”
“Um, yeah? You’ve been grumpy since the moment you got here.”
Suddenly his face is etched with remorse. “Yeah…I feel bad about that. I should’ve been more appreciative about this whole thing.” He grins. “But I can definitely say that I’m happy to be here now.”
“Oh, shut up,” I say, pushing him playfully.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” he says. “I meant I’m glad I met you. Not just because of what we just did. But because I like you.”
My heartbeat quickens. “So, what? Are you going to ask me out on a date now?”
He hesitates. “To be honest, I don’t really date. The restaurant takes up so much of my time. But I also can’t imagine never seeing you again after today. So…yes. I want to take you out on a date. Multiple dates, preferably.”
I smile. “Even if I win the competition?”
He kisses me. “Even if you win.”
Just then, the knob on the door shakes. Shit. Immediately, Jackson and I separate ourselves and make ourselves decent.
“Hello?” a voice calls out from the other side of the door. “Why’s the door locked?”
Jackson rushes over to unlock it, glancing over his shoulder before he does to make sure I’m all good. Then Jackson opens the door and immediately begins apologizing to the crew member, saying that we must have accidentally locked it when we came in.
The crew member looks at Jackson like he doesn’t believe him, then sighs, as if to say,I don’t have time for this.
“The judges are ready for you two,” he says.
“Great,” says Jackson.
And we go out to learn the final verdict.
“Jackson,”says Tati, “we all agree that your diorama was impressive. You showed such great attention to detail, down to the wrinkles carved around the elder zombie’s eyes. And your zombies, by the way, were absolutely delicious.”
“Thank you,” says Jackson. The two of us are standing side by side in front of the panel of judges, the lighting now moody and dramatic. There’s even a freakin’ fog machine piping fake fog into the room.
“However,” says Tati, “you needed to edit. It wasn’t as cohesive as it should have been. And none of us understood your decision to splatter blood all over the town at the last minute. It wasn’t necessary. In fact, it almost ruined the whole thing.”
Jackson nods somberly. The judges then turn their attention to me. My heart is pounding like mad in my chest right now. Not just because of the impending outcome of the competition, but also because of the hot sex Jackson and I just had. I’m convinced that somehow the judges and all the crew know about it and that…I don’t know, we’re going to be disqualified from the competition, I guess? And embarrassed on national TV?
“Elizabeth,” says Tati. “We were also very impressed with your diorama. The creativity you showed blew us away. Your ability to combine unexpected flavors really stood out, as well. My personal favorite was the cinnamon-and-orange-flavored headstones.”
I smile and nod, too nervous to speak.
“There were, however, a few aspects of your diorama that felt rushed. It’s obvious to us that you didn’t manage your time as well as you could have. And that lack of polish could cost you the title.”
I swallow and nod again. I want so badly to win this competition. It’s not just about the money. It’s also about making my mom proud. And I guess it’s about proving to myself, too, that I can do something when I set out to do it.
“Judges,” says Ben. “Have you decided on a winner?”
“We have,” says Derek.
“The winner of this year’s Halloween Bake-Off…” says Monica, smiling at us, “…is Elizabeth.”
I gasp. I look at Jackson, and he immediately wraps his arms around me and gives me a huge hug.
“Congrats,” he says, sounding genuinely happy for me. “You deserve it, Elizabeth.”
“Thank you,” I manage to say. And as all the judges stand up and walk over to us, I feel my eyes fill with tears.