resignation letter, are you?” Ashton joked loudly. “Because things will get better. I think.”
Chloe jumped up and quickly flipped over the pad. “What? No. I was just drawing some cake designs.” She paused. “Ashton? What are you doing here?”
Laughing, Ashton crossed the small room and bent to hug her friend. “We don’t film again for three days, and I thought we could all watch the premiere together tomorrow night.” She sat in the chair across from Chloe. “What are you doing here this late?”
“I’m just trying to stay on top of the paperwork while you’re gone.”
“I’m sorry.” Ashton grimaced. “I didn’t mean for you to get stuck doing all my work.”
“Of course you didn’t. Besides, you’re handling the hard part. I don’t mind doing a little office work as compensation.” A sinister smile curled Chloe’s lips. “Did you win the first challenge?”
“Chloe,” Ashton warned.
Her hand flew over her mouth. “Oh, my God. You didn’t get eliminated, did you?”
“You know I can’t talk about it. You’re going to have to find out tomorrow.”
“Ashton,” she wailed. “Are you seriously going to make me wait?”
“Absolutely.” She stood and peeled off the light sweater she’d worn on the plane. Then, she grabbed her chef’s jacket. When she arrived downstairs, Pierre stepped away from the table where he was calling orders.
Ashton just shook her head. “Tonight, I’m your sous chef, Pierre.”
Surprise flickered in Pierre’s eyes. “But…”
“Call the next order, Chef.”
Strangely, this was exactly what she needed. Over the next few hours, she let Pierre take the reins and she did what she loved best—cook. When the final order was out, she felt exhausted but relaxed.
She and Jenna were the last ones to leave.
“Chloe said you didn’t tell her if you won the first challenge,” Jenna said as they exited through the back door.
“Nope.”
“But you’re going to tell me, right?” Jenna stomped her Cole Haan heel on the ground. “We’re supposed to be best friends.”
“Chloe is my best friend, too, and I wouldn’t tell her.”
“But I’ve known you a lot longer.”
“I’ll tell you what I told her. If you want to know what happens, you’ll have to watch the show.”
Ashton’s nerves had her balancing on the edge of sanity by the next evening.
“This is so exciting,” Chloe said, dancing around Jenna’s living room. “You’re going to be on TV!”
Ashton wished she could have mustered even half of Chloe’s enthusiasm. Instead, she nibbled on a way-too-decadent petite four Chloe had baked for Ashton’s television debut.
“Have you told your parents yet?” Jenna asked.
“No.” Ashton groaned. “I was hoping to wait until I could send them an autographed copy of my new cookbook.”
Jenna glanced sideways at her. “They’re going to find out and your mother will be really hurt.”
“I know.” It was something she was looking forward to even less than the premiere.
Jenna’s boyfriend, Hal, stepped out of the bedroom into the living room, looking handsome in a pinstriped suit. “Evening, ladies.”
Both she and Chloe mustered a more enthusiastic greeting than they felt. Privately, they both agreed that Hal was smarmy and obnoxious. But Jenna was happy, and that was all that mattered.
Hal bent to kiss Jenna on the forehead. “I’m meeting a client for drinks. Don’t wait up.” He glanced at Ashton. “Good luck with the show-thingy.”
“Thanks, Hal.”
“I didn’t know accountants worked such late hours,” Chloe remarked after Hal left.
“You have to bring in business if you want to make partner,” Jenna defended. “He’s brought in more business than any other associate this year. I’m very proud of him.”
“Sorry,” Chloe muttered.
She and Ashton exchanged a look. There was no point in arguing with Jenna when it came to Hal.
She’d decided a couple months that she was going to marry him.
Chloe jumped up and quickly flipped over the pad. “What? No. I was just drawing some cake designs.” She paused. “Ashton? What are you doing here?”
Laughing, Ashton crossed the small room and bent to hug her friend. “We don’t film again for three days, and I thought we could all watch the premiere together tomorrow night.” She sat in the chair across from Chloe. “What are you doing here this late?”
“I’m just trying to stay on top of the paperwork while you’re gone.”
“I’m sorry.” Ashton grimaced. “I didn’t mean for you to get stuck doing all my work.”
“Of course you didn’t. Besides, you’re handling the hard part. I don’t mind doing a little office work as compensation.” A sinister smile curled Chloe’s lips. “Did you win the first challenge?”
“Chloe,” Ashton warned.
Her hand flew over her mouth. “Oh, my God. You didn’t get eliminated, did you?”
“You know I can’t talk about it. You’re going to have to find out tomorrow.”
“Ashton,” she wailed. “Are you seriously going to make me wait?”
“Absolutely.” She stood and peeled off the light sweater she’d worn on the plane. Then, she grabbed her chef’s jacket. When she arrived downstairs, Pierre stepped away from the table where he was calling orders.
Ashton just shook her head. “Tonight, I’m your sous chef, Pierre.”
Surprise flickered in Pierre’s eyes. “But…”
“Call the next order, Chef.”
Strangely, this was exactly what she needed. Over the next few hours, she let Pierre take the reins and she did what she loved best—cook. When the final order was out, she felt exhausted but relaxed.
She and Jenna were the last ones to leave.
“Chloe said you didn’t tell her if you won the first challenge,” Jenna said as they exited through the back door.
“Nope.”
“But you’re going to tell me, right?” Jenna stomped her Cole Haan heel on the ground. “We’re supposed to be best friends.”
“Chloe is my best friend, too, and I wouldn’t tell her.”
“But I’ve known you a lot longer.”
“I’ll tell you what I told her. If you want to know what happens, you’ll have to watch the show.”
Ashton’s nerves had her balancing on the edge of sanity by the next evening.
“This is so exciting,” Chloe said, dancing around Jenna’s living room. “You’re going to be on TV!”
Ashton wished she could have mustered even half of Chloe’s enthusiasm. Instead, she nibbled on a way-too-decadent petite four Chloe had baked for Ashton’s television debut.
“Have you told your parents yet?” Jenna asked.
“No.” Ashton groaned. “I was hoping to wait until I could send them an autographed copy of my new cookbook.”
Jenna glanced sideways at her. “They’re going to find out and your mother will be really hurt.”
“I know.” It was something she was looking forward to even less than the premiere.
Jenna’s boyfriend, Hal, stepped out of the bedroom into the living room, looking handsome in a pinstriped suit. “Evening, ladies.”
Both she and Chloe mustered a more enthusiastic greeting than they felt. Privately, they both agreed that Hal was smarmy and obnoxious. But Jenna was happy, and that was all that mattered.
Hal bent to kiss Jenna on the forehead. “I’m meeting a client for drinks. Don’t wait up.” He glanced at Ashton. “Good luck with the show-thingy.”
“Thanks, Hal.”
“I didn’t know accountants worked such late hours,” Chloe remarked after Hal left.
“You have to bring in business if you want to make partner,” Jenna defended. “He’s brought in more business than any other associate this year. I’m very proud of him.”
“Sorry,” Chloe muttered.
She and Ashton exchanged a look. There was no point in arguing with Jenna when it came to Hal.
She’d decided a couple months that she was going to marry him.
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