off.
“Hey!” Jenna and Chloe yelped.
Jenna snatched the remote and turned the television back on. “If you do that again, we’ll be forced to tie your hands together.”
Ashton fell back against the cushions and closed her eyes. “And to think I was worried they were going to cast me as the crazy one who throws around knives. That would be better than the lush of the group.”
“Maybe it won’t be as bad as you think,” Chloe said. “We’re two minutes in. Let’s wait at least five before you start complaining.”
Ty’s face filled the screen, and her mouth went dry.
“Hello everyone, and welcome to the new season of The Next Celebrity Chef . I’m your host and head judge, Ty Cates. This year, we’ve got our most talented contestants yet.”
They cut to her face, and Jenna and Chloe started cheering again.
“I’m Ashton Grey, the executive chef and owner of Sweet Home in Chicago.”
“You look beautiful,” Chloe said, putting an arm around her. “Eat your heart out, Miss Texas.”
A laugh escaped. “Thanks. But Jolene is even prettier in person, if you can believe it.”
“That bitch.”
“I wish. She’s as nice as she is pretty.”
They watched the profiles of the rest of the cast, with her friends commenting along the way. Jenna thought Lance was obnoxious, but Chloe said he was kinda cute. They both agreed Duffy looked way too good in diamonds and that Morgan’s smile was as sincere as a snake’s.
Ashton glanced at her watch. “Fifteen minutes down and forty-five to go.”
“With commercials, only about thirty-five of the show,” said Chloe.
Finally, the challenge started.
As soon as Ty announced it, Jenna turned to her. “You made the lobster mac, right? I’ll kill you if you didn’t.”
Ashton just smiled.
As they cooked, slices of their post-challenge interviews were edited in.
“My signature dish at my restaurant is lobster macaroni and cheese,” Ashton said in her interview. “It is the most ordered item on the menu, and I think my partners would kill me if I didn’t make it.”
“Damn straight,” Chloe confirmed.
For the first time, Ashton realized Ty had been in the kitchen the whole time they’d cooked. She’d been so intent on her dish, she hadn’t even noticed.
“Ty’s staying awfully close to you,” Chloe commented. “He’s walked by your station, like, a half-dozen times.”
“That’s ridiculous,” she scoffed. “He’s walking up and down a row. He’s not at my station any more than any of the other chefs’.”
“Yeah, actually he is.” Jenna looked at her sideways. “He keeps coming back.”
“Because he’s interested in our technique. I would do the same thing if I got the chance to observe a room full of chefs.”
After they’d presented to the judges, there was a commercial break.
“You weren’t in the room when they ate your dishes, were you?” Jenna asked.
Ashton shook her head. “We were in the Wreck Room getting drunk. I hope they don’t show that again.”
But, of course, when the show came back, the cameras were on the chefs, not the judges. The first shot was Ashton and Duffy comforting Elena.
“She’s not going to make it,” Chloe said. “Too sensitive.”
“Oh, please,” Jenna argued. “Have you seen anyone more sensitive to critique than Ashton?”
“Hey!”
“True,” Chloe said, ignoring Ashton. “But Ashton gets mad when she’s critiqued; she doesn’t cry about it. It’s like her relationships. The first time she gets into a real argument with the guy she’s dating, Ashton doesn’t cry. She gets mad and dumps him.”
“Hey!” Ashton said again, louder this time, adding a pissed-off edge to her voice. “That’s not true. I mean, about my relationships.”
She got a pair of hard stares. “It’s not,” she insisted. “Could we just watch the show without commentary? They’re starting the judging.”
They turned their attention back to the show.
“This fish is perfectly
“Hey!” Jenna and Chloe yelped.
Jenna snatched the remote and turned the television back on. “If you do that again, we’ll be forced to tie your hands together.”
Ashton fell back against the cushions and closed her eyes. “And to think I was worried they were going to cast me as the crazy one who throws around knives. That would be better than the lush of the group.”
“Maybe it won’t be as bad as you think,” Chloe said. “We’re two minutes in. Let’s wait at least five before you start complaining.”
Ty’s face filled the screen, and her mouth went dry.
“Hello everyone, and welcome to the new season of The Next Celebrity Chef . I’m your host and head judge, Ty Cates. This year, we’ve got our most talented contestants yet.”
They cut to her face, and Jenna and Chloe started cheering again.
“I’m Ashton Grey, the executive chef and owner of Sweet Home in Chicago.”
“You look beautiful,” Chloe said, putting an arm around her. “Eat your heart out, Miss Texas.”
A laugh escaped. “Thanks. But Jolene is even prettier in person, if you can believe it.”
“That bitch.”
“I wish. She’s as nice as she is pretty.”
They watched the profiles of the rest of the cast, with her friends commenting along the way. Jenna thought Lance was obnoxious, but Chloe said he was kinda cute. They both agreed Duffy looked way too good in diamonds and that Morgan’s smile was as sincere as a snake’s.
Ashton glanced at her watch. “Fifteen minutes down and forty-five to go.”
“With commercials, only about thirty-five of the show,” said Chloe.
Finally, the challenge started.
As soon as Ty announced it, Jenna turned to her. “You made the lobster mac, right? I’ll kill you if you didn’t.”
Ashton just smiled.
As they cooked, slices of their post-challenge interviews were edited in.
“My signature dish at my restaurant is lobster macaroni and cheese,” Ashton said in her interview. “It is the most ordered item on the menu, and I think my partners would kill me if I didn’t make it.”
“Damn straight,” Chloe confirmed.
For the first time, Ashton realized Ty had been in the kitchen the whole time they’d cooked. She’d been so intent on her dish, she hadn’t even noticed.
“Ty’s staying awfully close to you,” Chloe commented. “He’s walked by your station, like, a half-dozen times.”
“That’s ridiculous,” she scoffed. “He’s walking up and down a row. He’s not at my station any more than any of the other chefs’.”
“Yeah, actually he is.” Jenna looked at her sideways. “He keeps coming back.”
“Because he’s interested in our technique. I would do the same thing if I got the chance to observe a room full of chefs.”
After they’d presented to the judges, there was a commercial break.
“You weren’t in the room when they ate your dishes, were you?” Jenna asked.
Ashton shook her head. “We were in the Wreck Room getting drunk. I hope they don’t show that again.”
But, of course, when the show came back, the cameras were on the chefs, not the judges. The first shot was Ashton and Duffy comforting Elena.
“She’s not going to make it,” Chloe said. “Too sensitive.”
“Oh, please,” Jenna argued. “Have you seen anyone more sensitive to critique than Ashton?”
“Hey!”
“True,” Chloe said, ignoring Ashton. “But Ashton gets mad when she’s critiqued; she doesn’t cry about it. It’s like her relationships. The first time she gets into a real argument with the guy she’s dating, Ashton doesn’t cry. She gets mad and dumps him.”
“Hey!” Ashton said again, louder this time, adding a pissed-off edge to her voice. “That’s not true. I mean, about my relationships.”
She got a pair of hard stares. “It’s not,” she insisted. “Could we just watch the show without commentary? They’re starting the judging.”
They turned their attention back to the show.
“This fish is perfectly
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