Some Like It Spicy

by Robbie Terman

  Suddenly, a body blocked her way. She looked up—and into the face of Morgan.

  Ashton waited for rage to fill her, waited for the urge to strangle the woman standing in front of her, as she’d wanted to do for days.

  Nothing happened. She didn’t feel a thing.

  To her surprise, Morgan’s face held an expression similar to Ashton’s father.

  She waited for Morgan to say something, and when she didn’t, Ashton started, asking the question she needed the answer to. “Why? Why did you get Clint to film us and leak it to the press?”

  Pink bloomed on Morgan’s cheeks. “I’m a good chef,” Morgan defended. “I deserved to be in the competition, and I deserved to stay. If you win, how will you ever know it’s because of your skills rather than the fact that you slept with the head judge?”

  Ashton didn’t hesitate. “Because I’m a good chef, too. A damn good chef, and I earned my place here.”

  Morgan looked down at her shoes. “Yeah, well. You’ll be happy to know I got fired from my job. The executive chef thinks I’m incompetent. And Clint…”

  Ashton looked down and saw drops of water hit the top of Morgan’s black pumps.

  “Clint dumped me. He said it was my fault he got fired, that I was just using him.” She sniffled. “My life is ruined. That should make you happy.”

  “It doesn’t,” Ashton told her honestly.

  Sally sidled up to them, clipboard in hand. “Morgan, take your seat in the audience with the other eliminated chefs. We’re starting now.”

  As Morgan began to walk away, Ashton grabbed her by the arm. “If you love Clint, you should tell him. If he feels the same, he’ll take you back. But you’ve got to make the grand gesture.”

  Surprise etched Morgan’s face as she nodded. She opened her mouth and astounded both of them when she blurted, “Good luck.”

  Ashton joined Jolene on the couch, across from three seats, presumably where Ty, Andrea, and Claude would sit.

  Her heart paced frantically as she waited for Ty. A few days ago, she’d never wanted to lay eyes on him again. Now, she craved him in her sights like she craved black truffle garnishing everything she ate.

  Jolene leaned over and squeezed her hand. “Ready?”

  Ashton squeezed back. “Actually, yeah, I am.” Everything was going to be all right. She knew it from the very pit of her stomach.

  Sally and her assistants quieted down the audience seconds before they went live. The lights dimmed, strobe lights circling the room, and a voice, like the Wizard of Oz, erupted in the room.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the season finale of The Next Celebrity Chef. Please welcome the expert panel of judges: Claude Mueller, Andrea Cummings, and the host, Ty Cates.”

  Claude, Andrea, and Ty ambled onto the set, waving as the audience cheered. They each took a seat on the chairs across from her and Jolene.

  Ashton lifted her eyes slowly toward Ty, almost afraid to see if he stared back. He did, his hazel eyes almost eating her alive. Her heart leaped. She had so much she wanted to say to him, but this was neither the time nor the place. Instead, she gave him a smile that she hoped conveyed at least some of her feelings.

  The applause quieted down as the lights came on full force.

  “Thank you for joining us,” Ty said to both the camera and audience. “I’d like to introduce our two finalists this season, Jolene Johnston and Ashton Grey.”

  Cheers erupted again as she and Jolene waved.

  “To start with, I’d like to ask both of you what this experience has been like.”

  Jolene answered first. “This has been one of the best experiences of my life. I’ve had so much fun and met so many wonderful people. Whether I win or lose, I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity.”

  Her sweet words sent heartfelt oohs and applause throughout the audience.

  “And you, Chef Grey?” Ty asked, a dimple appearing in his cheek.

  The audience tittered.

  Ashton put a hand to her cheeks, expecting her skin to heat with embarrassment. But embarrassment never came. “I feel the same way as Jolene. This has been a great experience. I’ve made friendships that will last a lifetime.” She glanced at Jolene and her fellow cast mates.

  “To catch up on the show, we’ve put together some of the season’s best moments,” Ty said.

  Ashton cocked her head to watch the screen. The montage featured scenes from the season, including interviews and eliminations. Shockingly, almost none of the footage featured her and Ty.

  A commercial break followed the montage, and then the eliminated chefs got the chance to talk about their elimination. Smartly, they unanimously gave the same answer as Jolene and Ashton—that they’d had a great experience with no regrets. Even Morgan looked contrite.

  Then, the show broke for another commercial, after which the winner would be announced.

  “I’m getting nervous,” Jolene admitted in a whisper.

  “Me, too,” Ashton said. “But if I have to lose, then I’m glad it’s to you.”

  Jolene grinned at her. “Same goes.”

  The show returned. Ashton’s eyes landed on Ty as she waited for the big announcement.

  “Before the winner is announced, we have one last set of clips to show you,” Ty said. “Many of you have seen the stories put out by gossip rags about Chef Grey and myself.”

  What is he doing? Ashton stopped herself from shouting the question. Her jaw clenched as she stared hard at him.

  He continued to smile. “So, I thought it was only fitting that you see the real story.”

  Ashton looked up at the screen. The clip started with their fight over the capers and then continued with her vomit-fest on his shoes and their food fight. It showed so many other glances and touches that they’d thought wouldn’t be captured by the camera, but had. Glances and touches that nearly smoked the screen. God, had they really been so naive that they’d thought no one would notice?

  The audience laughed and hollered at different places, and when the lights came back up, they cheered. And then Ashton realized why.

  As she’d been watching the screen, Ty had come over and knelt next to her.

  With a box in his hands.

  Her whole body shook as the audience continued to cheer. She looked down at a square-cut diamond on a platinum band, surrounded by diamond baguettes.

  “Ashton,” he started.

  She lifted her gaze to meet his.

  “I’ve never met another woman like you. You’re headstrong and stubborn and one of the best damn cooks I’ve ever met. I think I fell in love with you the first time we met. Or at the latest, when you threw up on my shoes.”

  She laughed as tears welled in her eyes. She didn’t try to stop them from falling down her cheeks.

  “The last few days, I’ve realized a lot of things about my life. Most importantly, I don’t want to live it without you. Ashton, will you marry me?”

  The audience cheered so loudly, she nearly missed his proposal. Her heart thumped like a jackrabbit. Love swelled within her, bursting to scream free.

  The winner hadn’t been announced, and she had no way of knowing if Ty planned to fix the competition. But as she stared down at him, as she stared at her love reflected back in his eyes, she knew she had to trust him.

  “Yes.”

  He slipped the ring on her finger, and she threw her arms around him.

  The noise in the small studio was deafening, but Ashton barely heard it. “I love you,” she said in his ear.

  “I love you more,” he said back, and then kissed her.

  She could have gone on kissing him forever, but Andrea interrupted them. “Congratulations, chefs,” she said, although her voice didn’t hold much excitement. “But we do still have the winner to announce.”

  Reluctantly, Ashton untangled her arms from Ty’s neck.

  Ty winked at her as he stood. “Because of my engagement to Chef Grey, I don’t feel it is appropriate for me to read th
e winner. To do the honors, I’d like to invite famed chef Emeril Lagasse to the stage.”

  The audience went wild. Emeril waved to the crowd as he stepped on stage. He stopped beside Ty and shook his hand. “Congratulations. And to you, Chef Grey.”

  “Th-thank you,” Ashton stuttered, still caught in a world of disbelief.

  Emeril held up an envelope. “The winner’s name is right in here. And just to let you all know, the accounting firm of Moore and Erikson handed me this. No one, other than the accountant who tabulated the votes, has seen the results.”

  He ripped open the envelope. “The winner, and your next celebrity chef is…”

  Ashton’s lids closed as she held her breath.

  “Jolene Johnston!”

  Jolene jumped from the couch, screaming.

  Ashton stood, hugging her. The competitive part of her was disappointed, but the part that wanted nothing more than to go home with Ty and live their lives overrode it.

  “Congratulations,” she said to Jolene.

  “Thanks.” Tears of happiness shone in Jolene’s eyes. Her family jumped to the stage and she rushed into their arms.

  Ashton felt Ty’s arms fold around her and pull her close. “Upset you didn’t win?” he asked, his lips soft and warm against her ear.

  She turned in her arms and shook her head. “What are you talking about? I did win.”

  And then she kissed her fiancé.

  Epilogue

  “Order up! Come on, people. We’ve got a full house tonight, let’s get a move on.” Ashton stared at the other cooks head on.

  “Yes, Chef,” came a unison reply.

  Nana would have been so proud. Two months had passed since the finale and the restaurant was busier than ever.

  Despite the increasingly hectic schedule it caused, Ashton and Ty had managed to sneak away to Vegas three weeks ago and elope. The ceremony, at the House of Burning Love, with an Elvis impersonator presiding and “Wayne Newton” as a witness, had been perfect. Chloe and Jenna, although disappointed to have missed it, understood why she and Ty wanted to do things their way. But they’d made her promise she’d let them throw her and Ty a reception in the next few weeks.

  Ashton sent a tray full of food out the door and grabbed the next ticket, only to look up again when the door swung back and Jenna walked through. She had a plate in one hand that was full of food.

  “The customer says her ahi tuna isn’t cooked,” Jenna told her.

  “Did you explain that ahi tuna is seared?” Ashton asked. “Or perhaps show her the description under the menu that says ‘served rare’?” She started untying her apron. “I’ll explain it to her.”

  Jenna threw her head back. “Ashton, just cook it.”

  Ashton crossed her arms and stared at her friend, while Jenna returned the glare.

  A hearty laugh interrupted their standoff.

  “Some things never change,” Ty said, taking the plate from Jenna’s hand. “Pierre, take care of this.”

  Ashton turned on her heel, ready to read him the riot act. But whenever she looked at her husband, all she could do was grin, which sort of ruined the effect. “Today’s my turn to rule the kitchen.”

  “Oh, right.” Ty raised an eyebrow. “Like that stops you on my days?”

  She couldn’t argue with that. After the finale of the show, Ty had left his New York apartment, passing the keys to a realtor, and moved to Chicago with her. She, Chloe, and Jenna had unanimously voted to let Ty invest in the restaurant. To keep the peace in the kitchen, they’d agreed to split responsibilities by day.

  They still had a few kinks to work out, but she’d never been happier.

  “What are you still doing here, anyway?” Ashton stepped into his outstretched arms. “I thought you had your bowling league tonight?”

  “My driver’s bringing around the car,” Ty said, his lips muffled against the side of her neck. “Besides, I needed a little sugar before I left.” His lips met hers.

  Their public displays of affection had been a joke among the staff for a few weeks, but now they took it in stride, not even glancing up from their dishes to hoot.

  Ashton could hear the printer spitting tickets, but she couldn’t make her lips separate from Ty’s.

  “Hey, Ash.” Jenna popped her head back through the kitchen door. “Your parents are here.”

  “Again? They were here last week.”

  Jenna grinned. “Your dad likes the lobster mac.”

  “Go,” she said to Ty, kissing him once more before pushing him away. “I need to get back to work.”

  “I’ll see you tonight,” he said. He turned to the group standing in the corner. “’Bye, Sally, guys.”

  The film crew of Ty and Ashton: Cooking from the Heart waved good-bye.

  “I love you,” Ashton called to him as he reached the door.

  “I love you, too.” A twinkle lit his eyes. “By the way, your risotto needs a little salt.”

  “Ty!”

  About the Author

  Robbie Terman began her journey as a writer in third grade, when she completed her first (twenty-four-page) “novel.” Many years later, she is published in contemporary romance. Her heroines are feisty, her heroes Hot (yup, that’s with a capital H!). And, when you read her books, if you tear up a little and laugh a lot, that’s just the reaction she was hoping for.

  Robbie lives in Michigan and spends her time wishing she lived somewhere warmer. When she’s not writing, Robbie can often be found at Nordstrom, shopping for shoes and handbags. She’s also a wannabe foodie, who’s always looking for a new restaurant to try or a recipe she’ll inevitably screw up. She invites you to visit her at www.robbieterman.com.

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