by Kayla Perrin
*
The next morning, when an assistant from Battle of the Chefs showed up with a driver to take Tasia to the studio, she wasn’t nearly as excited as she should be. This was an opportunity she had looked forward to for years. Now, it was within her grasp, but without her mother here to share it with her—or Malcolm—it didn’t quite mean the same.
“Are you nervous?” the assistant, Enid, asked once they were seated in the town car. She was a young, plump red-head with glasses and a sunny disposition. She sat in the front beside the driver, and Tasia sat in the back. She’d been gazing out the window until Enid’s question.
“Yeah,” Tasia said. “I wish I wasn’t, but I am.”
Though it was more than just nerves that she was feeling. It was a profound sense of sadness. Malcolm still hadn’t called her back. It was clear he wasn’t going to.
The driver navigated the busy New York streets, and Tasia tried to lose herself in the excitement of the city. Half an hour later, they pulled up in front of a tall, glass building. “You’re going to do great,” Enid said to her as they made their way to the building’s door. “I just feel it. No need to worry at all.”
“Thank you,” Tasia said, knowing that she must look seriously glum for the woman to give her such a pep talk.
She clutched her mother’s recipe book under her arm as she followed the assistant into the building. Holding the book made her feel more connected to her mom, like she was right there with her.
The building’s interior was modern and beautiful, with polished marble floors. Large framed pictures of the network’s reality show stars and various awards, graced the sleek black walls of the TV studio’s main floor. The dark interior was offset by bright lights, as well as a few large palm trees, that added flair to the minimalist décor.
It was not at all what Tasia had expected of a TV station. But as she followed Enid down a maze of hallways, they got to a section that looked as though they’d stepped into a different world. Several TV stages sat side-by-side in a huge open area with cameras and various crew milling about. Tasia recognized the set of a popular political talk show with its signature armchairs separated by a small table.
They walked across that set, went through a heavy door at the far end of the stage, and emerged onto a completely different set. Tasia’s eyes widened at the infamous cooking stations that she’d seen so many times on TV.
“I’m sure this looks familiar,” Enid said with a grin.
“It’s so weird seeing it in person,” Tasia said. “It seems smaller than it does on TV.”
“That’s what everyone says.”
Enid led the way to the other end of the set where she pushed open another heavy black door. As they passed a small kitchen, Enid told Tasia it was the break room. “You can get coffee, tea, water in here. Sandwiches in the fridge and cookies in the cupboard. If there’s something you want that you don’t see, just ask me.”
“Okay,” Tasia replied.
Just past the kitchen was a hallway, and two doors down, Enid stopped. “This is your room.”
And indeed it was. Her name was written on a whiteboard on the door in black marker. Tasia smiled.
As Enid reached for the door handle, Tasia stopped her. “Wait,” Tasia said. “Let me take a picture. Mark this occasion.”
“Sure.”
“Actually, would you mind taking my picture in front of my name?”
“Absolutely,” Enid said.
Tasia opened the camera app on her cell phone and passed the phone to Enid. “Just press right there,” Tasia told her, then positioned herself in front of the door, careful not to obstruct her name.
“All right,” Enid said, holding the phone high. “Smile.”
Tasia smiled as Enid snapped a few photos. This was something she’d dreamed of for years, and even if Malcolm wasn’t there, her mother was in spirit.
“There are also snacks and water in your room,” Enid said. “Anything you need, just press 1 on the phone and it’ll get you to me or someone else who can help you.”
“Thanks,” Tasia said.
The assistant gave her a warm smile. “You’re going to have a great day. I know it.”
Tasia wondered why Enid reiterated that sentiment. Was it because she looked nervous? Or was it just her way of making every contestant feel comfortable?
Tasia thanked Enid again, turned and stepped into the room.
And the moment she did, she reeled back. Shocked. As though she’d just touched a live wire.
His back to her, he turned slowly, dramatically. His eyes met hers.
She gaped at him, her brain not believing her eyes.
“Hello, Tasia.” A gorgeous smile was on his face.
“Malcolm?” His name was a question on her lips. “I don’t understand. What are you doing here?”
“I wasn’t going to miss this,” he said simply, as though weeks hadn’t gone by. As though he was supposed to be here.
“But … ” Tasia couldn’t form a coherent thought. He really was here. She wasn’t imagining him.
“I had to be here to support you.”
Shock and confusion fought for control of her emotions, but one prevailed above all others. Joy. A laugh bubbled up in her throat as Tasia ran toward him and threw her arms around him.
“I thought you weren’t coming. I thought … I thought you never wanted to see me again.”
Malcolm stroked her face, giving her such a tender smile that tears sprang to her eyes. “Of course I wanted to see you again. I just wanted to surprise you.”
“You mean make me sweat a little?” Tasia asked, knowing that if that was his intention, she deserved it.
“No, I wanted to give you time to think. To be sure about your feelings.”
“But wait … you said someone was interested in buying my mother’s house.”
“I did have someone ask me about it as an investment property. I sent you that text, then wished I hadn’t. I’ve been stalling the guy. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to make him wait a couple of weeks for an answer.
“I’m not selling,” Tasia told him. “That house was such a big part of my mother’s life, of mine. I can’t get rid of it.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Malcolm delicately traced her cheek with one finger. She loved it when he did that.
“Your mother told me a lot more about you than you realize. She said you’d likely push me away even if we did connect. That you wouldn’t believe what we had could be real.”
“She said that?” Tasia asked, stunned. How could her mom have known?
“Yes.” Malcolm nodded. “And when it happened exactly as she’d said it would, I had to wonder if your mother was psychic. I mean, seriously.”
“I’m as blown away as you are. I guess she knew me better than I ever thought.”
“When things started to fall apart between us, I had to trust that your mother was right, and give you time to think about everything without me interfering.” He tapped her on the tip of her nose with his finger. “So yeah, maybe I let you sweat a little, but I wanted you to be sure. I didn’t want you to have a knee-jerk reaction to missing me and reach out, ya know? If I showed up in New York and you were happy to see me … then I’d know.” He paused. “You are happy to see me, right?”
She playfully swatted his arm. “Happy? That doesn’t even begin to describe it. I thought I’d pushed you away forever.”
“Never.” Malcolm dipped his head and gave Tasia a sweet kiss on the lips.
Tingles of delight rippled through her.
“It’s just that everything with you has been so easy. Effortless,” Tasia said as they pulled apart. “It didn’t make sense to me. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Honestly, I still don’t understand it.”
“I think I began falling for you when your mother started to tell me about you. She showed me pictures, told me about your life. She kept saying we’d be a perfect match. She seemed certain. And then I m
et you. And I knew that she was right.”
Tasia looked up into Malcolm’s eyes with wonder. “You always say just the right thing.”
“Your mother may have brought us together, but something sparked for me the first time I met you.”
Tasia had felt that spark too. But she’d downplayed its significance since they’d met.
“Maybe when she met you, she knew that you were what I needed. And she did everything to help us be together … ” Tasia’s eyes widened. “The assistant knew you were going to be here, didn’t she?”
“I couldn’t show up here without the network’s help. They helped me set up the surprise.”
Tasia smiled again. Then her face grew serious. “I don’t know how I got so lucky,” she said softly.
“I’m the lucky one,” Malcolm said. “If you love me, too, that is …”
If you love me, too … Her eyes flew to his. “Are you saying you love me?”
“Of course. Isn’t it obvious?”
“Oh, Malcolm. I love you, too. I think I knew it fairly early on, but the way everything happened so fast … It scared the crap out of me. I didn’t want to believe it could be true. Because nothing in my life has ever been so perfect.”
“Believe it, baby.”
“And my mother knew.” Tasia grasped his hand. “Even from beyond she helped keep us together. I found a letter from her, Malcolm, at just the right time. And suddenly, everything was so clear to me. Right that minute, I was done running.”
Malcolm’s eyebrows rose as a curious expression came over his face. “I always did like your mother.”
“Her letter answered so many of my questions. She told me about Jarvis. She didn’t explain everything but she helped me to understand. I think it’s what I needed to hear from her. And she told me not to be afraid of love. Not to be afraid to love you.”
Malcolm’s arms tightened around her. “She was right.”
“I’m just so glad that I have you here, and I have my mother too. I feel her.” She laid her hand over her heart. “Here.”
He reached for her hand and planted a kiss on her palm.
“Malcolm, I know this competition is mine. Nothing can stand in my way.”
“Was that ever in doubt?”
Tasia grinned at him and shook her head. “You keep saying the right things.”
“And I plan to do that for a lifetime.”
A lifetime …
“Hold on,” Tasia told him.
She walked to the door, which had been open all this time, and closed it. She wanted to kiss Malcolm without fear of prying eyes.
But before she went back to him, she took her mom’s recipe book out of her bag and held it to her chest. “Thank you, Mom,” she whispered.
Tasia turned back to Malcolm, saw the love shining from his eyes, and knew she could do anything. No more running away. No more fears. With her mom’s love in her heart and Malcolm by her side, Tasia knew she couldn’t fail.
Not a chance.
Epilogue
Tasia dipped a spoon into the bubbling tomato and caper sauce cooking in a pan on the burner in the restaurant’s kitchen. She blew on it before tasting her creation. A smile broke out on her lips. “Oh, yeah,” she said. “Nailed it.”
She reached for the pot of linguine on the back burner, and in a fluid motion, pivoted on her foot and strained out the water into the sink. Then she turned back to the stove, her body moving as if to the rhythm of a song only she could hear.
She poured the pasta into the pot and began to toss the linguine to coat it evenly with the tomato sauce. She wanted it to be perfect. She looked across the kitchen at Wyatt, her sous chef, who was drizzling olive oil onto a baguette. “Wyatt, can you grab the eggplant parm from the oven?”
“Heard,” he said. “Lisa, is that beef cannelloni with gorgonzola ready?
“Plating it now,” Lisa replied.
“Thirty seconds to the pass,” Tasia called out.
She grabbed another dinner plate and laid the linguine onto it. Then she scooped up the mussels from a steaming pot. She placed the six of them onto the pasta—two extra. But that was okay. This was an extra special dish for an extra special person.
A curl of fresh Parmigiano and the dish was ready. “Walking table ten,” Tasia announced. She placed her dish on the counter alongside the two others that had been prepared for the table. Giuseppe, the restaurant manager, promptly placed the plates onto a large tray. Once he was out of the kitchen to deliver them, Tasia blew out an audible breath, nerves tingling at the back of her neck.
Wyatt sidled up beside her. “Worried they won’t like it?”
“No. I’m just letting off some nervous energy.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“Well, maybe I am a little anxious,” she admitted. “I want them to love it.”
“They will,” Wyatt assured her. “All the dishes you make are fabulous.” He leaned close and whispered, “Don’t say I said so, but Guiseppe keeps raving about your food. He’s thrilled you agreed to be the head chef here.”
Tasia beamed. “I’m glad I’m here, too.” She’d loved Bella Ristorante when she’d been there on her date with Malcolm. At that time she never could have imagined that she’d end up becoming part of its staff. But after winning Battle of the Chefs, several restaurants had sought her out, including Bella. The decision had been a no-brainer.
For one thing, it was in Miami. So was Malcolm.
It had taken four weeks for Tasia to settle her affairs in Atlanta. Her house had sold quickly, which was a godsend. Her former employer offered her a promotion with a huge bump in pay—anything to keep her from leaving. But no amount of money was going to keep her from Miami and the man she was crazy about.
The only downside was leaving Raven. But they would still carve out time to see each other. And they’d continue to talk and video chat regularly.
“Though you know,” Wyatt continued, “coming in on your day off isn’t going to score you any more brownie points.”
Laughing, Tasia undid her chef’s jacket. Beneath it she was wearing a form-fitting black dress with a low scoop neck and pearls that had belonged to her mother. “I had to make sure those meals were perfect.”
“You want me to make you something?” Wyatt asked. “I’ll bring it out to the table for you.”
“No,” Tasia said. She started for the door to the dining room. “I can’t eat anything right now.”
A smile graced her face as she made her way to her guests. Malcolm’s gaze met hers, and his eyes lit up. She sank her teeth into her bottom lip and took in a sharp breath. Every time he looked at her like that she believed she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
Malcolm stood to greet her. He slipped his arm around her, drew her close, and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Wow. You look amazing.”
“Thanks, babe.” She smoothed a hand over his chest, then faced Raven and her brother, who were also seated at the table. As promised, her brother had come down to spend some time with her. There’d been tears as they remembered their mother over the last couple of days, but mostly, laughter as they reconnected and reminisced over old times. The best part was that he promised to bring her nephew the next time he came to visit.
Raven’s eyes rolled upward. “This is phenomenal. Best eggplant parmigiana I’ve ever had.”
“Really?” Tasia asked.
“Girl, you know I never lie about food.”
Chuckling, Tasia sat down. She faced her brother. “How’s the cannelloni?”
“Amazing,” he answered. “The beef, the rich flavors … You’ve outdone yourself.”
“Good. I’m so glad you love it.” Tasia looked at Malcolm. “And yours, babe?”
“Let’s just put it this way,” he began, “if I didn’t already love you, this would have won you my heart. Hands down.”
A warm sensation bubbled inside her chest. She was thrilled that they loved her food. But mostly, she was thrilled that th
ey were here. “This is a happy day,” she said. “I get to spend it with all of my favorite people. I only wish …” She stopped. A wave of emotion hit her. Malcolm rubbed a hand on her back.
“It’s okay,” he told her.
Tasia nodded as she met his gaze. “I know. My mom’s here with me.” Andrew stretched his hand across the table and Tasia accepted it. “Our mom. I just wish she could be here physically with us right now, taste the food I’ve made.”
“I wish that, too,” Andrew said. “But I have no doubt she’s with you every time you’re in the kitchen, the same way you were always with her in the kitchen as a kid. Only now she can finally take a break, stand back and smile, admire how far you’ve come.”
“Oh, Andrew. That’s such a sweet thing to say.” What a comforting thought, that her mother had handed the reins over to her and was now getting to rest after working so hard all her life.
“It’s the truth,” Andrew said. “I know she’s sitting on a recliner with her feet up and looking down, proud as ever of you.”
Tasia squeezed her brother’s hand. Tears filled her eyes.
“Don’t you start or you’re going to make me cry,” Raven said.
“No tears,” Malcolm said. “Today’s a great day. You’ve come a long way, sweetie. We’re all proud of you.”
“Yes,” Andrew concurred. “I’m proud of you, sis.”
“You know I’ve been bragging about you all over Atlanta,” Raven said. “Signing autographs and everything.”
Tasia threw her head back and laughed. “I don’t doubt it.”
“How about a toast,” Malcolm suggested. He lifted his glass of red wine. “To family. To friends. And to love that never dies.”
A lump of emotion lodged in Tasia’s throat at Malcom’s meaningful words. Warmth filled her chest as she looked around the table. Indeed, all her dreams had come true. Winning the show had fast-tracked her career goal of becoming a head chef. And she’d found Malcolm, the love of her life.
Thanks to her mother. Her angel.
Tasia raised her glass and glanced heavenward.
Love you, Mom, she mouthed.
Then she faced the people she loved most in the world and said, “I’ll drink to that.”