Mangos and Mistletoe

by Adriana Herrera

  “I’m not feeling friendly,” I grumbled, as I moved over to give him room to sit by me.

  “Here,” he said, passing me a cup with something warm in it. “It’s spiked hot chocolate. The driver has a thermos.” He cupped his hand over his mouth. “I’m going to see if I can convince Derek to take advantage of me later.”

  I snorted at his goofy expression and gingerly took a sip of the very boozy sweet drink, then craned my neck to see what the rest of the bus was up to.

  “With the way he was looking at your mouth when you were eating those strawberries this morning, I’m thinking he’d be more than happy to.” I could only spot Derek’s messy blond man bun and resisted the urge to stand so I could see what “Ms. I Need Space and I Hate the Tropics” was up to. “You seriously won the teammate lottery. You got a hot Viking who can bake, and I’ve got a moody Dominican who hates me.”

  That last part was said in a full huff, complete with my arms crossed tightly against my chest.

  “Okay.” Alex stretched the word for a full half minute as he assessed me from under long dark lashes. He came closer, and when he spoke, it was barely above a whisper. “So things aren’t going well. What happened? You guys were getting along so great at the castle. But the energy was definitely off by the time we got to the hotel.”

  “What had had happened was—”

  Alex sucked his teeth and brought his hand up and down a few times, clearly concerned that my volume would give away our gossiping.

  “Sorry.” I cringed as various pairs of eyes landed on us. “Anyway, things were good. We were messing around about how we were going to beat...” I casually pointed my chin in the direction of the Beccas. “And then I said we’d do it with our Caribbean flavors, and she shut down.” Now I was the one speaking barely over a whisper. “She went all stiff and told me I was a lot, and she needed space, and that ‘over-the-top Dominican’ isn’t her style.” I made the air quotes, feeling heated once again about how ridiculous she was being.

  Alex’s face at least gave me some validation, because yes, this shit was really fucking weird. “Maybe she’s really introverted and needs her alone time?”

  Of course I’d thought about that, and the space thing hurt a little, but it wasn’t the issue. I didn’t expect to be besties with her. “If she needed space, she could just let me know that. I’m not a toddler,” I complained, trying really hard not to sound like one. “But the whole thing about me being too Dominican...that’s going to be a problem. I’m not going to downplay my culture for anyone.” Just thinking about Kiskeya’s foolery got me mad all over again. I wouldn’t say it to Alex, because I was already oversharing about our disagreement to a competitor, but what hurt was that I really thought us having the same roots would bring us together.

  He had turned around to presumably look over to where Kiskeya was sitting and gave her a considering look. “Do you think she meant it as a way to maybe not create expectations that you’ll only use tropical flavors?”

  I pulled a face, and he immediately shook his head. “Maybe she wants to stand out by doing something unexpected, like maybe not using Caribbean ingredients.”

  I knew I had to be staring at him like he’d lost his mind.

  “I don’t mean at all. I just mean—”

  After a moment he closed his eyes and shook his head again. “You know what, forget what I said. I don’t get it.”

  I cracked a smile at that and bumped his shoulder. “I like you, Alex. Too bad I’m gonna have to whoop your ass. I’ll let you hold the trophy, though.” We both cracked up at that, and after a minute of admiring the landscape, we went back to our spiked hot chocolate.

  Alex’s sight was trained on Kiskeya again, and he seemed as confused as I was by her. “I mean it’s not like you’re all in your face with the Dominican. Sure, you mention it a lot, but it’s cute.”

  “Alex, don’t make me pinch you,” I threatened, pressing my thumb and index finger.

  He giggled, like I wasn’t serious, and said in a low voice, “Maybe she just wants a Dominican Lite kind of vibe.”

  I was about to say something along the lines of “Tough luck, bitch!” when an idea started forming in my head.

  “Oh no, girl. That eyebrow’s ‘deviousness is afoot’ high. What are you scheming?”

  I smiled at Alex’s wary expression and then looked at my nails. “I like you, boo, but I still want to win, so Imma keep this to myself.”

  “Okay, babe, I’m going to go check on the blond bombshell; gotta keep that team spirit high.”

  “Uh-huh.” I watched him walk back to the front as my idea started hatching. Kiskeya thought I was extra...I was going to bring the Dominican up to a fifteen. By the time I was done doing the most, she’d think a few bakes with some mango and guava were a fucking breeze.

  Chapter 5

  Kiskeya

  “Where did you even get plantain chips? And I guess we’re talking again? I didn’t mean you had to stay away from me, Sully. I just need space, that’s all.”

  I needed to dial it back with the tone because this was the first time since yesterday my teammate had even acknowledged my existence.

  “Yes, we’re talking again,” she said, chomping on a chip. “It’s not like I have a choice. We’re stuck together, and I’m not letting you overrule me on what we’re baking, Kiskeya.”

  Crunch. Crunch. Glare.

  “Seriously, where did you get chips?” I had no idea why I was so fixated with the bag of fried plantains, but I was practically vibrating from needing to know. I didn’t even like plantains—one more way in which I was a defective Dominican—but the smell was making me salivate.

  It had to be the jetlag.

  I waited for her answer as I tried not to stare too hard at the neckline of Sully’s gray sweater dress. It showed just a tiny peek of her cleavage, and the edge of something lacy and burgundy (again) which was making me perspire. A lot.

  “I brought them with me. I got a bunch of them in my suitcase.”

  There was a little black bow right at the base of her bra strap, and I wondered if it would come off if I tugged on it with my teeth. A finger snap by my ear made me jump.

  “What?”

  “For someone that asked for space, you’re certainly getting very up close and personal with my chest area.” She was wearing a nude shade of lipstick today, and when she pursed her mouth...it was hard to focus. “Eyes up here, Kiskeya.”

  Fuck. Okay, that was the look of someone who knew exactly what her boobs could do to a person.

  I swallowed twice and tried very hard not to let my eyes drift below her shoulder. “You brought them from home?”

  “Yes, I did, because I didn’t think I’d find them here and they’re my favorite snack.” That last part was clearly meant to make a point. I hadn’t expected her to handle anything I said yesterday well, but I panicked.

  There was just too much happening all at once. Sully’s entire vibe had me totally off-kilter. In one afternoon, she’d almost made me forget all the rules I’d set for myself. I knew what could happen when people got carried away with a colleague. How messy things could become. I’d seen it a million times. A kitchen is a place where discipline, focus, and respect for the craft made all the difference.

  I’d seen my fair share of affairs gone sour, bad judgment turning into harassment. Egos destroying careers and partnerships. Sully had never worked in a professional kitchen; she didn’t know how toxic it could get. So if it took her thinking I was a stuck-up bitch to get her to keep her distance, then that’s how it would have to be.

  Still, we had to work together. I put a hand up in concession. “Look, Sully. I just like to keep things strictly business. And the whole ‘Dominican pride’ stuff...It’s not my thing.”

  “Not your thing.” She stared at me like I’d grown a horn, while my throat went bone dry. Just as Sully was about to tell me whatever was on her mind, the van came to stop, and the oohs and aahs from the rest of the passe
ngers derailed us from having it out in front of the other competitors.

  “Oh my God. I can’t believe we get to stay here for a week.” The awe in Kaori’s voice made us both turn.

  A gasp from Sully felt like the perfect reaction. We were here, all of us. This bus full of people from all walks of life. We’d all gotten here by what we could do with our hands, our skills in the kitchen. I shuddered out a breath thinking just how far I’d made it from that day three years ago when I’d gotten on a plane in Santo Domingo. All the missteps. All the times I thought I’d have to give up. That I just could not cut it as a chef, or worse, that my parents were right and I’d made the biggest mistake of my life by leaving home.

  Maybe all of it happened so I could end up at this moment.

  “It looks like something from a movie.” I didn’t know who said that, but it did. There was still green on the ground and the blue sky was only pierced by the gray stone of the castle. There was a circular driveway right in front, but beyond that, there was a lot of green with the occasional patch of snow. Sully squeezed my shoulder, and I took that as a truce.

  “Let’s go, everyone. It’s time to get settled in. Practice starts in two hours.” Isla’s announcement got me moving, but when I tried to stand, Sully’s hand stayed on my shoulder.

  “We need to figure something out, Kiskeya. We’re never getting a do-over with this.”

  I nodded and followed her out of the van and into the castle.

  I felt like I was messing everything up with Sully, that with every word, I was making things worse. I asked for space when what I wanted was the opposite of that. I offended her by saying I thought she was too much, when the reality was I couldn’t get enough.

  I was ruining everything, and no matter what my reasons, antagonizing her was not smart.

  “Kiskeya.” I snapped out of the tornado of thoughts roiling around my head and realized I’d walked into the castle and was standing in the foyer already. I inhaled deeply and let out a slow breath.

  “Hey.” Sully’s voice was so much kinder than I deserved. “The concierge is about to take us to our rooms. Are you all right?”

  Not even close. “Sure, thanks.” I did something with my lips and teeth that I hoped looked like a smile, and turned my attention to the guy wearing actual livery who seemed to be working double time on his tablet.

  “Damn, he’s gonna poke a hole in that thing.” Derek was not the only one concerned about the tablet. Even the Beccas were cringing at how hard he was tapping on it.

  Isla bypassed him—probably not wanting to get caught in the crossfire when he put his finger through the glass—and attempted to command our attention again.

  “Okay, teams. You will be shown to your rooms by Leith. Each pair has to share a suite.” There weren’t protests immediately, but she put up calm-the-bear hands anyway. “But we’ve made sure everyone has their own bed—”

  Leith put a hand up and started shaking his head so hard, Isla stopped talking. When he leaned to whisper in her ear, I knew some bullshit was about to ensue.

  “Oh no.” The dread in Sully’s voice echoed exactly what was going through my head.

  “Yeah, my man’s looking real pressed.” Gustavo was shaking his head in anticipation of whatever bomb was about to be dropped.

  “I freaking knew it,” I hissed to no one in particular. “Castles look nice, but they’re old. Watch them tell us we’re sleeping in trundle beds.”

  Isla’s face went from surprise, to annoyance, to resignation in five seconds flat, and I braced for it.

  “Looks like there’s been a slight change of plans.”

  “Shit, she’s showing way too many teeth for this to be anything but terrible news.” When even Sully started getting antsy, I had to say my cell number backwards, just to keep my anxiety at bay.

  Isla cleared her throat as the protests started—I noticed mostly from the Beccas. “The production company had requested two beds for all the suites, but it looks like the only room with two beds is on the ground floor. Kaori and Gustavo have that one.”

  No. No. No.

  “I need my own bed. I’m a very light sleeper.” That was Rebeka-with-a-K who I’d seen sleep through an entire round of charades on the bus this morning.

  I really wanted to protest too, because being in one bed with Sully was almost guaranteed to turn into a disaster. But if I said anything now, after all the stuff I’d already said to her, I knew she’d take it personally and the tiny window I still had to work on her not despising me would close forever. Kaori had also mentioned she could not do stairs, and I wasn’t going to be an asshole about her getting the only room which could accommodate her. So, I kept my mouth shut and worked on minimizing the screaming in my head.

  Isla cut her eyes at Rehbecca with an R-E-H and then turned to the rest of the group. “Folks, I’m very sorry. But it’s too late for anything to be done today. We need to go over the details for day one, so we don’t run behind schedule.” She pointed at some part of the castle beyond where we were all standing. “You have to check-in about wardrobe. If some of you really do need a bed, we can definitely try and bring some by tomorrow.”

  “Fuck.”

  I cringed at how put-off Sully’s tone was. It sounded like she really didn’t want to be in the same room with me, and I didn’t blame her.

  Isla kept trying to text and tap on her tablet as she figured details out, and after a minute, she perked up. “Wait. Looks like the cottage in the property is big enough for all three judges. So we have another room with two beds. How are we deciding who gets it?” She raised a shoulder and looked at Leith who seemed to be completely out of his depth with all these Americans in his castle. “We could draw straws!”

  “Um...we’re good with just one bed.” Sully’s snort at Alex’s very enthusiastic tone made a laugh bubble up from my chest despite the tension in the room.

  Derek was looking a little too smug for those two not to be up to something. That meant the two-bed room left would be decided between us and the Beccas, and they looked bloodthirsty. I caught a glimpse of Sully who was standing, straight-shouldered, clearly trying not to look in my direction.

  It smarted because I’d done that. I’d made her stiff and weary when she’d been nothing but bright and sunny to me. I had to fix this. I needed to show her my weirdness had nothing to do with her. I had to be the one to offer the olive branch. Before I had a chance to talk myself out of it, I opened my mouth, hand up in the air. “Actually, the Beccas can take the room. Sully and I should be okay, right?” I only sounded slightly hysterical when I pivoted my head in my partner’s direction.

  She was not feeling me though, and gave me a very long and unfriendly look. “Suuuuuuure.” She sounded anything but—still Isla jumped on that in a second.

  “Perfect! Thank you so much, Sully and Kiskeya, for being flexible.” She gave the Beccas a withering look, but those two only had one setting, entitled. “This time, Leith will really show you to your rooms. There are packets for each of you with all the information you need for day one.” She smiled knowingly at the way everyone picked up their pace. All of us eager to find out what was in store for us.

  “Once you read through your binders, the teams with ‘first shift’ practice should be here in one hour. The others need to report to wardrobe and makeup. Welcome to the Holiday Baking Challenge Week everyone!”

  We all shuffled up the stairs, and Sully and I were the last ones making our way to the rooms. When the rest of the group was out of earshot, she came to the dead stop at the landing and turned a very cold eyeball in my direction. “All of a sudden you’re not in need of space. Or fed up with my Dominicanness.”

  I was proud of myself for not covering my face with my hands, because I was sure I was turning red, despite my highly melanated complexion. “I never said I was fed up with you.”

  I kind of had, and we both knew it. Oh...she looked really devious when she raised her eyebrow like that. God, her mouth was r
eally close to mine.

  “What if I like sleeping naked?”

  Breathe, Kiskeya.

  “It’s too cold.” I actually gulped, like in old-school cartoons.

  Oh, that husky, throaty laugh. That sound could turn my core liquid. I could just melt away. “Sully,” I gasped, not even sure what the hell was happening.

  “Kiskeya.” My name on her lips, Kee-keh-iah. It was like being home, like sinking into the water at my favorite beach. Lukewarm and crystal clear. Where everything made sense. It had been over three years since I’d felt that kind of comfort, nothing had even come close. I let out a shaky breath, barely daring to move a muscle, frozen under her stare.

  Her hair was brushing the side of my face now. I closed my eyes and gripped the banister as I waited, for what I wasn’t sure. It was hard to think with Sully’s coconut and lemon smell seemingly everywhere. I leaned in and her lips brushed the curve of my ear. My nipples tightened, just from that light contact. Fuck, I was in so much trouble.

  “I always run hot, Kiskeya. You should’ve realized that by now.”

  I swayed a bit and watched her walk up the hall—my heart slamming against my chest like a rubber ball—hoping like hell I hadn’t just played myself right out of this contest.

  Chapter 6

  Sully

  “That is a very big bed.” I grinned at the groan coming from somewhere behind me as I made my way to the gigantic four-poster bed. I’d realized that Kiskeya Burgos was kind of precious. I’d never seen so much red on brown skin. Baby girl could blush. And I kind of liked pushing her buttons.

  I made a show of bouncing on the mattress, then lay back on it, arms stretched out. “This will do.”

  “Sully, be serious. We need to read our packets.” I could hear she was flustered even if she was trying very hard to sound annoyed. But seeing her pressed was kind of fun, so I patted the spot on the bed next to me. “Bring them here.”