I cast a quick look at the other contestants. The guy herding us around had placed all six of us in series winner order, which meant I was between Kristen, season three winner, who was dressed top to toe in green, and Ivan, the winner of season five, who chose to wear black pants and a Santa sweater. At least his outfit was coordinated. I glanced down at the carrot poking out of my snowman pullover which listed pathetically unless I pushed out my pecs. Sixth was Clare and since she’d just come off from winning the latest season, I’d never spoken to her at a reunion. Her final bake had been the most amazing English country garden created out of chocolate and cake. She’d beaten, by a small margin, Eddie-Lou from Florida with his reimagining of a Disneyland-type garden of the future in choux pastry and spun sugar. Today, Clare’s fairy outfit was in direct contrast to her slightly dour expression. In fact, she’d done nothing but frown and moan about everything, slightly over the diva line with added attitude. She caught my glance and sent me a glare, which instantly made me look away. I peeked back after a little while but now she was glaring at Shauna Summers, who was the season two winner. It seemed that she was just as pissed at life as she had been in series six.
They began gathering video. Courtney as our ‘hostess with the mostest’ announced that she hoped all the viewers had a wonderful Christmas, and that we were in the beautiful Christmassy town of Banff enjoying a beautiful snowy Christmas.
Since the series was being filmed in October, the real reason we were in Banff was because we needed somewhere to film snowy scenes, and L.A. wasn’t going to cut it, but she didn’t say that.
Don’t spoil the dream.
“This five episode charity show featuring the six winners of the show to date will be on your screens once a week leading up to the big day. The final episode where we crown our best of the best will be shown on Christmas Eve.”
She sent the camera a warm smile, added a small pout, and they yelled cut. Something about how she’d spoken made it sound as if she was filming ahead. I didn’t like to point out that we were filming ahead and that is wasn’t live, so to kill the time as they reset, I glanced left to see winners of seasons one and two. Shauna looked as uncomfortable in her Christmas sweater as I did, and clearly wasn’t feeling the elf she was supposed to be. She was another one that never made it to reunions, so I didn’t know her socially, but I thought she might even be trying not to cry. Her eyes were bright, and her lip was caught between her teeth. I wanted to hug her close, but that wouldn’t be playing the game for television. We were rivals, and we needed to stay focused.
At least that is what the director said in the little speech he’d given us as he lined us up in order, in between mumbling under his breath that Justin was too tall, and that he should maybe slouch. Justin confronted him and said he wasn’t slouching unless everyone else went up on tiptoes, which stopped the conversation dead. That’s what you get when you’re a celebrity social influencer like Justin with a million plus followers—you can call all the shots. Although I couldn’t help thinking that Justin wearing antlers diminished his celebrity-ship even if he looked so cutely sexy and what I wouldn’t give to hold him by the antlers and press a kiss to his full lips. Justin was Rudolph, complete with a huge red nose in the center of his chest and wooly ears. Whoever had chosen that sweater for him had worked magic, his blond hair, his smile, his beautiful eyes, his…
I really need to stop checking out Justin after I’d spoken to my damn sister about freaking condoms.
But let’s be honest, in turn he shouldn’t look so damn Justin-y.
I really needed to sign those damn papers and get my life back on track.
Courtney began talking again and then moved swiftly onto talking about the format. The lights were hot. My sweater was itchy, and I wanted to take it off and roll in the snow just to cool down.
“There will be three challenges on each round. The first is cupcakes, and there are themes that our bakers will be told the night before the show. The next challenge is the secret skill blind bake, which is set by our judges without warning or notice.” Courtney pouted at the camera and pointed at her chest. “I can’t be bribed unless it’s in chocolate,” she said, and we all knew to laugh at that point. None of this was new to us.
“Lastly, we have the showcase.” She added another flourish, this time to show off the diamonds on her wrist. She was made of bling. “The finale each week will use various skills set for that week, and each baker will have the chance to wow us with their skills. We want pizazz and skill and stunning showpieces that make us want to die for a taste.”
Dramatic much? I’d settle for making a bake that actually worked.
She paused a moment and then smiled. “And now, let me introduce you to my friends and co-judges for this exciting competition.” She did some more handwaving, sparkles emanating from her hand, and darted around the room as she moved, then she indicated to the opposite stairs to where a tall silver-haired man was sauntering down with utter poise. “World-renowned, Michelin starred pastry chef and owner of over fifty restaurants in select boutique hotels, Lewis Curren.” She paused as he reached the bottom stair and held out a hand to a slim woman with ebony hair who’d followed him down in a dress that barely stayed up. In fact, how it defied gravity I have no idea. “And Venetia Marlborough, owner of the M Delicious bakery chain and daughter of renowned nineties TV chef Austin Marlborough.”
The two judges air-kissed, and I watched for some affection between them, or even respect, but it was all acting. I recall from my season that those two were in their own worlds and acted out being friends for the camera. Lewis had no time for Venetia who wasn’t even a baking expert, and Venetia had no time for Lewis, who knew way too much and made her look stupid.
If this was a romance novel, they’d be kissing now and rocking the whole opposites attract vibe.
It didn’t look as if anything had changed in the last year, but you wouldn’t know it on camera. It was the subtle things I noticed, the distance between them, and the way they kept carefully apart. Lewis and Venetia really didn’t like each other, and by the way they were standing it seemed as if neither was that impressed with perky Courtney and her flowing dress. The camera was panning toward us, and at that very moment, all I wanted to do was yawn. I hadn’t slept last night, too keyed up to properly get my head down, and my phone kept beeping through the night with good luck messages from family and friends on both coasts, and an aunt in Australia, and arriving here this morning was like the first day at camp.
Which reminded me of the first time I ever baked, way back when I was only six, and we’d made cookies shaped like stop lights, complete with strawberry, apple, and lemon jelly for the colors. I’d gotten in trouble for eating the cookie dough, but it was worth it because from that day I’d been hooked on baking, and it had finally given me a career I loved.
“CUT!”
I snapped out of my thoughts and realized everyone was looking at me. What had I missed? I glanced left and right, a smile here, exasperation there. Justin winked at me. Holy shit he winked.
“Sorry,” I said because clearly I’d missed something big.
“Okay, attention please,” the director, a short round guy named Derek, sighed in exasperation. “Let’s go again, starting from Justin, season one. Let’s begin again, name, fondest memory of the show, hometown, and short introduction, and the charity you are hoping to win for. In five, four, three… ” He held up fingers for two and one, and then it was cameras rolling.