Abby

I feel frozen to my spot as the judges make their way toward Daniel’s station.

The grin stretched across his face almost makes me feel sick, and it’s all I can

do not to run off the stage right now.

“Wow,” Vanessa says as she takes the first bite of Daniel’s dish, which looks

leaps and bounds ahead of mine just by presentation alone. “Really, Daniel;

wow. Despite everything, you created a phenomenal dish.”

“Thank you so much,” Daniel says, his eyes flickering toward me. “You know,

with my sous chef’s wrist in so much pain, it was difficult. But we made it.”

Enter title…

Next, the judges begin making their way toward me, and I feel like I’m going to

be sick. They stop in front of my station, and I can feel the cold weight of

Logan’s gaze on me already.

“Hello, Abby,” Vanessa says, her gaze sweet as ever despite the circumstances.

“Your performance in the second round was lacking, but you’re here now. How

do you feel?”

I swallow. “I feel…” I pause, my throat cracked and dry. “I feel… Hopeful,” I

mutter. Vanessa nods in response along with the third judge, but Logan—his

face is as inscrutable as ever.

their taste test, times feels as though

the chef with

now, if only to have his

more vast and cold than

says, her voice low. “This…

expected from you.”

begins to set in. “I…

together, to—” I start to explain, but

one of understanding. “I see

coming together on the

to the second judge, Xavier, a chef of few words. His

it there

he adds simply, his

my dish, to say

know the chaos that unfolded. They saw

yet they seem to

it’s Logan’s voice, clear and authoritative, that

have here is a fundamental problem,” he

meeting mine.

station, my knuckles whitening. “Please, enlighten

the quiver in my

raises an eyebrow. “Well, to put it plainly…”

effect. “You didn’t follow the instructions, Abby. This

asked for.”

hitches, and I find myself gasping for

composure shattering. “This is farro mafaldine

exactly

wrong,” Logan says with a disappointed shake of

mafaldine

already digging through the dish

he stabs a piece of

this way and

look like a black

suddenly seems as though all of the

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255