Abby

As Karl speaks, my fingers worry the hem of my white chef’s coat, now no

longer pristine but splattered with sauce and tiny stains and the remains of

haphazardly cooked meals. It feels like a perfect representation of my inner

world right now: once untarnished and lily-white, but now stained and weathered

from the trials I’ve been through today.

We’re still standing in the supply closet, and the air feels thick. Karl is standing

over me still, his hand pressed into the door next to my head, sandwiching me

there with his body.

Enter title…

My wolf stirs ever so slightly, but now is not the time; I just found out that Karl

tried to talk to the judges for me, and I’m not sure how to feel about it.

“Abby…” he begins, his voice trailing off for a moment as his eyes search mine.

Finally, he pushes away from the door and crosses the small room, running his

hand through his hair for what feels like the millionth time in the past few

minutes.

“Just tell me, Karl,” I murmur, blinking away the tears that are threatening to

spill.

He pauses, then draws in a deep breath, and turns to face me again. “Abby,

yes, I did talk to Logan; but I never tried to bribe anybody. I hope you can

believe me in that regard.”

the whirlwind that this competition has become,

reason to lie to me right

as he promised all

why talk to him? What

breath, and I can tell

you’re an incredible chef, Abby. The best here, without a

deserve the way

word hangs

jaw tightens, and he looks away for a

again, it’s as though there’s a newfound

something that he wants to tell me but

out.

Abby.

are putting in your heart and soul into

competition. That’s it.”

heart races, and I don’t know what to say.

itself around my stomach:

Logan, but also dread because I

Karl

this

the sous chef?” I ask, my voice barely more

whisper. “What happened, really?”

face. “He was tampering

The truffles. I caught him in the act,

I swear, Abby, I never laid a

the truth; Karl, despite all of

anyone in this sort of

especially not

didn’t believe you?” I

think I’m

Anyway, it doesn’t matter. They’re

I won’t be

unblinking, staring at my feet. Outside,

“Contestants,

the stage in two minutes.

hand reaches out and seems to hover

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