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“Just like you are intimidating too,” she said. Her eyes were roaming over his body. Lots of lean muscles to go with his height. Though he often had a smile on his face, she’d seen the more serious side and looks too. Along with the tender ones. In her mind, the tender was intimidating to her peace of mind. “I had to answer a lot of questions. Like personal ones. My favorite foods or dislikes. Stories about when I decided this was the field for me.”
“Did you tell them your dislikes?” he asked. “I’d be afraid they were doing that so they could set you up with it during the competition.”
“That was my thought too. I wasn’t going to be completely honest. I told them seafood.”
“You live on the coast,” he said, laughing. “I know you get fresh lobster and crabs daily as long as it’s in season.”
“That’s right,” she said. “I cook it well, but it’s not my favorite to do. I don’t hate it or anything, but I had to give them something.”
“And they didn’t question you? I’d think that would be a flag.”
She turned her head and winked at him. “They did question me. I gave a story about hating how it sounds as if the lobster screams when you put them in the water. Itisthe truth.”
The first time she’d heard it, it’d freaked her out. The lobster wasn’t in pain. It didn’t have a voice. It was most likely the sound of the water through the shells, but it still made her think of screaming.
She knew it was part of her job. She had to butcher all sorts of animals, but dropping live ones into boiling water just tugged at her inside.
As much as she hated showing any weakness in the kitchen—because bosses and employees were like hawks circling to find and feed off of it—that was one thing she couldn’t control.
She knew if they had to cook them for the competition she was going to screech like she always did. It’d probably make for good TV on top of it.
“Trust me, I’m sure they’ll do it. I’ll just prepare myself for it. If that is the worst thing then I’ll be fine.”
Though she hated all the personal questions about who inspired her to want to be a chef. Childhood memories she had to guard too. It was hard because she didn’t want her memories to be about her growing up in The Retreat, but they kept asking her questions geared toward it. She’d finally looked at Hailey and Hunter and gotten their nod to answer rather than avoid.
The worst thing to her was the fact when this was done, everyone would know she was a member of the Bond family. Not embarrassed over that. But that The Retreat won’t come to her because of that stupid clause and she wondered if that would cause issues for the family. In this day and age it was sexist and they could be judged.
Hailey told her it wouldn’t be an issue. That some will find it wonderful that Hailey had already found loopholes in it and if they had the reality show, that would be brought up. The changing of the tides if Hunter had a daughter or granddaughter.
In her mind, she felt some of the questions were them trying to get information not for the current competition but maybe one in the future.
Which was good for the family and the business.
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
“Not right now. I’m sure I will be. I’m not working myself up too much before we get there. That is a waste of time and energy. I was asked some questions about you,” she said angling her head. She was mortified her voice had gotten a little like a teenage girl with a crush.
He lifted his eyebrows at her. “We figured that would happen. Why the look?”
“What look?”
“The one that says you didn’t want to answer them or didn’t know if it might be the right thing to say at the same time blushing?”
“They asked me about your time in the service. I was honest and said I didn’t have much to offer. We’d been dating a few months and you’ve lived here for years. After you left the service.”
“What did they say?” he asked.
“They pressed on some more about what you did in the Air Force. I said you were a fighter pilot. Or did search and rescue? I don’t know much more.”
“That’s the right answer,” he said, nodding his head and going back to his beer. He never talked to her about it no matter how many times it came up.
“Why don’t you talk about it more?” she asked like she’d done more than once.
He closed one eye at her. “Do you want to talk about this now?”
“We are relaxing. Tomorrow is going to be another day of filming, then I’m working and we won’t have much time together until we leave on Sunday. I should know more, don’t you think? What if it comes up?”
She knew she was only using that as an excuse.
