Page 24 of All For You

But why didIwant to win the prize?Think, man.

“It sounded fun,” I answered.

Unconvincing even to my ears, and sure enough, her face showed skepticism.

“This is fun for you?” she asked, tipping her head. “Really? I’m curious what else you think is fun. What’s your first thought when you get to a party? Grab a drink, get some nibbles, look for your friends?”

“Leave,” I said without thinking.

“Yes, that’s what I thought,” she said, nodding.

Trystan glanced over from showing Wills and Jane the contents of the fridge and intermittently doing a little refereeing between Emma and Knightley. The camera was hovering overthem, but at the first sign of a disagreement between Lizzy and me, they’d be rolling over here. I couldn’t risk that.

“I think we should do something simple with the eggs and veggies that Trystan already has,” she said. “A sort of farm-style omelet. It’s brunch.”

The Arsenal-clad cameraman glanced over again. Feeling his scrutiny, I shook my head. I needed to nip her idea in the bud. “An omelet. A tired cliché. It’s not going to win.”

Her face was set, her shoulders hunched high, visibly bristling. No nipping in the bud. In fact, the cameraman was zooming in on us. Why did I always manage to piss her off?

“Omelets are a cliché because people like them,” she said. “They’re a crowd-pleaser. Emma has never cooked in her life, and Jane will opt for something simple.”

I smiled at her pleasantly to try to fool the cameraman. What was his name? Had I become such an arsehole I neglected to ask people’s names?

“Not good enough. Our dish must have the wow factor. We have to stun the judges.” I forced a fake smile.

She startled and frowned at me. “Okay. Clearly, you fancy yourself as Gordon Ramsay, but I’m calling in an expert opinion.”

She turned and waved Trystan over from the fridge, where he was still showing the contents to Jane and Wills. The cameraman followed Trystan. Even after Trystan moved over to us, Jane’s and Wills’s heads stayed close together. Shit.

“What do you think about this recipe?” Lizzy said to Trystan and nodded at my phone.

The camera moved closer. I leaned toward Lizzy as though I was being terribly collaborative. She jumped away. I touched my phone and held it out for Trystan to read.

“There’s a roux involved, pastry, and layering.” He creased his forehead, and I flicked at the screen to show him the photo.“I mean, it’s impressive-looking.” Trystan’s tone was genuinely curious but also incredulous as he switched his focus from my screen to my face. “And you’ve cooked this?”

“It’s an old family recipe,” I repeated, without answering the real question.

“I have the chicken, bone-in.” He shifted from foot to foot. “But not the flaky pastry, only farm mushrooms, not truffles, and none of the rest of it.”

Lizzy’s face fell at his words.

“That’s why we need to hit the store quickly,” I urged, checking my phone for the nearest one. “Meryton Market.” And get away from this camera up our noses.

Time to focus the charisma, man. I smiled at Lizzy, the full-wattage grin I didn’t remember to pull out too often. Looking alarmed rather than devastated by my sudden expression, she drew back a bit. Hmm. Maybe too many teeth after my usual scowling. I scaled back the expression and grabbed my keys from my pocket.

“C’mon, Lizzy,” I said. “What do you say? Let’s try it, eh?”

She narrowed her twinkling eyes. “Is this you trying to be charming?”

“I’m never charming.”

That drew a bit of a smile from her. “For a minute there, I thought you were going towinkat me.”

“Good God, woman. Never. You are totally safe from any winking originating from my direction. If you ever see me winking, you know something has gone horribly wrong. We are either in a hostage situation or playing some idiotic game like charades—basically the same thing.”

Her smile went wider, and she tilted her head back to meet my gaze. She had the most beautifully elegant neck. I had a flash of me kissing my way down that lovely neck of hers. What? No. I must not have gotten enough sleep.Get it together, man.

“Certainly comforting to know,” she said.