AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I couldn’t believe that it was almost time for my dancing dates. I was still a little in awe of the fact that I had even agreed to do this. I stood on the side of the studio, sipping from my water bottle, when Holly joined me. “Off-camera, how are you holding up?”
I chuckled. “I like how you said off-camera.”
“Yeah, I know, on-camera, we want you to be all excited and positive, but this is your friend asking you how you are doing, not the producer.”
“I’m nervous!” I blurted out. “Like crazy nervous, but excited too, and my entire body hurts.” I held my pinkie up. “Except my pinkie, it doesn’t hurt—yet!”
We laughed. “Yeah, my body would be too if I was doing the things that Cal has you doing. I have to tell you that I love the part where you get on the park wall, and you are all sassy and in their face. You do that so well, and it’s like the real you is finally getting a chance to come out and play.”
“It’s funny that you say that. That is one of my favorite parts too. It just feels so fun and playful, but it’s also where I suddenly get nervous again because I have to trust them to pick me up over their head and not drop me.”
“Yes, that is very true, but you can trust these men. I promise they are just as worried about dropping you as you are concerned that they will.”
“Do you honestly think that I’ll make a connection, Holly? I mean, do you think it’s possible?”
“Well, the last four contestants that we had all did.”
“Did they? You’re not just saying that? They sincerely found a connection?”
“I’m not just saying that.” She made anXover her heart and then glanced at her watch. “You ready to get back to it? We are going to do a bit of question and answer before we run you through it one last time today.”
“Let’s get going.” My cellphone began to ring and I glanced at it to see Ricardo was calling me. He never called me unless it was imperative. “Wait, Holly, I need to take this, can you give me two minutes?”
“Sure.” She stepped away to speak with Tarin and Cal.
“You caught me during a break, but I only have two minutes. What’s up, Ricardo?”
“Someone got sick,” he stated, and I frowned.
“Okay, so move Tobias into the position, that’s why we have a swing chef, and Wallace can help him.”
“No, Ali, a customer got sick.”
“What?”
“The health department is here right now. They said that a customer got sick on our food.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, they said they need to speak to you immediately. Ali, it’s E. coli.”
I glanced at the crew and then Tarin, Holly, Cal, and Victor, who stood waiting for me.
“Ali, did you hear me? The health department needs to speak to you immediately!”
“Yes! Yes, I heard you. Give me a couple of minutes, and I’ll be on my way. How was it possibly E. coli? We clean above standards!”
“I don’t know, just get here, Ali.”
“I’m on my way,” I said and then rushed to Holly. “I have to leave.”
“What? You can’t leave; we aren’t finished taping for the day.”
“Holly, the Department of Health is in my kitchen right now, and they are doing a surprise inspection because they received a report that someone got sick in our restaurant. I have to go. I have no choice! I can try to meet you all earlier tomorrow if that works.”
I was already backing away as they stared after me, and then Holly nodded. “Go! Yes, that’s important. I’ll reach out to you later.”
“Thanks, Holly, and I’m so sorry!” I grabbed my stuff and was running down the stairs and out to the street. I didn’t even hesitate to catch a cab, and the whole time, a million questions ran through my mind. What had he eaten? Who had prepared it? How had it gotten contaminated? In all my years of cooking, I had never had something like this happen to me. I’d seen it happen to other chefs and watched what they went through. Some had been fined, some fired, a few kitchens closed and businesses destroyed, all because of a single complaint.
