Soufflés at Sunrise (27 page)

“I want to open a French patisserie downtown at home. There isn’t anything sophisticated like that, and I’d love to be able to bring something new to the area.”

“Lovely goal,” Diego said. His face was pinched. “Well, Polly, again we’d like to congratulate you with your win.”

From the look Tommy was shooting the three of them, Chase guessed not everyone extended those congratulations.

“Chase. Kai. I’d like to speak to you,” Tommy said. He gestured toward his office. He waited until they were in the office before he slammed the door and stared at them. “What the hell happened out there today?”

Chase wasn’t the best actor. He knew it. But he cocked his head to the side and managed to look disappointed. “I’m awful at soufflés. Always have been. When I learned that’s what we were making today, I knew I could kiss any hope of winning good-bye. I just tried to make them interesting. It didn’t work.”

Tommy grunted. “Kai?”

“I don’t know what happened to me. I guess I got a little cocky and wanted to show what I could do that was outside of the box.” He made a face. Chase was convinced even though he knew damn well Kai was lying. “By the time I realized my ego was going turn the whole thing into a mess, there wasn’t enough time left to start over and turn it around. I choked.”

“That’s all?”

“What are you talking about?” Kai asked. He frowned. “Is there more?”

“No.” Tommy looked like he wanted to say something else. But he didn’t. He just silently gestured for Chase and Kai to get out of his office.

“W
AIT
,
YOU
mean you guys threw it?”

Chase nodded. Kai had been convinced they shouldn’t tell her, but it would be obvious when two people who rarely had things go disastrously wrong did. At once.

“It wasn’t fair. We were trying to make it fair.”

“By cheating?” Polly’s ponytail bounced angrily, her eyes flashed, and her hands curled into fists on her hips. “I didn’t really win, then.”

“Yes, you did.” Kai said. “Polly, you were the best of us. Out of us three, you were never in the bottom two that I remember, you never flubbed a recipe, on purpose or by accident, and you never even lost time in a mini challenge, did you?”

Polly shook her head.

“You just weren’t highlighted, you should’ve won more than once, and you winning the competition is the right thing. I promise.”

“Then why were you going to win?”

Kai shrugged. “It was rigged somehow. I don’t know why they picked me. It seems pretty arbitrary.”

Kai knew it had to do with his glamorous smile and his pretty skin. He’d make an amazing face for the series, someone to splash on their posters and show off at media events. Polly was cute but plain, sweet but normal. It wasn’t a big surprise to learn that they were going to go for the one who looked like a superstar. Probably didn’t do any good to tell Polly that, though. Kai had made the right decision.

“So what now?”

Kai made a face. “You collect your prize, and Chase and I wait to see if they can pin any of this on us and we get in trouble with the producers.”

“You think they know you threw it?”

“Did you know something was wrong?” Kai asked.

Polly snorted. “Kai, your soufflé fell. Nothing you do ever gets ruined.” So she was a good actress. She just hadn’t realized how much they’d screwed things over on purpose.

He grinned. “It was an accident.”

“And Chase. What were those colors?”

Chase chuckled. “Oops?” He shrugged dramatically. “It was an honest mistake. I was rushing.”

Kai smiled. “We gave our excuses to Tommy. They were at least mostly believable. I really don’t think they can do anything about it, and it wasn’t like they could actually admit the thing was rigged. I think we’re at a standoff, and I’m pretty sure Tommy knows that too. We’ll be fine.”

Polly shook her head. “I know I should say thank you to you guys. You’ve just changed my life, you know.”

“Yeah, but you’re a little mad, aren’t you?”

Polly nodded. “It would’ve been nice to know that I won fair and square. But hell, I guess it felt the same for you.”

“Yeah, to get told that they’ve just decided that’s how it’s going to be, it felt wrong. Chase and I decided they didn’t get to decide.” Kai laughed at his wording.

“They’re probably still going to be hella pissed at you two,” Polly said. “Nobody likes getting their plans messed with.”

“Did you see Tommy’s face when we presented our soufflés?” Chase asked. “I don’t think there’s a degree of pissed to match that color of red.”

Polly and Kai both snickered.

“Luckily they didn’t make us refilm it.”

Chase shuddered. Other than the final award show, they were done. He really didn’t want to go back into that kitchen ever again. The afternoon they’d just had cured him of that for a really long time. Like, forever.

“You guys want dinner?” Polly asked. “You practically handed me thousands of dollars. The least I should do is buy you a pizza or something.”

“I could eat,” Kai said.

“I’m starving,” Chase replied. “It takes a lot of energy to suck that bad.”

“Oh Lord,” Polly laughed. “Requests?”

“Pesto sauce and pineapples?” Kai said.

Chase made a face. “I’m good with extra cheese. And pepperoni.”

“Coming right up,” Polly said. “I’ll go order and grab a shower. It should be here by the time I’m done, okay?”

Chase and Kai nodded. Polly ambled into one of the bathrooms in the huge, empty condo.

“I can’t believe we really pulled it off,” Chase said, stepping up close to Kai and wrapping his arms around Kai’s broad shoulders.

He couldn’t believe the whole thing was pretty much over, that he’d have to go back to his life. He didn’t know how to state the obvious, that he wanted to keep in touch with Kai and somehow make it work between them. Somehow. Sure, it wasn’t more than a four-hour flight, but in the real world, with jobs and budgets, they might as well live in different countries.

“I can’t believe we pulled it off either. I guess now we just have to wait and see if they think they have enough leverage to slap us on the hand for what we did.”

Chase rolled his eyes. “Let them try.”

K
AI
WAS
nervous. It was an emotion he’d gotten used to lately. Somehow every time he saw Chase’s name on his phone, his face over Skype, anything, the butterflies would start. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. Kai liked it a lot, actually. But it was surprising to him that it hadn’t gone away yet. He was in his car, idling in front of the airport. Chase’s flight had landed about a half an hour before, so he was due out any second. It was their longest visit yet. They’d gotten longer and longer progressively since they’d said good-bye at the end of the show.

Things had quieted down for him. The episodes hadn’t aired yet, so nobody ever recognized him on the street, so it was back to normal. Working a little, missing Chase. It almost felt like those weeks on
Burned
had never happened. Except for one very big change.

Kai saw Chase’s blond head bounding out of the doors of the baggage claim area. As soon as he saw Kai’s car, he waved.

“Hi!” he called out. He was dragging a duffel bag and a suitcase and he looked exactly like he always did, golden skinned and beautiful.

“Hey, babe.” Kai got out of his car and helped Chase load his suitcase into the back hatch. Chase gave Kai a huge hug and a long kiss before someone behind them was an asshole and honked.

“Better get in the car, huh.”

“Yeah.” Kai hopped into the driver’s side and waited for Chase to get in before he pushed on the gas. He was excited to show his new place off to Chase in person, rather than through a Skype tour and a million e-mailed pictures.

“I can’t believe I’m here,” Chase said.

It had only been about three weeks since his last visit. They were getting to the pathetic stage, but Kai couldn’t help it. They’d used his new apartment as an excuse. Chase reached over and wound their fingers together.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Kai said. More glad than he really wanted to say out loud. Chase knew. He had to. It was getting harder for both of them to be alone.

“Me too. Ruby’s doing really well with the ice cream shop.”

“Yeah?”

Chase’s sister had been taking over the reins more and more lately, especially with his habit of going to LA. Three times in three months. Kai didn’t want to ask…. Well, he did, but he was afraid of the answer. He hoped maybe Ruby might take over the shop permanently someday. And Chase’s loft. Kai wanted Chase near him, and he thought Chase might want to be in California too. He’d ask soon. Maybe in a few days.

“Hey, where are we going for dinner, babe?” Chase finally asked. They’d been holding hands quietly, something the old part of Kai still couldn’t believe he did, and voluntarily. Happily.

“I wasn’t sure. You interested in sushi? Mexican?” It had taken him a little talking to get Chase to try sushi, but once he’d succumbed, he’d become an addict. He’d wanted to go both nights on his last weekend trip out. He was there for five days this time. Maybe they’d have time for something else.

“How ’bout Mexican? I haven’t had decent nachos in weeks.”

“That’s not Mexican.” Kai tried to stuff his foodie self back down.

Chase snorted. “Okay, top chef. I apologize. We can get ‘real’ Mexican.”

Kai elbowed him and grinned. It felt so damn good to have Chase back within his arms’ reach.

“You want to shower or grab dinner first?”

“Dinner, I think,” Chase said. “If we get in the shower, I’m not going to want to let you out of bed until the morning.”

Kai shivered and clenched Chase’s hand a little tighter. “Dinner it is.”

He took Chase to one of his favorite little Mexican spots, a hole in the wall owned by a family he’d gotten close to since he moved to the mainland. They made the most amazing enchilada sauce, gorgeous beans, and these fish tacos he dreamed of sometimes at night. He wanted to order everything on the menu. Chase wasn’t much better. Between the two of them, they managed a huge table full of dishes to share.

“We’re awful for each other.”

Kai laughed. “Don’t you think any chefs would be like this together?”

“Probably.”

Chase linked his fingers through Kai’s across the table for a minute before he went back to his nachos. Nachos. Jesus. Chase had smirked when they were, in fact, on the menu. Kai wanted to shake his head, but it was so cute. At least he’d gotten the fish tacos and a spinach enchilada too. Branching out.

“Hey, what are we doing tomorrow?” Chase asked.

Kai typically led him around while he was visiting, which was fine because Chase, well, he led Kai around too, in his own way. It was a nice balance.

“I thought we’d walk to get breakfast, maybe check out the beach.”

“I like that,” Chase said, grinning. He reached across and stole a chunk of roasted peppers from Kai’s fajita burrito. “This is awesome,” he said. “Good idea for coming here. We can come back again before I go back to Wisconsin.”

He didn’t say home. Kai noticed it right away. Chase probably noticed it too because his smile grew a little bit. Kai still thought of Hawaii as home, but he thought maybe California could be as well if he had Chase with him. Anywhere could be. And that was both terrifying and, well, not scary at all.

“Hey, you full?” Kai finally asked. Chase had demolished a ton of his food, and there were lots they could use as leftovers in the morning or for lunch. It was time to go, maybe walk a little, and then… yeah. That. Kai had been looking forward to it since the second Chase got on the airplane last time. It was what he needed. It was what they both needed.

“Yeah, I’m ready to go home.”

K
AI
TOOK
a detour home, letting Chase see the beach again before steering them back to the new apartment Kai had picked out after the show had finished. This place was bigger, had two bedrooms (even though the second was tiny, it was space for his sister to come stay if she wanted to) and a huge kitchen. The neighborhood was nice too, only a few blocks from the beach, meaning Kai could start surfing again. That felt good.
Right
. Like he was getting back to being himself again.

He hadn’t gone back to Donovan’s, even though there had been an offer from the restaurant once the show was done filming. Instead he’d taken a job in a patisserie that supplied for a major catering company in Hollywood. It was a brand-new challenge for him, creating detailed, delicious desserts that would be served to some of the most famous people in the world. There was a little shop outlet too, one of those places known to people in the know, and strangely Kai found himself preferring to work in the back of the shop rather than in the big industrial kitchen. The shop was more intimate, and the kitchens reminded him of
Burned.

That night they made love, long and slow, reconnecting on a level that no one but the two of them could truly understand. Kai recognized what he had now in a way that he didn’t appreciate before. Chase was more than his lover or his boyfriend, he was a partner, in every sense of the word.

The next morning they were woken by soft sunlight and dressed for the chilly dawn and an early walk on the beach, holding hands as they made their way down.

“The diner’s this way, isn’t it?” Chase asked, tugging on Kai’s hand.

“Yes,” Kai chuckled. “It’s that way. You’re learning your way around my neighborhood, finally. You want breakfast, I take it?”

Chase made a face at him, loped across the street, and ground to a halt. Kai stopped too when he saw what Chase was staring at. It was a tiny empty building on the corner, probably a good seventy years old, pink with banana-yellow trim, but it was
perfect.
Not too big, not too small, room to install freezers, room for a patisserie. Even if it was a little crappy and run-down at the moment, all Kai wanted to do was open the door and wander in.