100. Michael

MICHAEL

W e move away from Drake’s station and over to Colby’s.

“Remind us what you made.” Alice takes the lead.

The comedian nods to the spherical cake before him. “This is a lemon and lime marble cake that I’ve covered in orange buttercream and glitter sugar candies to replicate the ball drop in Times Square.”

It’s gaudy, and I’m not convinced the candies are edible, but it certainly fits the theme. He even has a stick jutting out of the top, replicating the pole the ball slides down.

“It’s fantastic.” Alice clasps her hands in front of her, getting closer to the cake.

“Thank you.” Colby beams. “But before you cut it…” He reaches under the counter and comes out with a lighter.

He ignites the flame, and that’s when I realize what the stick in the middle of the cake is.

It’s a fucking sparkler.

“I don’t think—” Before I can finish, he’s touched the flame to the sparkler.

Alice lets out a laugh of enjoyment when the sparks start flying. But then one of the sparks shoots straight down to the questionable candies covering the cake.

And the whole thing lights up into a miniature fireball.

I grip Alice’s elbow and yank her away from the danger, but a candy flies off and lands on the loose sleeve of her bright white top.

The ember blooms as the fabric catches fire.

My heart seizes inside my ribs even as I move to react.

Lunging into her, I engulf her forearm with my hands, hugging it to my body, smothering the fire.

The sparkler is still going, sizzling down to the final inch, but the cake isn’t in danger of catching fire again since the entire thing is scorched black.

Colby is standing several feet back from his bench, hands up in front of him in a protective manner.

I look beyond Colby to see Zelle with her hands against her cheeks and Amber fighting off a laugh.

Drake steps up beside us.

“You guys okay?” the movie star asks. “I’ve been burned a few times on set, so I know some tricks if either of you are hurt.”

I loosen my grip on Alice’s arm, slowly pulling away to reveal the hole burned into her sleeve.

“Are you hurt?” I struggle to get the words out, fear at seeing my woman lit up in flames still choking me.

“No.” Alice reaches across to pluck at her sleeve. “Are you? Did my shirt burn you?”

I want to believe her, but…

I grip her sleeve on either side of the small burn hole and tear the fabric.

It gives way easily, the thin material splitting from her wrist to her shoulder.

“Michael!”

“I need to see.” I say the only thing I can.

But when I run my eyes and hands over her arm, I don’t find a single mark.

“Michael,” she says again.

I drag my hands over her forearm again.

“Mr. Kesso,” she sternly hisses.

And my eyes snap up to hers.

Her mouth pulls into a sneaky smile. “Show me your palms.”

Calmer, I release her arm and hold my hands out, palms up.

She drags her fingertips over the sensitive skin but doesn’t find any burn marks on me either.

The flaming candy must’ve fallen away as I pulled her against me.

“I’m sorry.” Colby finally speaks up. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Drake snorts a no shit before he turns and walks back to his station.

The sparkler finally putters out, and we all stare at the cake.

“We could, um, taste the inside,” Alice says beside me.

A tendril of smoke comes up from the center of the cake.

“Or maybe not,” she adds.

Colby grimaces. “So… what are the odds I could still win?”

Too pissed about him endangering Alice to joke, I turn away from Colby without another word and guide Alice to Zelle’s station.

The girls spend a moment checking in on each other, and I let my heartbeat return to normal.

When they’re certain they’re both okay, I cut into the stunning fruit tart Zelle has made.

The shortcrust is perfect, the thin layer of peaches on top of the vanilla custard is delicious, and the glazed raspberries and pomegranate seeds are laid into the shape of an exploding firework across the surface.

It’s perfectly crafted.

Everything Zelle has made has been delicious. And as long as Amber doesn’t create something absolutely outstanding, I can select Zelle as the winner with a clear conscience.