“Gregory?”
“I believe in you,” I whispered.
Then I kissed her.
Soft, sweet, and delicate, Kinsley melted beneath my lips as I kissed her right there in front of the gathering crowd. She was wonderful and sweet, and she tasted just the slightest bit like sugar. Apparently, my sweet baker had sneaked a few treats before the competition.
“Gregory,” she whispered when I pulled away. “That was…”
I pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her.
“You can do this,” I told her. “I’ll be in the front row watching and cheering for you. You can do this.”
“I can do it,” she repeated.
She turned and walked onto stage where the baking area had already been prepared. The judges announced Kinsley, and then Tony from Lollipop was announced, as well. Tony sprang up on the other end of the stage. He and Kinsley approached one another, shook hands, and then started baking.
They only had a few minutes to whip up the batter and then start baking the cupcakes. Everything was timed precisely by the judges, and points would be given for speed, accuracy, flavor, taste, and presentation. Both Kinsley and Tony would be judged on the quality of the actual cupcake, as well as on the frosting and design. I knew that Kinsley was planning to do with her snowman design, which would be wonderful.
I also knew that Tony was not exactly pleased with how comfortable Kinsley looked at she worked.
The crowd was silent, watching as they both moved around the stage. Kinsley worked quickly and precisely. It was obvious to anyone watching that she wasn’t only skilled, but experienced. Tony, however, was sloppy. His movements were confused and choppy. He didn’t seem to know where different ingredients were, and I wondered if he even knew the recipe for the cupcakes he was making. Kinsley, on the other hand, had everything memorized.
Once everything was in the ovens, the judges announced how long everything had to bake, and the bakers were given a short break. Kinsley came rushing down to me and wrapped her arms around me.
“Thank you for being here,” she said. “It means so much to me.”
“How are you doing?” I asked, pushing back a strand of her hair that had fallen out of her loose bun.
“Nervous, but good,” she said.
“You’re doing great.”
“I didn’t know he was going to be cooking on the same stage as me,” she admitted. “I knew he’d probably be here, but I didn’t think we’d be direct competitors.”
“It’s okay,” I assured Kinsley. “Everything’s going to be just fine.”
“Thanks,” she nodded.
Somehow, it seemed as though that gave her the strength, and maybe the courage, to go on. When it was time to get back on stage, she walked proudly, obviously happy with herself, and she continued the process of creating her snowman cupcakes.
I could tell that Tony was growing more and more frustrated. He cursed under his breath a few times. It was loud enough that I could hear, but the judges didn’t seem to notice.
“He’s a piece of work,” the woman seating next to me muttered.
“You can say that again.”
“He’s always been that way,” she confided, lowering her voice. “Ever since he was a little boy.”
“You know Tony?” I asked. The woman was older than me with greying hair and a nice, comforting smile. She nodded.
“I was his teacher many years ago,” she said. “Unfortunately, it seems as though some people never change.”
“Five minutes,” one of the judges called out.
Tony and Kinsley moved quickly to finish frosting their cupcakes. They were both hurrying, scooting around their halves of the stage. I was impressed with Kinsley for staying so focused. She didn’t seem to mind the fact that Tony was there anymore. In fact, I didn’t get the impression that she was giving him any mind at all.
“One minute.”