Hannah glanced at one of the neighboring kitchen sets. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but I think you’re wrong. Rodney Paloma doesn’t look nervous.”
“Take a second look. He’s hanging on to that mixing bowl like a drowning man holding on to a raft.” Michelle waited until Hannah had glanced at Rodney again. “Do you see what I mean?”
“Yes, I do. He’s hanging on so hard, his knuckles are white. I think he’s trying to pretend it’s no big deal, but he’s certainly not at ease.”
“Rodney’s got a good reason to be nervous. I read the Food Channel bio on him and it said that Dessert Enthusiast magazine listed him as one of the top twenty-five dessert chefs in the country. Rodney has to do well in the competition. His reputation’s on the line.”
Hannah wanted to ask what the Food Channel had written about her, but perhaps she was better off not knowing. She could always find out once this competition was over. “Is Gloria Berkeley nervous? I can’t see her from here.”
“Neither can I, but she’s already passed behind us three times on her way to the ladies’ room. Either she ate something that didn’t agree with her, or she’s nervous, too.”
Hannah drew a deep steadying breath. “Maybe it’s not very nice of me, but I feel a lot better knowing that I’m not the only one with a case of the jitters.”
“Contestants? Places, please!” The producer’s assistant stood near the apron of the stage with a clipboard in his hand. “If there’s anybody who hasn’t been miked, give me a shout. We’ll do a sound check in a minute or two.”
“It’s almost show time,” Michelle said, smiling at Hannah. “You look great in that apron.”
“Thanks!” Hannah glanced down at her apron. It was sunshine yellow with an embroidered rendition of The Cookie Jar sign on the bib. Michelle was wearing one too, and there were two extras folded neatly on the shelf under the counter of their kitchen set, just in case they spilled something. Hannah had ordered a dozen in all, and she planned to give them to her mother, Andrea, Lisa, Aunt Nancy, Marge, and Jack for Christmas.
The other contestants were wearing chef’s jackets with the name of their restaurant on the front. Hannah preferred aprons because they were what she always wore when she baked. Her feet were clad in tennis shoes and she was wearing a black blouse and black slacks. Michelle was similarly dressed, and although they didn’t have the outfits that real restaurant chefs wore, Hannah thought they looked professional enough to satisfy the audience.
The other contestants weren’t wearing tennis shoes, but they did have lace-up shoes with non-skid soles. That made sense in a restaurant kitchen, where spills on the floor could cause accidents. There was only one exception to sensible shoes, and that exception was Gloria Berkeley. She was wearing dress shoes with heels so high, Hannah wondered how she could possibly work in them.
Gloria was a fashion plate from head to toe. She was dressed like a fashion model who was playing the part of a chef. Her bright red chef’s jacket complemented her blond hair and it was expertly tailored, leaving no doubt that her figure was perfect. Her matching skirt was short, and it twirled around her hips as she moved. When they’d first come in and Hannah had seen Gloria, she’d commented in an aside to Michelle, that she hoped Gloria wouldn’t drop anything during the competition. Because, if she did, and if she bent over to pick it up, their show might receive an X-rating. Of course Hannah had been joking, but she did think that Gloria’s outfit was entirely inappropriate for a baking competition.
“All right, contestants and assistants,” the producer’s assistant spoke again. “We’re almost ready to begin. As we introduce you and you hear your names, do some bit of business with the ingredients on your workstation. Don’t actually start to prepare up your entry, but rearrange an ingredient or pick up a spoon or a mixing bowl. Then look up at the camera and give us a smile.”
“You pick up the package of chips and I’ll move the bowl,” Michelle coached Hannah. “We can put them back down where they were right after the camera moves on.”
As Hannah watched, the judges filed out of the greenroom. She recognized Alain Duquesne and Christian Parker from the taped show that Andrea had shown her, and she also recognized Jeremy Zales as the chef who had made the shrimp dish that had tantalized Moishe. La Vonna Brach looked exactly like the photo that accompanied her Food Channel biography, and since there were only five judges, the stylishly dressed fifth judge had to be the exotic ingredient importer, Helene Stone.
“Aunt Nancy was right about Alain Duquesne being a ladies’ man,” Michelle whispered to Hannah. “He’s staring at Gloria’s skirt.”
“So are Christian Parker and Jeremy Zales,” Hannah pointed out.
“But they’re not leering like Judge Duquesne is. Maybe we should have worn short skirts.”