Baked Alaska. Of all the final challenges they could have set, they choose a Baked Alaska.
Lily wipes the sweat off her brow and tosses the hand towel over her shoulder as she observes her creation. Two hours wasn't nearly enough time but she'd made it work.
"So, Lily, what have you made for us today?" Ludo booms in his over-the-top announcer voice.
That's one thing I won't be missing once this competition's over. Ludo and his obnoxious commentary, pretending to know far more about confection than he does.
"Well, I know you'll be shocked by this, but I've gone with a Baked Alaska." Her sarcasm earns a laugh from the judges, and she can imagine the cringe-worthy reactions from Marlene and Remus who are watching at home.
Lily's quite impressed with how they've managed to not only set up a live stream for each of the finalist's friends and family at home but somehow they've also got a live feed at home they can cut to on large screens off to the side to give the three contestants a boost as they work their way through the challenges.
"Oh, aren't you clever?" Ludo wags a finger at Lily while shaking his head in amusement. She's sure it's all a 'bit' for the camera.
"Yes, yes," Albus interrupts them. "Now, what flavors have you chosen for your Baked Alaska?"
The camera man zooms in on the dessert before bringing the lens up to settle on Lily's face. She's hit with a sudden bout of stage fright as she stares directly into the camera, knowing James is most likely in the green room watching her. The thought causes her heart rate to soar to new levels, and for a moment she becomes distracted, picturing his entrance later and how their eyes will meet and how he'll stop in his tracks, the longing clear on his face and—
"Miss Evans?"
"Hmm? Oh, sorry! I've chosen to go with a strawberry cake base, and then the ice cream is a vanilla bean with chocolate swirls and chopped fresh strawberries throughout. The meringue is standard, though I've opted for a bit more whimsy to the design than what I've done in the past."
Lily brushes off the embarrassment as she delves into her explanation. She observes the meringue, hoping it's up to the judge's standards. Instead of the traditional piping techniques, she's gone for intricate swirls and soft, delicate peaks that browned up nicely with her finishing touches.
"Including more in the ice cream is rather risky, isn't it," Arabella comments as Albus cuts into the fragile dessert.
"Ah, but the layers are perfect, aren't they? Everything is set properly and the ice cream has yet to melt."
"Well, we better taste it before it does then, shall we?" Arabella tuts.
The older woman lifts the plate with her slice on it, bringing it up to eye level to carefully inspect each layer before poking and prodding the ice cream with her spoon. Lily tries to keep her face neutral when the judge goes to great lengths to sniff her creation. She does her best to think of anything else to evade her laughter, and unfortunately her brain lands on the moment when James talks of all five senses in the treehouse.
Not now, not now. Focus on something else. Anything else.
Her face flushes, cheeks no doubt lighting up at the thought, and she hopes the sudden hot flash isn't enough to speed up the melting process of her ice cream. A crew member comes over to cut a fourth and final slice, whisking it away to the green room along with the others.
"This is simply delightful," Albus says as he smacks his lips together. "Fresh flavors that remind you of spring with just the right amount of sweetness. The texture on your meringue is sublime."
Arabella purses her lips as Lily waits for her comments. "The ice cream is creamy, and your cake is holding up well underneath. Not too soggy. Did you use real strawberry puree in the cake batter?"
Lily nods. "I did. Artificial flavoring wouldn't have blended well."
"Too right you are. My only complaint is going to disagree with Albus. The color on your meringue could have been a smidge darker."
Eyeing the remainder of her dessert, she catalogs the color one more time. The swirls on the meringue are a perfect blend of shades that remind her of butterscotch and caramel. Nothing is too dark that could be mistaken for a char. Lily catches Albus turning his head a fraction of an inch and instantly feels better. Maybe she's not the only one who thinks Arabella is being far too nit-picky today.
"Noted."
"Well done, Lily," Albus says, concluding her judging as he turns to walk away with Arabella following in his wake.
"Thank you."
A prolonged exhale escapes her mouth as she leans forward onto her counter. They're only a few hours in and she's already exhausted. How on earth is she going to survive the main bake?
"Alright bakers, listen up!" Ludo calls from the front of the studio.
"We're going to give you an hour to break and make the final adjustments to the plans on your main challenge. Your final bake will consist of all things chocolate! Since we've skipped an entire week dedicated to chocolate, the judges would like to see your expertise with the flavor today. They are looking for four separate elements displayed with a unique design. You will have four hours to complete the task. Any questions?"
Lily nods her head in tandem with Marta and Leon, the other two finalists. She should have just enough time to wolf down the sandwich that Mona packed her, assuming the knot of nerves in her stomach cooperates so she can keep it from coming back up. She'll go over her plans one more time before she heads to her locker to check her phone and get her lunch. Focusing on something else should help her quell the nerves.
She pulls her small recipe book out of her apron pocket and opens up to the page she's dog-eared for the finale. A rough sketch of a five-tiered 'cake' stares back at her, each layer boasting a different chocolate-based element and design. But instead of the levels resting on top of one another, Lily plans to use a specially designed cake stand that Mona is letting her borrow. It boasts a contemporary design where each layer hovers over the next, and the different confections will be displayed on tiers that look as though they are levitating over one another.
The plans are not as fleshed out as she hoped they would be, having altered her design and flavors this morning while she was in the shower. It's a monumental task, and one she can only hope to achieve in the meager amount of time they've allotted, especially given the added meaning behind the bake.
Every layer of flavor will be reminiscent of time spent with James. The base layer will be a classic chocolate sandwich cake, and the filling will mimic the vanilla creme of a mint oreo biscuit—or chocolate sandwich biscuit if she needs to be generic. Chocolate cheesecake with a blackberry jam swirl will comprise her second layer, perfectly blending her first bake for James with the flavor that kept returning whenever they'd share desserts. Lily has chosen a chocolate hazelnut dessert bread for her third tier, which reminds her of the memory of him walking in on her kneading her practice dough for bread week with too much force. The fourth will feature a double chocolate custard, and the fifth 'tier' will be a croquembouche filled with chocolate creme patisserie. Accomplishing all her bakes and decorations will be a challenging feat, but Lily's confident she can pull it off.
Satisfied that all her recipes are written down and in the order she'll need to prepare everything to meet the time constraint, Lily looks up to find the studio deserted. The judges must have retired to their area, and the other finalists are probably outside enjoying some fresh air to clear their heads.
Lily exits the studio and heads upstairs where she basks in the quiet of the contestant break room to eat her sandwich and check her phone. She's met with a dozen messages from Marlene and Remus congratulating her on a job well done on her Baked Alaska.
Marls: Even with Arabella's stuffy comments, they still liked yours way more than the other two.
Remus: Honestly, they both did chocolate bases? Hope the judges aren't too chocolated out by the time they have to taste the showstoppers.
Marls: Have you seen him yet?
Marls: Will you have a chance to talk to him?
Marls: Ugh, I know you can't text us or anything but still, we're DYING here. Well, we're dying on the inside. Even Dora seems on edge. I think I may have to fight her for the title of who wants James and Lily to get back together more.
Marls: I'm serious, I will fight her.
Remus: I know you probably don't want to talk about him, but they just cut to James's reactions in the green room and he couldn't find any fault with yours.
Marls: OMG they just showed James and you can tell he's fighting so hard not to grin like a fool with yours.
Marls: Actually, he's doing a damn good job staying neutral. I'm impressed.
Marls: Yeah, but I don't think he realized they were filming him the whole time because he had this sad, sad lost puppy dog look on his face while he watched you bake.
Mona: Good luck Lily! Brilliant job on the first round. I know you're going to smash the showstopper. By the way, I saw the way you looked into the camera when they took that slice away for James, and when they showed him, he saw it too. Oh, dear, maybe I shouldn't have sent this now. Well, hopefully, you don't see it until after. Cheers!
Marls: Lils, if you don't make up with that man today I swear. I don't even have good ideas for threats right now that accurately—no, you know what? I'll throw YOU in the oven like that one fairy tale if you don't get your head out of your ass and grovel to get that man back.
Lily nearly snorts the sip of water out of her nose as she reads Marlene's last text. Of course, she'd threaten to cook her in an oven like the witch in Hansel and Gretel. How morbid.
Even though the vast majority of their messages are about James, Lily's still thankful for the distraction, and even more so, to get a glimpse of his reactions. She hoped she'd been a little less obvious when she stared into the camera—and hopefully, they cut that later for the television footage—but it's not surprising that she couldn't fool her friends.
Thank goodness he won't come out until the final judging. She's not sure she'd be able to handle baking under the scrutiny of his watchful gaze, or worse, have to converse with him while she's working. Appeasing Ludo and answering Albus and Arabella's questions is one thing, but if James were to come out and join them during those four hours, she might as well give up now.
It's bad enough knowing she'll have to wait until after the final judging to tell him everything she wants to say. At least her bakes will help tell him how sorry she is and how much she misses him. The entire idea is a love letter to him. It's the most romantic gesture she can think of without admitting she's in love with him in front of the entire cast and crew.
Watch her get disqualified if that happens. All because she'd been 'involved' with the guest judge. Not that it would matter. She'd gladly accept the DQ if it meant winning James back.
Leaning back in the stiff folding chair, Lily rests her eyes for a moment, trying to imagine how he'll react when he sees her, especially since he knows she's here. And she doubts he realizes that she knows he's the guest judge. Ludo always keeps that secret locked up as tight as he can. Part of her yearns to see him without a bunch of other people around but that'd be wishful thinking.
Opening her eyes, she looks at the clock hanging on the wall in the barren room. Somehow there are only ten minutes left until she's about to begin the most frantic bake of her life.
"Guess it's time to return to my station and at least get my ingredients set." Lily sighs as she pushes herself off the metal chair and stuffs her belongings back into her locker.
She never did text anyone back but maybe that's for the best. They'd all just be disappointed to hear that no, she hasn't seen James yet, and—sorry Marlene—there's no way she'll be able to make up with him while she's knee-deep in chocolate.
The thought makes her chuckle to herself as she smooths down the apron that's covering her favorite plum-colored dress. The same one she wore the first time she met James.
God, I hope I don't look too pathetic when he finally does see me.
She never thought about that in her hasty planning but it's too late now. When she exits the room, she hears another door open down the hall at the same time and figures it's probably Ludo or the judges getting ready to head back to the studio as well. She looks up to offer a friendly smile to whoever she's about to run into but stops dead in her tracks when she realizes who the person is.
Despite daydreaming about seeing James for the first time without anyone around, Lily's by no means prepared for it at all. She's pretty sure her heart stops as she takes in the sight of him. His perfectly mussed hair juxtaposes with the tailored black suit he's chosen for today. It's a spitting image of the first time she ever laid eyes on him in Belfast, except the suit's a different color and this time his tie is—it can't be. Lily blinks in disbelief. It's the same shade of dark purple as her dress.
Could that mean…?
She can barely think straight. There's no sense of awareness in her body at all, and she could be drooling for all she knows. Damn it, she has to snap out of it. When Lily finally meets his gaze, she realizes he's staring too, though his face gives nothing away. His mouth is set in a straight line, his jaw tensing.
"J-James?" she croaks out.
For crying out loud, it sounds as though she's forgotten how her voice works.
Well, I guess you didn't have to worry about whether you'd look surprised when you saw him.
"Miss Evans." His response cuts through her like a knife, puncturing her heart with tiny jabs. "Congratulations on making it to the final."
"I didn't think you'd be here."
What? Why did I just say that?
What is she thinking? She knew he'd be here! The bloody Daily Mail said as much! This is a disaster.
"Well, when your organization is hosting and funding the competition, it's good publicity to show for the finale when they ask. I suspect you'll be returning to Belfast shortly after its conclusion?"
"I—James—can we talk? I have to tell you something and—" Just as the words start to tumble out of her mouth, there's another click and a door opens.
Ludo pops his head out to look around.
No, no, no, no, no! Not now!
"Ah, James, there you are! Are you coming for the debrief—oh, Lily! You're not supposed to know—ah, well, just don't tell the others." The man pauses and looks between the pair. "Is everything alright between you two?"
"Fine!" Lily says a little too quickly.
James gives her a look before he turns back to Ludo. "Why wouldn't it be? I was just heading in now."
He walks toward Ludo and Lily's heart sinks at the interrupted opportunity. Before he enters the judge's room he turns back to Lily. For a moment, she thinks he's going to reassure her that they'll talk later or give her some sign to be hopeful for.
"Good luck." He says the sentence softly, with a sense of finality that urges Lily to break down and give up right then and there.
But she won't.
When he disappears through the doorway, Lily tries to focus on the sheer stroke of luck she's just had. What are the chances that he would have stepped into the hall at the same time? Sure, she didn't have a chance to say everything she wanted, but she was able to plant the seed and now he knows she wants to speak with him.
Lily unglues her feet from the floor and carries on her way. She's got a competition to finish, and she can focus more on her bakes knowing that their first run-in is done and over with. Even if the need to throw her arms around him and apologize is greater than ever, she knows they're one step closer to a point where she can. He's not hers to seek comfort in yet, but if all goes according to plan, she'll right her wrongs so they can be properly together, and then she can relish in the touch she's missed so much later.
Unless he doesn't. The small seed of doubt grows in her mind, and suddenly she's thinking of all the reasons he might say no. Maybe he's decided she's not the one for him, after all, or they aren't as compatible as he once thought. Or perhaps he's found another woman from Belfast who will gladly accept his proposal after only a short time because who wouldn't?
No, stop it. You've got a really important bake that you're about to begin and your head cannot be thinking those thoughts.
As Lily disappears down the stairwell before James can reappear, she wills herself to focus on the task ahead.
"And what are we working on over here?" Albus asks with a twinkle in his eye as he approaches Lily's workstation with James by his side. Arabella is off talking with Leon, and Ludo is doing his best to distract Marta.
Ugh, why now? Can't they see I've got five things happening at once? Maybe they'll offer a hand. Ha, if only.
She's three hours into the competition, elbows deep in what feels like twenty different kinds of chocolate, and contemplating whether she's bitten off more than she can chew. Right now, she's attempting to pipe out the choux balls for her croquembouche, and then once those are in the oven, she'll need to make the creme pat.
"Just about to get my choux in the oven," she says, finishing up the last row before setting the piping bag down on the counter.
"How many more items do you have to bake?" This time, it's James who asks the question and Lily looks up to meet his gaze.
"This is the last. My custard and cheesecake are setting, the sandwich cake is layered and frosted, and the chocolate hazelnut bread is cooling."
"Impressive," Albus nods approvingly before walking off to inspect someone else's work, leaving James and Lily alone at her workstation.
"Do you think you'll have enough time for decorating?" James asks in a tone that's all business, and no hint of its usual warmth.
"Sure," she lies in an attempt to stay calm, cool, and collected. "When have I ever 'not delivered?'" The tiniest of smirks finds a home on her face with the double meaning.
There's a tiny crack in James's composure when his eyebrows raise past his fringe in surprise at her brazenness. But the expression vanishes as quickly as it comes.
"You were only asked for four elements, you know."
Lily shrugs. "I want to make a statement."
Like someone else I know.
She waits for him to respond, giving some inkling away that he's picking up on the equally measured subtlety and obviousness of her words. Yet, he continues to refrain even though she sees the flicker of understanding on his face as he jams his hands into his pockets.
What she'd give to be on the receiving end of his suggestive statements again. The way he manages to make baking playful and sexy at the same time, but it's a secret only the two of them share. Despite Lily's attempts to embody that, she still feels like she's coming up short.
"I look forward to seeing the statement in its entirety." James is about to walk away but when he looks down at her workspace, he pauses.
She follows his gaze down to the chocolate that's hardening in the various letters and numbers she crafted earlier. 14 Feb is clearly written out, ready to be placed on the chocolate custard. The desire for an explanation is forming on his lips, but he never voices the inquiry. He doesn't need to.
Lily simply responds with, "You'll see."
The drive to stop all work and pull him aside to talk with him is more tempting than ever, but then Lily spots her choux dough and refocuses on the final push to the finish line. After placing it in the oven, she turns to her stove to mix the chocolate creme pat.
The next hour flies by as Lily puts the final touches on her layers. A dark chocolate mirror glaze is poured over the sandwich cake and placed in the freezer to set before she pipes intricate white chocolate swirls around the edge, and the date 30 Jan stands proudly in white chocolate letters on the base tier.
Final touches are being made on the chocolate hazelnut bread as Lily drizzles an orange-infused icing over the top to add to its flavor profile. If you look closely, you can just make out the date 10 Mar among the straighter lines. The blackberry cheesecake has come out of the fridge and rests on the second tier with the date of their tent excursion written in leftover blackberry jam as Lily gently lifts the bread and rests it on the third. The custard is already standing on the fourth tier and the letters and numbers are miraculously holding and now all that's left is placing the croquembouche on the fifth and final tier.
"Bakers, five minutes left!" Ludo calls out just as Lily's about to reach out and lift the delicate pastry.
She's sure she's put enough caramel on for the balls to stick together, but lifting it to the height she's chosen proves to be a nerve-wracking feat. Thankfully, she has the forethought to assemble it on a flat pan, so in theory, the sliding method should work, but she still holds her breath as it happens.
Lily can feel James's eyes on her the entire time, which makes her more nervous. She exhales and her entire body relaxes once the choux is in place and not moving. Chocolate numbers and letters with today's date are added with extra caramel so they will stick to the cooked dough. One more once over and Lily sends a silent prayer to whoever is listening. By some form of magic, she's managed to finish and she allows herself to smile for the first time since the start of the competition. But the smile is soon wiped off her face as quickly as it came when she looks at James and sees he's not alone.
A beautiful blonde in a smart navy pencil skirt and silky creme blouse is sidled up next to him, touching his arm and whispering in his ear. Everything Lily has been hoping and waiting for comes skidding to a halt, and it feels as if the ride she's been on all afternoon has hit a patch of black ice and is now spiraling out of control. She can't look away, fixated as his lips quirk into a smile—the first genuine one she's seen from him all day—and an abrupt feeling of stupidity washes over her.
"And...time's up! Bakers, step away from your bakes!" Ludo announces as Lily tosses her spare towel to the side.
The woman winks at James and kisses him on the cheek before disappearing from view. Lily looks away so he won't know she witnessed the whole encounter, but then her eyes fall on her chocolate masterpiece, which is supposed to be her love letter to James she made for him. Now, she's lost and doesn't know what to do. It's too late to present something else, but she can't just reach out and destroy the whole thing in retaliation either.
The show must go on, even if she's too late.
Watching the other two contestants go through their final judging is excruciating. She listens and watches as Albus and Arabella point out the tiniest of details in taste, texture, and presentation. As if she wasn't regretting the incorporation of the dates already, now she wishes even more that she left them out.
"Lily, are you ready to bring your bake up to the judge's table?" Ludo asks.
Do I have a choice?
She nods. "Can I have a hand, Ludo?"
There's no way she can carry the monstrosity by herself and is thankful for the announcer's help. Once the display makes it safely to the judge's table, Lily stoically describes each tier, making sure not to miss any of the flavor profiles she's chosen for each.
"And what is the significance of the dates you've incorporated on each tier?"
Of course, James is the one to ask the question. Is he taunting her? A cold sweat breaks out on the back of her neck as she rehearses her response in her head one more time before answering.
"They follow an important personal journey that I've found myself on in recent months." Her gaze is unwavering as she stares directly at James.
Well, that sounded better in my head.
All eyes are on her as each individual in front of her attempts to make sense of her explanation. Sure, it's vague, but she's not about to confess her relationship with the guest judge by articulating that each date has to do with him. When no one follows up with any other questions, Lily shifts uncomfortably on her feet.
"So, am I correct in my assumption that today's date on the croquembouche signifies the culmination of this experience?" James breaks off one of the choux balls and weaves it between his fingers.
Lily's not sure what possesses her to say it, especially when they aren't alone and after she's seen him with someone else. But the words seem to slip freely from her mouth. "That and in the hope of second chances and new beginnings. Regardless of today's outcome, I'm about to enter a new chapter of my life after the competition concludes, but I hope to take many of those lessons learned along the path that my final bake signifies with me."
She can feel the heat rise on her cheeks, praying that someone will move them on to the taste testing portion of the judging.
"Well," Albus finally breaks the thin layer of ice that's frozen over the small group of people, "I was going to suggest we start at the bottom, but since James has already snapped off a Choux ball, let's start there."
One by one, they work their way down the five tiers, leaving enough intact so she can box up the remains and take them home with her once everything's said and done. The feedback is positive overall, but that doesn't mean anything for the final decision.
"The color on the choux looks well done, but the bake seems to be a bit uneven on the inside. The chocolate creme pat is nice and creamy, though," Arabella says of the top layer.
"The flavors of the custard tart are spot on, but it falls a bit short presentation-wise. Especially compared to the rest of your confections," Albus comments.
James praises her chocolate hazelnut bread, though he doesn't weave in any hidden meaning throughout this judging, which sends a wave of disappointment coursing through Lily.
The blackberry and chocolate pairing on the cheesecake is "absolutely sensational" according to Albus, and Arabella praises the dessert for "not being too dense." And finally, her chocolate sandwich cake is the perfect amount of moist and sweet, with a mint filling that doesn't taste artificial.
Overall, Lily takes it as a win as she heads back to her seat and waits to be called for interviews. After she answers the crew's questions, she boxes up her final bake so everything's ready to go once she can return home to her friends. The judge's deliberation seems to take an eternity and Lily just wants the torture to be over. She wants the chance to talk to James and get the closure she's now expecting from their conversation.
After about forty-five minutes, the three finalists are called up to the front. They hold hands for moral support, showing a sense of camaraderie that was never there during all their weeks spent together as the judges emerge from double doors. James hangs further back behind Arabella and Albus as Ludo clears his throat.
"It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know the three of you over the last several weeks. I can hardly believe the first season of London's Next Great Baker is about to crown its first winner. Having listened to some of the deliberations, I can tell you that the decision was not easy, but I am so very pleased to announce that the winner is…"
Ludo pauses for dramatic effect. Lily closes her eyes, waiting for him to announce either Marta or Leon's name, figuring she's done well, but not enough to take the grand prize, just like the Belfast Bake Off. She's just about to internally cuss his need to take an extraordinary amount of time to say a bloody name when she's sure her ears deceive her.
"Lily!"
Her eyes snap open as Marta engulfs her in a tight hug, congratulating her a little too loudly in her ear. Leon's the next to do the same and by the time the two release her, Albus and Arabella are right there to give their well-wishes.
"Congratulations, Lily. Every week you've impressed us with your skills. Even despite a few minor setbacks you always pulled through," Albus praises.
"Yes, you are very talented indeed. The win is well-deserved," Arabella agrees with a warm smile.
Ludo of course joins in on the hugging action as cameras swarm her face to get close-up reactions. "I knew it'd be you! Said it from the very beginning!"
It's not remotely unbiased, but she's sure no one's paying attention, and they can edit his words out later if need be.
Tears sting Lily's eyes as a profuse amount of 'thank yous' and 'I can't believe its' leave her lips.
By the time the excitement settles, the cameraman taps her on the shoulder. "Miss Evans, can we have you come back for one final interview before you head out?"
"Sure, but can you give me one moment?"
There's one person she hasn't seen yet. The person she wished would have been the first to whisk her away in a hug that sweeps her off her feet. The person who helped her get here and believed in her every step of the way.
James.
She looks around, but he's nowhere to be found. Where could he have gone? She thought for sure he would have waited or would have at least congratulated her. But the area is void of his presence. The only indication that he may have been there before is the door swinging shut after someone exited.
Just like that, all the excitement and glee from the high of her win vanishes and is swept away like the tide pulling back out to sea. She's too late. James is gone again and so is her one and only chance to make things right.