Chapter one- finally! It's a long one, but I hope you enjoy! Week one is cake week. Ready, set, bake!
Anna had spent every spare moment she had preparing for her first week in the tent. The contestants had all been given the signature and showstopper challenge briefs for each week and so she had all of her planned recipes written and organized down to a science, beautifully highlighted in various colors. She had been practicing nonstop and brought her creations to work, asking her fellow coworkers to taste and critique them. She had enlisted Mary's help in choosing her outfit for the weekend, eventually settling on a simple pair of jeans, a light springy blouse, and a pair of stylish yet comfortable sneakers. Anna was a planner, and despite how nervous she was, having everything prepared comforted her at least a little.
John Bates was not such a meticulous planner in the way Anna was. He had practiced of course, and had even brought a few of his creations to Robert's office for him to try, but he was confident in his recipes and leaned towards more traditional bakes rather than experimenting with unique flavors and complicated structures. It hadn't taken him more than a few minutes to choose his outfit for the weekend filming- jeans and a button down shirt- and oddly, he found that he was more eager and excited than nervous, a cool confidence settling over him as he drove from his London flat to Welford Park in Berkshire.
The contestants had all checked into their hotel rooms on Friday night and hadn't seen much of each other before the next morning when they were picked up by a shuttle bus to be taken to the baking tent on the grounds of Welford Park estate. As Anna made her way to the bus, struggling with her large tote bag of ingredients and baking tins, she heard a man behind her clear his throat, "Here, let me help you with those," he offered, holding out his hand.
Anna looked at him hesitantly before a small flicker of recognition crossed her features, and she handed over her things, "Thank you so much. I'm sorry it's so heavy, I probably came a little bit over prepared," she laughed softly before climbing onto the bus ahead of him. She chose a seat near the front, sliding into it and motioning for him to set the bag beside her, "Here, you can just set it down beside me," she prompted, helping him settle the bag into the chair, "Thank you."
He slid into the seat across the aisle from her, setting his tote beside him, before looking back to her with a shy smile, "I'll admit, being a gentleman wasn't my only motive in speaking to you. Are you Anna Smith?" he asked her, "Mary Crawley's best friend?"
Anna's eyes widened with realization, "Yes! Oh gosh, that means you must be John Bates! It's so nice to finally meet you!" she grinned, reaching her hand across the aisle for him to shake.
He accepted it, her petite hand encased by his larger one, "Yes, that's me. It's lovely to meet you too," he smiled shyly.
"I can't believe we haven't met before now, honestly," Anna began to speak, "I'm sure I've seen you at various Crawley family events," she laughed softly, "Mary did give me your phone number, and I meant to contact you, I truly did, but I've been so busy with work and then this, of course," she explain with playfully exhausted sigh.
He shook his head in an attempt to reassure her, "Don't worry about that. We're meeting now, aren't we? And I was busy too. I can't believe how many eggs and bags of flour I went through when practicing all of my bakes," he chuckled softly.
She relaxed with his recognition, "I feel just the same. It was a little ridiculous to be honest," she teased, "Hopefully worth it though. I think my coworkers and patients even got sick of me bringing in treats to work."
He laughed softly, shaking his head, "I doubt it. If what Mary and Robert have told me is true, you're quite talented."
She blushed shyly, "Well thank you. You'll have to be the judge of that though. I can't wait to try everyone else's creations after each challenge is over. Eating is the best part of baking," she laughed playfully.
"I agree with you there," John answered with a grin. They chatted amicably for the rest of the bus ride to Welford Park, but stayed away from topics like their fellow competitors and what they would each be baking today. He didn't feel as though he was able to make friends easily, but conversation with Anna flowed seamlessly and he was grateful that he was starting the foundations of a friendship. Regardless of the result of the show, they would probably be seeing each other again outside of the competition.
When they arrived at Welford Park, John simply stood up and offered his hand to carry Anna's bag again, a knowing smile adorned on his face. Anna handed it over without protest and walked out in front of him as they were led into the tent. To both of their surprises, and joy, their work stations were one in front of the other.
John set her bag down gently onto her countertop, "Here you are, milady," he teased playfully before going to arrange his own setup. She gave him a cheeky grin before turning to the front of the room where the producers were beginning to explain how the day would go.
"On behalf of the entire Great British Bake Off crew, we would like to welcome you all to the tent. We wish you all the best, and as always, we cannot wait to try your creations after the cameras have cut," the producer, a man named Jack Barber, laughed, "Now, before we bring Paul and Prue in and start the baking, we would like to do small intro interviews with each of you. We'll call you one by one to come outside and just give us a small introduction about yourselves, how you started baking, and how you're feeling about the first day of competition," he explained, "Thomas Barrow and John Bates, you're up first!"
Anna gave John an encouraging smile as he made his way to the interview station, hoping he wouldn't be too nervous- he had admitted to her on the bus that he felt a little awkward around all of the cameras, but had been trying to practice in his kitchen at home what he might say. She had chuckled quietly only to admit she had done the same.
John stood in front of the cameras, his feet on the "X" they had taped on the ground, hands awkwardly tucked into the pockets of his jeans. The cameraman asked him to introduce himself and so John cleared his throat and spoke to the camera, "Hi, my name is John Bates, and I'm from a small town outside of Northampton called Corby, but I live in London now. I started baking after coming back from the Middle East where I was serving in the Army. I wasn't coping very well with my injury or being discharged from service, and getting into baking really helped," he explained, "And I would say I am cautiously excited about today," he chuckled.
The camera man gave him an approving nod and sent him back inside to fetch the next person. Eventually, it was Anna's turn and she stood on the mark, hands clasped in front of her as she spoke, "Hello! My name is Anna Smith and I'm from Yorkshire. I started baking when I was pretty young- my parents manage an estate and during the summers I would go to work with them, so I learnt to bake from the chefs in the kitchen there," she told the cameraman cheerily, "I'm just so elated to be here-I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with today!"
With the brief initial interviews finished, the crew gave a short explanation of what was to happen next- Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith would come in, along with the two hosts, Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas, and they would introduce themselves and say the lines they were given to start the show. After that, the baking would begin.
Anna couldn't help but hold her breath as the hosts and judges walked in; she had spent so many years watching this on television and never thought she would be in the position of a contestant. She exhaled shakily and put on her best smile, knowing there was a camera somewhere catching her reaction. She glanced back at John, to see if he was as nervous or eager as she was, and he gave her a shy but encouraging grin, his face being the epitome of calm.
Noel started off with, "Welcome to the tent, bakers!" a wide grin on his face and of course donning his usual skinny jeans and eccentric sweater, "Get ready for your first ever signature challenge!"
Matt continued, "Today, the judges would like you to make six identical miniature loaf cakes using a unique combination of sweet and savory flavors. They must be baked in loaf cake pans and must be iced or glazed," he explained.
Noel picked up again, "You have two hours. Ready, set, bake!" he grinned, motioning for everyone to begin.
Just like that, the tent was thrown into chaos. The bakers moved around the tent, each gathering their tools and ingredients to begin their baking, and Paul and Prue began to wander around the tent, observing each person's technique.
Anna had not met either judge yet and she had been warned that they would only spend a little time in the tent to do their interviews, before leaving to await the actual judging. She had been told it was because they didn't want to become overly friendly with any of the contestants and therefore create an unfair advantage for anyone.
She was mixing the ingredients for her sponge together when she was approached by Paul and Prue for her interview, pausing for a moment to wipe her hands clean and look up at them with a cheery smile, "Good morning!" she greeted.
"Good morning, Anna," Prue greeted her kindly, peering over at her ingredients, "Tell us about your cakes," she prompted.
"The flavors I'll be mixing today are pistachio, lime, and vanilla in my sponge," she began to tell them, "And then for my icing I'm going to try and do an avocado flavor and sweeten it with vanilla extract and maple syrup," she explained. She knew it was a strange flavor combination, but she had enjoyed it when she made it at home.
Paul Hollywood raised his eyebrows, "An avocado icing? I don't know if I've ever heard of that before," he said suspiciously.
Anna swallowed nervously, ready to intervene and justify her decision when Prue jumped in and saved her, as she tended to often do with contestants and Paul's ambivalent commentary, "The avocado must make it creamy, yes?" she asked, "I'm sure the smooth texture will pair nicely with the pistachios in the sponge."
Anna nodded, her confidence rising again, "Yes, I hope so. It adds a subtle refreshing flavor and the color comes out so bright and springy," she answered.
Paul nodded curtly, "Well, I am very intrigued to try it."
Anna breathed a sigh of relief as they left her station, hoping that she hadn't taken too much of a risk with her flavors.
Since John's station was right behind hers, they moved to him next and as she mixed her ingredients together, she listened to him describe his cake.
"Tell us what you'll be baking today John," Paul requested, nodding to his assorted ingredients.
"Well, I've decided to do a spiced date cake and cream cheese icing," he answered, "Something mostly traditional, but I think the dates will add a nice sweetness," he explained simply.
"Sounds classic," Prue replied, "What kind of spices will you be adding to the sponge mix?" she asked curiously.
"There will be cinnamon and cardamom and then pistachios for a garnish," he told them easily.
Prue nodded with a smile and gave a, "Thank you John," before they both moved onto the next station.
Anna turned around to John, seeing that he was pouring his batter into the small loaf tins, "I don't think they liked my flavors very much," she told him, "Hopefully they change their minds when they taste it though," she sighed as she stirred her batter.
John looked up, surprised but delighted that Anna was making conversation with him while she worked, "Oh, I'm sure they will. And they always like creative combinations, I'll bet they appreciate that you've tried something unique," he attempted to encourage her.
Somehow, his words had made her feel better than Prue's reassurance had, "Thank you, John," she smiled softly, "I did listen in on yours, and it sounds delicious," she complimented him before going back to focus on her own baking.
It had been difficult for Anna to finish on time, but she did, and was elated with her little loaf cakes, precisely sized to be identical, piped with her spring green avocado frosting, and garnished with edible flowers. She glanced over to see John's and although his was plain looking, simply decorated in piped cream cheese frosting, they looked impeccable, like they could be sold in a shop, and she knew the judges would be impressed. She could see him peek over at her platter and he grinned, giving her a cheerful thumbs up before the judges began to make their rounds.
Paul and Prue approached Anna's station, a grin on Prue's face, at least, as she viewed Anna's loaf cakes, "These just look lovely, Anna," she complimented, "So springy and delicate. Are the flowers edible?"
Anna gave a slight nod, "Yes, they are."
Paul did not seem as impressed, "I think I disagree. The green color that the avocado gives the icing is just not appealing to me."
Deflated, Anna replied, "Oh, that's just what I'd like to hear," she chuckled, trying to keep a positive mood.
Noel feigned a dramatic gasp, punching Paul playfully on the shoulder, "Gosh, that was a bit cruel wasn't it?" he laughed.
They both began to cut into the cake then, Anna trying to remain calm and composed as they tasted it.
Paul spoke first, "I do have to say, I don't hate the avocado icing. It's interesting," he chuckled begrudgingly, "Avocado has a fairly plain flavor, so the subtle sweetness from the honey and vanilla come through nicely," he admitted, "The cake is a bit dry, but barely. Well done," he smiled kindly, a grin breaking out on Anna's face.
Noel jumped in, "It just hurts you to give out nice compliments, doesn't it?" he laughed.
Prue added her own comments, "Anna, the flavors of the cake are just spectacular. You've got a perfect balance of tartness from the lime and the nutty pistachios. And the icing is refreshing. Just lovely," she told her with a nod before they moved on to John's station.
Anna watched as John's cakes were judged, "John" Paul started, "These are perfectly identical."
Prue nodded in agreement, "Yes, they are, though I find them a bit plain looking. I understand the appeal, minimalism you might call it, but the sprinkling of some pistachios isn't quite enough for me," she shrugged.
John nodded, seeming to understand and accept Prue's comment. They tried John's cakes, chewing thoughtfully, "These are wonderful," Prue grinned, "The dates give such a lovely rich flavor that blends with the spices fantastically."
Paul nodded his agreement, "The cakes are baked well, the cream cheese icing is rich and piped nearly perfectly, and the flavors are nice, it's just a little...plain, as Prue said. Technique is spot on, I'd just like to see a little more creativity next time, but really well done," he told John before moving on.
Once the judges had left their area, Anna turned to John, clapping her hands together softly, a gleeful grin on her face as a compliment and encouragement to him, as if to say, "Good job!" John chuckled to himself as he watched Anna's attempt at communicating with him while trying to remain quiet as the judging continued. Her smile was one of beauty, and he couldn't deny that it gave him a small burst of confidence heading into the technical challenge.
After the judges had finished their grading, the producers announced they would be doing another round of interviews before breaking for lunch before the technical challenge.
Anna stood in front of the camera once more, the director asking her, "How do you think your first signature challenge went?"
She began her answer with a sigh, "Paul thought my icing looked disgusting, but he liked the taste so I suppose that's a good thing," she laughed slightly, "It went well overall though, I'm proud of what I made," she said simply.
When asked the same question, John answered, "I think today went as well as it could have. I'm a traditional baker and that's what I produced, though seemingly I'll have to start jazzing things up to impress Prue," he grinned cheekily.
After a lunch break where everyone got to try the signature challenge bakes, the technical challenge had been presented. The bakers had been asked to make a carrot cake using Prue's recipe and although it seemed simple, one could easily have their cake turn out too stodgy, much too dry after being overworked, or a melted mess if their cakes hadn't cooled before being frosted with cream cheese icing.
Anna had only made carrot cake once before and so she hadn't been very confident during the technical challenge. As for John, this was something he made quite often so he hadn't been as nervous baking it.
Anna's had come out a bit under-baked, but her piping work shined and so she'd landed fourth out of twelve. John, meanwhile, had followed the recipe to near perfection and placed second, just behind a young man named Alfred who was quickly beginning to establish himself as one of the top competitors. She'd congratulated John afterwards and he'd given her a bashful smile and shrug, which she was beginning to learn was just how he was.
Now that their first day had finished, all of the contestants were having dinner at the local pub, courtesy of Paul and Prue. Although Paul and Prue hadn't joined them, Noel and Matt had, and they could currently be seen amongst the contestants, playing darts in the back corner of the pub. Anna, ever the social butterfly, had made friends with some of the other girls competing, and was currently sipping a glass of rosé when she noticed John, alone, sat at a table in the corner of the room.
She excused herself, telling her new friends Gwen and Phyllis, that she was going to say hello to John. Gwen gave her a cheeky wink while Phyllis offered a kind and encouraging smile. Anna scoffed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes at their playful implications. She plucked up her wine glass, bringing it with her, as she made her way to John's table, taking the single seat across from him.
"No pint for you?" she asked, motioning to his glass of soda.
He shook his head, looking down at his glass as he swirled around the liquid, "No, not for me. I don't drink," he admitted to her.
Anna looked at her own glass, paused mid air as she prepared to take a sip, "Oh- sorry!"
John reached out, his hand brushing her arm gently, "It's alright, you're allowed to drink. I don't mind. Promise," he tried to reassure her.
She gave him a weak smile, taking a small sip of her rosé before setting it down on the table and pushing it to the side, "Honestly, I shouldn't have much more tonight anyway. I don't want to be hungover in the morning," she admitted with a laugh.
"No, certainly not. Especially since we've got the showstopper challenge to complete," he pointed out.
"Quite right," she agreed with a nod, "I wouldn't want you to have a leg up on me," she teased, "You're already much too good, it's not fair," she insisted jokingly.
John stumbled a little at her teasing, blinking out of a short trance, as if he'd been lost in his own mind for a moment before he shook his head with a chuckle, "Nonsense, you're very talented yourself."
Anna shrugged, "If you say so," she giggled, a smirk on her lips, "Regardless of the competition, I had a good time today."
"Despite all the nerves and the stress, I had fun too. Especially with your bench so near to mine," he laughed softly, surprising himself with the flirting he was doing.
"Well," she grinned, "I'm glad to hear it. It was nice to have a familiar face nearby," she told him. She truly didn't know him very well, but they had mutual friends and they'd met on the bus ride over and become fast friends themselves.
"Speaking of familiar faces," he started, changing the topic, "How did you come to be Mary Crawley's best friend?" he asked curiously. John had known Robert since their military careers and Robert's daughters had become like nieces to him despite the fact that he was a few years younger than Robert.
A grin quickly formed on Anna's lips, "Oh, I've known Mary since we were little girls. My parents, the Carson's, Charles and Elsie- I'm not sure if you know them- but they run Downton Abbey, for Robert and Cora. My mother manages the hotel for them and my father does their event planning- weddings, charity fundraisers, and such," she began to explain, "Anyway, we first moved there when I was six and it was before school started, so on their first day of work my parents brought me along. Cora had seen me and insisted I play in the nursery with her girls, and from then on Mary insisted I was her best friend," she laughed softly, "Mary went to boarding school, of course, but every summer and school break we were the best of playmates, and we were so elated when we found out we would both be living in London after university."
John chuckled as he listened to the story, "Well, that sounds exactly like the Mary Crawley I know. And I'm not sure I've met your parents before, as shocking as that is. I've only visited Downton once, and that was ages ago," he told her.
"I try to go and visit as often as I can. My parents have a cottage on the estate grounds. It's so lovely in the autumn- that's my favorite time to go," she explained, "It's where I learned to bake too," she revealed.
"Oh, really? And how's that?" he asked curiously, leaning his elbows on the table so that he was closer to her.
"I spent a lot of time in the kitchens, with the chefs there, a Mrs. Patmore in particular. She taught me. What about you?" she asked, "To be honest, and I don't mean this as an insult, you don't come across as the baking type," she chuckled gently. If she'd seen him on the street, she'd assume he was a very traditionally masculine man and that he looked as though he belonged in a cottage in the forest chopping wood for his fire, not cooped up in a kitchen attempting to perfect his Italian meringue.
He laughed heartily, "I know what you mean. I didn't expect to ever be the baking type either," he told her honestly, "After I left the Army, I was struggling a little bit, and I ended up moving back home with my mother. She taught me to bake, using her recipes." He supposed it wasn't exactly a pleasant story, but it was the truth, and he felt comfortable telling Anna that.
"Your mother taught you?" she repeated, "That's sweet. I bet you've got lots of good recipes up your sleeve then," she grinned, choosing to withhold comment on John's struggles after leaving service. She didn't want to bring up a topic that was clearly uncomfortable and upsetting for him, despite the fact that she was curious about his past. She was curious about everything about him, to be fair.
He shrugged, a smirk on his lips, "I've got a few. She taught me well," he grinned.
Anna laughed into her glass, finishing the last sips of her rosé, "I'm sure she did. I'll have to step up my game if I'm competing against her recipes."
"Nonsense," John shook his head, "Yours are fantastic. I'm sure you'll pull out quite the showstopper tomorrow," he encouraged.
She set down her glass and her eyes widened in realization, "Tomorrow! Oh, gosh, it's so late now! I've got to get back to the hotel!"
John reached his hand out, trying to settle her, "Not to worry, it's not even ten o'clock yet. But you're right, we should probably get back, we have an early start tomorrow," he pointed out, "Would you like to walk back with me?" he offered.
Anna relaxed a bit at his touch and was grateful for his offer, "Yes- thank you! That would be amazing, thank you. Let me just go say goodbye to the girls, and I'll meet you by the door?" she suggested.
John nodded before watching Anna scurry off to say goodbye to the new friends she had made. He made his way outside of the pub, waiting for Anna on the stoop, rocking back and forth, hands stuffed into his pockets. It had been a sunny spring afternoon, but the night had cooled quickly and he was chilly as he waited for her.
Anna returned only a few minutes later, purse slung over her shoulder, "I'm ready now! Thanks for waiting for me."
John nodded simply, beginning to lead them back to the hotel, "Of course."
It was only a short walk back to the hotel and on the walk the pair chatted about their feelings on tomorrow's competition, but they hadn't revealed to each other what they would be baking. Although Anna felt as though she was becoming friends with John, it still felt awkward to discuss the competition with him.
John, ever the gentleman, walked Anna to the door of her room, secretly keeping note of the room number.
"This is me," she teased, pulling her room card out of her purse, "Thank you for walking with me. I appreciate it," she told him kindly.
"Get a good night's sleep, Anna," he said softly, "You'll have to be in top form tomorrow," he then teased her.
"I certainly will be! Don't you worry about that!" she laughed, the lock clicking as she slid her card through, "Good night, John," she wished him. And with that, she disappeared into her room, giving him one last smile before the door slammed shut.
He walked down the hallway to his own room feeling content with himself. Although he hadn't consumed any alcohol, he felt warm and bubbly, almost carefree, just as he would if he had a drink. Apparently spending time with Anna could do that to a man.
The next morning John waited for Anna outside the doors of the hotel, offering his arm to hold her bag as she stepped outside. She simply handed it to him and began to walk with him towards the bus, "Thank you, John," she chimed.
They boarded the bus and took the same seats as they had yesterday, across the aisle from each other, and John set Anna's tote bag beside her. Anna pushed it next to her so it sat against the window and so that she could sit on the edge of the seat and face John, "I feel rather strange that we're wearing the same clothes again today," she said, looking down at her blouse and jeans, "But that's television, I suppose," she shrugged.
John agreed with her, "Yes, it is odd. Did you sleep well last night? No hangover for you then?" he asked cheekily.
She scoffed, "No, no hangover for me, luckily. I only had two glasses last night, though. As for the other girls, I'm not sure they faired so well," she said, motioning over to Gwen and Phyllis who looked exhausted.
John glanced over at the other women and then back to Anna, "They must have stayed out later than us."
Anna nodded, "They did. They texted me and said they'd gotten back to the hotel around midnight," she explained.
"Well, good for them, I suppose. It certainly couldn't be me," he laughed, "Those days are past me, I think."
Anna rolled her eyes playfully, "Oh, nonsense. I'm sure you can hang with the best of them. Regardless, I think I agree with you. I've moved past my clubbing days, that's for sure. I just can't be bothered anymore- I'd much rather stay in and have a home cooked meal than get absolutely sloshed on cheap shots," she laughed.
John nodded in understanding, "That sounds more like an ideal evening," he agreed, "Do you cook too?" he asked curiously.
Anna laughed, shaking her head, "Not really, no. Everyone always thinks that because I can bake that I can also cook, but that isn't really the case. What about you?" she asked.
John shrugged, "I'm alright, I suppose. I get by, at least." He'd spent many years living alone and so he'd had to learn.
They continued to chat for the duration of the short bus ride and when they arrived at the tent again, John carried Anna's belongings for her, setting them on the counter of her station before continuing to his own. He left her with a, "Good luck," and a cheeky smile before the director began giving them directions for the day.
The hosts and judges walked into the tent, all of the contestants poised with perfect smiles in preparation for the cameras.
"Second day in the tent, glad everyone has decided to join us once again!" Matt joked as a greeting, resulting in a small collective chuckle from the bakers.
"For the showstopper challenge, our wonderful judges would like you to make a cake inspired by a cocktail. It's up to you whether or not you include alcohol in your ingredients, but it certainly can't hurt," Noel teased, "This cake should be at least two layers and decorated to perfection. You have three hours. Ready, set, bake!" he cheered.
Immediately the bakers got to work, the room going from still silence to an organized chaos as everyone moved through the motions of their recipes. Anna glanced over to John's station and he seemed as cool and confident as usual; last night they had briefly discussed the implications of today's challenge on his sobriety and he'd explained that he had checked in with his sponsor and he was confident in being able to handle it. Anna had assured him that if he needed it, he could speak with her about it if he liked, no matter the point in the competition, and with a shy but kind smile he told her he appreciated it. He wasn't used to be people immediately being so accepting and supportive about his addiction.
As Anna mixed together her cake batter, Paul and Prue approached her station to ask about her creation, "So, Anna, what will you be making for us today?" Prue asked.
"Something colorful, I presume?" Paul asked with eyebrows raised.
Anna laughed good-naturedly, "Yes, something colorful. Pink this time though, not green, so don't fret," she teased right back, "I recently had a blood orange mimosa while at brunch with some of my girlfriends, and so that's what inspired this cake," she explained.
"And the ever important question," Prue prompted, "Will there be any alcohol in it?" she asked.
Anna smiled, reaching to the side of her counter where she grabbed a bottle of champagne, "Yes, I'll be adding some champagne to the cake batter. It comes through faintly and I've found that it gives the cake a light and airy texture as well," she told them, "It won'y overtly taste like alcohol though, the main focus is on the blood orange."
Prue smiled encouragingly, "Well, I look forward to trying it."
With a curt nod, they moved on to John's station, "Tell us, John, about your showstopper," Paul requested as he glanced at his table of ingredients.
"Well," John started, "I'm sober, have been for a few years now and I'm very proud of that. I do like coffee though, and I know it's a popular drink now, so my cake will be based on an espresso martini," he told them.
"That's certainly something to be proud of," Prue assured him, a proud grin on her face, Paul even cracking a smile of his own, "How will the coffee be incorporated into the cake?" she asked curiously.
"Into the buttercream," John answered, "The cake will be brown sugar flavored and I'll be doing some praline pecans as well and some brown sugar whipped cream for the top."
"Sounds scrumptious!" Prue complimented him.
Throughout the three hours of baking, Anna tried her best to chat with John, but they were both so busy and focused she didn't get very many words in. She'd managed to send some encouragement his way, telling him, "Oh that looks fantastic!" and, "We've got this!" plenty of times. She thought he appreciated it, based on the kind smiles and shy blushes she received in response.
Their three hours were up and they now awaited the judging. The bakers stood at their kitchen stations, their creations placed proudly on the countertops. Paul and Prue were introduced once again and the first baker brought their cake up to the center table to be judged. It seemed to Anna that they were being more critical in their comments this round, which she supposed made sense considering this was meant to be the 'showstopper' round. She was proud of her cake though and had high hopes for its judging.
John listened to the judges criticize and praise the other contestants, but he tried not to let it bother and bristle him. He wanted to focus on his own performance and not anyone else's.
It was now Anna's turn and she carried her cake carefully to the judging table at the front. Once it was set down, she took a step back, nervously wringing her hands together as she awaited to comments.
"Oh Anna, this just looks lovely, like it would be at a bridal shower or brunch. It's beautiful," Prue started, complimenting the delicate baby pink icing and candied blood oranges adorning the top as decoration.
Paul nodded in agreement, "I do like it, it's very neat. Simple, clean." It didn't exactly sound like a compliment, but Anna knew it was. She didn't want to get her hopes up yet though as they hadn't even tasted it.
Paul cut a slice of the cake, admiring the solid and even layers as he did so, before they both took small bites. Anna watched as Prue's face transformed into a smile, "Oh, Anna, this is delightful. It's light and airy, just as you promised, and I do get a small hint of the champagne flavor. Though I'd like it to come through a little more, that might just be me," she laughed, Anna grinning along with her.
"I do like it. The blood orange is strong and the cake is moist. I just feel like it's missing something. Another dimension of flavor maybe, like rosemary or cardamom," he pointed out. "It's a lovely cake as is, I just wish it was a little more interesting," Paul admitted.
Anna nodded, shining from the compliments, "Thank you so much. I'll be sure to consider that from now on."
John gave her a charming smile as she walked back to her station and Anna blushed, unused to all the praise.
It was now John's turn and he slowly walked his cake up to the judging podium, setting it down gently. His definitely wasn't as polished as Anna's and he considered it to be a little rustic, but still pleasant looking. The espresso gave the icing a warm light brown hue and he'd left it textured as opposed to smoothed like Anna's. The brown sugar whipped cream had been left artfully messy as well and the praline pecans had been sprinkled on top.
"It looks inviting," Prue commented. John wasn't sure if that was a backhanded compliment or not, "Like I could devour it on a crisp autumn night curled up with a blanket in the back garden."
Paul seemed to disagree, "I do wish it looked a little more finished, but it doesn't look bad by any means. Let's taste it, shall we?"
He cut a slice and counted the layers, noting the spongy texture of the cake as well. As he took a bite, Paul commented, "It's perfectly moist, and I love that espresso buttercream."
Prue nodded, "Yes, that coffee gives it a great kick. I love the crunch of the praline pecans as well, that's a nice touch. Very well done, John," she smiled.
John gave a curt nod and a simple, "Thank you," before collecting his cake and returning to his station. That had gone well, he supposed. Only time would tell.
After all of the cakes had been judged- commentary ranging from cakes being much too dry and crumbly to wet, under-baked, and stodgy, flavors being much too strong or much too absent, and lackluster decoration- Paul and Prue went off to finalize their decisions while the bakers gathered outside of the tent awaiting the results.
John found Anna almost immediately, "Congratulations. They loved yours," he told her.
She gave a bashful shrug of her shoulders, though she knew it was true, "I suppose they liked it alright. Don't act like they didn't enjoy yours too. Paul was so complementary and he rarely is," she pointed out, "I bet you're in line for star baker," she added.
John scoffed, "I wouldn't go that far. I did just fine and I'm happy with what I made," he told her.
Just as Anna was about to scold him for his self-deprecating comments, the director called them all back into the tent.
"Bakers!" Matt started, "Congratulations on completing your first weekend in the tent! It's been such a blast having you all with us so far."
"This week, I have been given the privilege of announcing our first star baker," Noel began, "This baker impressed with their perfectly piped loaf cakes, almost mastered Prue's classic carrot cake, and despite the lack of alcohol in their cocktail cake, they managed to convince Prue of its merits nonetheless. Congratulations, John! You are this week's star baker!"
Anna's face lit up at the announcement, excitedly turning towards him and clapping with glee as the man beside John, Alfred, patted him on the back in support and congratulations.
A young man by the name of Andy Parker had been eliminated this week, but Anna had hardly noticed with how proud of John she was. It was strange, she reflected, that she hadn't known John for very long and yet she felt as though he was already a close friend and confidant.
After everyone had both congratulated John and sympathized for Andy, the crowd began to thin out as everyone packed their things. The director had given them instructions for next weekend's competition, and with that they began to head home. Anna had seen John mingling with the judges, but now he was nowhere to be found, and she had wanted to speak with him before they both traveled back to London separately.
She found him out in the carpark, loading his bags into his trunk, "John!" she called out, waving to him.
He looked up from his task and upon seeing Anna, lit up in a soft smile, "Anna," he breathed before she spoke.
"Thought you'd make your escape without saying goodbye to me?" she teased him.
He stuttered, shaking his head, "No, no, of course not, I-"
Anna laughed, "John, John- I was only joking. Don't worry," she tried to reassure him.
He let out a sigh of relief, "I wasn't trying to disappear from you, I promise. I only needed a break from all the attention. I'm not used to it," he laughed.
She chuckled, "Well anyway, I just wanted to say goodbye before you head back to London," she started, "I'm glad to have made friends with you this weekend. It's unbelievable we've not met before, with all of our mutual friends," she commented.
John nodded, agreeing with her, "I'm glad too. I'm happy we'll both be back next weekend," he grinned.
"Yes! If you need anything during the week, don't hesitate to text me," she reassured him, "Have a safe drive back!" she wished.
As John climbed into his car and started his drive back to London, he couldn't wipe the grin off of his face. He didn't easily make friends, but he felt certain he had found one in Anna. Of course it had also passed his mind that she was absolutely gorgeous, but the last thing he needed was for her to be scared off by his advances, so he promised himself he would keep their interactions innocent and strictly within the bounds of friendship.
As Anna drove, she called Mary, happily telling her about finally meeting John and how lovely he was. Mary hadn't heard Anna this excited over a man in ages and teased her for it. Anna scoffed and shook her head, insisting that he was simply a friend and a familiar face, but for the remainder of the drive, she pondered the potential of romance between the two of them. It was a pleasing thought, she decided, but she did her best to push it to the back of her mind for the time being. The last thing she needed at the moment was a romantic relationship in the middle of the competition. Maybe one day, though, they could pursue one, and she was satisfied with that.
Wow, that was a long one! I'm sorry for the long delay, but between work and all of the elements I wanted to include in this chapter, it took me forever to finish. I tried to include scenes from the show, actual baking, and interactions between John and Anna- I hope I'm doing their characters justice! The forthcoming chapters will hopefully be a bit shorter- I still haven't completed decided where I want to go with the plot LOL. Apologies for any grammar errors as well!
As for the plot- yes, I did decide to have Carson and Hughes as Anna's parents- I've read some stories with that dynamic and have loved it! I know their last names are different- you can fill in that plot hole yourself or I may bring it up later, haha.
Thank you so much if you've read this far and feel free to comment, chat about headcanons in this AU or otherwise, and message me any time!