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Layla
If Axel truly believed that he could force me to stop seeing Chef Mac, he was, indeed, delusional. How dare he try to control my life that way. How dare he tell me how to live my life.
The very next day, as I spotted Mac outside his classroom, I noticed Axel coming down the hall.
You think you can control me? I silently told Axel. Well, watch this.
I sauntered up to Mac, a lascivious smile on my lips and a come-fuck-me sway to my hips. I looked intently into his eyes, all while acutely aware of Axel’s approach in my periphery.
“Hey, beautiful,” Mac said as he snaked an arm around my waist.
“I’ve spent all morning just reliving what you did to me last night,” I said, just as Axel got within earshot. “You drive me crazy, you know that? I just can’t get enough of what you do to me.”
As I leaned in to kiss Mac, Axel walked by, his jaw tight and his fists tighter. Smiling, I gave in to the kiss and silently promised to show Axel even more of my affections for Mac.
Over the course of the week, I continued to flaunt my relationship with Chef Mac every chance I got. Axel deserved it. I could see how it was affecting him, and he deserved every ounce of discomfort. He deserved having my relationship thrust in his face, and then some.
And I was more than willing to continue.
By the time the second round of the competition rolled around, I could tell that Axel was growing more and more tense. My relationship with Mac was really getting to him.
I arrived at the huge competition tent before Axel. I felt relaxed and confident, despite not knowing what I was up against. This past week, Chef Mac had forced me out of my comfort zone and had made me use spices that I’d never even heard of.
I’d grown particularly fond of saffron and juniper berries and hoped that the day’s competition would lend itself well to the use of them.
Only minutes after my arrival, I saw Axel slowly making his way into the tent. He had an expression on his face that I’d never seen. He appeared troubled and tired.
Just as with the first round, his workstation was beside mine. He barely looked at me as he made his way over, but I could clearly see the tightening of his jaw. It had almost become a permanent feature on his face.
As we stood stiffly beside each other, each trying to ignore the other, the tension between us was almost palpable. My God, how he affected me.
Finally, the other contestants streamed in and went to their workstations. Then Terry Bishop strolled in, smiling and waving at everyone like a big time celebrity.
He once again introduced the judges. Candace Donner and Beatrice Jankles sat on one side of him while Denis Fitzgibbons and Francois Bellavance sat on the other. They all smiled and nodded, ready to give their expert opinions on the dishes we were about to prepare.
“For today’s challenge,” Terry said. “We ask that you prepare a flavorful rice that is to be served with a relatively bland piece of pork. You can use any type of rice that you wish, but we want the rice to be the star, enhancing the simple piece of meat that you’ll be asked to work with. Put your seasoning knowledge to the test and... begin!”
Everyone raced to the pantry, picking up various items, some of them clearly hording more than they could possibly need. While I was focused on what I want to take, I couldn’t help but notice how Axel deliberately steered clear of me, not even coming down the same aisle that I was in.
I shrugged it off, got my little basket of ingredients ready and headed back to my workstation to begin.
The heat was more stifling than it had been for the first round, making concentrating a little more difficult, but with more than enough time to spare, my dish was well on its way.
While chopping some fresh garlic and chives, I shot a sidelong glance at Axel and noticed how he was struggling. It wasn’t like him, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I was responsible.
I shoved the thought to the back of my mind and concentrated on my dish, and in the end, I made it through to the next round.
Despite Axel’s distracted demeanor, he also made it through to the next round.
