Wax

Thirty Five

A/N: I really didn't mean to take two weeks with this! ;-; IT WAS SO EXCITING I wanted to have this ALL out and didn't want it split into half because it wouldn't have achieved the same effect. So much food to write about. So much tension. So much EXCITE!! 

Also, the Baked Love proof copies just arrived perfectly :') I'll need to do the official release soon and the giveaway. I actually have no idea how the giveaway should be done. Maybe I'll have an additional chapter at the back of Baked Love on Wattpad to announce the release and then have participants just comment on it. I HONESTLY HAVE NO IDEA. I don't want to read compliments about Chip and Xander. HAHAHAHAAH -dies- 

Enjoy.

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[Vanilla]

There was something strange about being invited to a culinary school as a guest lecturer for a semester and then being offered a semi-permanent position at said school at the end of it but having no other choice but to turn them down.

Chen was the one who made the offer on the headmaster's behalf and factoring in Le Cordon Bleu's incredible reputation and known generosity towards valued members of their teaching staff, I knew he wasn't expecting the answer I gave.

"Is there a reason for this?" He pressed a little. "I know it's not the money, but if—"

"Oh it has nothing to do with the school, Chen. Or you. I mean, you know that but it seems I have a track record of turning down your requests and I assure you, they have everything to do with circumstances beyond your control," I reassured, hoping to lighten things up. "This is about the... this thing I'm doing. I'll be away for two months, at least. The semester's over but I can't afford to have anything else on my plate—GLACE is counting on me."

We were in his office on the third floor of the school's main building, having this conversation by a window that looked out onto Bloomsbury Square. Chen nodded as I explained the situation, raising a cup of coffee to his lips.

"I understand. The show's important. It's the lineup, isn't it? I can see how this opens doors for you and your company but I just... wanted to ask anyway. Your students have nice things to say about you, and your lectures nearly always have every seat filled."

I paused. "Well. Most of them are just there for the pictures. My face was all over culinary Twitter at some point." I'd kept my answer short, processing his earlier reference to the show and his seeming familiarity with it.

On one hand, it certainly demonstrated the sheer success of the production team's media campaigns and getting the word out but on the other... there was simply no reasonable explanation for Chen knowing about the contestants we've casted. After all, the preliminaries were shot merely two days ago. The lineup was not public and even guest invites had not been finalized.

"I'll leave it up to you," he raised his mug with a smile. "The position stays open."

"This is pretty much a repeat of you offering me a spot on your team during the cross-year event in school and I can only hope you've kicked the habit of putting people on the spot in front of an audience," I quipped in return, sipping my tea and looking like an absolutely buffoon with fogged-up glasses.

Chen had laughed, rolling his eyes. "You're forgetting that Cox basically sniped us out in the open just to get you on his team."

"Oh that was all luck, I assure you."