The Bee's Knees

Chapter 11

True to his word, Anna's grandpa drove her all the way to Baton Rouge to hand in her application for Sliced the next day. He'd told her parents he was taking her to help him pick up some fresh ingredients and run a couple other errands, which wasn't a lie since they'd be grocery shopping later. They just happened to be taking care of something else first.

The studio where Sliced was accepting applications also housed many of the Craving Channel's other shows like Cupcake Clash and Spice Showdown. Bakers and chefs of all ages filled the studio with the scents of freshly baked cookies, spicy seafood gumbo, and dozens of other delicious dishes that got Anna's mouth watering and her heart hammering.

She was really there, surrounded by chefs who had spent more time in the kitchen than she'd been alive. Sure she'd only be competing against other kids, but for once, she wouldn't be the only one who'd been baking ever since she could hold a spoon. Today she might even catch a glimpse of Ivan Volkov, the infamously irritable judge whose leering vulture could send even the most confident Sliced contestant home in tears.

"You'll do fine, Cupcake." Anna's grandpa gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as they followed signs to find where they were supposed to hand in her application. "Today, all you have to do is stand in line for a bit and give them some paperwork."

Even that proved to be intimidating for many of the children who had lined up to apply. Frogs hopped in circles, and spiders skittered over fidgeting fingers as their owners waited their turn. More than a few parents side-eyed the kids' critters, ready to corral quarreling companions at a moment's notice.

Anna's breath whooshed out of her in a relieved sigh as her bees' buzzing dulled to a steady hum. She wasn't the only applicant who was more than a little anxious.

But one had enough confidence for everyone else.

The boy in front of Anna crossed his arms and puffed out his chest as proudly as his rooster. Every inch of him from his neatly combed blond hair to his crumb-free apron exuded an air of quiet superiority. He couldn't have been much older than Anna, yet he refused to so much as glance at the other kids their age as if he'd already dismissed them as amateurs who could barely bake Betty Crocker.

The boy's gaze rested not on the table where potential contestants handed Sliced staff their applications but on the old man standing beside him. Anna had never seen someone with such an off-putting smile. There was a certain sharpness to it, matching his fox's fanged grin as it observed the other companions.

The instant the fox locked eyes with Bertrand, it yipped as if it had smelled a particularly juicy chicken.

The old man glanced over his shoulder, laughing as he caught sight of Anna's grandpa. "Fancy seeing you here, Isaac."

"Herb." Her grandpa spat out the name as if it was curdled milk. Bertrand growled softly. He never acted aggressive, not even when Anna climbed on top of his back, yet there he was with a low rumble building in his throat.

"You know him?" Anna squinted as she glanced between the two of them. Whoever this guy was, he didn't look familiar to her.

Herb put a hand to his chest in mock hurt. "He never told you about me?"

"What's there to tell anyone? You ditched me when I needed you most." Anna had never seen her grandpa so mad, his jaw twitching as his grip on her hand tightened. "If you're trying to get your old job back, the answer is no."

Herb's fox wagged its tail. "I don't need it. Business has been booming, and once my grandson wins Sliced, we'll be doing even better. Wouldn't expect anything less from a Voorhees. Ain't that right, Connor?"