“Yeah, Dahls,” Cath said. “Give the people what they want.”
Dahlia laughed, just a little, through her tears. Oh. She hadn’t realized she was crying.
“No,” she said. “This should just be for them.” She sniffled, wiped her eyes. And then she gave Cath and Barbara a hug in turn.
“I have to go,” she said. “Thank you both for being you.”
And Dahlia hustled down the risers, away from the blinding lights.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Julie took the flute of champagne out of London’s hands.
“But that’s only my second one!” they protested. Surely, winning Chef’s Special warranted more than one and a half flutes of champagne.
Rolling her eyes, Julie dragged London out of the crowded bar. She didn’t let go until they reached the parking lot.
London frowned. “Where are we going?” They gasped. “Julie, do you have weed ?” They hadn’t sneaked away from a family gathering to smoke together since college.
“No, London, I do not have weed. God, how much champagne did you actually have?”
“Not enough. It’s just the endorphins. From, you know, winning Chef’s Special.”
“Dear lord.” Julie stopped in front of the Nissan. “You are going to be positively insufferable now, aren’t you?”
London grinned. “Only around you.”
“Get in, asswipe.”
“Wait. Where are we going?” London asked again, but they were already clicking in their seat belt.
Julie glanced at her phone before tossing it in the cup holder.
“You’re needed back on set for something.”
“What?” London threw their head back with a groan. “I thought I was done with that place! They better have cleaned up the glitter. Wait, are you taking me back there just to torment me with more glitter? It’s weird, but also feels like something you would do.”
Julie shook her head, eyes on the road.
London turned in their seat. They squinted at her.
“Why are you being so quiet? What secret are you hiding?”
Julie bit her lip.
London squinted harder.
“Hmm. Everyone in our family knows how bad you are at hiding secrets. So who would . . . ?”
London gasped. And smacked their twin sister in the arm.
“Ow!” she shouted, rubbing her bicep. “Jeez, London. Don’t kill us before we even get there.”
“It’s her, isn’t it? I saw you talking to her this morning. Are you like, friends or something? What the fuck.”
Julie just smirked.
London faced forward again, rubbing their temples. Their stomach flip-flopped.
She had disappeared, after the cameras turned off and they could finally look for her. It had left them feeling unsettled, disappointed, but then Ahmed was hugging them, and Cath was smacking them on the back, and they were being introduced to all the former winners of Chef’s Special, and their family was whisking them away and plying them with champagne.
Julie came to a stop outside the gate to the studio lot. She turned to smile at them.
“Go get her, London.”
Their hands shook as they undid their seat belt. They were halfway out the door when Julie called out to them again. London looked back.
“Yeah?”
“She seems cool. Don’t be a doofus.”
“I hate you.” They slammed the car door shut. And leaned back inside the open window. “But also, you know I love you, right?”
“Oh my god,” Julie waved an arm. “Go!”
So they did. London sprinted through the gate, down the sidewalk, past jacaranda trees, fizzy champagne bubbles coursing through their veins, until they reached sound stage three. They ripped open the door. Ran until they reached the wooden archway where they had first met.
They paused, wheezing slightly, leaning over to catch their breath. Finally, gathering themself, they straightened, and for the actual last time, stepped onto the set of Chef’s Special.
And that was when time stopped.
The pause in the universe allowed all the remaining bruised, healing pieces inside London to rush together again, until miraculously, their entire body relaxed, and they felt whole.
Dahlia let out a small squeak. She tried to quickly pull off her dirty apron, although of course it got stuck in her hair, which was up in its signature bun. After a moment, she untangled herself, the bird’s nest on her head only thrown slightly askew, and she threw the yellow apron to the side. She nervously patted down her skirt.
See you soon.