Ashna’s French training meant pastries were Rico’s new weakness. They still hadn’t made it to the top of the scoreboard with the judges. Mostly because Disney Danny cooked like someone who had been covertly training to be a chef for years and was at least as good as his chef, but also because Rico had put too much mayo on the sandwiches and chopped the fruit like an amateur, which, hello, he was. Ashna’s reaction had been to tell the judges that as far as she was concerned Rico had already proven his knife skills. Another viral moment.

P. T. Cruiser had been the second star to be eliminated. The street food challenge had felled her when the undercooked beans in her chili dog had almost taken out a judge’s fillings. Lilly, who cooked like a southern grandma, had been eliminated last week. Inexplicably, Ashna had teared up.

Today, in an unexpected move, the judges had announced that they could not fairly eliminate one of the three remaining contestants, so Rico, Song, and Danny, and their chefs would be competing in a three-way final.

Jonah left Ashna to come to Rico and informed him that the internet was overwhelmingly delighted that #Ashico had made it to the finals.

“There you are!” Song jogged up to Rico, as soon as Jonah moved on, and threw her arms around him, hugging him a little too hard, and then holding on.

They were in the lounge and Ashna was talking to China.

Song threw a look at Ashna that lacked its usual warmth. “You were spectacular today. Can you two go a little easy on the rest of us?”

Rico caught a flash of something too close to hurt in Ashna’s eyes when she saw Song hanging on to his arm.

Was Zee right? Did Song think Rico had feelings for her other than fondness and friendship?

Did Ashna?

China and Ashna walked up to them. Granted, she was Ashna’s friend, but the look China threw Song was filled with all sorts of shade. It made Song cling harder to Rico.

“Good job today, all of you,” China said with a stiffness he hadn’t seen her display before.

“Thank you,” Song said, mirroring China’s stiffness before letting go of Rico and sauntering off.

“Well then,” China said, turning to the two of them with her warmth reinstated. “You were both spectacular! To literally no one’s surprise.”

She waved them over into her office, possibly to avoid any perceived favoritism. Although, whatever had just happened did not help that cause. Usually the set had a cozy familial feel with many of the producers, chefs, and celebrities being old friends and longtime colleagues. Plus, the network was seeing the highest ratings in its history, so no one cared much about who showed Ashna and Rico favoritism.