Kelly closed the door to her office and plopped into her chair. It would be just like Andrew to ask so many questions that he’d trip her up. She got out of there just in the nick of time.

Glad that was all behind her, she pulled out a legal pad. She turned the pad wide and started heading columns. Signature recipes. Undisclosed ingredients. Fast but Fabulous. Showdown original.

She started going through her recipe list, trying to figure out which recipes she should cite as her signature dishes if asked. She needed two in case one of the other rounds was perfect for the other recipe. Or, even more importantly, if she learned something from a judge in a round that made one of the recipes less appealing. Maybe she needed three signature recipes in her back pocket.

Being prepared for any scenario would make things a lot less stressful. Even if it might cause her to go bonkers now.

If she made it to the final round, she’d have to use a completely original recipe. That was easy. Her Triple-Layer Honey Almond Cake with Berries was hands-down her favorite dessert to make and the one most people were impressed by. She could make it in her sleep, the perfect situation for baking under pressure. Plus, the dish lent itself to something pretty and Valentines-y with the red strawberries and toppings. A winner for sure.

Sara poked her head in following a double-knock at her office door.

“Hey, come in.”

“So, mission accomplished. The RBA convention worked?”

“It did. However, I moved it to Orlando. Hopefully she won’t look it up.” She pulled her lips together. “How bad is it if you get caught lying about your lie? She wanted to make it a girls’ trip since Atlanta is close enough to drive. I had to do something. I told her I won a contest and they’re flying me down.”

Sara shrugged. “If she figures it out, just claim it’s an exclusive one, by invitation only.”

“I’m not sure if I should be impressed or worried by how quickly you can make up a story.”

Sara giggled. “Impressed. I always wanted to be a novelist. Just can’t sit still long enough to type all those words.”

“That explains it.”

“While you were working on your cover story, I worked on a little something last night to help.” Sara fanned out a pile of orders.

“What is all of that?”

“Fake orders. Things you can practice with so no one notices what you’re working on. Look. I wrote all the names in purple ink and highlighted the delivery stuff in pink. That’s our code that they’re fake orders just in case they end up lying around or fall into the wrong hands.”

“This is a real battle plan.” She nodded, impressed by the effort. “You’ve thought of everything.”

“Trying to help. I made them tough too. So, good luck.”