Chasing His Kickass Luna Back novel Chapter 248

Karl

The second round had left a bitter taste in my mouth. Seeing the way that the judge, Logan, tore into Abby on live television left me feeling maybe a little too overprotective, but I couldn’t just stand idly by while Abby had her integrity ripped apart on stage.

I told Abby I needed to take a call, but it was a complete lie. I needed to talk to this Logan, understand why he was being so harsh on Abby compared to the other contestants. And most of all, I needed to make him see the truth: that Abby was an excellent chef, undeserving of this treatment, and that her spices had been sabotaged.

The security guard outside the judges’ private room was a mountain of a man, his face impassive as I approached.

“Hello,” I said, adjusting my blue surgical mask slightly. “I’d like to speak with—”

“I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t go in there,” the security guard replied, his voice a low rumble. “Policy.”

“But I just need a moment with Judge Logan. It’s important,” I pleaded, trying to keep the urgency out of my voice.

Before the guard could refuse me again, the door cracked open and Logan’s piercing gaze found mine. His eyes searched me up and down for a moment, as though he were considering, before he finally nodded.

“It’s alright, let him in,” he said, and the guard stepped aside, albeit with a reluctant look on his face.

Logan’s presence was as commanding off stage as it was onstage, and the judges’ room felt small and thick with tension. Logan was the only judge inside, the other two likely off doing their own thing. I was relieved, because I wanted this to just be the two of us: man to man.

I closed the door behind me, turning to face Logan, who was regarding me with a mixture of curiosity and impatience.

“Ken, is it?” he asked.

I nodded, although that wasn’t my real name. It was the pseudonym that I had chosen for the day, and it was what I would stick with until this competition was over.

“What can I do for you, Ken?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

“I’ll be straight with you,” I began, my hands clasped behind my back to steady myself. “I’ve noticed something... a tension between you and Abby. On stage, your critiques seem more personal than with the other contestants. I want to understand, man to man, why it seems like you’ve got it out for her.”

Logan’s eyebrows lifted. “Did Abby send you?” he asked.

I shook my head vehemently. “No. She has no idea I’m even here. I wanted to talk to you in private.”

Logan looked at me for a moment, then leaned back against the table. “Ken, you’re assuming I dislike Abby, which couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said with a disarming calmness.

“That’s not the impression you give out there,” I countered, my voice tense. “The way you’ve been with her, it’s like she’s being singled out.”

He paused for a moment, considering. “Look, I know Abby has talent,” Logan continued. “Her flavors, when she actually gets them right, are some of the best I’ve tasted in this competition. And her techniques are pretty much spot on.”

“So what’s with the attitude, then?” I pressed. “Why are you so harsh with her, on live television, no less? You’re not nearly as strict with the other contestants.”

I clenched my fists, feeling a heat rise to my cheeks. “She’s not hiding, she’s running a business. And she’s good at it. You’ve got no idea the pressure she’s under.”

He laughed. “Pressure? I see two men doing the heavy lifting while she parades around like some sort of celebrity chef. She’s forgotten the heat, the rush, the essence of being a chef. She’s lost her passion, plain and simple.”

“That’s not true!” My voice echoed around the room, sounding foreign even to my own ears. “She lives for cooking. She’s put everything into this competition, into her career. You can’t dismiss her hard work.”

But Logan’s gaze was unyielding. “Well, I’m simply not seeing it. What I am seeing is potential wasted on someone who thinks managerial work is more important than the art of cooking.”

My skin prickled at his words. “She’s still a chef at heart, Logan. She belongs in the kitchen, sure, but she also has a business to run. Can’t you see that that’s passion too?”

Logan shook his head, his expression unchanging. “Passion wanes, Ken. And when it does, so does the talent. Abby needs to remember why she started cooking in the first place. She needs a wake-up call, and I’m not going to sugarcoat it.”

“You’re wrong about her,” I said through gritted teeth, my conviction roaring. “Abby’s more dedicated than anyone I know.”

Logan sighed and waved his hand, and there was a note of finality in the gesture. “Dedicated, maybe. But she needs to rekindle her passion if she expects to be a great chef. And until I see that… Well, then she’s got no chance of winning this competition.

I opened my mouth to retort, but before I could, Logan waved his hand dismissively and turned his back on me.

“See yourself out, Ken,” he said, settling back into his chair. “And next time you show up at the door, the security guard really will send you away.”