Free Edible Espionage by Shaunna Owens Page A

what I’m making and I’ve practiced already. I just need to mix more Zagic this afternoon and I’ll be set.”
    “Can I help you? I feel like I’ll just stand there and look pretty.” He flashed his mega-watt smile.
    “Exactly.” The edges of her lips started to lift.
    “Seriously? I’m there to help. So let me help.” He stepped toward her.
    “You will. I’ll tell you what I need when I need it.” She tapped her hand on the broadness of his firm chest as she stood.
    “Hmm. There is a better way to go about this. What did you and Fiona do last year?”
    “Doesn’t matter. This is how I want to do things this year. Make sure to look over this entire packet so you know the rules,” she said over her shoulder as she walked across the lab. You know, the things most people play by and win fair and square.
    “Don’t you want to win again? Let me help.” He followed.
    “Help me win?” Her voice sharp, she spun. “ You will help me win? That’s rich.” She shook her head and looked to the ground. When she searched his surprised stare, she felt her jaw muscles relax. “That was uncalled for,” she spoke in a rush, her tone harsher than her expression. “I’m stressed, sorry. Please just be here to meet me in the morning and we can talk about a plan on the drive. The baking will be okay. Really.”
    ****
    Gavin picked the back lock to Crazy for Cake with a Leatherman under the cover of darkness. He had closed the bakery for the night with Sarah present, not giving him a chance to nab the so-called Zagic. What is so secret about baking cookies? These people act like it’s life and death. How in the world did I let myself get reduced to stealing baking secrets? This is a new low.
    He’d made sure to be in and out of The Lab while Sarah mixed the ingredients and noted she put the newly made concoction back in the red ceramic jar. With only the light from his flashlight, he fumbled through the counter contents. Where did she put it? He spotted the boxes Sarah packed for the competition. He opened the one labeled ingredients and saw the red jar sat right on top. He retrieved the sandwich bag from his jacket pocket and dumped in half the contents. She’ll be so busy she won’t notice. By his calculations, half would be enough for three batches of cookies for Lexington and still leave Sarah enough. He planned to slip the bag to Mr. Lexington when they arrived for the competition.
    Recipe cards lying among the spices, dried fruit, and chocolate caught his attention as he put back the jar. I thought she didn’t write them down. He picked up the white cards, shining his flashlight over them and read: mango pepper, rhubarb pecan, and pineapple basil. His stomach flipped with excitement, and possibly a little out of guilt. This is what she plans to make.
    Gavin stood in the kitchen, recipes in hand. He should take them, after all, these recipes were what Mr. Lexington was paying him for. Securing Sarah’s competitive edge was the entire point of him arriving before the competition. Being a skilled operator, he could have easily sabotaged her station from afar. The point of him infiltrating Crazy for Cake ahead of time was for this type of information. Secret ingredients, recipes…exactly what Mr. Lexington wanted. So, why the hesitation? She’s not even into you. Take the damn recipes.
    ****
    The next morning, Gavin arrived right on time.
    Sarah had beaten him by twenty minutes to check her suspicions. Sure enough…the red jar and recipes had been tampered with. He’d taken half of the Zagic. Her blood boiled as she stared into the box. Somehow, she’d managed to convince a small part of herself Gavin actually liked her and would give up on his task. Sadly, she’d been wrong.
    He is getting what he deserves.
    With quick moves, she retrieved the correct mixture of Zagic from her purse and dumped the contents of the red jar in the trash. She refilled the jar with the real Zagic and returned it to the box.