Free The Bake Off by Susan Willis Page A

frosting was creative and bang-on trend.’
    The school children in the audience cheered and whistled while Gemma grinned back at them.
    ‘And lastly, Nicola,’ Jessica said. ‘I thought the flavour in your Sicilian lemon tart was absolutely sublime.’
    Another huge round of applause made Nicola’s legs tremble. She remembered how euphoric she’d felt the last two times when she’d won, and prayed it would happen again because it would be even more special with Jay and Susan watching.
    With a dramatic flourish David gestured into the camera. ‘And now everyone, we will reveal the winner of the bake off.’
    The camera swung between Simon, Gemma and Nicola – as she held her breath. Her heart was hammering – she closed her eyes and prayed, please let it be me, please say my name, David. I want the award and the dinner date with you so much.
    ‘And the winner is…’ he said.
    Counting-down music blared from the loudspeakers while everyone in the room stared at him in silence gripped with anticipation. Nicola couldn’t hold her breath any longer – oh please, she begged, just say my name.
    ‘It’s, GEMMA ,’ he cried jubilantly.
    The whole of Nicola’s body seemed to crumble inside. Bitter disappointment flooded through her and she looked wildly at Simon who was standing with his mouth wide open in shock. She bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop tears filling her eyes – it was over, she moaned silently, she’d lost the bake off.
    Simon was slowly shaking his head and scratching his jaw while David and Jessica approached Gemma congratulating her and everyone in the room began to clap loudly with the schoolchildren chanting her name.

 
    The Winner and Loser of The Bake Off
     
    Gemma purred, ‘I can’t believe it – I’m totally speechless.’
    ‘It’s fully deserved,’ David replied. ‘You’ve been consistently good in every round and obviously saved your show-stopping lavender cake to the final – which was clearly the best bake of the day.’
    ‘Congratulations, my dear,’ Jessica said handing the silver award to Gemma.
    She took the award carefully in her hands and beamed at the children in the audience while they whooped and chanted her name. Two local press photographers asked her to step to the front of the stage and hold the award high above her head – which she did with a huge grin on her face. Then she was ushered down from the stage into the audience for more photographs with the schoolchildren around her.
    ‘That’s going to make headlines in the newspapers tomorrow morning,’ Simon whispered in Nicola’s ear. ‘I can just see it now – local school teacher bakes the best cake…’
    They’d been asked to form a semicircle in front of David and Jessica.
    Nicola was standing in between Thomas and Simon. ‘I suppose so,’ she muttered sadly. She swallowed back the tears and squinted at Gemma wishing with all her heart it could have been her. And, she thought enviously, not only did she have the award but she had a night at the Savoy to look forward to with David.
    David was smiling at them all now and repeated his words about how amazingly well they’d all done then handed Simon a scroll and envelope for third prize.
    Next, he stood in front of Nicola and laid a hand against his breastbone. ‘We’ve awarded second prize to our local librarian for her delicious lemon tart. Sorry, Nicola, but Gemma just pipped you to the post this time,’ he crooned softly.
    She clenched her fists behind her back wanting to scream and shout at him – why, oh why, did you choose her? Was it because of the mishap with the flour or was her cake really so much better than my tart?
    But with everyone clapping when Jessica handed her a scroll and envelope, she knew there was no alternative but to accept it gratefully, swallow her pride and give everyone a big smile.
    ***
    As they joined the audience at the back of the room for a glass of wine Susan and Jay hugged her and Simon introduced his