Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs

Author:Kate Jacobs
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2010-09-29T04:00:00+00:00

16

In no time at all, the message boards on the CookingChannel Web site were overrun with viewers trying to suss out if the girl in the hoodie really was Hannah Joy Levine, one-time Wimbledon champion forever banned from tennis.

It was the first question Alan asked when he called, barely two minutes after they went off the air. Not a “Hey, you all okay?” or even a “Don’t worry about the damage” for Gus. Nope. He moved right in to the big question: How come no one had told him Hannah Joy Levine worked on his camera crew?

“She’s doesn’t work for us, Alan.”

“It’ll be great to have her on the air.”

“Uh, she still doesn’t work for us.”

“I don’t get it,” Alan said, his voice breaking up slightly over the phone. He was probably in his car. “Surely she hasn’t been hiding out in Gus Simpson’s cupboards for over a decade?”

“No, they’re neighbors.”

“Well, having Hannah Joy Levine on Gus’s last show would have been a huge help when the ratings were in the toilet.”

“I’ll be sure to pass along your message of concern,” Porter said, giving Gus the a-okay sign.

“Well, whatever,” Alan said to Porter. “This is like finding Amelia Ear-hart. Al Capone’s vault. Following up with the kids from Diff’rent Strokes. It’s beautiful.”

“No, no one had smoke inhalation.” Porter faked a chuckle as though he was reassuring his boss.

Alan ignored Porter’s running patter. “The important thing is how we’re going to play it. Get that Hannah signed to something, then start running promos about our new mystery guest on Eat Drink and Be. Is she or isn’t she you-know-who? I’m just going to sit back and count the ratings.”

Hannah appeared shaken when Porter expressed Alan’s personal “invitation” to be on the air and looked plaintively at Gus.

“This is turning into a freaking circus,” Carmen yelled before Gus could speak, slamming pots around for effect. “No, no, no! I am not having one more person on this damn show. Alan promised me he’d put me on television, and instead I’ve got half a show and a team of idiots who don’t know what they’re doing!”

“Oh, I don’t think so, my dear,” said Gus. “I’m the one who’s been stuck with the idiot. They’ve clearly brought you to me because you couldn’t hold your own program.” She lowered her voice and spoke slowly. “No one with any sense would make octopus in their very first episode of a new series.”

“I don’t care about middle of the road,” said Carmen. “I want to be creative.”

“There’s creative, and then there’s experimental,” said Gus. “Open a restaurant and experiment all you want, but not on my show. We’re lucky any viewers came back after putting on that octopus salad.”

“Well, if they did watch tonight, then they picked a heck of a night,” shouted Carmen. “We nearly had a fantastic episode—for once you weren’t messing it up! But then your frowny little daughter ruined it with her fire starter routine.”

She ran over to Aimee and grabbed her

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