On the Cutting Board

The board behind the judges lit up with scores:

Creativity: 6/10
Flavor: 5/10
Presentation: 6/10
Use of Ingredients: 7/10
Total: 24/40

"Only a five in flavor?" Sara questioned, channeling her prior rage towards her mediocre score. "How?"

"It was a bit much sometimes," Kendra offered. "Your dessert was amazin', but the other two left a bit to be desired. Good, yes, but not great."

"But…but the shrimp was cooked perfectly!" Sara insisted, her voice rising slightly. "And the salad was…vibrant!"

Turner cleared his throat, attempting to inject a note of diplomacy into the conversation. "The shrimp was indeed cooked well," he conceded. "But the chili…it overpowered the delicate flavor of the seafood."

"And the salad," Becca added, her voice laced with a hint of caution, "while visually appealing, was…a bit overwhelming. The chili and the lime…it was a bit of a sensory ****."

"A sensory ****?" Sara scoffed, her voice laced with indignation. "It was a culinary adventure!"

"An adventure into the fiery depths of chili hell," Georgia purred, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "But hey, at least it was memorable."

"So…so what?" Sara asked, her voice trembling slightly. "I'm just…I'm just not good enough?"

"Good enough?" Kendra scoffed, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Darlin', you're a **** of nature. You just need to learn to…channel that energy. And maybe lay off the spice."

"Channel my energy?" Sara repeated, her voice laced with confusion. "How?"

"That, dear," Kendra said, her voice laced with a hint of mystery, "is somethin' you're gonna have to figure out for yourself. Now, let's move on to Emma."

Creativity: 4/10
Flavor: 5/10
Presentation: 6/10
Use of Ingredients: 1/10
Total: 16/40

Emma's lower lip trembled as she stared at the scores displayed on the screen. "Sixteen," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "That's…that's terrible."

"Emma, hon'," Kendra said, her voice laced with a hint of gentle reprimand. "Considerin' how…simple your dish was, this is generous. You played it safe, and safe don't win cookin' competitions."

"But…but I thought simple was good," Emma stammered, her voice thick with unshed tears. "I thought…I thought you'd appreciate the…the subtlety."

"Subtlety is an art," Georgia purred, her eyes gleaming with a hint of amusement. "But you, darlin', you painted with watercolors when we asked for oil."

"I…I just didn't want to overdo it," Emma whispered, her voice laced with a hint of desperation. "I didn't want to…to make a mistake."

Turner, his expression softening, leaned forward slightly. "Emma," he said, his voice gentle. "Listen, I know that wasn't what you were hoping for, but…look, for what it's worth, I liked your food. It just didn't live up to what Kendra and Georgia expected. You were safe, and didn't use the things that were required."

"Liked it?" Emma repeated, her voice laced with a hint of disbelief. "But…but you gave me a five!"

"I personally didn't," Turner clarified, his voice laced with a hint of regret. "Again, I liked your food. The fish was cooked perfectly, but the vegetables were…lacking. They needed…something. A spark. A touch of…excitement."

"But…but I'm not like you," Emma whispered, her voice laced with a hint of despair. "I'm not…I'm not bold. I'm not…exciting."

"Not exciting?" Turner scoffed. "Emma, do you even know what it's like spending a day with you? You're a constant firecracker. I never know what's going to come next, your spontaneity is...infectious, amazing, and definitely exciting. Don't you dare say you're not exciting."

"But…but those are just moments," Emma stammered, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I'm not like that all the time."

"Maybe not all the time," Turner conceded, his voice softening. "But it's there. It's inside you. And you need to let it out. Especially in the kitchen. Because cooking isn't just about following recipes. It's about expressing yourself. It's about…passion."

"Passion?" Emma repeated, her voice laced with a hint of doubt. "I don't know if I have any."

"Of course you have passion!" Turner insisted, his voice laced with conviction. "Trust me, I've known you for years, and I've seen your passionate nature. You just need to find what ignites yours. And maybe add a little more vanilla next time." He added, with a small smile.

Kendra, who had been watching the exchange with a mixture of amusement and curiosity, cleared her throat. "Alright," she announced, her voice laced with a hint of gentle impatience. "As heartwarmin' as this lil' pep talk is, we have a competition to judge. And Charlotte is waitin'. Let's move on, shall we?"

"Right," Emma whispered, her gaze still fixed on Turner with newfound confidence. "Right. Thank you."

"That's the spirit, darlin'," Kendra said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Now, Charlotte. Let's see if your…forward approach paid off."

Creativity: 8/10
Flavor: 9/10
Presentation: 9/10
Use of Ingredients: 10/10
Total: 36/40

"Thirty-six!" Charlotte exclaimed, her voice a husky purr, her eyes fixed on Becca. "That's…that's almost perfect."

"Almost," Kendra drawled, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. "But not quite. You certainly embraced the ingredients, darlin'. And they…embraced you in return. But there's always room for improvement."

"Improvement?" Charlotte echoed, her voice laced with a hint of playful challenge. "How?"

"Well," Georgia purred, her eyes gleaming with predatory delight. "Perhaps a little more…spice? A little more…heat?"

"Heat?" Charlotte repeated, her gaze shifting to Abby, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I think I have plenty of heat already."

Turner, caught off guard by Charlotte's statement, stammered, "Uh…your…your cake was delicious. Really delicious. The best dessert I've had all day."

A wave of intense arousal washed over Charlotte, her breath hitching slightly. "Delicious?" she echoed, her voice a breathy whisper. "I'm glad you liked it. I put a lot of…effort into it."

"And the presentation," Becca added, her voice laced with a hint of awe. "It was…stunning. A true work of art."

"You succeeded," Turner assented. "You really did."

Another wave of arousal washed over Charlotte, her body tingling on the edge, just needing that little push, but Kendra of course had to step in.

"Charlotte, darlin'," Kendra interrupted, her voice laced with amusement. "As much as I'm enjoying this little…flirtation, we have a competition to judge. And we're not even halfway through."

"I-ri-can I just...I'm a little dis-distracted," Charlotte stuttered.

"Distracted?" Kendra echoed, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "By what, hon'? The chocolate? The vanilla? Or…something else?"

Charlotte didn't answer with a definite answer, just moaning softly.

"Well," Kendra said, her voice laced with a hint of playfulness. "Try to keep your distractions under control. We still have a lot of dishes to discuss. Such as Lana's...whatever that was."

Creativity: 3/10
Flavor: 2/10
Presentation: 4/10
Use of Ingredients: 5/10
Total: 14/40

"What a surprise," Lana rolled her eyes. "Getting screwed over in another challenge so I'm gonna have more severe transformations this upcoming round. You know your M.O. is pretty thinly veiled, right Kendra?"

"My...I think you're mistaken, dear," Kendra held a hand to her chest. "I'm not try'na get you in these low placements. Your performance this time was just...poor. Did ya' really expect to get a high score with that...burnt...thing?"

"It wasn't burnt!" Lana protested, her voice rising slightly. "It was…charred. Deliberately charred! For flavor!"

"Flavor of ash and despair," Georgia purred, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "A bold choice, even for you, darlin'."

"And the presentation," Kendra added, her voice laced with a hint of pity. "It looked like…a garden after a wildfire."

"A garden of…artistic expression!" Lana insisted, indignantly. "You just don't understand my vision!"

"Your vision of culinary Armageddon?" Georgia asked, raising her eyebrow. "I think we understood it perfectly."

"You're all just…philistines!" Lana exasperatedly declared. "You don't appreciate true artistry!"

"True artistry usually involves edible food, Lana," Kendra said, her voice laced with a hint of gentle reprimand. "Not…carbonized vegetables."

"But I used the ingredients!" Lana protested. "I avoided the chili! That's…that's something, right?"

"Avoidin' the chili is like avoidin' a train wreck," Kendra drawled. "It's not exactly a culinary achievement. Plus, in this market, I think it'd behoove you to use a dash more."

"But…but I tried!" Lana exclaimed, her voice laced with a hint of despair. "I really did!"

"We know you did, darlin'," Kendra said, slightly condescending. "And we appreciate the effort. But sometimes, effort isn't enough. You need…skill. And maybe a fire extinguisher."

"A fire extinguisher?" Lana repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. "That's…that's not funny!"

"It would have helped your dish," Georgia commented, with a sly grin.

"Look," Becca said, her voice laced with a hint of gentle encouragement. "We know you have potential, Lana. You just need to…find your culinary voice. And maybe take a few cooking classes."

"Cooking classes?" Lana scoffed, her voice laced with indignation. "I'm not a beginner!"

"Hey now," Turner stepped into the line of fire between the two Southern women and a **** Lana. "We don't need all this."

"Dear," Kendra said, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she turned to Turner. "We've all seen her dishes. She's practically a culinary toddler. But don't worry, we're here to help her grow. Now, let's move on to Kathryn."

Creativity: 4/10
Flavor: 1/10
Presentation: 9/10
Use of Ingredients: 7/10
Total: 21/40

"Twenty-one?" Kathryn growled, her eyes narrowing. "That's…insulting. Especially after my…performance."

"Performance?" Kendra echoed. "Darlin', you straddled Turner. That's not a performance, that's a…public disturbance."

"It was a culinary expression of…passion!" Kathryn insisted, her voice thick with barely suppressed desire. "A raw, unfiltered display of…honey-induced ecstasy!"

Turner stammered, his cheeks flushing crimson. "I…I wouldn't call it that."

"I would," Georgia purred, her eyes gleaming with predatory delight. "A raw, untamed display of…appetite."

"But the carrots!" Kathryn protested, her voice laced with a hint of desperation. "They were…divine! A symphony of sweet and…tingly!"

"Tingly?" Becca repeated. "They tasted like…pure, unadulterated honey."

"And the presentation!" Kathryn exclaimed, her voice rising slightly. "It was a work of art! A culinary masterpiece!"

"A masterpiece of…sticky," Paige muttered from the back, earning a glare from Kathryn.

"Look, Kathryn," Kendra said, her voice laced with a hint of gentle reprimand and subtle amusement. "We appreciate your…enthusiasm. But next time, try to keep your…enthusiasm in the kitchen. Not on the judges' table."

"But the honey!" Kathryn insisted. "It made me feel…alive! It made me feel…powerful!"

"Powerful enough to violate Turner's personal space?" Kendra asked, her eyebrow raised slightly.

"It was a…connection!" Kathryn growled, her eyes gleaming. "A merging of…taste buds!"

"A merging of…inappropriate behavior," Turner corrected, his voice laced with a hint of exasperation.

"Look, Kathryn," Kendra said. "We know you have…passion. You just need to learn to…channel it. And maybe lay off the honey."

"Lay off the honey?" Kathryn repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. "But it's…it's my muse!"

"Your muse is making you…well," Kendra snorted. "Try finding a new muse. Perhaps something less…sticky."

"Fine," Kathryn growled, her voice laced with a hint of **** acceptance.

"And moving on from that...we're going to Anastasia, who definitely wasn't as wild as the last three," Kendra said.

Creativity: 6/10
Flavor: 8/10
Presentation: 7/10
Use of Ingredients: 5/10
Total: 26/40

"About what I expected," Anastasia shrugged. "I'm not upset about that."

"I don't know how you managed, but you seemed to get off...mostly scot-free from the ingredients," Kendra grimaced, having a wrench thrown in her challenge plans.

"I simply exercised…restraint," Anastasia stated, her voice laced with a hint of quiet pride. "A quality some of you seem to lack."

"Restraint?" Georgia purred, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "This is a cooking competition. Not a…monastery."

"And it worked," Anastasia smirked. "I preferred a subtle approach. I find excessive displays of…sensuality to be rather…vulgar."

"Vulgar?" Kendra scoffed. "Hon', you missed out on all the fun."

"Fun?" Anastasia echoed, her eyebrow raised slightly. "Oh, believe me, I saw what your idea of fun looked like in that damn room, what with Abby and Charlotte basically lunging at each other."

"Again, your dishes were…fine," Georgia shrugged. "Technically sound. But they lacked…passion."

"Passion is subjective," Anastasia countered, her voice cool and dismissive. "I prefer to express my…artistry through controlled execution."

"Controlled?" Kendra echoed, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Darlin', you're as controlled as a…robot. And robots don't win cookin' competitions."

"I'm not interested in winning through…cheap theatrics," Anastasia stated, her voice laced with disdain. "I prefer to rely on…skill. And far as I can see, that seemed to work out pretty well for me."

"Skill is important," Kendra conceded, her voice laced with a hint of **** admiration. "But so is…flavor. And a little bit of…spice. You played it safe, and now you're paying for it."

"I'm not 'paying' for anything," Anastasia countered, her voice sharp. "I presented three well-executed dishes, and I got a decent score. That is all that matters."

"Well-executed and…boring," Charlotte slurred from the back.

"Look, Anastasia," Kendra said, her voice laced with a hint of gentle reprimand. "We appreciate your…technical prowess. But sometimes, you need to let loose. To take a risk. To…indulge."

"Indulge?" Anastasia echoed, her voice laced with disdain. "I don't feel like doing that on national...or whatever the fuck this is...television."

"'Unprofessional' is our middle name," Kendra countered, before shooing Anastasia away. "Now, let's move on to Paige."

Creativity: 5/10
Flavor: 6/10
Presentation: 6/10
Use of Ingredients: 1/10
Total: 18/40

"Figures," Paige muttered, her voice laced with disdain. "Sex sells, I guess."

"Sex may sell, but your food wasn't exactly great," Becca shot back, her voice sharp. "It was…bland. Utterly, completely bland."

"Oh, did you want me to jump your boyfriend at the table?" Paige retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I bet you'd be elated if that happened, wouldn't you, because you were just so excited when you heard about me doing that earlier. So shut the fuck up, Becca, I know you wouldn't like that."

Becca's cheeks flushed crimson. "That's…that's inappropriate," she stammered, her voice trembling slightly. "And…and irrelevant."

"Irrelevant?" Paige scoffed, her eyes narrowed. "You were practically drooling over getting to screw me over. Don't pretend you weren't."

"Look, Paige," Kendra interrupted, her voice laced with a hint of gentle reprimand. "We appreciate your…precision. But this here's a competition. Not a…science experiment. And you used almost none of the ingredients."

"I used the ingredients I deemed…necessary," Paige countered, her voice sharp and defensive. "I'm not going to compromise my standards for some…cheap theatrics."

"Skill and technique are important," Turner conceded, his voice laced with a hint of exasperation. "But so is…flavor. And a little bit of…passion."

"Passion is subjective," Paige countered, her voice cool and dismissive. "I prefer to express my…artistry through controlled execution."

"Controlled to the point of…lifelessness," Kendra drawled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Darlin', you're as excitin' as a spreadsheet"

"I prefer to rely on…objective quality," Paige stated, her voice laced with disdain. "They were…fine. Perfectly executed. Especially after Lana's disaster."

"It was perfectly executed nothingness," Becca muttered, earning another glare from Paige.

"Look, Paige," Kendra said, her voice laced with a hint of gentle encouragement. "We know you have…talent. You just need to learn to…loosen up. To take a risk. To…indulge. And maybe add a little…spice."

"Spice?" Paige repeated, her voice laced with disdain. "I prefer…precision."

"And precision got you eighteen points," Kendra pointed out. "Now, let's move on to Abby."

Creativity: 9/10
Flavor: 9/10
Presentation: 9/10
Use of Ingredients: 10/10
Total: 37/40

"Thirty-seven?" Abby murmured, her voice laced with a mixture of satisfaction and lingering desire. "That's…almost perfect."

"Almost," Kendra drawled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "But not quite. You certainly mastered the ingredients, darlin'. And they…mastered you in return."

"Mastered?" Abby echoed, her gaze lingering on Turner, a hint of playful challenge in her eyes. "I prefer to think of it as a…mutual surrender."

Turner, his cheeks still flushed, cleared his throat. "The…the flavors were incredible," he stammered, avoiding eye contact. "Truly…intoxicating."

"Intoxicating?" Abby purred, her voice a silken caress. "Like me?"

"Like…like the chocolate," Turner mumbled, his gaze fixed on the floor. "And the vanilla. And the…everything."

"Everything?" Abby echoed, her lips curving into a smile. "I'm glad you enjoyed the…experience."

"Experience?" Becca stammered, her voice barely audible. "It was…certainly something."

"See?" Paige shouted. "Becca's all hearts and roses when it's her sister, but if I were to do it-"

"Abby didn't take advantage of my boyfriend," Becca retorted.

"Look, Abby," Kendra interrupted Paige's inevitable rebuttal, her voice laced with a hint of playful exasperation. "Your food was...amazing, and you definitely embraced the challenge and managed to earn a few bonus victory points out of it."

Abby simply smiled.

"Darlin', you're practically radiating desire," Kendra shooed her away. "We still have two contestants left, and we'll do Lauren first."

"You'll 'do' Lauren first?" Charlotte giggled, still affected by the ingredients in the challenge.

Creativity: 8/10
Flavor: 8/10
Presentation: 8/10
Use of Ingredients: 9/10
Total: 33/40

"That's...great," Lauren stood there, stunned. "But...I don't think I deserve it."

"Don't deserve it?" Turner questioned. "Lauren, your food was great!"

"It wasn't...I didn't do everything," Lauren blushed and stared at the floor. "Mandy helped...quite a lot."

"Lauren, you did the heavy lifting," Mandy countered. "I just assisted."

"But…but you showed me how," Lauren stammered, her voice laced with a hint of insecurity. "I wouldn't have known what to do without you."

"I gave you the tools," Mandy said, her voice firm. "You built the masterpiece. And you did it with a newfound…spark. A spark that clearly impressed the judges."

"You think so?" Lauren asked, her eyes widening slightly.

"We know so," Kendra nodded, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Hon', you practically radiated youthful energy. It was…infectious."

"Infectious?" Lauren repeated, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I just…I just felt different. More…alive."

"The transformation," Kendra deadpanned. "Plus...the ingredients definitely helped."

"And the food, it really was...amazing," Becca added, her voice laced with a hint of admiration.

"Amazing?" Lauren echoed, her lips curving into a shy smile. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Liked it?" Kendra scoffed, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Lauren, we devoured it. It was a culinary…revelation."

"I just…I just wanted to make something…delicious," Lauren murmured, her voice laced with a hint of wonder.

"And you succeeded," Turner said, his voice laced with sincerity.

"So…so I did good?" Lauren asked, her eyes searching the judges' faces.

"You did great, darlin'," Kendra confirmed, her voice laced with a hint of warmth. "You embraced the challenge, you used the ingredients creatively, and you presented dishes that were both delicious and visually stunning. You earned those points."

"Earned them?" Lauren murmured, her voice laced with a newfound confidence. "I guess…I guess I did."

"Now, let's move on to Mandy," Kendra announced, her voice laced with anticipation. "We have a culinary…triumph to discuss."

Creativity: 10/10
Flavor: 10/10
Presentation: 10/10
Use of Ingredients: 10/10
Total: 40/40

"I...I won?" Mandy stammered, incredulous.

"You won, dear," Kendra confirmed. "I contemplated giving only a nine for your ingredients since you didn't seem all that affected, but fuck it. You used them, it's not my fault you've got some inhuman willpower or something."

"But…but I just cooked," Mandy protested, her voice laced with a hint of confusion. "I didn't do anything…special."

"Special?" Georgia purred, her eyes gleaming with predatory delight. "Darlin', you created a symphony of flavors. A culinary orgasm."

"An orgasm?" Mandy repeated, her cheeks flushing slightly and nose crinkling. "I…I wouldn't call it that."

"I wouldn't either, but I see where she's coming from," Turner admitted, his voice laced with awe. "The pork loin was…transcendental. And the chocolate cake? Pure…ecstasy."

"And you somehow focused when others," Becca gestured to Abby and Charlotte. "...didn't."

"Look, Mandy," Kendra said, her voice laced with a hint of gentle encouragement. "We appreciate your…dedication. But even you have to have felt something. A little…tingle? A little…rush?"

"Just…satisfaction," Mandy admitted, her lips curving into a shy smile. "The satisfaction of creating a perfect dish."

"Perfect," Kendra echoed, swallowing a grimace. "And that, darlin', is why you won. Now that we've got everyone's scores, let's hand out those VP you've all been dying for!"

1. Mandy (+11 VP) -> 26 VP
2. Abby (+9 VP) -> 31 VP
3. Charlotte (+7 VP) -> 29 VP
4. Lauren (+5 VP) -> 16 VP
5. Anastasia (+3 VP) -> 18 VP
6. Sara (+2 VP) -> 44 VP
7. Kathryn (+1 VP) -> 16 VP
8. Paige (+0 VP) -> 39 VP
9. Emma (-1 VP) -> 15 VP
10. Lana (-3 VP) -> 2 VP

"Lana, dear, you've been slipping since the first challenge," Kendra announced. "Might I remind you, if you drop into the negatives, you'll be eliminated."

"Oh, I know," Lana grimaced. "It's just hard to be willing to compete when these challenges are sex-based."

"This one wasn't!" Emma chirped, trying to be helpful.

"Yeah," Lana rolled her eyes. "Thanks."

"And let's go over the date order for this round too!" Kendra continued. "Becca will have tonight, since it's already pretty late, then we'll go to Lana, Lauren, Sara, Abby, Mandy, Anastasia, Charlotte, Emma, Paige, and finish things off with Kathryn. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I have one," Lauren said and shot a pointed look at Charlotte. "Is she gonna be like this all night? Because I...don't know if I can deal with that."

"It'll wear off eventually, but it won't be immediate," Kendra cryptically answered. "Think of it less as a hindrance and more as an opportunity! Anyways, toodles!"