Yes I've done a whole lot of dreamin' but it's no fun when things ain't what they seemin'

When Nick finished eating the mini tuxedo cake Rose prepared for him, he felt stuffed. More than stuffed. He felt like he’d eaten enough food to last him until the next challenge. So when Sylvia asked him which course ranked in what order, he was too stuffed to even contemplate answering the question, even as the other girls waited anxiously for his verdict.

Before he could open his mouth, though, Sylvia silenced him with a raise of her hand.

“Wait one moment,” she said. “I believe we should take things to a more appropriate venue, wouldn’t you agree?”

She smirked and tapped her cane against the ground. The space around them began to shift and turn, and before anyone realized it, they were back on the beach. Nick was still sitting, but he was sitting in the master’s throne atop the stage. Meanwhile, the other girls, who’d been standing, were all **** into their seats. Sylvia stood beside Nick on the stage, and Mimi stood beside her, looking a little uncertain.

Mimi was the Auditionee, after all.

“Now then! That’s more like it!” Sylvia cheered, clapping her hands together.

“Enough already!” Dani groaned impatiently. “Can we just get this over with?” Even though the pot roast she’d cooked was better than anything she’d ever made before, that didn’t mean she wasn’t anxious about finding out how Nick felt about it.

“I also want to know,” Mary said, squirming in her seat. She felt embarrassed by her performance, it was practically a proposal! And she was also uncomfortable about the fact that Kim was, in essence, naked. She was wrapped in a towel and sitting in the seat beside the redhead, her cheeks flushed with humiliation.

“Where’s Holly?” Rose asked, looking around. She had been stripped of her maid uniform and returned to her regular clothes. “Is she not coming with us?”

Sylvia smirked. “As the master’s caretaker, it’s Holly’s job to clean up after him,” she replied. “Right now, she’s probably clearing off the dining room table!”

Holly was doing exactly that, while muttering suppressed curses under her breath. She really wanted to see the transformations everybody got.

“Let’s get on with it!” Gina groaned. Like Dani, she wasn’t exactly thrilled with her chances at winning this challenge. She just wanted to be done so she could get something to eat herself.

At least she wasn’t wearing the pink apron anymore.

“Certainly,” Sylvia nodded. She turned to Nick. “Nick, you’ve had enough time to ruminate on the meal you just had, shall we share your thoughts with the crowd?”

Nick nodded. “So how do you want me to do this?” He asked. “Just say what I liked best? Because honestly, I don’t really know what food tasted best.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Everything tasted pretty good, and I don’t exactly have the best palate… sorry, that’s all I can say.”

If Sylvia was bothered by her plan falling through, it didn’t show on her face. She gave him a placid smile, and then smirked.

“No, no, no, it doesn’t work that way,” she said, shaking her head. “You didn’t really think we’d be relying on just your say-so, did you my boy?”

Nick tensed. “What do you mean by that?” He asked warily.

“Simple!” Sylvia lifted her cane into the air. “We’ll share your real thoughts with everyone, just like this!”

A black screen appeared in the air.

“This will tell us what your real ranking is,” Sylvia explained with a smirk. “When we strip away all the doubts and niceties.”

1. Fifth Course: Sushi Nyotaimori

Kim’s jaw dropped. “M-Me?” She asked, stunned. “I’m in first?”

“That’s amazing!” Mary gushed. “Kim! You must have had an amazing dish! Can you prepare it for me sometime?”

Kim turned red under Mary’s innocent gaze while Gina and Carly suppressed their laughter. Those who had seen Kim’s performance knew what it entailed.

“So, Nick,” Sylvia said, turning to him. “Why did you rank Kim’s in first place? And the truth this time. Could it be that you were turned on by the most… lurid of the presentations?”

“L-Lurid?” Mary’s jaw dropped. Kim buried her face in her hands.

Nick opened his mouth to rebuff Sylvia’s proclamations, but the blonde host raised her cane up to his mouth to cut him off.

“Before you say anything, I just want to let you know… what comes out of your mouth from here on out will be the truth. Your unfiltered thoughts. So be careful now…”

Nick went a little pale. A few of the girls sat on the edges of their seats, interested in hearing Nick’s reasoning. Kim felt like she would just die.

When it comes to cooking, there’s no way I got first place due to my skill… which means that Nick chose me because of the performance! She didn’t want to hear about Nick describing how much he liked her naked body covered in sushi.

Except… part of her kind of did.

“Now, what were you saying about Kim’s sushi?” Sylvia smirked.

Nick swallowed and opened his mouth. The words came spilling out.

“The reason why I put Kim in first place isn’t because her food tasted the best,” Nick said. “It was okay, really, she did a great job, but what impressed me the most was her performance. That… what did you call it? Sushi nyotaimori?”

“Yes, the act of serving sushi on a naked body,” Sylvia clarified, her eyes bright with excitement.

Mary turned to Kim and her mouth dropped open in horror. She looked between Kim’s scarlet face and her state of undress.

“It’s not what you’re thinking,” Nick asserted.

“Right, sure, of course not,” Sylvia nodded, not buying a word.

“I’m serious, Sylvia!” He growled. “It wasn’t just because she was naked. It was because she put so much of herself into her presentation, she did something more daring than anyone else. And that’s not to say the other girls’ presentations weren’t amazing, but… what can I say? I was so impressed by her resolve that it raised my estimation of her.”

Sylvia scowled, a little irritated that Nick’s feelings on the matter were so chaste and pure. That set a bad tone for the rest of the discussion on Nick’s rankings.

“Fine, whatever. Second place?”

She turned to the screen.

2. First Course: Deviled Eggs

Gina sat up in her chair, surprised.

“Wait, seriously?!” She couldn’t believe it. “Me?”

“Way to go,” Dakota smirked. “I knew you had to be good at something.”

Gina stuck out her tongue in response.

“Look, it’s not complicated,” Nick said, blushing a little.

“It’s because I looked cute in the apron, isn’t it?” Gina sighed, and rolled her eyes.

Nick tried really hard not to say anything. But Sylvia’s magic was overpowering. “…Yes, the contrast of your punk exterior with a frilly pink apron was really cute and memorable. But while that stuck in my mind, the deviled eggs were what won me over. They were delicious. Gina, I think you have a real talent for cooking if you put your mind to it.”

Gina blushed a little. It might have been the first time she’d ever gotten a compliment like that.

“Cooking meth, maybe,” Dakota muttered under her breath.

“Th-Thanks,” Gina said, feeling really awkward. “I don’t really know what to say.”

“I do,” Sylvia sighed, rolling her eyes. “Let’s move on.”

She was getting a little frustrated with how positive and feel-goody this conversation was going. The challenge was supposed to be more complicated than this.

3. Eighth Course: Wedding Cake

“Should have known Mary would get pretty high up there,” Dani mused. “She’s got the cooking skills for it, after all.”

“Actually, it was baking,” Mary corrected. “I baked him a cake.”

“It was delicious,” Nick agreed. “I really liked it. Which is surprising, because I don’t actually like cake that much, but something about it just tasted… special. I don’t really know what the flavor was, but it was unique.”

Mary turned red. She couldn’t meet his eyes. “Y-Yeah, I wonder…”

“Mary?” Kim raised her eyebrow.

“…As for the presentation, well… I didn’t actually like cake being smeared on my face like that,” Nick admitted. “I know it was cute, and I know what you were trying to suggest, but it didn’t really do anything for me. Still, on flavor alone, you got to third place!”

Mary’s jaw dropped in shock. She felt affronted that he’d said that… but then, she couldn’t quite disagree.

“Ooh, now this is the kind of stuff I like,” Sylvia grinned, rubbing her hands together gleefully. “Yes, more, share those little juicy details… number four!”

4. Sixth Course: Pot Roast

“Seriously?! You really liked it?” Dani would have thought she’d say that in an incredulous tone of voice, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, she was overwhelmed with glee. She was thrilled that Nick liked her pot roast so much.

“It was delicious,” Nick nodded. “I always love a good pot roast. And frankly, even though you didn’t have a presentation, the fact that you made it for me was enough.”

“Eh?” Dani was caught off-guard by that.

“Oh?” Sylvia perked up. “Go into a little more detail on that, if you would?”

Nick knew he was about to say something he couldn’t take back, but he couldn’t stop himself. He just braced for the inevitable outburst that was to come. “I know you’re a tomboy, Dani, but the thought of you cooking something so delicious, there’s something about it that I just find amusing. I know it’s wrong to imagine you as a housewife, but I can’t help the way I feel.”

He wanted to die of shame. Better to die now than be killed by Dani later.

But Dani didn’t seem angry. She looked a little stunned.

“You… really think that way?”

“Come on, this better not be a fetish thing,” Carly said. “Having a fantasy like that about a lesbian-”

“Carly, I can take care of myself,” Dani assured her. “And… it’s fine. It’s a little embarrassing, but it’s fine.”

It sure didn’t look fine, though. She looked completely humiliated. But at the same time, she knew it couldn’t be helped.

Nick always did like me. Even after he found out I was gay… I can’t just imagine he doesn’t think about me that way anymore, no matter how convenient that would be for me. She took a few deep breaths. I just have to accept things the way they are.

She still felt embarrassed, though. It would be a long time before she could look at him with a straight face.

“See, this is the kind of stuff I like!” Sylvia crowed. “And we’re getting closer to the losers’ section! Next up!”

5. Seventh Course: Three-Flavor Sorbet

“Fifth, huh?” Dawn said glumly. It wasn’t that bad. Middle of the pack. But with all the hard work she’d put into making it, she wanted to do better than fifth. She remembered what her other self had told her about taking things easy and not working so hard. Maybe she had a point.

“I really liked it, it was like eating a cross between ice cream and a sno-cone,” Nick said. “But everyone’s food was delicious. What sticks out to me the most was the back massage. I’ve never had someone give me a massage before… except that one time.”

His eyes met with Dani’s and they both blushed.

“Thanks I guess,” Dawn said, nodding. She’d already done the math, so she knew she’d barely get any points from this. She’d have to try much harder.

Sylvia was quick to move on. The middle of the pack wasn’t as interesting, and besides, she was starting to get frustrated.

Why did he rank Mimi so low?!

6. Ninth Course: Mini Tuxedo Cake

“Seriously?!” She muttered under her breath.

“Sixth place, hunh?” Rose murmured. It wasn’t exactly the best she could have hoped for.

“Your performance was adorable,” Nick told her, causing her to blush. “But honestly… I didn’t like the fact that you were **** into it. But no matter how much pity I have, it doesn’t translate to my genuine preference, which is why I feel that your tuxedo cake was in sixth.”

He winced. “…I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Rose said, waving her hand. “I did the best I could.”

She gave him a wink. “This just means that if I want to open a patisserie in the future, I’m going to need to step up my game!”

Nick nodded. That was a good way to look at it.

Sylvia quickly hurried them along.

7. Second Course: Tomato Bisque Soup

“For real?! Are you shitting me?!” Sylvia practically snapped her cane in half with frustration. STILL no Mimi!

Dakota shot her a dirty look. But her foul mood was reserved for Sylvia entirely, none of it was aimed towards Nick.

“I’m sorry I’m ranking you so low.” Nick couldn’t stop the apology that spilled out of his lips. “Your soup was really good, I mean it. But playing on my nostalgia… Dakota, I want to see more of the person you are now. Not just the things we shared in the past, but what we can share now in the future. Does that make sense?”

Dakota nodded and smiled a little. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she agreed. Her golden eyes flashed towards Sylvia, who flinched.

“I think it’s sweet, that you’re still hanging onto those precious memories,” Dani said to Dakota, catching her off-guard. She stared at Dani with wide eyes, not expecting to hear something like that from someone else.

She’d been so isolated from everyone else that she honestly hadn’t expected anyone to give her a compliment.

“Okay, everybody.” Sylvia was in an even worse mood than before. “Let’s move on already, shall we?” She flicked her cane, moving onto the next course. She was seething with rage that Mimi had ranked so low. That ambrosia salad had been delicious! Like everything Mimi did, it was perfect!

8. Fourth Course: Ambrosia Salad

“Eighth?! EIGHTH!?” Sylvia exploded. “You ranked that delicious salad EIGHTH!?”

“I don’t really mind,” Mimi replied. The most significant part of that challenge hadn’t been the salad itself, it had been her encounter with Emmy.

“I really liked the taste of the salad,” Nick protested. “It was delicious! But… I was kind of turned off by the whole ‘Mimi’s slime’ thing. If you ask me, food is supposed to be food, and eating her slime, it wasn’t for me! I’m sorry.”

He turned to Mimi. “It was delicious, but it wasn’t something I wanted to eat.”

Mimi nodded, unbothered by his statement. “I understand,” she said bluntly.

Sylvia didn’t understand, though. And she wasn’t pleased, either. But she held her tongue and moved onto the final ranking.

Carly sank down in her seat, knowing what was coming.

9. Third Course: Mashed Potatoes

“Sorry,” Nick apologized directly to her. “It’s not that your food didn’t taste good, Carly, it really did. But with how well everybody else did, I just liked theirs more than yours. It’s not anything personal, I swear. But in taste and performance you didn’t do as well as the others.”

Carly shook her head and **** a smile to her face. “It’s fine,” she assured him. “I’m not upset. This is just one of those things that happens, I get it. I was really distracted and off my game during the challenge, and I’m not exactly a world-renowned chef in the first place.”

She shrugged. “So I’m not that mad. I’m glad you enjoyed your meal.”

Sylvia scowled. Here she was, trying to goad people, and the person who came away from this challenge feeling the worst was her.

“Well, whatever,” she griped, waving her cane and undoing the spell over Nick. “Let’s move on from the recap and get to the points! We need to see who scored what! But to start, let’s take a look at how many points you girls are going into this round with!”

1st: Carly – 42 VP

1st: Dawn – 42 VP

2nd: Gina – 37 VP

3rd: Dani – 34 VP

4th: Mimi – 30 VP

5th: Dakota – 27 VP

6th: Kim – 25 VP

7th: Mary – 18 VP

8th: Rose – 16 VP

“The scores are pretty close,” Sylvia mused, tapping her chin. “When factoring in the VP earned from this challenge… I think we’re about to see some major upsets!”

The screen changed to show how much VP each girl had earned.

1st: Kim (+10 VP)

2nd: Gina (+8 VP)

3rd: Mary (+6 VP)

4th: Dani (+4 VP)

5th: Dawn (+2 VP)

6th: Rose (+0 VP)

7th: Dakota (-2 VP)

8th: Mimi (-4 VP)

9th: Carly (-6 VP)

“And now,” she twirled her cane, “factoring in all these new point changes, we can see what the new scores look like!”

Her cane flashed black and the screen shifted once more, demonstrating the new ranking.

1st: Gina – 45 VP

2nd: Dawn – 44 VP

3rd: Dani – 38 VP

4th: Carly – 36 VP

5th: Kim – 35 VP

6th: Mimi – 26 VP

7th: Dakota – 25 VP

8th: Mary – 24 VP

9th: Rose – 16 VP

“Seriously?” Gina couldn’t believe her luck. “I’m in first place?!”

“Second again,” Dawn murmured glumly. She just needed three points to get one over on Gina, that should have been easy.

“Kim, look at how high you got!” Mary cheered, shaking her friend’s shoulder. “You’re right up there with the front-runners!”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Kim nodded. She smiled a little. That was surprising for her.

Rose sighed. She was still in last place. Only unlike before, it wasn’t even close. She was the only person still below 20 VP. Which wasn’t at all where she wanted to be.

“Now, as we can see, there have been some changes in the leaderboard,” Sylvia noted. “With Carly’s poor performance this time around, her dominating lead in Victory Points has cratered, putting her in fourth! Meanwhile, Kim has done well to close the distance, bearing down on Carly and Dani… in fact, if she were to have sex with the master… she’d go pretty high, to tie with Gina for first!”

Sylvia glanced pointedly at Kim, who blushed.

“…But anyway,” the blonde continued, “now isn’t the time to be discussing what could happen. We need to be talking about what’s about to happen. Because the Victory Points for the last challenge have been distributed. And you all know what that means.”

A few of the girls tensed, and Rose swallowed.

After the points were assigned, the next course of action was to determine the new teams. Who would be selected, and who wouldn’t be.

A table appeared upon the stage, holding four roses.

“The order for selection will be Dawn first, followed by Dani, then Gina, then Kim,” Sylvia calmly explained. She cast a smirk towards Kim. “I hope you’ll be able to make the crucial choice about who you want as your buddy, my girl, and who will be eliminated.”

Kim swallowed, petrified. She didn’t want that responsibility on her shoulders, and none of the other girls could blame her.

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