worry, Aunt Toni. We’ll be OK.”
“So, what about school?”
“I got my tuition back and it’s in my account. It’s all going for Dad’s surgeries.”
“No, honey, I’ll wrangle something. You go right back to that school and sign up.”
“It’s too late, Toni. I will go next year once Dad’s back in good health.”
Toni’s eyes watered. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry we’re not a rich family.”
Ali laughed and hugged her aunt. “That’s OK, Toni. I love you anyway.”
Toni sipped her tea and munched on a chocolate nut cookie. Ali had baked all afternoon and had a kitchen full of cookies for a bake sale. She was invited to participate in a local sale as a baker and she baked all she could to sell. Most of the proceeds would go to charity, but she would be allowed to keep 20% of the total. She had no other jobs lined up so she took it.
“These are amazing!” she exclaimed. “I swear, honey, you should open a bakery!” She polished it off and went for another. Ali just watched her. She couldn’t even get excited about her favorite cookies. Nothing tasted right lately.
“Thanks, Toni,” she managed a small smile. “I have big plans...one day.”
“You know, there’s a baking competition on one of the local TV shows. I just saw it today, or was it yesterday…or well, doesn’t matter. They are having a bake-off for the best local home cooks and there’s even a big prize. I think its $10,000. You should enter!
Ali raised her eyebrows. “Hmm, that might be an idea,” she said. “What channel is having it?”
“Uh, it’s that show with the bouffant blonde and that guy who is kind of cheesy, but really good-looking? You know the one?”
Ali searched her memory. “Yeah, I think so. The woman always wears really bright lipstick and the guy is a little too tan?”
“That’s the one! I like that show,” said Toni. “I watch it almost every day, you know.”
“You said they just announced it? A baking competition?”
“Yes, I think it was yesterday’s show. I’m sure you can go on your computer and find out or call them.”
Ali was already walking over to her laptop. She hit a few keys. “Here it is,” she said as she read the screen. Toni got up to look over her shoulder.
“Wow, you found that fast,” she marveled. She didn’t often use her own computer and it usually took her several minutes to remember how to work the thing.
Ali smiled. “Yeah, the wonder of the internet,” said Ali. She continued to read. “…contestants must live in the local Chicago area, be home cooks and not professional chefs…”
“Perfect!” said Toni clapping her hands. “You can win that hands-down,” she said as she grabbed another cookie.
“I don’t know about that, but I’m sure gonna try,” said Ali with a new sparkle in her eye.
CHAPTER 9
Ben looked handsome, tired, but mostly jubilant. He had won the case and the woman was being forced to clean up the building, relocate the tenants until all repairs were done and even got a bit of jail time.
“We’re happy for the citizens of the Bel Aire Towers and for the city of Chicago,” said Ben to camera news crew that was shoving microphones in his face as he stood on the outside steps of the courthouse.
Reporters were firing questions at him and Ali watched intently. Ben on TV! Wow, he looked really good. She was so happy for him.
“What’s important now is to set an example and make sure that these types of landlords know they can’t get away with this type shoddy business,” said Ben.
“Go, Ben,” said Ali to the TV. She smiled at him. Her Ben was a hot-shot lawyer on TV and cleaning up the city. She couldn’t be more proud.
She wanted to call him right then and there, but she knew he’d be celebrating with his whole team and office. She’d wait until later. It made her feel odd to want
“So, what about school?”
“I got my tuition back and it’s in my account. It’s all going for Dad’s surgeries.”
“No, honey, I’ll wrangle something. You go right back to that school and sign up.”
“It’s too late, Toni. I will go next year once Dad’s back in good health.”
Toni’s eyes watered. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry we’re not a rich family.”
Ali laughed and hugged her aunt. “That’s OK, Toni. I love you anyway.”
Toni sipped her tea and munched on a chocolate nut cookie. Ali had baked all afternoon and had a kitchen full of cookies for a bake sale. She was invited to participate in a local sale as a baker and she baked all she could to sell. Most of the proceeds would go to charity, but she would be allowed to keep 20% of the total. She had no other jobs lined up so she took it.
“These are amazing!” she exclaimed. “I swear, honey, you should open a bakery!” She polished it off and went for another. Ali just watched her. She couldn’t even get excited about her favorite cookies. Nothing tasted right lately.
“Thanks, Toni,” she managed a small smile. “I have big plans...one day.”
“You know, there’s a baking competition on one of the local TV shows. I just saw it today, or was it yesterday…or well, doesn’t matter. They are having a bake-off for the best local home cooks and there’s even a big prize. I think its $10,000. You should enter!
Ali raised her eyebrows. “Hmm, that might be an idea,” she said. “What channel is having it?”
“Uh, it’s that show with the bouffant blonde and that guy who is kind of cheesy, but really good-looking? You know the one?”
Ali searched her memory. “Yeah, I think so. The woman always wears really bright lipstick and the guy is a little too tan?”
“That’s the one! I like that show,” said Toni. “I watch it almost every day, you know.”
“You said they just announced it? A baking competition?”
“Yes, I think it was yesterday’s show. I’m sure you can go on your computer and find out or call them.”
Ali was already walking over to her laptop. She hit a few keys. “Here it is,” she said as she read the screen. Toni got up to look over her shoulder.
“Wow, you found that fast,” she marveled. She didn’t often use her own computer and it usually took her several minutes to remember how to work the thing.
Ali smiled. “Yeah, the wonder of the internet,” said Ali. She continued to read. “…contestants must live in the local Chicago area, be home cooks and not professional chefs…”
“Perfect!” said Toni clapping her hands. “You can win that hands-down,” she said as she grabbed another cookie.
“I don’t know about that, but I’m sure gonna try,” said Ali with a new sparkle in her eye.
CHAPTER 9
Ben looked handsome, tired, but mostly jubilant. He had won the case and the woman was being forced to clean up the building, relocate the tenants until all repairs were done and even got a bit of jail time.
“We’re happy for the citizens of the Bel Aire Towers and for the city of Chicago,” said Ben to camera news crew that was shoving microphones in his face as he stood on the outside steps of the courthouse.
Reporters were firing questions at him and Ali watched intently. Ben on TV! Wow, he looked really good. She was so happy for him.
“What’s important now is to set an example and make sure that these types of landlords know they can’t get away with this type shoddy business,” said Ben.
“Go, Ben,” said Ali to the TV. She smiled at him. Her Ben was a hot-shot lawyer on TV and cleaning up the city. She couldn’t be more proud.
She wanted to call him right then and there, but she knew he’d be celebrating with his whole team and office. She’d wait until later. It made her feel odd to want
Similar Books
