Page 2 of A Recipe for Romance

"Zak," Kelsi pressed, "what aren't you telling me?"

Zak sighed. "Look, the chefs on the show... they can be pretty hard on newcomers. There's a lot of pressure, and not everyone handles it well. My brother, in particular, he's... well, he's got high standards. But you've got something they don't, Kelsi. You know how to connect with people. That's why we need you."

Kelsi raised an eyebrow. "High standards? What are we talking—Gordon Ramsay level meltdowns?"

Zak laughed, though the sound was a little strained. "Not quite that bad. But... you'll see. Just promise me you won't let them intimidate you, okay? You belong there just as much as they do."

Kelsi's mind raced, flicking through worst-case scenarios—what if she bombed on camera? What if they all saw through her, exposed her as the fraud she was terrified of becoming? She could feel her heart pounding, her palms growing sweaty as she gripped the phone.

But then... Zak believed in her. And this could be her break. The chance to prove to herself, and everyone else, that she was more than just a pretty face with a good camera angle.

With a deep breath, Kelsi forced herself to push the doubts aside, even if they clung stubbornly to the corners of her mind. "I say," she paused, a smile spreading across her face despite her nerves, "when do I start?"

As she hung up the phone, Kelsi felt a flutter of excitement in her chest, quickly followed by a wave of panic. This was it. Her big break. A chance to turn her passion into something real, something stable. But also a chance to fail spectacularly, to be exposed as a fraud in front of the entire culinary world.

She looked at her reflection in the smudged mirror above her desk. The woman looking back at her was tired, a little scared, but there was a spark in her eyes that hadn't been there in a long time. Pink hair framed a face that was pretty, yes, but also determined. She wasn't just a camera-ready smile; she was a survivor, a creative force ready to prove herself.

"Alright, Kelsi," she said to herself, straightening her shoulders. "Time to cook up something amazing. Or at least, time to fake it till you make it."

With trembling fingers, she picked up her phone and opened Instagram. It was time to share her big news with the world, even if part of her was terrified of what that world might think. As she typed out her announcement, Kelsi couldn't shake the feeling that she was about to step into a kitchen far hotter than any she'd experienced before.

But maybe, just maybe, this was the fire she needed to forge herself into something stronger. And who knew? Perhaps in the midst of all that heat, she might find more than just culinary success. After all, the best recipes often came from unexpected combinations.

Chapter 2: Drew

The knife slammed intothe cutting board with a satisfying thunk, cleaving the onion in two. Drew Carlson, once hailed as the culinary world's enfant terrible, now struggled to find joy in even the simplest kitchen tasks. The pungent aroma of freshly cut onions used to wake him up inside. Now, it just reminded him of what he'd lost.

He reached for another onion, his movements mechanical. Chop. Slice. Repeat. The rhythm that once cleared his mind felt like a cage he couldn’t escape. The hiss of oil in the pan barely registered. What used to be vibrant—a dance of aromas and textures—now felt lifeless, like the echo of something long gone.

The stainless-steel surfaces reflected his grim expression. A pot of sauce simmered on the stove, threatening to burn from neglect, but Drew didn’t care enough to stop it. Not anymore.

“Chef Carlson!” A voice cut through the monotonous rhythm of his knife.

Drew gritted his teeth, the tension already blooming behind his eyes. “I’m busy,” he called, not looking up. The last thing he needed was another fan hoping to meet the Drew Carlson who had once graced magazine covers.

“It’s your brother, sir. Says it’s important.”

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