Page 11 of A Recipe for Romance

Kelsi smiled, warmth flooding her. Such a simple text, but the thoughtfulness behind it eased some of the tension in her chest.

Kelsi: No allergies! I’m pretty adventurous with food. Can’t wait to see what you have in mind :)

She hesitated, then added:

Kelsi: And thanks for today. For listening to my ideas. It meant a lot.

His response came quickly:

Drew: Your ideas are worth listening to. See you tomorrow, Kelsi.

She set her phone down, a quiet calm settling over her. Whatever tomorrow brought, she was ready to face it.

With a surge of energy, she opened her laptop again—not to finish her usual content, but to start something new. At the top of the document, she typed:Fusion Ideas for Drew.

As her fingers flew over the keyboard, ideas flowing in a blend of traditional techniques and modern twists, Kelsi felt a spark of something that had been missing for a long time. This wasn’t just about impressing Drew or proving herself to the culinary world.

It was about finding her own voice.

Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.

Chapter 8: Drew

The farmer’s marketwas alive with color and sound—vibrant stalls spilling over with fresh produce, the air thick with the earthy scents of herbs and ripe fruits. Normally, this kind of energy would ignite Drew’s culinary imagination, but today, his focus was elsewhere.

“Where is she?” he muttered, his eyes scanning the crowd for a flash of pink hair.

The show had decided to film a segment at the market, challenging the contestants to create dishes using only local, seasonal ingredients. It was a perfect opportunity to pull Kelsi aside, to finally clear the air after their intense cooking session at his apartment.

His mind kept circling back to that evening—the way Kelsi’s eyes had lit up as she explored his spice rack, how seamlessly they’d bounced ideas off each other. That night had stirred something deep within him, something he hadn’t felt in years, and now it refused to settle. But that same connection brought complications he wasn’t ready for—complications that could ruin everything if they let this go too far.

He swore under his breath, pushing through the bustling crowd. Kelsi had slipped out of his grasp earlier, and now all he could think about was finding her again. Just over the heads of shoppers, Drew caught sight of her pink hair, a beacon amidst the sea of vendors and customers.

There she was—cradling a bunch of fresh herbs, laughing softly with one of the contestants.

Drew’s stomach clenched unexpectedly. Seeing her like this, so at ease, only made the knot inside him twist tighter. How had she become so... integral to his world, so quickly?

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