Chapter 3 Kelsi
K elsi stepped onto the set of Culinary Crescendo , her heart pounding in time with the flurry of activity around her. Cameras glided soundlessly along their tracks, makeup artists dashed between contestants, brushes poised like wands, and the air hummed with the sharp scent of spices, anxiety, and ambition.
Her grip tightened on her phone, the cool metal small and inadequate in the face of the towering production around her. Wow . This was on a different level than her DIY shoots in her tiny kitchen. Her pulse quickened. Did everyone else notice the chasm between her scrappy videos and this gleaming, high-stakes set?
Zak appeared at her side, his easy grin grounding her in the swirl of newness. “Pretty cool, right? Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.”
Kelsi nodded, her mind already racing ahead. As Zak led her through the maze of stations, introducing her to crew members, she mentally planned her first TikTok. The gleaming countertops, perfectly plated dishes, and frantic choreography of chefs behind the scenes—it was a goldmine of content waiting to be captured. She could already see it: a story her followers would love, one that would bring them into the heart of Culinary Crescendo .
“And this,” Zak said, stopping in front of a futuristic kitchen setup that looked like it belonged in a high-tech movie, “is where the magic happens.”
Her fingers twitched with the urge to touch, to explore the gleaming appliances that probably cost more than her apartment. “It’s beautiful,” she breathed, already envisioning the endless possibilities of what she could create in a kitchen like this. For a brief moment, she forgot her insecurities, lost in the excitement.
“Glad you approve,” a gruff voice interrupted, shattering her momentary reverie.
Kelsi turned to find a man looming behind them—broad-shouldered, dark-haired, with silver streaking his temples. Tattoos ran up his arms, disappearing beneath rolled-up sleeves. But it was his eyes that struck her—sharp, assessing, and unmistakably laced with disdain.
“Kelsi, meet Drew Carlson,” Zak said, his forced cheerfulness cutting through the tension like a knife. “Drew, this is Kelsi, our new content creator.”
Drew’s eyebrow arched, a small movement loaded with skepticism. “Content creator?” His voice carried a bitter edge. “What, we’re not cooking anymore? Just here to make pretty pictures for the internet?”
The words hit Kelsi like ice water, her pulse jumping. Years of handling online trolls had trained her to stand her ground, but this was different. This was Drew Carlson —a culinary legend, however jaded—and he was dismissing her before she even had a chance to prove herself.
She met his gaze, chin lifted. “Actually, I do cook. And bake. And I create recipes people can use in their real, everyday kitchens.” Her voice came out steady, though her heart was racing beneath the surface. A small victory.
Drew’s lips curled, his tone cutting. “You’re the content creator, right? What, no time for real cooking?" Drew’s eyes flicked over her in one dismissive glance, but there was a spark of curiosity in his gaze, a challenge.
Before Kelsi could respond, Zak stepped in with a weak grin. “You’ll get used to Drew,” he said, though Kelsi could see the unease flicker in his eyes. “He’s all bark, no bite... most of the time.”
Kelsi shot Zak a look that told him she didn’t need the help. She had fought her own battles before, and she wasn’t backing down now. “You know what, Chef Carlson?” she said, keeping her eyes locked on his. “I may not have Michelin stars, but I know how to connect with people. When’s the last time you did that?”
Her words hung in the air, a challenge neither of them had expected. For a second, the bustling kitchen faded into silence, the tension between them taut as a wire. Kelsi could feel Zak shifting beside her, but she didn’t break eye contact. She wasn’t about to let Drew see her flinch.
Drew’s lips twitched, a fleeting expression she couldn’t quite place—was it amusement, or annoyance? It vanished almost as soon as it appeared, leaving only the sharp edge of his voice. “At least you’ve got spirit,” he said. “We’ll see how long that lasts in a real kitchen.”
With that, he turned and strode off, leaving Kelsi standing there, heart still pounding from the exchange. She exhaled slowly, resisting the urge to lean against the spotless countertop for support.
“I’m sorry about that,” Zak said, running a hand through his hair, the gesture making him look younger and more vulnerable than usual. “Drew can be... intense. I should’ve warned you.”
Kelsi steadied herself with a deep breath. “It’s fine.” She was surprised to find she meant it. “I’ve handled worse in the comments section.”
It wasn’t entirely true. The anonymity of trolls online was one thing, but the biting, direct disdain in Drew’s eyes was another. Still, she wasn’t about to let Zak—or anyone—see how rattled she was. She watched Drew as he barked orders to a team of sous chefs, his presence commanding the kitchen effortlessly. He was an obstacle, sure. But she’d faced obstacles before, and this one only fueled her determination.
“So,” she said, forcing a grin that felt a little more real, “where do I set up my ring light?”
Zak blinked, surprise and relief mixing in his expression. “You’re... okay? After that?”
Kelsi shrugged. “Like I said, I’ve dealt with worse. Besides,” her gaze followed Drew’s movements across the kitchen, “I didn’t come here to make friends. I came to do a job.”
As she spoke, an idea began to take shape. If Drew thought she was just about “pretty pictures,” she’d show him exactly what those pictures could do. She’d create content so compelling, so irresistible, that even Drew Carlson wouldn’t be able to dismiss it.
“Zak,” she said, a spark of excitement lighting her voice, “I need full access to everything. The kitchen, the contestants, all of it. I’ve got ideas I want to try.”
Zak nodded, his relief giving way to curiosity. “Whatever you need. Just... maybe try to stay out of Drew’s way?”
Kelsi smiled for real this time. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to cause trouble.” But as she watched Drew retreating back, she thought to herself, But if trouble comes to me, I’ll be ready.
As Zak led her to her workstation, Kelsi’s mind raced with possibilities. She might not have Drew’s culinary credentials, but she had something he didn’t—a direct line to the audience. And she was going to make Culinary Crescendo the talk of the internet.
Her phone buzzed with a notification, snapping her back to reality. Another bill. Rent due in three days. The reminder hung heavy over her, but Kelsi pushed the anxiety aside. She had a job to do, and failure wasn’t an option—not with this much riding on it.
“Alright, foodies,” she whispered as she hit record on her first behind-the-scenes TikTok, her voice steady despite the butterflies in her stomach, “let’s show them what we can do.”
The familiar rhythm of filming settled her nerves, and as she introduced her followers to the world of Culinary Crescendo , her confidence grew. This was her domain—connecting, creating, inspiring. She glanced at Drew, busy in the kitchen, and a small voice whispered in the back of her mind: Let’s see you dismiss this, Chef Carlson.