Chapter 9 Kelsi
T he quiet hum of the studio replaced the vibrant energy of the market as Kelsi adjusted her camera gear, the images of the day playing on a loop in her mind. Drew’s voice echoed in her thoughts—soft and almost hesitant when he spoke about his father. She couldn’t shake the vulnerability she had seen in his eyes, a crack in the otherwise impenetrable armor he wore so well. It lingered with her, pulling at her in ways she hadn’t expected.
She refocused her lens, trying to shift her thoughts back to work. It was supposed to be a simple day—just another challenge, another shoot—but Drew had made it so much more. There was something unspoken between them, something she wasn’t sure how to handle.
“You good, Kelsi?” Zak’s voice broke through her reverie.
Kelsi blinked, shaking herself back to the present. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied, forcing a smile. “Just a long day.”
Zak shot her a knowing look, the kind that said he could see right through her. “Long day, huh? Funny how long days usually involve Chef Carlson,” he teased, winking.
Heat crept up Kelsi’s neck. “It’s not like that,” she said quickly, a little too quickly.
Zak chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, whatever you say. But if you need me to cover for you at dinner tomorrow night, just let me know.”
Kelsi laughed nervously, her mind flashing back to the text message Drew had sent her: Dinner tomorrow? We need to talk.
Talk. The word hung over her like a storm cloud. She knew what Drew wanted to talk about—there was no avoiding it anymore. But was she ready for that conversation? The easy, professional distance they had maintained was crumbling, and she wasn’t sure if she was prepared for what might come next.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, half expecting another message from Drew, but instead, it was a notification from Amelia’s social media account. Kelsi’s heart skipped a beat. Amelia had been quiet lately, too quiet. She had an unsettling knack for appearing at the worst possible moments.
Kelsi swiped the notification away and refocused on her work. She had enough on her plate without worrying about what Amelia was up to. There would be time for that later.
For now, she had footage to edit and posts to schedule. She slid her phone back into her pocket and started gathering behind-the-scenes clips of the contestants. The challenge had gone off without a hitch, and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. But no matter how hard she tried to focus on work, her mind kept drifting back to Drew.
Why can’t I just treat this like any other day? she wondered, frustration bubbling inside her.
The problem was, it wasn’t just any other day. Every time she thought about the way Drew had opened up about his father, the way he had looked at her in the market—so raw, so exposed—it made her chest tighten. She had spent so long trying to prove herself in this world, trying to be taken seriously as a chef and not just the “content creator.” But with Drew, it was different. He saw her in a way that no one else did.
As the last contestant wrapped up their post-challenge interviews, Kelsi packed up her equipment, the weight of tomorrow’s dinner pressing down on her. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but she knew one thing for sure—whatever happened between her and Drew, it was going to change everything.
The studio had emptied out by the time Kelsi finished uploading the day’s footage. The echo of her footsteps filled the space as she made her way toward the exit, her mind still racing. She had spent so long building her brand, cultivating an audience, and clawing her way to where she was now. Letting Drew into that world—into her heart—felt like a risk she wasn’t sure she could afford to take.
Her phone buzzed again, and this time it was Drew.
Drew : "Looking forward to tomorrow. Dinner’s at 7. Can’t wait to see you."
A shiver ran down her spine. Can’t wait to see you. It was a simple message, but the weight of it pressed against her, stirring up a whirlwind of emotions. She typed back a quick response.
Kelsi : "Looking forward to it too. See you then."
She stared at the screen for a moment, her thumb hovering over the keyboard. She wanted to say more, to tell him how much his words at the market had meant to her, how much she had been thinking about him. But the words felt too heavy, too risky.
Instead, she slid her phone into her bag and made her way to the door. The streets outside were quiet, the sun dipping low on the horizon. Tomorrow was coming fast, and with it, the conversation she had been avoiding.