"Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

~The Wizard of Oz

                                                                                 ~~~~~~~~

"Today's the day," Kelsey breathed, opening her car door and weaving through the mass of people entering the set.

Today was Friday, and Kelsey was going to begin preparing for Becca Lynn's party the following day.

She'd already made a list of all the tasks she was hoping to accomplish...but would have to do it after-hours.

She quickly got to work, and was a few hours in when she noticed a new voice entering the kitchen.

She looked up and saw a young man shaking hands with all of the chefs, followed by Chef Romano.

He had one of those smooth, realtor-type looks. His black beard was trimmed short, he had a bucketload of gel in his hair, and his smile was white enough to be on a Colgate commercial.

He made a round before coming to Kelsey.

She stood up and shook the hand he extended to her.

"Derek Vance. I'm the new assistant chef."

"Kelsey Harris."

Chef Vance clapped her on the back, making Kelsey lurch forward.

"I know you must feel insignificant here, but I just want you to know that you have one of the most important jobs in this kitchen," he said. He sounded like a congressman with a neon vest over his polished suit, addressing a group of construction workers during a rally.

Kelsey lifted an eyebrow. "Thanks."

If he was campaigning for her vote, he'd have to try a little harder.

Her eyes shifted to Chef Romano, whose frown was deeper than usual. Something told Kelsey that this Chef Vance wasn't equal to Ivan in her eyes.

When the kitchen closed for the day, Kelsey began peeling and dicing potatoes, preparing multiple pie crusts, marinating the steak, and shredding mozzarella for the cheese puffs.

She stored it all safely for the night and headed home.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Kelsey's small car was filled with disposable dishes, utensils, and serving trays. Even though she'd just eaten, the smell of cheese and herbs and spices made her stomach rumble.

Her GPS said that she was five minutes away from Becca Lynn's residence.

She swallowed past the nerves that made her feel shaky inside.

So much was at stake, and the fact that Becca was close friends with Ethan didn't help set her at ease.

All she wanted—all she had ever wanted—was to cook for people. To have them enjoy the things she'd made.

Now she felt like a gladiator walking into the battle arena. Her opponents were Chef Romano, Hollywood, and—most formidable of all—herself.

She had so much to prove, so much to lose.

She inhaled sharply as she pulled up to a large, silver gate with a speaker.

She rolled her window down and pressed the button.

"Jordan Mack's residence," a plain voice said.

"Um...Kelsey Harris with Carmichael's Cartering Service? Here with uh...food...er, obviously."

"All right."

The speaker shut off and the gate slowly began to open.

Kelsey blinked at the house before her.

It was three stories tall, and looked as if three boxes had been stacked unevenly on top of one another.

The middle floor was made entirely out of glass, where any passersby could see inside. Kelsey guessed that was the point, because the purple and blue lights flashing inside amongst a crowd of people was a sight to behold.

She pulled up to the entrance and was met by a tall man in a black suit with a red tie.

She timidly rolled down her window and stated her business.

"You may pull around to the back. We have a table set up where you can put the food."

"Okay, thank you" Kelsey breathed.

She drove her 2012 Toyota past at least a hundred Mercedes, Lamborghinis, and Mustangs into the backyard, where there was a long deck and a massive swimming pool in the shape of California.

A hot tup steamed in one corner, and the entire patio was made of beautiful orange stone, including the steps that lead down to the pool.

There looked to be a lot more than one-hundred people there, but Kelsey was relieved to see some food already on the table.

"Overwhelming" was the only word she could think of to describe it all.

It was like entering a completely different universe.

She had to make seven trips to and from her car to set up the table.

Music blared in her ears, making it hard to hear her own thoughts as she arranged the food in order from appetizer to dessert.

The night was surprisingly chilly and Kelsey shivered beneath her chef's coat. It wasn't long before she was put into action serving party guests as they came up to the table.

After the first hour, she grew used to seeing famous profiles walk up to the table.

When she got a chance to survey the party, she felt a sense of uncomfortableness warm her cheeks. She assumed that the guests had been drinking for a while, which led to the scene resembling a college rave as opposed to adults gathering together for a good time. She saw things she never thought she would witness in public.

After a while, however, she learned to train her eyes on her own task, and excitement replaced her shock.

This was why she came all the way to California.

This was why she cooked.

During a rare break in traffic, Kelsey sat back and beheld her work. People—famous people—seemed to be enjoying her food. She couldn't help but smile.

"Hey there," a voice chirped.

Kelsey jumped out of her blissful fog and turned, then froze. Becca Lynn stood at the table, tall glass of champaign in her hand. She was wearing a swimsuit underneath a sheer coverup. Her black hair was straightened down to her waist and her lips were bright, almost blindingly, pink. She wore more makeup than Kelsey had ever seen anyone wear, but she had to admit that Becca pulled it off, like her face was made to look like a model.

"H-hi, Miss Lynn," Kelsey said, the butterflies immediately returning. "Can I get you something to eat?"

"No, no," Becca said, tossing her hair back. "I just wanted to make sure everything was running smoothly."

Her eyes scanned every detail of the table, making Kelsey squirm.

"I think it's been going alright so far. Thank you so much for letting us cater your party."

Becca shrugged one shoulder, then turned to leave. Kelsey was about to be relieved, but Becca hesitated and turned back.

She stared at Kelsey for an uncomfortable ten seconds, took a sip of champaign, and said, "You look familiar."

Kelsey shriveled. "I serve lunch at Building 4A?"

Becca lifted a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "And they let you serve at parties too?"

"Uh, no, not exactly." A million ways to phrase her next sentence raced through Kelsey's mind. "I was given the opportunity to cook for this party, as well as cater it."

Becca's mind was still calculating. Suddenly, it clicked. "You know Ethan."

Kelsey wished she could melt through the floor, or disappear, or run away. Becca's words weren't a question—she knew. Kelsey swallowed. "Uh, yes, we've met."

Becca let out a shrill laugh. "Oh honey! I'd been suspicious he was keeping something from me."

"I assure you there's nothing to find out," Kelsey replied quickly.

Becca squinted deviously. "Hon, I've seen him disappear to that kitchen more than once. He shows up to the set bleary-eyed and tired. I knew he was seeing someone—and I assumed she hadn't been on a talk show or movie set, if you know what I mean." She scanned Kelsey from head to toe. "Or on the cover of Vogue, for that matter."

Kelsey's cheeks warmed, but before she could say anything, Becca set her glass on the table and rested both her palms against the white cloth. A scowl deepened the lines on her face. "I love Ethan as a brother, alright? And it doesn't take me long to decide whether or not I like someone. You? You might be decent enough, sure, but not for him."

"We're not—it's not like that," Kelsey said.

"I know the look on his face, and I can only imagine it on yours. You may think you're interested in each other, but let me tell you—it won't work."

Kelsey knew she should end the conversation. She was on business, and Becca was trying to tear her down. But she found herself whispering, "Why not?"

Becca straightened, a smile spreading across her pink lips. "I don't mean to offend you, but I'm sure you know it's true. You don't belong out there," she gestured toward the party, "and my guess is that you wouldn't want to be there, either. The truth is that Ethan lives under the spotlight, center stage. Where are you? Serving lunch to people like him." She shrugged one shoulder. "There's no harm in that. But if you and Ethan think this is some sort of "prince charming falls in love with a commoner" type of story, then let me tell you that this is the real world. You don't find true love or whatever."

Kelsey watched as Becca's face grew bitter.

"What about you?" Kelsey asked.

Becca frowned. "What?"

"You and," it took Kelsey a frightening second to remember his name, "Jordan Mack."

Becca glanced over to where her husband—dressed like a stereotypical rapper—was talking to a group of people. "You can fall out of love as quick as you fall into it," she spat, taking another long drink from her glass. "In Hollywood, you choose someone who makes you look good, alright? Our wedding was the best publicity stunt either one of us could've pulled."

Kelsey's jaw went slack.

"But it doesn't matter," Becca said. "Because what I'm talking about here is Ethan. I'm warning you to stay away from him—you're the last thing he needs right now."

"I have to say I disagree," Kelsey said firmly. "I don't care what you think Ethan and I are, because there's more to it than that. I think we make each other better people—and whether or not there's an interest doesn't matter." She took in a deep breath.

Becca rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, please. Those are the fantasies you need to get rid of. L.A. might be the land of dreams to some people, but once you're here, it's where they die. Get used to it. Wake up to reality, sweetie. You're going to be the one to break Ethan's heart, and if you really care for him or whatever, then don't make him go through that again."

Kelsey knit her brows together. "...again?"

Becca searched Kelsey's face, first in disbelief. Her lips parted and she raised an incredulous brow. "You don't know about Althea Stellan, do you?"

Kelsey racked her brain, knowing the name from the movies, but unable to recall anything about her, much less her and Ethan. "No."

"So I'm guessing you don't know about Ethan's past?"

Kelsey felt like she couldn't breathe. "I—no."

"Did he tell you anything?"

"No," Kelsey whispered, "I guess not."

Becca threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, Ethan," she giggled into her cup.

Kelsey stood rigid, her heart hammering in her chest. She'd never felt more like an idiot in her entire life.

After another peel of laughter, Becca tilted her glass towards Kelsey. "Honey, you've got a lot more to learn about how this place operates. Good luck."

She walked away, then turned over her shoulder. "I'll let Ethan know you said hi."

Kelsey was left feeling desolate, embarrassed, and confused.

You've only known him for a month, she tried to justify to herself. But yet, she knew about his mom's cancer, he knew that her parents were on the brink of divorce, they found freedom in the safety of being able to share with one another. Or so Kelsey thought.

Maybe she'd been deceived into thinking they had something special. Maybe not romantic, but something real.

Now, it was like everything she thought she knew about him was put into question. And deep down, she wasn't sure she wanted to find the answers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello everyone! We got around to THE party!

~How do you think Kelsey did with everything?

~What about Becca?

~What do you think Ethan's hiding?

Thank you so much for reading! (Don't forget to comment, vote, and share!}