by Staci Wilder

Chapter Seventeen

             Luke hurriedly pulled on a pair of dark Levi’s and tucked in his green-and-white striped polo shirt. He’d overslept by two snoozes and now he had less than half an hour to get to the studio. Kurt had called late last night to tell him that all cameras would be in use today. Something about a press junket being a part of the day’s challenge.

            He squeezed a quarter-size dollop of gel into his hands and worked it through his short crop of curls. Dark circles beneath each eye told the story of his restless night. Tossing for what seemed like hours, he’d watched the red numbers on his bedside clock switch to three a.m. before once shutting his eyes.

            A good strong cup of coffee would be useful right now. He’d have to settle for the kind he could get at the corner 7-11. He was out of the stuff here at home and the lines at the coffee shops were always a mile long this time of morning.

            Not to mention the phrase ‘coffee shop’ stabbed a fresh dart of pain right through the center of his heart. The images were branded in his head: the Blended Hearts sign in the window, spotting Ella walking inside, seeing her and the beefy dark-headed guy all chummy over some fancy cup of joe.

            He brushed his teeth, rinsed, and grabbed the keys to the Expedition. He shouldn’t have even been in that part of the city again last night anyway. The only reason he’d been in the area at all was to pick up a baby gift for one of the guys on the crew.

            The guy’s wife had registered at the fancy shmancy Pea in a Pod. That had been his original mission when he’d bumped into Ella the time before. The baby was a month old now and Luke was feeling plenty guilty at being so delinquent with a gift.

            After finally spending way too much for a bath towel and something the sales girl called ‘booties’, Luke had all but run from the store, feeling like a kid just set free on the last day of school.

            And he’d almost run smack into Ella.

            She hadn’t seen him as she stepped from the taxi and paid the driver. Luke’s heart raced as he went down the list of possible things to do in that moment. Say hello and then keep going. Grab her and kiss her like he really wanted to do. Pull her aside and plead for another chance for them.

            In the end, Ella had decided for him. With excitement in her eyes and a spring in her step, she’d disappeared inside the coffee shop before he’d developed a plan. It was moments later, when he’d risked a peek through the glass windows that he’d seen her, head tossed back, laughing with the hunk at the counter.

            The mental math was easy from there. She’d pulled away from him. The coffee shop was a meeting place for a singles club. The name Blended Hearts had spelled it out for him in simple black-and-white. For whatever reason—and he couldn’t figure out that reason for the life of him—Ella had turned her back on their developing relationship. Now she was inside, laughing and having a good time with another guy. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out.

            In that single moment, several things came into clarity for him and presented him with more irony that he knew possible. In an office on the corner, Tessa—his ex love—came and went, pursuing that elusive modeling career that had ultimately meant more to her than he had. And in a coffee shop just down the street, now sat  Ella—the woman he feared he now loved—and she wanted nothing to do with him.

            Luke’s heart felt like it had been speared, and not for the first time.

            Now he slammed the driver’s side door of the SUV and roared the engine to life. He’d known better, and yet he’d allowed his heart to do the decision-making for him. Now all the old scars tormented him again. With every passing mile, he was reminded of what a fool he’d been to get involved with anyone in the business.

            Even a sweet, fledgling reality star like Ella.

 *****

             The fax must have been slipped beneath her hotel room door sometime during the night. Ella found it as she stumbled to the bathroom after her five a.m. wake-up call from the front desk. She picked it up and flipped on the entry way light, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the brightness. The Cooking Channel logo topped the single sheet and one short paragraph followed.

 All remaining five finalists are to meet in Sound Stage C at ten o’clock a.m. Wear interview appropriate attire. You’ve been honing your culinary ability, personality, and TV skills, now it’s time to share what you’ve learned with America!

             Ella read the brief paragraph again and cringed. She tried to decipher the cryptic message. Dress for interviews…Time to share with America…Her mind ran through a short list of possibilities, but she quickly gave it up. She’d already learned enough to know that just as soon as you think you’ve got the contest figured out, they go and throw you a curve ball. She could speculate about the what-if’s from now till whenever and still not guess the game plan. It was best to simply do as the fax instructed.

            She’d dress in the only suit she’d brought along, force herself to eat a bowl of Raisin Bran downstairs, and then take a car to the studio. Then, and only then, would she allow her mind to run ahead and consider all the viable possibilities.

            Piling her hair on top of her head, she secured it with a tortoise-shell clip. She toyed with the idea of leaving it down—loose, the way Luke liked it. But thoughts of Luke only made her sad so she stuck the clip in place and forgot about it.

            Everyone except Torrie was already in the green room when Ella arrived at a quarter till ten. The others looked about as uneasy as she felt. Ben—dressed in pressed black Wranglers and a long-sleeved cowboy shirt—twirled a black Stetson in his hands.

            “Did you get the fax?” He looked a little pale.

            “Yep. Has anyone been down here yet to let us know anything?”

            Henry shook his head. “Not a peep. They’re definitely keeping us in the dark on this one.” To emphasize his point, Henry played with the light switch, sending the room in and out of darkness. “Hey, I guess you’ve heard the one about the three Aggies and the light switch?”

            With Deidra no longer there to quench Henry’s penchant for corny jokes, the rest of the finalists just let the bait lay in the still air between them. No one felt much like answering riddles. Neither did they feel like telling Henry to quit throwing them out there.

            Henry shrugged as the door to the green room opened. Torrie walked in, looking like a million bucks. In a suit the exact shade of creamy taupe as her tanned skin, matching eel skin pumps and a hair do that could only have been done in a salon, she looked ready for the catwalk at one of the city’s prominent fashion houses.

            “Morning!” Her smile included Ella, a big surprise after her frosty indifference from the day before. “Ready for the next challenge, people?”

            Ben let out a low whistle. “Just what do you think this challenge is, Miss Torrie with an ‘ie’, that has you dressed to the nines?”

            Torrie stuck out her tongue as she perched on the sofa next to him. She reached out and captured the Stetson from his hands. “I don’t know. Probably the same thing that has you outfitted in these fancy duds.”

            Patty stood up and came to stand with Ella at the coffee service. “I…I’m not s…sure about th…this. What if I c…can’t do it?” With Ella’s encouragement Patty had begun to open up a bit more with the others. But she still came to Ella when she needed a boost of confidence.

            Ella emptied a packet of Splenda into her coffee and stirred. Turning, she smiled at the woman who was fast becoming a real friend. “Pretend you’re in the kitchen, Patty. You don’t have a problem there, right? You’re brilliant, even in front of the cameras. Hey,” she shrugged, “that’s better than the rest of us on most days!”

            Ben came and stood behind them. Ella smiled as he slipped a muscled arm around Patty’s shoulder. “You’re going to do great, Patty. We’re behind you.”

            That was the funny thing about this entire crazy competition. With the exception of maybe Torrie, they were all in the same corner. Only one of them would walk away with their own restaurant, but until that point, they had each other’s backs. Ella hoped she’d be the winner; hoped her time away from Chloe hadn’t been for nothing. Still, no matter what happened during these last couple of challenges, she knew she’d be going home with new friends in her heart.

            And didn’t that already make her a winner?

 *****

             The next challenge took them all by surprise.

            At a quarter after ten that morning, they were finally summoned from the green room to the floor of Sound Stage C. Once again, the studio had undergone a makeover. This time it was set up for a press conference and the room was filled with reporters from all the major networks and newspapers. Ella recognized Shari Hart from Entertainment Now in the front row.

            “It gives us great pleasure at this time to introduce the final five to you.” Nathan Charleton addressed the press. “They’ll tell you a little about themselves and then be available to answer your questions.” He gestured for Ella, who’d drawn first in this challenge. “Please give a big hand to Ella Paglia, from Milltown, Louisiana!”

            Ella ran her tongue over her lips and tried to still the quivering in her stomach. She’d finally conquered some of her on-camera fears, but this challenge took things to a whole new level. Knowing her every word and move would be recorded for that evening’s slate of news and entertainment was sobering, to say the least.

            Walking to the podium, she smiled at Nathan Charleton and paused for the brief kiss he placed on her cheek. “Good morning, thank you for coming.” Taking a deep breath, she delved into the short biographical narrative she’d had all of five minutes to organize. She told them about Chloe, about their life in Milltown, and of her desire to use this opportunity to show her small daughter that it is never too late in life to pursue your dreams.

            A generous applause erupted at the end of her speech. Ella’s veins pulsed with relief that that part, at least, was now behind her. She smiled as Shari Hart raised a hand, signaling she had a question. The woman looked much smaller in person.

            “Ms. Paglia, what has this experience taught you?”

            “That’s easy.” She nodded. “I’m glad you asked that. I’ve not only gained invaluable insights into how much goes into making a food show, but I’ve also gained another resource. Friends.”

            Ella pointed to the other four finalists, waiting for their turn in front of the press. “These people have become like an extended family to me. Their support and friendship have made this time away from home and from my daughter bearable.”

            “Thank you, Ella.” Nathan Charleton smiled a dismissal and Ella thankfully exited the makeshift stage.

            She slipped into a chair next to Patty, who promptly reached over and squeezed her hand.

            “…Torrie Tyler, from Mobile, Alabama!”

            Torrie rose from her chair with the grace of a Greek goddess and somehow—though Ella certainly didn’t know how in those six-inch stilettos—model-walked to the podium.

            “Thank you.” She flashed a zillion-watt smile then turned to the side, glancing over her shoulder with a sultry pout. “That’s Torrie, with an ‘ie’.”

            Ella resisted the urge to laugh, and just shook her head.

            “Hey,” Ben leaned forward and whispered, “She’s doing that Paris Shelton thing, isn’t she? I’m gonna pass plumb out if she pulls a stinking Chihuahua named Stinkerbell out of that bag of hers!”

            “That’d be…hot!” Henry slapped his thigh and howled at his own imitation.

            “Sh!” Ella grinned and winked at Patty. The truth was it did seem as though Torrie was interviewing at the end of a red carpet rather than on behalf of The Cooking Channel. It was all quite entertaining. No doubt it would be Torrie’s photo that made the front page entertainment section of the Gazette.

            “Ms. Tyler,” A reporter in the back stood and raised his hand high in the air. “Ms. Paglia has already told us how she feels about the other finalists. She considers them her friends. Do you agree? Or are there some secret rivalries you’d like to share?”

            A slim finger of apprehension poked Ella in the ribs as Torrie leveled a frosty gaze straight in her direction. What was the girl going to do? Or say? Ella sucked in a deep breath, holding it as she waited to see.

            “Well, they’re lovely people.” Torrie gave a demur nod. “But we’re all here to win. And some of us…well, some of us are willing to go to…shall we say, great lengths, to win.”

            Immediately there was a rising crescendo as reporters leaped to their feet. Everyone wanted this on tape. They wanted details, names. Torrie had hand-fed them hints of scandal. Now they were like hungry dogs, sniffing around her feet for more.

            Torrie struck another pose as the cameras panned in, flashbulbs going off in rapid fire motion. Then utter and complete silence as she opened her pink lips to speak.

            “One of us—and I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to say who—is not afraid to do whatever she must to win small favors.”

            Ella froze as Torrie’s icy blue eyes zeroed in on her. “Evidently dating a camera man earns you extra points around here.”

    Chapter Eighteen

             Luke’s first instinct was to shut the camera off.

            But even if he did, he knew there were thirty other cameras still recording every word—every antic—this pathetic creature of a girl was tossing out. Indignation flamed inside his gut as Torrie Tyler’s words boomeranged inside his head. The nerve of that gal, what did she think she was doing? Could she be so dense to think this would help her standing in the competition?

            “Keep rolling, man.” Kurt’s voice crackled through Luke’s headset.

            Luke’s jaw throbbed from clenching his teeth too tightly. “Copy that.”

            Sound Stage C was a motion of activity. Reporters pushed to the front, mini-recorders held high, cell phone cameras angled to catch every sultry syllable out of Torrie’s mouth. Cameramen from the various newspapers crouched in a long line in front of the podium. Flashbulbs popped every couple of seconds, each one of them sending Torrie Tyler’s little escapade that much further into the public eye.

            Luke felt sick to his stomach.

            Not for himself. He could care less what the ramifications of this press conference might hold for him. His nose was clean; he’d made sure not to put Ella at risk before he’d ever approached her for the first time.

            He worried about Ella.

            From his position behind his camera, he couldn’t see her. But his heart felt her pain, the inevitable embarrassment she must be feeling. In spite of the revelations of the past twenty-four hours and the realization that his feelings for Ella might never be reciprocated, Luke’s heart and head wanted only the same thing. To be at her side.

            The only good thing he could say in Torrie’s favor right now was that at least she’d refrained from naming names. With any luck—and with a whole lot of damage control—maybe the incident would pass without Ella being placed on the front burner.

            Luke zoomed in tight on Torrie as she leaned toward the microphone again. Out of nowhere, it seemed, there appeared two people on either side of her. Luke recognized them as network honchos—Anita Garber and Fred Zanderfeld. He watched in amazement as Anita took Torrie’s arm and whispered something in her ear before leading her off the stage. Fred took the podium, thanked everyone for coming, and abruptly called an end to the press conference.

            Luke waited for the countdown from the control booth, anxious to shut down filming and find out how Ella was. All he wanted right now was to pull her close and hold her head against his chest. He fidgeted. Was it a curse to have such strong feelings for a woman who obviously didn’t return them? It sure felt like one.

            Two things were clear to Luke. One, he loved Ella Paglia. God help him, it might make him a crazy man, but he did. Two, as much as he wanted to simply walk away from this and give Ella all the space she wanted, the protectiveness he felt toward her dictated that he seek her out and make sure she was okay. If it meant his heart would take another trampling if she refused to speak to him, then so be it. Laying his head down in peace at night was something Luke strove for each day. He’d never be able to do that tonight if he knew he’d left Ella to face the wolves of this industry alone.

            “…three…two…one. You’re outta there, Luke.”

            Finally. Luke shut the camera off, pulled out the disk, and ran it up to the control booth. Three other camera men were there ahead of him. The small space fairly hummed with the rarely seen version of male gossip.

            “Who was she talking about down there, huh?” One of the newer guys unwrapped a stick of gum and stuck it in his mouth. “And who’s the camera man she outted?”

            Luke considered telling the guy that no one had been “outted” since he obviously knew no names. He decided it wasn’t worth the effort. The quieter he stayed about the whole mess, the better off he’d be.

            Ernie leaned against Kurt’s desk and leveled a gaze at him. Luke wondered if Ernie expected him to admit that he was the one who’d been seeing one of the finalists. That would release the other guys from being put on the hot seat in all this, a fact he’d just now considered. Luke raised an eyebrow, but Ernie shook his head slightly and narrowed his eyes.

            “Guys, unless the network comes forward with any questions, I think we’d better just let this one go.” Ernie stood and clapped the new guy on the back. “It’s none of our business anyway, right?”

            New guy popped his gum. “Right, but man, I just wanted to congratulate the guy, whoever he is. It had to be that hot chick, Ella! I mean, who else is there—Pixie Patty? Yeah, right, like she’s a possibility…”

            Luke started forward, his right hand folding into a tight fist. Kurt was on his feet in a flash, neatly stepping between Luke and his intended target. Ernie clapped the guy’s shoulder again and motioned them all toward the door.

            “Let’s get out of here. Kurt’s got work to do, don’t you, buddy?”

            Kurt grinned. “There’s always work.” He glanced at his watch. “Take an early lunch, guys. Be back by two. And expect a late night. We’ll have to edit today’s tapes and see what the network wants to save from this fiasco.”

 *****

             Ella’s cheeks burned.

            Even now, an hour after Torrie was led off camera, Ella battled the humiliation those brief few moments incurred. She didn’t know if she felt anger or embarrassment, or, more likely, a mixture of both. She only knew she’d never felt more alone. Even after Stephen’s death she’d had Reggie and Chloe. With them now over a thousand miles away, Ella felt like an island—lost and remote from the rest of the world.

            With one exception. If Torrie’s little spiel yielded the desired effect, Ella would no longer be invisible to the rest of the world. Her name would make headlines in every tabloid out there. Photos of her would crop up from seemingly nowhere. Ella had read enough People and seen enough Entertainment Now to know how these things worked. The paparazzi would have a high school picture of her plastered in their rag before she could blink twice.

            “Are you o…okay?” Patty sat next to her on the sofa. The four finalists sat in the green room, waiting for Nathan Charleton to let them know what to do next. Patty reached out now and clasped Ella’s hand.

            Ella nodded, but didn’t meet the woman’s eyes. How could she look at Patty? Patty had to have made the connection. The two of them were the only females left in the competition. Obviously Patty knew Torrie wasn’t talking about her, so that left one person.

            Patty knew Ella had gone out with one of the cameramen.

            Ben lounged in an overstuffed chair across from them, his black Stetson balanced on one knee. “Torrie had no business pulling a stunt like that.” He ran his fingers through his tousled hair. “I thought the gal had more class than that.”

            “Me too.” For once Henry seemed at a loss for jokes. Or maybe he just had more control over the corny joke department than they’d given him credit for. He leaned forward now and anchored his elbows on his knees. “It’s just us now. The Four Musketeers, together till the end.” He held out a fist. “One for all?”

            Ben grinned and laid a fist on top of Henry’s. Patty followed suit, giving Ella a reassuring glance. Ella placed her fist on top of Patty’s. “And all for one.”

            Thirty minutes later, Ella was thankful for their support as she sat stiff and upright in an upholstered chair in Fred Zanderfeld’s third-floor office. Nathan Charleton had already met with the four of them, informing them of Torrie’s imminent departure. Evidently she’d breached the confidentiality agreement they’d all signed at the beginning of the competition. With zero tolerance for this type of infraction, Torrie was sent to the Radisson to pack her belongings for a return trip to Mobile.

            Now they were meeting—one on one—with Fred Zanderfeld, the president of Dreamcaster Productions. A tall, thin stylish man, Fred Zanderfeld sat behind his desk and gazed at her over the rims of his small silver reading glasses. His gray eyes—though they seemed kind enough—gave no indication as to what he was about to say to her. Ella tried not to fidget as she waited for him to say something. Anything.

            “Can I have my secretary bring you anything? Coffee, a cup of tea?”

            A valium, please? “No, thank you,” she smiled.

            “Very well.” He pushed his glasses to the top of his head and leaned forward over the desk. “I’m very sorry for this inconvenience. It is the network’s intention to make sure that full restitution is made to the remaining four finalists. Yourself included, of course.”

            Huh? “Thank you, sir.” Ella nodded. When was he going to ask her about Luke?

            “I’ll be issuing a full statement to the press later this afternoon.” He flattened his palms on the desk as though he were examining his nails. Nails that were in better shape than her own, Ella noticed. “This should dispel all gossip and put an end to future stories.”

            Ella held her breath, almost afraid to believe her ears.

            “This has been a most unfortunate incident. One the network deeply regrets. However,” he pulled out a nail file and ran it a couple of times over the nail of his right index finger, “we fully support Restaurant 101. There’s absolutely no reason why this competition shouldn’t proceed as planned.”

            Fred Zanderfeld replaced the nail file with meticulous care, rose from his chair, and reached across the desk for her hand. “Ms. Paglia, I wish you the best in this competition. May the best chef…I don’t know…stay in the kitchen!” He chuckled at his own stab at humor.

            “Thank you, sir.” Ella shook his hand vigorously, more to disguise the shaking of her own knees rather than sheer enthusiasm.

by Staci Wilder

                         Chapter Sixteen

            Ella’s heart was divided during the short cab ride back to the Radisson.

            Ben and Henry were going to check out a neighborhood comedy club and had invited her to join them. Torrie had continued to ignore Ella, ducking out of the studio as soon as the elimination ceremony ended. Even Patty had plans—her husband was flying in from Iowa, planning to spend the remainder of the competition close to her side.

            Ella knew she had every reason to celebrate. Surviving tonight’s elimination ceremony meant another small victory, one step closer to the realization of the dream she so desperately wanted for herself, and for Chloe.

            But the victory seemed hollow without any firm resolutions with Luke. She’d looked for him on set today, but someone said he’d taken the day off. So she’d been shocked to see him as she’d left the studio. She’d wanted to say so much, and yet had left so much unsaid.

            After last night’s fiasco at Café  Med, there really wasn’t anything left to say.

           As drunk as she was, Torrie had been able to articulate, in a matter of a few sloppy seconds, the very things Ella’s heart had tried to ignore. Now that the truth had been laid out—no matter how dissected it may have been—there was no reining it back in. It was out there. The sooner she accepted it, the sooner she’d have Luke Abney purged from her heart and mind.

            Stephen Paglia had been the love of her life. Was the love of her life. He’d been the one to hold her hand as she crossed that invisible line between girlhood and womanhood. He’d been her first in every sense of the word. The first to hold her hand. The first boy to kiss her. The first—the only—man who’d touched her body and had shown her the power of love between a man and a woman.

            The fact that she could so easily be attracted to another man frightened her. But even more than that, it shamed her. Stephen had loved her fiercely, right up until the very end, before he drew his last, ragged breath.

            “I love you, Ella girl.” His voice—raspy from the chemo—was soft in her ear. “I’ll always watch over you.” His eyes had been closed, but he’d held her hand tightly. “You and Chloe. I’ll always be with you, El.”

            The memory of that last night with Stephen shot through Ella’s senses and she shivered. Those words had been her comfort for so many weeks and months after the funeral. Though she’d lost faith in God, Ella clung to the belief that somehow Stephen really was watching over her and Chloe. That hope brought a small measure of peace. Enough for her to drag herself out of bed the next day, anyway.

            What had happened to that belief? If Stephen was watching now—Ella couldn’t bring herself to finish that thought. Shame flushed her cheeks and she fought the hot tears that stung the backs of her eyes.

            He’d be crushed, that’s what. Her mind ran ahead of her, in spite of the pain these thoughts caused her. The mental image of Stephen observing her with Luke—laughing, holding hands, flirting—was almost more than she could bear. What had she been thinking? How could she let go of Stephen so readily, so easily?

            Ella scrubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, relieved to see the taxi pulling up to the curb of the hotel. All she wanted now was the sanctity of her room.

            The lobby of the Radisson buzzed with people. It was Friday night in LA—Ella’s second weekend in the City of Lights and her heart just didn’t feel up to the celebration. Weaving her way through the maze of bodies, she stood in line at the elevators.

            Her eyes went unbidden to the cluster of chairs where she and Luke had spent so many hours just days ago. An elderly man with a pot belly now occupied the chair Luke had sat in. But even the sight of the portly man couldn’t dim the image she carried of Luke in his starched khakis and button-down.

            Ella rode the elevator up to the third floor. But once in her room, the restlessness inside her only grew. Talking to Chloe helped some, but the little girl was at a McDonald’s playground with Reggie. Taking a break from the Ronald McDonald slide to talk to Mommy wasn’t her idea of a good time.

            “I can’t believe Reggie Bradshaw is actually sitting in a McDonald’s.” Ella laughed when Reggie rescued her cell phone from the floor where Chloe had dropped it. “Are they serving filet mignon now? Grilled halibut?”

            “Very funny, girl.” Reggie’s voice sounded lighter than it had in years. “I think maybe I’ve developed a palate for Big Macs, believe it or not!”

            Ella dissolved in giggles and stretched across the bed. “You have not!” She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. “That process is painful, and takes…I don’t know, sometimes months to cultivate!”

            “Yeah, well, you know me. I’m a quick learner.”

            Reggie’s deep laugh reached through the line and across the miles. Ella felt her stomach lurch. She missed home. She longed for the simple things that she’d been unable to pack in her suitcases back in Milltown. Things like watching Chloe play on the playground. Munching on French fries even though they ate up too many Weight Watcher points. Hanging out with Reggie.

            “So how was today?” Her best friend’s voice sliced through her thoughts. “I assume you survived the elimination tonight, right? Or are you calling to say that you’re packing your bags and are catching the red-eye to come rescue me from the perils of Big Mac attacks?”

            Ella giggled again, but this time a sob caught in her throat. “Um. No, I’m still in it.”

            “Hey, what is it, El? Are you crying?”

            “No. Well, not really.” Ella covered her eyes with one hand. How best to explain to your best friend that you’re doing great in a competition that she herself sacrificed to help get you to—and yet now all you want is to turn in your apron and come running home? “I’m fine, really. Just tired, I guess.”

            “Are you sure you’re okay? Is everyone playing nice?”

            “Yes, everyone’s great.” No need in discussing Torrie now—there’d be time enough for that after the competition. “I guess that’s what makes this reality series different. We really do wish we could all be winners.”

            “And Mr. Blond?” Reggie’s voice dripped with honey. “How’s the cutie?”

            Ella sat up on the bed and pulled her knees up to her chest. “Reg—I don’t know.”

            There was a rustle on the other end of the line. “Hey, El, hang on a minute, will you?” More rustling, then a muted, Chloe Paglia, you come back here!

            Ella’s tears trailed down to her smiling mouth as she listened to Reggie try to cajole Chloe from some hiding place. Ella could imagine Reggie trying to wiggle her way through the narrow brightly colored tunnel in a desperate attempt to capture the active toddler before she turned the corner out of reach. What she wouldn’t give to be with the two of them right now…

            “Sorry ‘bout that, Ella.” Reggie was huffing. “Your …daughter went up…the slide—backwards, I might add—and…I had to go…up…after her!”

            “Aw, you’re such a good auntie.” Ella grinned. Now that was a Kodak moment if ever there’d been one.

            “Okay, let me catch my breath! That’s right, Chloe, stay right here where Aunt Reg can watch you, ‘kay?” Another deep breath. “Now what were you saying about Mr. Blond?”

            “It’s over.”

            “Over? How can it be over? When did it start?” Reggie’s voice sounded almost confused as Ella felt.

            “I guess there’s a lot I haven’t told you.” Ella couldn’t believe so much had happened since she’d left Louisiana two weeks ago. “He’s wonderful—Luke, I mean. Truly a wonderful man, Reggie.”

            “Mmhm. Okay, so what’s the problem? He’s not married, is he? Or gay?”

            Ella laughed. “No, nothing like that. Reg, listen to this. He even prayed for me one night before an elimination. Out loud.”

            “Uh-oh.” Reggie paused. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I mean, he’s not some weirdo, stalker-guy, is he? He doesn’t like, preach on the street corners, does he?”

            “No, silly. Nothing like that.” Ella hunted for a way to explain Luke. “He is gentle, and kind, and understanding. And it is obvious that his faith is very important to him.”

            Ella could hear Reggie adjust the straw in her cup and then take a slurp of drink. She waited. They’d been friends long enough for Ella to know Reggie was using these seconds to think.

            “I’m not sure I understand, Ella.” Reggie finally answered. “I mean, those qualities sound like the very ones you look for in a man. At least, the ones you used to look for. Remember when you started dating Stephen?”

            Ella dropped her head to her knees, and squeezed her eyes shut. Reggie’s words hit her heart dead-center, like a dart on a target. She remembered, all right. Ella had refused all of Stephen’s advances until she’d done some checking, and realized that he really did attend church faithfully. Their first date had been to a college and career baseball game her church had sponsored. They’d spent the entire two hours, high in the bleachers, doing nothing but talking. By the time they’d said their good-nights, Ella had known she’d found a man who shared her faith in God.

            Now, years later, she’d met a man she could talk to again. A man who made her feel all those exciting, wild emotions Ella thought would never be hers again. While Stephen would always remain safe in her heart, Ella now knew there was a longing inside her that Stephen could no longer fulfill. The realization made her sick with guilt.

            And then there was the fact that Luke Abney wore his faith like other men wore their favorite team T-shirts: boldly emblazoned for all to see. Knowing what she’d gone through…How she’d prayed and believed and trusted God, only to lose Stephen anyway…

            “That’s part of the problem, I think. I don’t know that I could ever share that part of his life.” She tried to explain it to Reggie. “You know how I feel about this, Reggie. I love it that there are people like Luke that have such a strong faith in prayer and in healing…But I can’t go there. Not again. Not after—”

            Ella didn’t finish her sentence. She didn’t have to. Reggie had been the one with her night after night through those first few lonely weeks. Nights when she’d punched her pillow, wet with her salty tears, railing at God for ignoring her pleas to spare Stephen’s life. The voice of God had been as quiet to her then as it had been during Stephen’s illness. She’d given up then. Decided that kind of faith just wasn’t for her.

            “I’m not even going to pretend to know just how you’re feeling, Ella. You know about me and my background with church and God. Or rather, the lack of background.”

            Reggie had been raised by parents who’d not only shunned church, but had kept their children from attending Sunday School as well. While Reggie certainly didn’t begrudge anyone who attended church, she’d been raised to believe that a person was responsible for their own life. If you had a good life then it was because you got out there and worked hard for it. Made things happen. If you experienced rough spots then you had to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and try harder.

            This difference had been a brief bone of contention in their relationship, during their college years. It wasn’t until later that Ella had realized it wasn’t a lack of faith on Reggie’s part. She simply didn’t know God.

            Yet it had been Reggie who’d held her close during her darkest days, whispering for her to hold onto her faith. Not to give up. Ella had wondered, during those grief-filled nights, why her friend urged her to hang onto something to which Reggie, herself, didn’t lay claim.

            “Ella, honey, we need to talk about this more. We really do. But your daughter is getting tired. I think she may have fallen asleep inside the tunnel!”

           Ella could hear Reggie start for the playground, and then a few whispered words. Ella could picture her friend scooping her sleepy daughter into her arms. She longed to feel those baby arms wrapped around her own neck.

            “Okay, El, I’ve got her. We’re about to head home. Want me to call you later?”

            “No, you go ahead and get some rest yourself. Sounds like you need it.” She glanced at her watch. “I think I may go out by myself for a while. It’s only eight o’clock here.”

            “You do that, honey. And Ella, you’re doing great! Just think, a couple more challenges and you’ll be America’s next IT girl!”

            Ha! That was a hoot! Maybe for a show like Laugh-In.  Reggie hadn’t been around to see the lobster incident. Or the case of the screwed-up teleprompter.

            Or Luke Abney’s eyes when she stepped off the elevator wearing the black dress. Or the way his finger had toyed with her hair. And there was no way for Reggie to know the delightful things that happened to Ella’s heart every time Luke was around. But there also was no way to tell her best friend that her heart had betrayed her husband in the process.

            For that, Ella felt no redemption.

            Restless and hurting, Ella scrambled to her feet and hunted for her shoes. Suddenly the hotel room seemed cramped and confining. Like the walls would absolutely close in on her if she didn’t get out fast. Grabbing her purse, she headed out, not having a clue where she might go. Anywhere is better than staying here.

            Ten minutes later, Ella stood in the hotel foyer, thumbing through the brochure stand. Surely there was something in the area that appealed to her. Something besides the obvious nightlife. It seemed as though almost everything in LA revolved around trendy restaurants, cozy pubs, or jazzy nightclubs. Ella hoped for a quieter evening. No, wait—it was an absolute requirement for tonight.

            She smiled, remembering the brochure she still carried in her bag. The one with the kitschy title: Blended Hearts: Simple Solutions  for Single Parents. The information inside had been nothing like she’d expected to see.

            As it turned out, Blended Hearts had nothing to do with the dating scene, but everything to do with single parenthood. A monthly support group that met once a month, Blended Hearts covered issues like how to handle being the only disciplinarian and what to do when your child asks difficult questions about his absentee parent.

            Ella pulled it out now. Lex had said the group met the third Friday of each month. That would be tonight. If she didn’t like it, or felt out of place in the group, meeting in a place like Mocha Lights, should make taking an early exit a fairly simple thing to do.

            It certainly beat sitting upstairs in her hotel room, thinking about Luke Abney.

 *****

             A darkly handsome man looked up from behind the counter when Ella pulled open the doors of Mocha Lights. “Welcome!” His deep voice boomeranged in the quiet stillness of the shop.

            “You must be Micah.” She watched as he topped a drink with whipped cream, and then plunked a cherry on top. “This is your place, right?”

            “Every coffee bean, every book.” He smiled and Ella was struck by the warmth in his chocolate brown eyes. “And I am Micah. Micah Brenner.”

            “Hi, Micah. Nice to meet you.  I’m Ella.”

            “I take it this isn’t your first time here, Ella? ” Micah Brenner slid the drink across the counter to a waiting customer, nodding his thanks.

            “No,” she smiled, instantly liking the man. “I was here once before, when Lex was working.”

            Micah’s smile seemed to brighten at the boy’s name. “Ah, yes, Lex.” He nodded, his eyes taking on a far-away look. “That boy is really coming along. He’s been a big help to me.” He reached for a white towel, scrubbed it across his hands, and faced her again. “So, Ella, what can I get you?”

            Ella peered up at the chalkboard menu. She hated to think how many Weight Watcher flex points she’d have to use for another macchiato. But it had been so good…

            “Want to let me make you a house special?”

            Ella grinned. Why not? “Sure, go for it.”

            She watched as Micah moved about, obviously very at home in this element. He popped open cans, operated levers on the machines, and added a mix of this and a bit of that, all the while chatting about the great LA weather.

            “Here you go, Miss Ella.” He set the drink in front of her. “Enjoy.”

            “How much do I owe you?” Ella lifted the cup to her mouth and raised her eyebrows with delight. “Yum! This is really good!”

            “This one’s on the house. The first special is always my treat.”

            Ella felt her eyebrows rise in surprise. She’d have never guessed she’d find this kind of retreat from the hubbub she was beginning to know as LA, and certainly not this kind of hospitality.

            “Thank you. It’s delicious.” She took another sip and wiped a smudge of whipped cream from her upper lip. “Maybe you could answer a question for me.”

            “I’ll sure try.” Micah placed his hands on the counter and leaned forward. “What’s the question?”

            Ella sat the warm cup down and retrieved the brochure from her purse. “I was wondering about the Blended Hearts meeting. They meet here, right? Is it tonight?”

            A big grin creased his face. “Certainly is.” He glanced at the wall clock behind him. “Should get started in about ten minutes. Delaney Pruitt heads it up.” He nodded toward the front door. “That’s her coming in right now.”

            Ella turned to see a woman in her mid-forties—shoulder-length bob and sharp black-rimmed glasses—come through the door with a large shoulder bag and a stack of books.

            “Micah, I come bearing gifts.”

            “I see that.” The grin took up half Micah’s face as he hurried around the counter to relieve her of half her load. “Delaney, I’d like you to meet Ella. Ella, this is Delaney.” He held a barstool while Delaney Pruitt climbed up. “Ella here is interested in joining you tonight, Delaney.”

            Delight illuminated the woman’s face. Though not beautiful in the traditional sense, Ella found this woman fascinating, both in appearance and in energy. Behind her glasses, green eyes seemed to twinkle as they turned on Ella. “Really? How wonderful for us—a new face!”

            Ella shrugged, feeling a little conspicuous. “I’m just in town for a few days.” She pointed to the brochure. “I saw this in my hotel lobby.”

            Delaney Pruitt turned an appreciative gaze on Micah. “Guess you were right about that marketing plan, Mr. Brenner.”

            “I guess I was, Ms. Pruitt.”

            Ella looked from one to the other. They appeared to be close friends, but anyone within a ten foot radius of this couple could feel the energy they generated together. She almost felt like an intruder on their conversation. She took another slow sip of her coffee, wondering if they’d forgotten she was standing there.

            “Ella,” Delaney took the steaming cup of coffee Micah handed her and stood up. “Our group meets in the room just behind the books. We’d be honored to have you join us.”

            Ella nodded. “I’d love to.”

            She waved to Micah and then followed Delaney through the maze of shelves and books. She had no idea what to expect or who else she might meet. But the warmth and welcome she’d just received at the hands of two strangers filled her up. It was almost enough to make her forget about Luke Abney.

            Almost.

by Staci Wilder

                                       Chapter Fifteen

            The tension in the green room the next morning was thick enough to slice with a knife.

            Torrie sat in a chair, apart from the group, her forehead resting in her hand. Ella almost felt sorry for her. The poor girl must have a headache the size of Texas, after last night’s drinking spree.

            Deidra, still miffed at nearly being eliminated the day before, sat hunched on the sofa, glowering at anyone who dared look her way. Ben and Henry played a quiet game of cards in the corner. But the real clincher was that Henry seemed to have laid aside his jokes for a much quieter past-time. Ella found the change stark. Their reticent demeanors accentuated the palpable tension among the group of remaining contestants.

            Patty poured herself a cup of coffee from the food service table. She stirred in a packet of sugar and stared at Ella. For her part, Ella felt too disturbed over last night’s events and too anxious over today’s challenge to work up the effort to even care that scary Patty was doing the staring thing again.

            “What hap…happened?” Patty came and stood beside her.

            “Huh?” Ella closed the magazine she’d been flipping through. “What do you mean?”

            Patty pointed around the room. “Something’s dif…different today. Don’t you feel it?”

            Ella felt it all right. The needles of pain from Torrie’s comment on Stephen still gouged her. Sure the girl had been drunk beyond reason when she’d uttered them. But underneath the mean, bitter tone, Torrie’s words had hit on a small nugget of truth. A truth that Ella had wanted to ignore until last night.

            She only shrugged now and attempted a smile at Patty. “I don’t know.”

            “You o..o-kay?”

            Now it was Ella’s turn to stare. She’d never noticed Patty’s speech before. Thinking over the past couple of weeks, Ella couldn’t recall hearing the mysterious woman actually participate in a conversation. The stutter surprised her, but not nearly as much as when Patty sat down on the sofa next to her.

          “Uh…yeah, I’m okay.” Ella scooted over to make room.

            Patty’s eyes seemed to see through her. “This is tough, is..isn’t it? The comp…competition?” Again, she pointed to the others. “Meet…meet-ing new people.” The woman’s shoulders lifted slightly and she offered a tight grin. “At least that…that’s the hard…hard part for me.”

            “It is difficult, that’s for sure.” Ella nodded and twisted around to face Patty, shocked the woman was opening up. Even more shocked to realize she’d known this woman for weeks now and never knew she had a stutter. It had seemed Patty really wanted no part of the group and, apparently, she’d gotten her wish. Otherwise, one of them would have noticed the stutter, wouldn’t they?

             No one else in the room seemed to be paying the two of them any attention. That was fine with Ella. After last night’s episode with Torrie, she didn’t feel up to any more confrontations.

          This conversation with Patty seemed more important. Her heart went out to the woman as she labored to finish her sentences with minimal stuttering. She suddenly felt honored the woman trusted her enough to share her feelings.

            “I’m from…from a small farm…farming com…community.” Patty took a sip of her coffee and nodded. “From Iowa. I have fr…friends there, but…well, I don’t m…make friends ea…easily. Be…because of th…this.”

            Patty pointed to her mouth and Ella’s heart wrenched. This woman’s courage was awe inspiring. She darted a glance around the room again. If any of the others had paid any attention to their conversation they were doing a great job of pretending they hadn’t.

            How, Ella wondered, had every one of them spent this much time in close quarters with Patty and not known?

            “I kn…know ev…everybody th…thinks I…I’m weird.” Patty’s mouth trembled.

            “No!” Ella reached over and squeezed the woman’s knee. “That’s not it at all. We—” she indicated everyone in the room—“haven’t had a chance to know you. But I’d like that chance. Really, I would.” She smiled into the woman’s tear-filled eyes. “And I have a feeling the others would too.”

            Patty’s mouth twisted into a grin. “I…I don’t kn…know. Maybe th…this is the edge I n…need…”

            “Maybe so.” Ella teased back. “How’s it going for you? I mean, how do you handle the cameras, the pressure?” It was hard to ask such a delicate question, but how in the world did Patty hold up under this competition while battling such a severe case of stuttering?

            Patty shook her head, her short dark hair swinging with the movement. “It…it does…doesn’t hap…happen out th…there.”

            Ella felt her eyes widen in shock. “Oh, Patty,” she reached out and embraced the woman. “I’m still going to try to win this competition, I want you to know that.” She whispered in the woman’s ear. “But if I can’t win it, then I want you to know I’m rooting for you.”

 *****

             “And then there were six…” Nathan Charleton’s attempt at humor was lost on the finalists.

            Ella shifted to her other foot, anxious to learn about the next challenge and get started on it. The quicker she finished the challenges, the sooner she’d be back home with Chloe. And right now, there was no place Ella would rather be than in her run-down apartment in Milltown, cuddling her small daughter.

            Last night had been many things. Fun. Exciting. Adventurous.

            And then the inevitable drop.

            To guilt-ridden. Despair-driven. Heart-rending.

            Her heart had enjoyed a brief foray into something that might could be, only to learn by night’s end that it wasn’t in the cards, after all. Luke’s statement of faith had been the first hint. Like an idiot, she’d ignore it, wanting instead to bask in the glow Luke’s lavish attention cast over her.

            It had been Torrie’s drunken tirade that had driven the facts home in Ella’s heart. The comments about Stephen were nothing more than poison darts the girl had aimed in Ella’s direction. She understood that. But beneath the anger and the bitterness lay that glaring tiny seed of truth.

            That truth was enough to send Ella running.

            Now all that remained was to get through this competition. Win or lose, she’d find a way to forget all about Luke Abney.

            “Today’s challenge may prove to be enjoyable for you. We certainly hope so anyway. You’ve been working hard this week. So today—” he gestured to a long table with beautifully decorated cakes on top—“you’ll be decorating a cake. Each of you will receive your blue card with your individual break-downs. All you’re asked to do in this challenge is perform the break-down on your card. Don’t worry about the rest of the cake.”

            Ella’s interest was piqued, but suspicion nibbled at her excitement. It couldn’t be this simple, it never was. She glanced at Torrie, standing next to her, but she might as well be invisible. Torrie seemed to glare straight through her, not bothering to acknowledge her presence. Whether or not the girl remembered all the events of the night before was unclear to Ella, but Torrie had yet to speak one word to her in the past three hours.

            “This should be…a piece of cake!” Henry’s quip seemed to break the ice.

            Even Deidra gave way to nervous giggles before playfully bopping Henry on the head.

*****

            The finalists were in the big middle of their next challenge just below him.

           Luke sat in the control booth with Kurt. He’d switched assignments with Ernie, buying himself an afternoon free of camera duty. Now he lounged back, feet propped on Kurt’s desk, reading The Valley Sun.

            “Want to listen in?” Kurt turned, laughing, and offered him a headset. “You really need to see and hear all this. It’s hysterical.”

            “What’s up?” Luke glanced over the top the paper. He wasn’t too interested in seeing the day’s activities. That’s why he’d switched assignments with Ernie in the first place. Something had made Ella uncomfortable last night. Something more than Torrie’s obnoxious comments. Whatever it was, he sensed she connected him with this uncertainty. The last thing she needed right now was to have him hovering nearby with his camera. This competition was hers to win; he planned to stay out of her way until she did just that.

            “Hang on a second,” Kurt punched a few buttons, adjusting the monitor and feedback. “Okay. They’re decorating a cake, right? But what each of the contestants don’t know is that something has been rigged to go wrong in each of their demos. It’s a riot, man! You should see the looks on their faces!”

            “A riot?” Luke turned in spite of himself and scooted his chair closer to the large window that overlooked Sound Stage C. “Sounds cruel, if you ask me.”

            Kurt shrugged. “Maybe. But it makes for good TV, you know?”

            Luke blew out a frustrated breath and tried to stifle the impulse to belt Kurt. “See? That’s why I don’t like reality television. It’s pointless. All it does is prey on people’s weaknesses. What’s the fun in that?”

            Kurt howled. “Come on, man. Put on these phones. Check out Cowboy Ben! He can’t figure out why the stupid cake won’t come out of the pan!”

            Luke stared down at the studio floor and slid the headset over his ears. Turning the volume up a bit he zeroed in on Ben’s monologue.

            “Uh, okay, folks. Normally, the cake would come out of the pan. I repeat, this is not normal.” All the while Ben banged on the bottom of the metal pan with a wooden spoon. It was only after five minutes and a basic retraction with a sharp knife, that the cake slid unwillingly to the platter.

            Marnie called a wrap to the segment and poor Ben was left with a mangled cake—no decorations whatsoever.

            Luke had to grin at Ben’s expression. Confusion lined his tanned face as he huddled with Miriam, trying to glean some clear answers to his questions.

            “They’re not going to tell them until the elimination ceremony that they’ve all been rigged. The point is to see how well they can handle it when things go haywire.”

            “Hmm.” Luke pulled the headset off. The challenge actually made sense. Things often went wrong on set, and it made sense that they would be in a restaurant setting as well. A chef needed to be able to think on his feet. Above all, he needed to remember the cardinal rule and never stop the show.

            A new worry niggled at Luke’s conscience. “Has Ella taken her turn yet?”

            “Huh?” Kurt pushed back his own headset. “Ella? Uh, no, not yet. Wait, it looks like she’s up next.”

            Luke didn’t know if he could watch this, just sit here and be a mere spectator while Ella had her whole demo booby-trapped. Yet the sight of her on the floor below him kept him close. He sighed and slid the headphones back on.

            He couldn’t help watching anymore than he could help falling in love with Ella Paglia.

 *****

             Ella walked on set and took her place behind the counter. She waited for Marnie’s countdown, revved up her Colgate smile, and trained her eyes on the teleprompter.

            “On five…four…three…two…one!” Marnie’s arm came down.

            “Hi, welcome back. I’m Ella Paglia and today we’re decorating this beautiful yellow cake. The first thing we’re going to do is prepare our icing. We’ll use 2 tsp. of white—”

            Ella paused and squinted at the teleprompter. It said two teaspoons of white rice vinegar, but she knew that couldn’t be right. Vanilla is what the recipe called for and vanilla was the item on the demo tray. She hurried to fill in the silence.

            “That’s right,” she smiled into the camera, “two teaspoons of vanilla. To that we’ll add one egg—“

            The teleprompter read ‘eggplant’. Ella blew out a frustrated breath, making sure the Colgate grin never wavered. “One egg, slightly beaten. When you’ve done that, you’ll gradually add in the powdered do—“

            The word ‘donuts’ marched across the teleprompter. This time it took all Ella could do not to giggle. She was being set up, no doubt about it. “The one things you don’t want to do, folks, is dump in a powdered donut, but powdered sugar would be a good thing. About a one-fourth cup.”

            It wasn’t until two hours later, at the next elimination ceremony that she learned the full story. Nathan Charleton stood in front of the finalists, a huge grin splitting his face.

          “Cowboy Ben, you’ll be relieved to hear this, as will you all. This is the only time in this competition that this will happen. But today each of your demos was rigged to fail.”

            Ella smiled at the chorus of groans. Evidently she’d been fortunate enough to figure out that something was amiss much earlier than the others. Deidra, next to her uttered a hushed curse.       

            “Some of you experienced difficulties with the cake itself. A couple others had impossibly runny icing, not fit to frost anything! And then a couple of you had technical difficulties, either with the teleprompter or with the lighting.”

            “Or lack of lighting…” Henry chimed. “I had to ice a cake in the dark, people.”

            “The point,” Nathan Charleton went on, “was to see how calm you could stay when the things you’d planned for went awry. The judges were pleased to notice that a few of you kept your wits and your sense of humor. A couple of others, unfortunately, didn’t fare as well. Judges—” the host moved aside—“you can take it from here.”

            The judge named Tom stepped forward. “Thank you, Nathan. These are the names of the finalists that we’d like to stay for the next round of Restaurant 101.”

            He paused and Ella sucked in a breath.

            “Henry…Patty…Ella…Torrie. We’d like you to stay for the next challenge. Ben and Deidra, please step forward.”

            Ella listened to Jordan Elliott caution Ben not to panic under pressure. “Use your horse sense, cowboy. Just shoot from the hip till all your dogies are in place again.”

             Ben turned a pretty shade of pink, but nodded his head. Apparently it was an analogy he could relate to.

            “Deidra, at the last elimination ceremony we cautioned you against slips of the tongue. Yet today you had the same issue. Deidra, we’re going to have to ask you to leave the competition. Ben, we’re inviting you to stay for the next round.”

 *****

             “Ella, wait.”

            She turned at the sound of Luke’s voice and waited while he jogged the short distance to her. “Hey,” she said as he caught up.

            “Hey, yourself.” He grinned. “And congratulations! You made it through another round!” He held the outside studio door open for her.

            “I’m not quite sure how.” Ella stepped out into the bright late afternoon sunshine. “The competition’s getting stiff.” She couldn’t resist a grin. “Did you see this last challenge?”

            “Do you mean the one where you added powdered donuts to your recipe?” Luke howled and reached out, placing a hand on her lower back, guiding her to a shady spot.

            She reached out and poked him in the side with a finger. “That’s the one.” She laughed. “I don’t think I’ll ever look at a teleprompter in the same way again!”

            “You did great.”

            Luke’s voice, warm and close, tickled Ella’s senses.

            “Ella,” his voice changed, going an octave lower, and Ella braced for his next words, not quite trusting herself to look up at him. “I’m so sorry about last night.”

            “I know. I’m sorry too.” She looked down again, the shame from the night before and all it stood for coming to rest in the air between them. “About a lot of things.”

            “Not about seeing me, I hope.” There was just the hint of uncertainty in Luke’s voice. He reached out to touch her arm, and then let his fingers slowly trail down to her hand. “Do we dare try another dinner out?”

            Ella watched as he laced his fingers through hers. The warmth of this skin against hers felt wonderful and it would have been so easy to lean into him, to give in to the feelings he stirred in her. Had she learned nothing from last night’s disaster? Even if she one day felt a release to love again, how in the world could her heart choose Luke? Torrie’s poisoned comments had painted dark clouds over a potentially beautiful canvas and, right now, Ella didn’t see how it could all be salvaged.

            “Can we take it one day at a time?” She tried for a smile, and hoped it passed as such.

            “Sure.” Luke raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers lightly. “As many days as you want.”

            Ella climbed into the car that waited to take her back to the hotel.

            Concentrate, Ella. She forced herself to look away as the driver edged the car down the street. This was the best thing for both of them. Luke might not realize it right now, but she was doing him a favor. Somewhere out there was a woman who was perfect for Luke Abney. Someone without the baggage that she carried. Someone who’d be free to love Luke in exactly the way he deserved.

by Staci Wilder

                                                                               Chapter Fourteen

             Ella stood between Deidra and Henry, her heart thudding.

             The seven finalists faced the panel of judges in the dimmed Sound Stage C. A strange mixture of anxiety and anticipation tickled Ella’s insides, but the fear from the first elimination ceremony was strangely missing.

            Henry hummed beneath his breath next to her, and Ella knew the others felt the pressure too. It was kind of crazy, when she stopped to consider it, that a group of adults would willingly put themselves in a position to be judged and scrutinized, almost like they were in an elementary school spelling bee or something.

            “Welcome to tonight’s elimination ceremony.” Nathan Charleton faced the contestants. “On behalf of the judges and myself, we want to say how amazing each of you did in today’s challenge. You’ve learned that it’s not easy to multitask on camera and sometimes—when you least expect it—things go wrong.”

            “Te-ell me.” Deidra quipped.

            Their host smiled. “I see Deidra agrees with me.” He folded his hands. “Unfortunately, the time has come to send one of you home. It isn’t because you haven’t improved, but rather, you haven’t improved at the rate the judges would have liked.”

            Nathan Charleton turned to the panel of judges. “Tom, I turn it over to you.”

            The judge named Tom stood and walked in front of the seven finalists. Ella felt the tension in their little cluster tighten. Deidra’s fingers found hers and squeezed. The humming on the other side of her grew a bit more intense.

            “We saw great things in each of you today. I think you made Marcus Jordan proud. You took his signature recipes and made them your own.” He smiled. “But there were some things that happened that made us question whether some of you really have what it takes to handle full restaurant and chef abilities.”

            For the next five minutes the judges gave a running critique on each of their individual performances. Deidra was reprimanded for a slip of the tongue during her fiasco with the eggs. Henry was cautioned against being known as a joke teller on screen instead of a food show host. And Ella was reminded that—although there may be a million other things going on—it was crucial to always keep an eye on your footing.

            She nodded. Hopefully she’d have the chance to do so.

            “These are the names of the finalists that will continue on to the next challenge.” Tom paused and made eye contact with each of them. Patty…Ben…Ella…Torrie…

Henry.”

            Ella’s heart thumped wildly with relief. Her legs felt like giant Gumbys, and she didn’t know which she wanted to do most—laugh or cry.

            “Deidra and Dirk, please step forward.”

            Ella felt sad for her two teammates. They’d both worked so hard in this competition. She had no doubt they wanted this every bit as much as she did. But only one of them would move on to the next round.

            “Deidra,” Tom went on. “You let a word slip out during filming today that—had it gone on air—would have been bleeped by our network censors. I don’t think I have to tell you that is not acceptable.”

            Deidra nodded, while the judge moved on to Dirk.

            “Dirk, I’m not sure what happened out there today, but you lost control of the segment and never regained it. In this business, a chef has to think on his feet and not be fazed by minor hiccups or breakdowns in processes. You broke the cardinal rule today. You stopped the show. A chef must learn to improvise.”

            Both Deidra and Dirk looked contrite. Ella’s heart hurt for them.

            “Deidra,” Tom smiled at her, “We’d like you to stay for the next round. You still have a shot in Restaurant 101.

            Ella felt a dart of disappointment. She liked both Deidra and Dirk, but felt maybe Dirk’s personality was more in line with the network philosophy. Still, that’s why the judges were here. She joined the others in embracing Dirk, who was amazingly gracious as he said his good-byes.

*****

            Ella stared at the clothes on hangers in front of her. She’d packed plenty of straight skirts and tops. Perfect for her stint as a show contestant, but falling miserably short for her dinner date with Luke.

            He’d said to dress casual, that they’d go somewhere quiet. Possibly a quaint Italian bistro he knew of. Ella had a closet full of casual, but she wanted something more for tonight. It needed to be special.

            That left only the black dress.

            Ella stared at it, uncertain. Reggie had thrown it into Ella’s bag at the last minute, insisting she needed at least one dress appropriate for evening wear. Her best friend had been right, as usual, but Ella wasn’t sure Reggie’s choice in dress was right for her.

            She ran a tub full of hot water, pouring in a generous capful of plumeria bath crystals. Immersed in the steamy bubbles, Ella let her mind drift to the evening ahead. Her skin tingled with excitement. Between her surprise at making it to the next round and this dinner with Luke, Ella could barely contain it all.

            This afternoon’s conversation with Luke replayed across the big screen of Ella’s mind. His gentleness—the way he’d held her hand. The look in his blue eyes—like he felt her pain and wanted to make it better. The unexpected prayer—

            Ella sat up in the tub and rubbed the back of her neck.

            The prayer. She’d been uncomfortable with that. Not that she didn’t believe in prayer, per se. She did—or at least she used to. But Ella had spent hours on her knees in prayer during Stephen’s illness and especially in those dark days before his death. Until the very end, she’d clung to her faith, knowing, trusting that God was able to heal her husband.

            Then Stephen died, and everything changed.

            Ella shook her head now, wanting to sweep these thoughts under the rug of her consciousness. Tonight was about Luke. About celebrating. About discovering a new friend. She didn’t know if her heart was jumping too far ahead of the rest of her, but Ella looked forward to finding out.

            Stepping from the tub, she toweled off and spritzed a mist of perfume on her wrists and behind her ears. After smoothing lotion onto her legs, she donned the undergarments she’d laid out, then slipped into the black dress and stood in front of the full-length mirror.

            The dress was long, coming to rest mid-calf. The silky crepe material hugged her body—not tightly, just gently outlining the silhouette of her figure. Flirty cap sleeves tickled her arms and made her feel very much like a woman. Turning her head to one side, she surveyed the neckline. By no means low-cut, it accentuated a part of her body Ella never really thought about.

            Feeling beautiful, yet almost conspicuous, she toyed with the idea of changing into something of her own. The phone next to her bed jangled, and—with one last look in the mirror—she moved to answer it.

            “Ella, this is Torrie.”

            In her mind Ella chanted, Torrie—with an ‘ie’. “Hey, Torrie, what are you up to?”

            “A bunch of us are going to dinner. You know, to celebrate. Want to come?”

            The girl’s voice bubbled with enthusiasm and Ella almost hated to have to tell her no. “I’m sorry, Torrie. I don’t think I can make it tonight.”

            “Aw, come on, Ella. It’ll be fun. Some of the crew are going too.”

            Ella’s mind went back to Torrie’s comments a few days back. Did the girl think Luke Abney would be one of the crew present at dinner tonight? She started to set the record straight, then thought better of it. Luke had said there was no problem with them seeing one another, but there was no reason to hang it out there for anyone to inspect. She’d rather keep it between she and Luke for now. Torrie would just have to enjoy the evening with someone other than Luke.

            “Have fun, and tell me all about it tomorrow. Okay?”

            “Sure, okay.” Torrie sounded resigned. “Talk to you then.”

            Ten minutes later Ella had brushed her teeth and released her hair from the scrunchie that had contained it during her bath. Running her fingers through the curls, she debated piling the whole mess back on top of her head. But remembering Luke’s comment and the way he’d played with that one curl was enough to convince her to leave it down. Slipping into a pair of black strappy heels, Ella couldn’t remember the last time she’d dressed up.

            The phone jangled again.

            “Hi.” Luke’s voice sounded sweet in her ear. “It’s me. You ready?”

            “I am.” Ella grinned. “I’ll be right down.”

            “I can’t wait.”

            He was waiting for her though, just as she stepped off the elevator. Dressed in sharp black slacks and a tan ribbed sweater, Luke Abney looked gorgeous. His blond curls had received a fresh hair cut and now the close-cropped do was just what Ella remembered from their first meeting back home at Max’s diner.

            “You look wonderful,” he whispered as he took her hand and gently kissed her cheek. The glint in his eyes told her he meant it.

            She had a difficult time finding her voice, but he didn’t seem to notice. Placing one hand on the small of her back, Luke guided her outside and to the passenger side of a navy blue Expedition. He held her purse while she carefully climbed inside. As he shut the door, Ella felt his gaze linger on her. It sent shivers of anticipation pummeling through her veins.

            The drive to the restaurant wasn’t a long one and it seemed to pass all too quickly. Not once did they lack for anything to say. Ella loved it when he laughed at her stories of Chloe. And she laughed along with him as she shared the details of tonight’s elimination ceremony.

            “See? I told you it wasn’t your time to go home, didn’t I?”

            “You did, I have to admit.” Ella nodded in the dimness of the SUV. “You were right.”

            “You think maybe it was my prayer that worked?”

            Ella swallowed hard. Here it was, the prayer thing again. She turned to look at him, not sure what to say. His faith was obviously important to him. Ella didn’t begrudge him that. She just wasn’t sure she could share it. Would that create a problem for them, right here in the beginning, before they’d given this romance a real chance?

            “Ella, would it be so bad if it were the prayer that did it?” It was spoken in a whisper, so quietly she barely heard it.

            In the darkness Ella shook her head. “No,” she whispered back. It wouldn’t be a bad thing at all. She just simply didn’t think it was the prayer.

*****

            This probably wasn’t the best time to ask.

            Still, Luke gripped the steering wheel and stared at the road in front of him. “You know,” he spoke quickly, before he lost his nerve, “I’d love for you to join me for church.”

            “Church?” The puzzled timbre in her voice echoed inside the dimness of the vehicle.

            “Yeah.” Luke almost wished he’d waited for a more appropriate opportunity to bring up the subject. His heart told him Ella Paglia was a special woman, but his head shouted that he needed to make sure she shared his faith. “I go to a church…a small one…just outside the city. We have a praise band, a really dynamic pastor…I think you’d enjoy it.”

            Ella didn’t answer right away. Luke turned to look at her and saw her open her mouth to speak then promptly shut it again. He worked his jaw and considered how to direct the conversation from here.

            “You always surprise me, you know that, Luke?”

            She laughed and Luke’s stomach dropped back into place. He blew out a silent sigh of relief and grinned.

            “Is that a good thing, or bad?”

            Ella shrugged. “Good, I think. Certainly not bad. You just…catch me off guard sometimes.”

            “I guess I’m passionate about things that mean a lot to me.”

            “And you’re passionate about your church?” She shifted in the seat, angling her body to face him.

            Luke heard the incredulity in her voice. “I guess you didn’t expect to find that in a Hollywood guy, huh?”

            Ella gazed at him with an intensity that rocked him, making it difficult to keep his mind, let alone his eyes, on the traffic around them.

            “Sometimes I forget there are still people who put their faith before anything else.” She leaned her head against the back of the seat. “It doesn’t matter if it’s here in LA or back home in Milltown.” She shrugged again. “Living out a strong faith is a tough thing to do.”

            Now it was Luke’s turn to feel puzzled. He couldn’t put a finger on how Ella felt about God or faith. She talked as though drawing from personal experience, and that filled him with hope. But the quiet resignation that threaded her words kept a cautious rein on that hope. Luke struggled with the desire to delve further, not wanting to  push too hard, too fast.

            “It can be tough.” He could agree readily enough with that statement. “But God is faithful.”

            Luke glanced her way again, wanting to reach over and take her hand. He wanted her to understand how the mercy of God had reached to him, rescuing him at the very moment when he felt he’d lost it all.

            “Faith is living out in the daylight according to the holy whispers you hear in the nighttime.”

            Luke’s heart stumbled in his chest as he listened to Ella’s quiet words. He didn’t know if he wanted to jump for joy that she did understand, or weep for the pain that resonated from some deep, dark place inside her.

            This time he did reach for her hand, closing his fingers around hers. She didn’t resist, and they rode this way in silence for a few miles.

            It wasn’t until they pulled into the parking lot of Café Med that Ella spoke again. She unhooked her seat belt and turned to face him.

            “I had faith once, Luke.” Her eyes were large and round in the dimness of the truck’s interior. “A faith as strong and sure as yours.”

            “What happened, Ella?” Luke asked the question, but in his heart he already knew. He felt he’d lost everything when Tessa had walked out on him. But in truth, he’d been spared an even larger heartache. A life with Tessa would have never worked for either of them. He knew that now, and was thankful he’d escaped that kind of peril.

            But Ella had lost a husband. Chloe had lost her father. Luke couldn’t begin to fathom the pain of that kind of loss.

            “Life has a way of teaching you things you’d rather not learn, you know?”

            The sadness in her voice confirmed his thoughts. Luke wished for a way to show her God was still with her, even if she didn’t feel Him like she used to. That much he knew for sure. The shimmer of tears in her eyes stopped him. What right did he have to tell her anything? He’d never lost at the level Ella had experienced.

            “I’ll keep your invitation in mind, Luke.” She attempted a smile, reaching out to touch his arm. “Thank you for asking.”

            Disappointment gnawed at Luke’s gut as he stepped from the truck and walked around to open Ella’s door. She’d tried to hide it, but he knew she’d recoiled from his question on prayer. Lord, please don’t tell me I’m falling for this woman only to learn she doesn’t believe in You anymore. That would be unacceptable.

            Right now, Luke couldn’t imagine anything harder than walking away from Ella Paglia.

            With her arm entwined with his, he felt like a million bucks as they entered Café  Med. He’d heard some of the guys bragging about bringing some of their dates to this chic, quiet Italian restaurant. As they walked inside, the dim interior and twinkling overhead lights seemed to mimic the atmosphere in Luke’s heart.

            “Reservation for Abney, party of two.”

            “Right this way, sir.” The waitress smiled and summoned them to follow her.

            It wasn’t until they were midway down a narrow hallway that Luke spotted them. His heart sank to his knees as he recognized Ernie and a couple of guys from work. To make matters worse they shared a table with Torrie Tyler and a gal Luke couldn’t place.

            He ducked his head and tightened his hold on Ella’s elbow, hoping she hadn’t seen the group. With any luck at all their table would be far away in another room and he and Ella would share the meal uninterrupted.

            It wasn’t meant to be. Not believing his poor luck, Luke watched the waitress lead them to a table in the very room with Ernie, Torrie, and their party. Ella must have noticed them then too because he felt her body stiffen next to his.

            “Abney!” Ernie’s voice boomed across the small space. “What are you doing here, man?”

            Luke grinned and saluted. Maybe the waitress could show them to another table…

            “You two come join us at our table.” Ernie pointed to two empty chairs. “There’s plenty of room.”

            Luke glanced at Ella. Even if they begged off now it would be awkward. But he’d leave it up to her. When she only shrugged and offered a half-smile, Luke swallowed his disappointment and led her to the empty chair beside Torrie. Easing into the one next to her, he reached for Ella’s hand under the table.

            “So, Ella.” Torrie sounded half-miffed. “I thought you weren’t going out tonight.” She leveled a glare that seared Ella.

            Ella fidgeted in her chair, and eased her hand away from his. “No.” She shook her head. “I said I couldn’t go out with…you.” She smiled at the girl. “But what do you know? Here we are, after all!”

            “Imagine that.”

            Torrie’s tone was dry and loud. Luke glanced at the girl’s glass to see what she was drinking. Some type of cocktail. She sounded as though she’d had one drink too many.

            “Anyway, let me make the introductions.” Ernie jumped in, obviously trying to cover up for Torrie’s rudeness. “Luke, have you met my girlfriend? Leann, this is Luke Abney, a buddy from work and—his date, I presume—Ella.”

            Luke stood and reached for Leann’s hand, then watched Ella do the same. “Nice to meet you.”

            “Yeah,” Torrie’s voiced was garbled. “Ella is in the competition too. Now I see why she’s doing so well!” Her voice boomed as she laughed raucously. “She’s earning extra points!”

            Luke glanced at the girl. The veneer that had appeared so sweet and innocent a mere week ago, now seemed to ooze venom as she glared at Ella. He squeezed Ella’s shoulder, trying to impart silent reassurance.

            “Ella.” Torrie refused to fade into quietness. Instead, her voice rose above the din of conversation from the surrounding tables of Café Med patrons. “What about your husband? I thought you were still so in love with Stephen.”

            Anger boiled in Luke as he saw Ella’s back stiffen. Instinct told him to reach out and take her hand. But his gut instructed him to remove Ella from the situation entirely.

           Torrie turned her glazed eyes his direction as he stood. “I guess you’re…uh…mending her broken heart, huh, Luke?”

            He felt the color rise in his cheeks. His chair scraped the tiled floor as he pushed it out of the way. Reaching for Ella’s hand, he pulled her to her feet, taking in the ashen gray complexion that had replaced the usual olive glow of her skin.

           “I think we’ll sit alone, after all, guys.” He steered Ella around the table, careful to keep a steady hand on her elbow. She didn’t look well at all.

            Torrie twisted in her seat, her cool blue eyes boring into Ella. “Guess you’re officially over your husband, huh, Ella?”

            Ella flinched as though the girl had slapped her. Luke’s gut tightened at the look on her face. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this much fury. Who knew an otherwise attractive lady could spew such ugly words. And, for what? To embarrass Ella? To bring up deliberate, hurtful reminders of a past that she’d so tragically lost? Luke didn’t understand it. Not one bit. But the one thing he knew was that he needed to get Ella away from this table—and fast. He grasped her elbow and moved forward again.

            Ernie jumped up too and put an arm around his shoulders. “I’m sorry about that, man. Torrie’s been drinking pretty heavy since we got here. Don’t pay any attention to what she said.” He jerked a thumb toward the group. “She probably won’t even remember any of this tomorrow.”

            Ernie winked at Ella. “She may not even be up to the next challenge, the way she looks right now.”

            Ella’s silence was enough to propel Luke forward. He shook hands with Ernie and then led Ella back to the front of the restaurant. He scanned the lobby for the maitre de.

            “I’ll have them give us a different table.” Luke bent and whispered in Ella’s ear.

            “Luke,” she pulled on his sleeve. “Can…can you just take me back to the hotel?”

*****

            Luke’s confusion was obvious to Ella.

            She couldn’t blame him, not really. But neither could she explain it all to him. The guilt, the shame, the harsh reality—it was all too much to bear.

            To try and explain it would be impossible.

            “Are you sure you’re okay?” Luke’s eyes misted with intensity as he stood at the door of her hotel room. “Can I bring you a cup of coffee? Do you want to talk?”

            “No.” Ella shook her head, wishing with all her heart that she could escape inside her room, and not have to glimpse the care etched so deeply in Luke Abney’s eyes. If only there were a rewind button on the evening…She could have politely yet firmly turned down Luke’s dinner invitation and spared them both the brief glimmer of hope for a relationship. “Thanks, but no. I…I think I’ll just go to bed now.”

            “Hey, you’re not going to let Torrie get to you, are you?” Luke leaned against the door frame.

            Although he did not touch her, Ella’s arm tingled at his nearness. His glance, his care, his very presence—all hinted at an intimacy that both thrilled and scared Ella.

            He deserved more, Ella knew that. Luke had been nothing short of kind and considerate  to her, regardless of what Torrie Tyler might be spouting to others. Nothing inappropriate had transpired between them. There was no reason to feel guilty.

            What about Stephen? Torrie’s drunken words traipsed through Ella’s mind like little wind-up toy soldiers, intent on one thing alone. To seek and uncover the shame she felt about allowing her heart to move on.

            Ella swallowed against the sobs clawing at the back of her throat. If she stood here another minute, staring into Luke’s caring eyes, she would surely dissolve into a puddle. Right here in the hallway of the Los Angeles Radisson Hotel. That thought alone propelled her forward.

            “Thank you for taking me out.” The words sounded lame, but Ella could think of nothing more.

            Luke’s wry grin seemed to echo her thoughts. “Well, it was the cheapest night I’ve had in a while.”

 The stab at humor seemed to hang in the air between them. Ella blinked, words again failing her.

            “I’m sorry our night out had to end on such a sour note.” Luke shrugged. “It certainly wasn’t the evening I’d envisioned for us.”

            “I know.” Ella couldn’t stare into his eyes another second. She directed her gaze to the multi-patterned carpet, tracing a gold-colored rectangle with the toe of her sandal. “It wasn’t what either of us envisioned.”

            “I hope you’ll give me another chance.”

            Luke’s voice, low and husky, tickled her senses. When her heart sped up, it only intensified the guilt. Almost as though her heart were betraying her every bit as much as she was betraying Stephen. How could she have these feelings for a man she’d known such a short time? Even more disturbing, how could she feel so strongly for two men at once? It didn’t make sense.

            It only made her feel sick.

            “We’ll see.” Ella forced her gaze back to Luke’s face. She tried to ignore the yet unasked questions in his eyes. Attempted to ignore the way he reached out to stroke her forearm. Steeled herself against the quick rush of his breath on her face as he stepped close.

            “Ella.” Luke whispered, his voice caressing her bruised emotions. “I care about you.” He touched his chest as though to emphasize his point, then fell silent.

            Ella stood speechless. What could she possibly say? I care about you too, Luke. But caring for you means my heart is committing the ultimate betrayal of Stephen. Ella shrank against the wall.

            “I won’t rush you.”

            She only nodded, not trusting her voice anymore than she trusted her heart.

            Ella sensed, more than saw, Luke lean forward. His lips, soft as silk, brushed a kiss against her forehead. The electricity was immediate, and it jarred every sense in Ella’s body. Afraid to move, she remained motionless as he squeezed her fingers.

            “Take care, Ella. Sleep well.”

            It wasn’t until Luke had turned the corner that Ella allowed herself to look up. The empty hallway did nothing to reassure her. Instead it merely mirrored the emptiness in her heart, reminding her of all she’d lost.

            Rebuking her for all she wanted.

by Staci Wilder

Chapter Thirteen

              Luke sat in the right-hand turn lane at the corner of Melrose and Turner. They’d wrapped up filming a half-hour ago and now he was headed home. Kurt, Ernie, and some of the crew were going to grab a burger from Jake’s Chop House, but Luke had begged off. He’d seen the knowing gleam in Kurt’s eyes as he’d climbed into his Expedition in the studio parking lot.

            “Hey, man,” Kurt had propped an elbow on the rolled down window. “You really going home?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Or are you going to find a certain pretty little waitress…er, I mean…girl, uh, woman?”

            Luke could hardly fault his buddy. Ella Paglia was indeed in a class all her own. Pretty, yes. But not beautiful—not by LA’s standards anyway. Funny, absolutely. But not in a ‘I’m-going-to-make-you-laugh-now’ sort of way. It was subtle, and 100% natural. A woman, well…duh! Her delicate feminine curves—he was glad she had curves, too many walking popsicle sticks around here already—left no doubt she was a woman. But the innocence in her dark eyes when she gazed at him like she had the other night…

            Ella Paglia was beauty and wit, infused with childlike wonder, and packaged in a delightful womanly form.

            “I’m headed home,” he answered Kurt’s question now. “I’m not sure where Ella went.”

            Kurt nodded. “Yeah, I heard a couple of the crew mention she seemed upset after her segment.” He shrugged and pulled away from the truck window. “But she’s not the only finalist that had a tough day. She shouldn’t have taken it so hard.”

            Luke had no reply. What could he say? That Ella was just that type of woman—with ridiculously high standards for herself? That this contest was merely a springboard for the bigger dream in her life—a future of security for her small daughter? He couldn’t voice these things to Kurt. The guy already thought he was nuts. How could he explain that, in the course of a few days and several marathon hours of conversation, he’d “gotten” Ella. Understood her. Felt like he’d known her his whole life.

            “All right, buddy.” Kurt waved him off. “If you change your mind about joining us, we’ll be at Jake’s.”

            Now—scarcely five minutes later—Luke made a decision.

            Flipping on the left-hand blinker, he twisted in his seat, signaling the driver in the lane next to him. Can I get over?, he mouthed. Waving his thanks, Luke steered the Expedition into the left lane as the light turned green. Making a U-turn, he headed back the way he’d come. Past Jake’s. Past the studio lots.

            He headed to the Radisson.

            Luke didn’t know where Ella was. He knew that what Kurt had said was true though. Ella had been upset with her performance during the afternoon challenge. What she didn’t know—couldn’t know—was that her slip on the floor was in no way at all the worst of the catastrophes that occurred in the competition today. Dirk completely lost his place with the teleprompter, rambling for a long three minutes about nonsense and never fully recovering. Deidra’s elbow had grazed a carton of eggs, sending an even dozen crashing to the floor during her demo.

            Luke shrugged now. He was used to these things—they’d happened every day to some degree during his stint on It’s My Kitchen. Unfortunately Ella and the other finalists aimed for perfection, feeling that was the requirement for the winner of this competition. Luke knew it didn’t require perfection, just personality to persevere, ability to work hard, and the talent to do the job.

            In his mind—Ella.

            The finalists had been given a two-hour break between the final demo taping and the next elimination ceremony. Asked to return to Sound Stage C at seven o’clock sharp, Luke knew one of the seven would walk back out disappointed.

            He pulled into the parking lot of the Radisson and found an empty space right up front. He didn’t know if Ella had taken a cab back here, but he sensed she probably needed a connection to home, to her heart. She would have come here for some private time to call Chloe. To reconnect with why she was even putting herself through this wringer of a competition.

            His heart ached for her as he jogged to the rotating glass doors of the hotel. Frustrated by the slowly turning glass, he pushed against it, easing out as soon as he could. Once in the lobby, he headed for the front desk. He didn’t know Ella’s room number since they’d just sat in the lobby the other night. He’d wanted to walk her back to her room, but somehow it didn’t feel like the appropriate thing to do yet.

            “Hello?” Luke leaned over the counter, trying to get the attention of the hotel clerk.

            She looked up from her magazine. “May I help you?”

            “Yes,” he rapped his knuckles against the marble counter. “Can you tell me what room number a Ms. Ella Paglia is listed under?”

            The woman popped her gum and shook her head. “Sorry. Can’t give out room numbers.” She made a couple of clicks on the computer keyboard in front of her, then picked up a phone. “I’ll dial her room for you though.”

            Luke waited for what seemed an eternity.

            “Ms. Paglia? I have someone in the lobby who’d like to talk to you.” The woman glanced up at him and mouthed, what’s your name?

            “Luke,” he whispered. “Luke Abney.”

            “Ma’am, a Mr. Luke Abney is down in the lobby. Would you like to speak with him?”

            “Mmhm. Very good, ma’am. Bye now.”

            Luke watched with a sinking heart as the hotel clerk replaced the phone in its cradle. He’d never considered that Ella might not want to see him. That she might refuse the comfort he wanted to offer her. He ran a hand over his eyes, suddenly weary, and turned from the counter.

            “Uh, sir, she said she’d be right down.”

            His heart bounced inside his chest as he spun around. Grinning, he pointed at the hotel clerk. “Thank you! Thank you!”

            The wait couldn’t have been more than five minutes, but Luke thought the elevator doors would never open. Even when they finally did, it wasn’t until three cars later that Ella stepped off.

            He jumped up from where he’d perched on the arm of a chair. “Hey.”

 In one glance, he drank in the sight of her, feeling a smile light his face. Her hair was loose, like he loved, and the crazy curls framed her face, somehow accenting the delicate features of her face. A pastel pink-button down was tucked into a slim denim skirt. Strappy matching sandals covered her feet, giving her maybe two more inches in height.

            “Hi.”

            Her smile was bright and steady and it wasn’t until they were face-to-face that Luke saw the evidence of tears not long dried.

“How are you?” His voice sounded husky, even to his own ears. He cleared his throat. “I…I was…worried about you.”

            Ella shrugged and Luke was overcome again with how petite she was, her shoulders seeming so fragile with the simple movement. “I’m okay. Better now.”

            “Did you call home? Talk to Chloe?”

            The instant grin was genuine and torpedoed Luke’s heart. “Yeah. I did. How’d you know?”

            It was his turn to grin, and he felt a blush begin to creep its way beneath the skin of his neck. If he wasn’t careful, he’d give away too much of himself, too quickly. “I don’t know. I just figured it was something you’d want to do.”

            What he wanted to do was reach out and pull this delightful creature into his arms. Hold her and let her know that he didn’t care what any silly TV competition decided, she was the winner in his book. Instead he took her by the elbow, gently leading her to the nearby chairs.

            “Well, you were right.” She curled up in the chair across from him, tucking her legs beneath her. “Chloe was glad to hear from me.” Ella shook her head, her curls bouncing. “Of course, she doesn’t understand the distance—the time—that we’re apart. And she’s having such a blast with her Aunt Reggie…”

            Luke leaned forward, anchoring his elbows on his knees, and looked into her eyes. “I’m sure she misses her mama.”

            Tears pooled in her eyes and she glanced away. Luke could have kicked himself. The last thing he wanted to do was make her cry again. “Hey, I’m sorry—.”

            Ella laughed and waved away his comment. “Don’t be. I’m just being silly. It’s just—” she threw her arms wide open—“this competition is stressful and being away from Chloe is painful. Sometimes…sometimes it’s just too much, you know?”

            Luke stood and pulled his chair closer to hers. He saw the hotel concierge look his way and knew he probably committed a faux paus, but he really didn’t care. Sinking down again, he did what he’d wanted to since the first day he’d met her. Lifting her hand from where it rested in her lap, Luke laced his fingers through hers. Feeling her smaller hand in his, skin-to-skin, sent a thrill of electricity through him. He instinctively wanted to take care of this woman.

            If Ella was surprised by this, she didn’t let on. Instead he felt her fingers relax against his and he squeezed them. Resisting the urge to bring her hand to his lips, he contented himself with staring into her dark eyes. The tears were all but gone, now only a filmy brightness left in their wake.

            “Is there anything I can do?” He felt helpless, and yet hopeful, all at once.

            She giggled, and the sound filled his ears. “You’re doing it.”

            Luke smiled and covered both their hands with his other. “If I’d known this was all you needed, I’d have been here a lot sooner.”

            Ella gulped and Luke wondered if he’d made her cry again. But she recovered and instead laughed. “I guess you saw my graceful performance today, right?”

            “What are you talking about?” Luke teased. “I saw grace in action. I mean, you must have set some kind of record for jumping to your feet again. And without ever letting go of that blasted lobster, no less!”

            This time Ella’s laugh was from her gut, and Luke felt like he’d won something major, like the Pulitzer or the Nobel Peace prize. Something worthy. Something great.

            Because sitting here in the Radisson lobby, with Ella Paglia’s hand tucked securely inside his own, listening to her laugh—this trumped all else Luke could imagine.

*****

            Ella couldn’t believe she was sitting here, holding hands with Luke Abney. Her Mr. Blond. Yet talking and laughing with Luke felt as natural to her right now as cuddling with Chloe or chatting with Reggie.

            “Let me see your foot.” Luke held out a hand.

            “What?” Ella stared at him, not sure if she felt anticipation or pure horror. “Why?”

            “Come on.” Luke grinned at her. “Trust me.” He bent down and reached for her foot. Slipping her sandal off he eased her foot onto his lap. “Okay, just relax now. Shut your eyes.”

            Ella didn’t want to close her eyes. She wanted to look around and make sure no one was witnessing this embarrassing moment.

            “If I’d have know you were going to do this, I would have—”

            Her words trailed off as Luke’s fingers pressed into the sole of her foot. The pressure was exquisite and her eyes closed involuntarily.

            “That’s it.” His voice was low and husky. “Relax and let me do the work.”

            Ella felt the urge to giggle, but her body was doing just as he asked without waiting for her permission. After a few minutes, she opened one eye and peered at him. He was watching her face, his fingers still moving with slow, measured movements across her skin.

            “Where’d you learn to do that?” Ella didn’t know if she wanted to know the answer. She for sure didn’t want to know how many other woman may have experienced this.

            Luke’s grin was lopsided, and partly sheepish. “I grew up watching my dad do this for my mom on days when us kids proved to be a handful.” He shrugged and his voice dropped another octave. “It always seemed to work.”

            Ella did giggle now. “What are you saying? That she was putty in his hands after this?”

            “Are you saying that you’re putty in my hands?”

            Ella arched an eyebrow, but didn’t answer.  

            “Will you go out to dinner with me tonight?”

            “What?” Ella laughed and eased her foot from his grasp. She slipped back into her shoe. “Wouldn’t that be against some rule? Me, a finalist and you, a network employee?”

            “Nope.” Luke’s voice oozed pride. “I checked. I technically work for Dreamcaster Productions, not The Cooking Channel, so there’s no conflict of interest. I mean, I probably couldn’t marry you—until after the competition…”

            Ella stared at him, her mouth open wide, speechless. His lopsided grin told her he was teasing. This felt good, being here with Luke. As though she were supposed to be here. That this place in time had been held for her and, now that she was here, all the pieces of her heart and soul seemed to come together in perfect unison.

            Or almost perfect.

            “Ella?” Luke’s voice turned serious. “Do you mind if I pray for you?”

            Her mind went into instant freeze mode. Luke wanted to pray for her? This mixture of emotion and attraction she’d been feeling toward Luke Abney had left no time or room for her to consider things. Things like value systems and belief structures. Or church attendance or a belief in a higher power.

            And now—out of the clear blue—was a non-too-subtle hint at where Luke Abney stood in the faith department. Ella wasn’t sure how she felt. She’d managed to keep her mind safely off such subjects for so long now…

            “Uh…of course.” She nodded, knowing her hesitancy showed. What could it hurt, right? “Sure, you can pray for me.”

            “Really?” Luke looked hopeful. “I just want you to go into this elimination thing tonight with peace.” He tapped his own chest. “You know, a really deep peace. So that no matter what happens, you know without a doubt you—and Chloe—are going to be all right.”

            The lump lodged in Ella’s throat made it difficult for her to speak. It had been so long since someone had spoken words like these to her. Something inside her screamed for her to believe this man, to bow her head with him and give herself fully to this peace he spoke of.

            But she couldn’t. She’d let him pray for her. Ella knew her heart would allow no more than that. There was a time—not too long ago—when this would have been the most natural thing in the world, to bow her head and pray in faith. But that was before…

            Ella knew better now. Sometimes prayer didn’t accomplish a thing.

I’m at my home-away-from-home today, and my thoughts are all about life’s teachable moments. Sometimes I almost miss the simplest ones because I’m on the lookout for the biggest, grandest, most amazing display of an awesome lesson. When – all along – it lies in the quietness of the ordinary and in the beauty of the everyday.

Enjoy your day! I know I am. I am so in love with the weather – with the hint of fall in the air and the brand new promise of all that a new season brings with it. I’m like a kid in a candy store, running from aisle to aisle…I can’t decide what I like best.

But I’m definitely liking it!

by Staci Wilder

Chapter Twelve

            “So you’ve spent some time working on your TV skills.” Nathan Charleton, in his uniform of black slacks and gray sweater, addressed the finalists. “But remember, the cooking still has to look effortless. That’s where the The Cooking Channel’s kitchen and culinary staff—or K&C for short—come in.” He paused and grinned. “Did you think Marcus Jordan or Dario Patali did everything on their own?”

            Ella glanced at Torrie, sitting next to her, and raised her eyebrows. Was she the only one who’d not known the hosts had people behind the scenes? But the blank look in Torrie’s eyes was enough to let Ella know she wasn’t alone.

            “To help you understand more about what goes into preparing one of our shows, the grill master himself is back with us today.” Nathan Charleton gestured toward the back door of the studio. “Marcus Jordan, folks!”

            Ella felt the same surge of excitement she’d felt earlier in the week. After years of watching the chef in action on TV, it was almost surreal to see him bound past her in the flesh. The tall and slim, curly-headed chef looked even more boyish in person than he did on screen. The energy was the same though. Ella knew that whatever today held, the bar would be raised.

            She leaned forward, pen in hand, willing herself to concentrate on Marcus Jordan and what he had to share with them today. Meeting this chef and sitting in on his lectures had been little more than a daydream just weeks ago and Ella knew this was a once in a lifetime experience. But as thrilled as she was to be sitting here in front of Marcus Jordan, one thing still thrilled her more.

            Knowing Luke Abney was somewhere near.

            She smiled, remembering last night. Her eyes felt a bit gritty this morning from lack of sleep. At breakfast she’d had to down a third cup of coffee for an extra jolt of caffeine. Even so, nothing could dim the way she felt this morning. There was a lightness to her, a sense of excitement and adventure, that she hadn’t felt in such a long time.

            And it was because of Luke.

            They had sat in the lobby of the Radisson talking until two a.m. They talked about everything and nothing, all at the same time. After their marathon phone conversation a few months ago, Ella thought she’d known the basic Luke Abney trivia. He was from Indiana and loved apple pie, baseball games, and the LA Lakers. His favorite color was blue and he’d dreamed of being a veterinarian when he was a little boy. He lived in a small apartment in Brentwood, but his favorite spot was his parents’ farmhouse in Bloomington. The long, wraparound porch with the wooden swing, to be exact.

            Last night, they’d filled in the many layers put into place during that phone conversation. Time seemed to fly by. In a matter of hours, Ella felt like she’d known Luke Abney all her life. Somehow it didn’t surprise her. There had been something almost electric between them since their first meeting. Still, the intimacy of the details he’d shared with her—as simple and inconsequential as they might seem to others—was everything to her. Luke Abney had shared himself. Ella had experienced that once before—with Stephen—and she knew that anything less than that was unacceptable.

            Maybe that’s why in the middle of her happiness this morning there also rested an unease. Stephen. He seemed to be all around her today. In the sound of Chloe’s voice on the phone this morning. The scent of his cologne still clung to the suitcase in her hotel room. This caused uncertainty in her emotions, almost like a warning of some kind.

             Ella wanted to ignore it, had, in fact, done a fairly good job of it so far. But even as she pushed all thoughts of Luke and Stephen and even Chloe from her mind as she focused her eyes on Marcus Jordan, Ella knew that something was different.

            It would be different from now on—

            Ella jumped as Marcus Jordan’s voice boomed right in front of her.

            “I’d like to introduce you at this time to what I like to call “my secret weapon”—Miriam Goldsmith, come join me please!”

            Ella twisted in her seat to get a look at the tiny woman making her way to the front. Even shorter than Ella, she was fifty-ish with short gray hair and a huge smile. Marcus placed an arm around Miriam’s shoulders and pulled her close.

            “Miriam is my sous chef. Translated that means she is my right-hand. I really could not do my show without Miriam and the rest of the K&C staff. They are the ones who enable us to do our jobs.” Marcus handed the microphone to Miriam. “I’m going to turn the podium over to you, Miriam.”

            Ella joined the other finalists in a standing ovation. Miriam grinned, waving them back in their seats.

            “Thank you,” the older woman’s voice was soft and kind as she held up two fingers. “The K&C staff is divided into two departments. First we have the cooks and food stylists who actually develop and style the recipes for television. They are the ones who make the food look gorgeous.”

            Henry, on Ella’s right, reached over and nudged her. “Hey, El, can I borrow a sheet of paper?”

            Ella glanced at his desk—completely bare—while she flipped to the back of her notebook and removed a couple of clean sheets. She grinned at him and shook her head. Typical Henry. Funny to a fault, and almost never fully prepared. Ella wondered how far he’d make it in the competition with his lack of organization.

            “Second,” Miriam continued, “is the writers and the editors. The editorial staff works together with the chefs to create recipes for the shows. Then they take those recipes and write ‘break-downs.’”

            Ella scribbled the word and then waited for the definition.

            “A break-down is an action script for a show. Each episode is literally broken down action by action. This way the chef or the host knows what to and when to do it.”

            Ella squirmed. She wasn’t sure how she felt about all these new revelations. Maybe she’d been naive to think that the likes of Marcus Jordan or Kendall Brooks simply walked into a kitchen and proceeded to whip up one amazing meal right after the other—in front of a camera. If so, maybe she should feel relief right now at learning that even the network greats had lots of help.

            But all Ella felt was worry.

            Up to this point she’d known about the teleprompter, the cue cards, the time cards, and the importance of switching from one camera to the next seamlessly. Now Miriam was telling them that each segment is broken down into separate actions, telling her where to be and when to be there.

            Ella shuddered and chanced a peek in Torrie’s direction. The girl had her hands over her ears and her eyes squeezed closed. If Ella hadn’t felt so overwhelmed herself by this fresh onslaught of information, she would have laughed out loud. She knew how Torrie felt. Her earlier premonition had been right.

            The bar had been raised.

            From this point on, the seven remaining finalists would have to give it their all. Less than that, and the loss of concentration and initiative would be just enough to send them packing.

            Ella straightened her back and made up her mind. She’d learn how to do the . break-downs. Face the teleprompter with courage. Show the camera no mercy. Whatever it took, she’d master it.

            She’d come way too far and had way too much at stake to risk going home now.

*****

           Nathan Charleton was issuing the day’s challenge to the seven finalists.

          Luke could hear it all from where he sat in the control booth. Munching on a PB&J sandwich, he leaned back in his chair and propped his tennis shoe-clad feet on a corner of Kurt’s desk.

            “Today each of you will be given a break-down from an episode of Marcus Jordan’s nationally acclaimed cooking show Just Grill Me. You’ll have thirty minutes to read the break-downs and you’ll each have a ten-minute consult with Miriam right before you’re set to begin filming. Miriam will walk you through the break-down. Then tonight—”

            The host paused and Luke quit chewing, straining to hear what he already knew would come next.

            “Tonight another one of you will be eliminated from the contest.”

            Luke swallowed hard. It felt like the peanut butter had coated his throat, suddenly dry. He folded the last two bites of sandwich in a paper towel and stuck it back in the Ziploc baggie. Tossing the whole thing into the trash can beneath Kurt’s desk, he took a deep breath then blew it out in one loud huff.

            “What’s wrong with you?” Kurt punched a button, filtering out all sounds from the sound stage below them, and pulled off his headset.

            “Nothing.” Luke shrugged, then grinned. “Everything?”

            Kurt swiveled in his chair and picked up a can of soda. “Hmmm. It’s the waitress again, isn’t it?”

            “Don’t call her that, man.” Last night, Luke had learned the story of why Ella had gone to work at the diner in the first place. How the big, burly Max had looked out for her. How hard she and her baby girl had it in the months after her husband’s death.

          Now this protectiveness he felt toward her seemed like a big billy club he carried in his hand. Just daring someone to mess with Ella.

          “I mean…she’s more than that, you know?”

            Kurt took a long swig of the cola, then sighed. “Sure she is, man. Hey, Luke, you know I didn’t mean anything by that comment. Really.”

            Luke only nodded.

            “Wow.” Kurt whistled softly. “You’ve got it bad, dude.”

            Luke nodded again. “I know.”

            Kurt seemed at a loss for words. Luke couldn’t blame him. No doubt he was throwing his buddy a curve ball. Nobody—least of all, Luke himself—ever expected Luke Abney to fall this hard or this quick for a woman.

            “Here’s the thing,” Luke faced Kurt and planted his elbows on his knees. Kurt wasn’t exactly the one to go to for female advice, but he was the best Luke had at the moment. “I…I like her. I mean…we’ve only talked a little. But I know I like her. A lot. I know that I like her a lot.” He kept nodding his head. “I know this.”

            Kurt laughed, and rubbed his hands over his eyes. “Oh, man! It’s much worse than I thought. Luke Abney, have you gone and fallen in love behind my back?”

            Love? Luke straightened. He hadn’t given that word a second thought since Tessa. The truth was, he was no longer certain what love was. Maybe he’d never known. He thought he had a great love with Tessa and look how that turned out.

            He shook his head now. He didn’t want to think about Tessa right now. “I don’t know about that…about love, that is. But,” he spread his hands, “I want a chance to know Ella better. But what if she leaves before we have that opportunity?”

            Kurt just stared at him. “You’re not serious, are you?”

            “What do you mean?”

            Kurt’s chair popped as he leaned forward and rapped Luke on the head. “This is the twenty-first century, dude. You know, cell phones and email and airplanes and—”

            “Okay!” Luke held up his hands in surrender. “I get your point. I get it.”

            “So,” Kurt spoke very slowly, as though to a first grader. “If the pretty girl goes back to Louisiana you will call her.” Kurt picked up the cell phone laying on his cluttered desk and waved it in the air. Then he turned to the computer and tapped on the keyboard. “And you’ll email her. See how easy that is?”

            Luke grimaced at Kurt’s good-natured mocking, but as much as he hated to admit it, he felt better. Somehow blockhead Kurt had made this whole Ella Paglia deal seem like it could work.

            “Okay then,” Kurt picked up his headset and jerked a thumb toward the control room door, “Better get downstairs, lover boy. You have a challenge to tape.”

*****

            Ella paced the perimeter of the green room, the dreaded blue card clutched in her hand. Muttering to herself, she rehearsed the break-down: when she’d brush the lobster with oil, which counter she’d be using for her food chops, and how long to grill the quesadillas on each side.

            Each of the seven finalists had been given one of Marcus Jordan’s famous recipes. She’d drawn the Lobster-Toasted Garlic Quesadillas. In less than fifteen minutes a stage hand would show up at the door, beckoning her to the studio floor.

            “That’s not very encouraging, is it?” Dirk’s question broke the silence of the room. He pointed to the couch.

            Across the room, Patty lay face down on the sofa. The poor woman had drawn first again. Ella had been sitting in the overstuffed chair when Patty came back from her demo. She’d entered as quietly as before, but had walked straight to the sofa and lay prone. An hour and a half later, Ella didn’t think the woman had moved a muscle.

            “Should we…shake her?” Ben’s words were whispered. “Nudge her or something? You know, make sure she’s breathing?”

            Dirk grinned. “Sure. Go ahead and do that, Ben.”

            Ben lifted the brown Stetson from his head and ran a hand through his tousled blond hair. “I think she’s probably all right.”  He glanced up at Ella. “Don’t you?”

            Ella giggled in spite of her own nerves. She nodded. “I think she’s fine. She’s just recovering right now.”

            Ben’s sigh filled the green room. “Personally, I think she’s got the right idea. I may pass out myself after I finish cooking up some Marcus Jordan braised pork ribs.”

            Ten minutes later, Ella stood behind the counter in the studio kitchen, thinking that she, too, might join Patty on the sofa. If she ever lived through this demo, that is. She licked her lips and smoothed the white apron over her hips.

            “Okay, Ella,” Marnie called, “On five…four…three…two…one!”

            Ella opened her mouth to speak, but then remembered she’d forgotten to smile into the camera. She clamped her mouth closed again, then gave her best Colgate grin into what she hoped was the right camera.

            And hopefully not Luke’s camera.

            “Today I’m making Lobster-Toasted Garlic Quesadillas.” She turned the smile up another notch. The judges had wanted to see more of her, right? What did that mean, exactly? More personality, Ella supposed. “First I’ll take this lobster—isn’t he a beauty, folks?” She held the lobster up just in time to see Marnie motion toward the other camera.

            Remembering her Colgate smile just in time, Ella spun around with the lobster, her eyes wildly searching for the second camera. As she did, Ella felt her shoe begin to slip on something wet. Confident that she could regain her footing, she tried to find her place on the teleprompter.

           “We’ll need to lay this lobster down on a flat surface and rub him with some oil and seasonings—!”

            Ella lost her battle with the wet spot on the floor. It happened so fast it seemed almost impossible to believe. Yet here she was. On the floor. Still clutching the lobster. And the cameras were rolling.

            That split-second thought was enough to propel Ella into action. On her feet again, she carefully stepped over the water puddle on the floor and dropped the lobster onto the counter with a loud plop! Her eyes found the camera, but not the teleprompter. “And that, folks, is for the experts. Please don’t try that at home!”

            Ella’s heart sank to her knees, though she kept the Colgate grin in place. She’d probably just blown her chance in this competition. Only one thing brought her any consolation. She hadn’t broken the cardinal network rule.

           Don’t ever stop the show!

by Staci Wilder

Chapter Eleven

             Luke sat on the worn leather sofa in his apartment and stared at the clock on the wall. Eight-fifteen. He sighed and leaned forward, rubbing his hands on the thighs of his jeans. The contestants should know by now which of them had made it to the next round.

            Ella should know by now.

            The thought of Ella leaving LA before he really even had a chance to get to know her did something funny to Luke’s stomach. It was crazy, really. This wasn’t his style, mooning over some lady he barely knew. Heck, he didn’t even moon over the ones he did know. This was new territory for him, a space he hadn’t explored since…

            Well, since Tessa.

            The thought of Tessa Shepherd made the hairs on his arm stand on end. He’d once loved her fiercely. Was prepared to give her the moon, had she asked for it. He had, in fact, given her something far more precious. His heart. And she had stomped on it so hard that Luke wouldn’t have experienced more pain if she’d walked on his bare chest in a pair of her four-inch stilettos.

            Of course, he hadn’t been without blame. Leaving his mid-west values behind in Indiana, he’d reached out and grabbed all he could hold when he first arrived in Los Angeles six years ago. Late nights, wild parties, and pretty women—all were available for the taking.

            But then he’d met Tessa and had felt like he had at last come home. At last he’d felt free to shed the glitz of Tinsel Town and bare his heart and soul to someone who shared his passions and his morals. Only Tessa hadn’t been that person. One mention of his hometown values and she’d started deleting herself from his life, one pair of shoes at a time.

            But this wasn’t fair, his drumming up past hurt at the hand of Tessa. It wasn’t fair to Ella, and it wasn’t fair to him. The two women couldn’t be more different from one another. Tessa had been self-centered, more focused on her own career and needs than anything else.

            Ella had a child that came first. A little girl. He knew this from the initial bios that Kurt had shared during their cross-country trek. He knew this competition meant far more to her than she let on. Maybe that’s why he felt such an unexplainable tenderness toward her, almost a protectiveness. Her motives were noble, at least he thought they were.

            Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time he’d been wrong about a woman.

            Luke paced the length of the small living room. Then he sat some more. Then he did a few jumping jacks. By the time he’d stretched on the floor to do a set of sit-ups, he realized that only one thing would really soothe his uncertain emotions. He sat up and reached for the Bible on the coffee table. Scooting around, he leaned his back against the sofa and flipped through the soft, worn pages until he found it. Psalm 1.

            Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

            Luke read the verses again, then dropped his head forward, resting his forehead on his knees. How many times had this set of scriptures spoke comfort to his questioning mind and bruised spirit? Too many to count, he knew that.

            He’d learned an important lesson the hardest way possible—through experience. His mother had always been fond of saying that pain was her best teacher. She’d been right. After his breakup with Tessa, his enraptured view of Hollywood and all it had to offer began to dim. It was as though he’d had blinders covering his eyes and at last they were stripped away and he could see again.

            Where once he’d seen only the glitz and glamour of a city known for indulgence, he now knew it for what it really was. Just another city. Large, wealthy, and full of super stars. Yeah, maybe so. But what Luke now knew was that even superstars with mega-hit movies were just regular folk. At the end of the day, they brushed their teeth and went to bed, much the same as he did.

            Only Luke could now lay his head on his pillow with a peace in his heart.

            He’d never risk that peace again. Not for a job. Not for LA.

            Not for a woman.

            That’s why he had to make a move, one way or another. If Ella was as real as he felt she was, then he didn’t want to let an opportunity to know her better pass him by. But he’d need strength if she turned out to be in search of only what the Hollywood scene could provide for her.

            The strength to simply walk away.

            “Lord,” Luke mumbled the prayer out loud. “You know I want your will. Guide my footsteps. Direct my words. Let me follow wherever you lead me. Even if it’s not what my heart wants to hear.”

            By the time the clock on the wall read eight-forty-five, Luke had showered, changed into a fresh pair of pants and shirt, and was locking his front door. He knew Kurt would call him crazy and most of his other friends would think he’d flipped out. But he had to know if Ella was staying in LA.

            He had to know tonight.

 *****

             Ella went with the others to the corner ice-cream shop. Over milkshakes and banana splits, they celebrated surviving the first round of eliminations. Ella felt her place in the group was shaky, at best. She’d have to find a way to give the judges what they were asking for. But as she sat and nibbled on her waffle cone, she had no idea how to do that.

            Everyone else felt good, she could tell. Torrie talked nonstop, barely giving anyone else time to get a word in edgewise before jumping to a new topic altogether. Even Patty had agreed to join them and, while she wasn’t really participating in the conversation much, she did nod in agreement and give a furtive smile from time to time. Ella was more convinced than ever that Patty just needed a friend. She purposed to try harder to be that person for Patty.

            “Hey, Cowboy,” Henry tossed a wadded straw wrapper Ben’s way. “There are two men in jeans and Stetsons in the kitchen. Which one is the real cowboy?”

            “Oh, no, here we go again.” Deidra threw up her hands.

            Ella grinned as Ben turned a pretty shade of pink.

            “Dunno.” He shrugged. “Which one?”

            “The one on the range.” Henry howled, slapping his palms on the table. “Get it? Range? Like, home on the range?”

            “WE GET IT, DUDE.”

            Ella cringed at Deidra’s hateful tone. Henry’s jokes did tend to wear a little thin, particularly after fifteen of them and a very long day in the studio. But you certainly couldn’t fault the guy for trying to keep things light and humorous. Ella appreciated that, even if she could have done without the corny one-liners.

            “On that note, I think I’ll head back to the hotel.” Dirk pulled his ball cap on and stood up. “Anyone want to walk with me?”

            Ella held up her hand. “Me. I need to get back to the room and call home anyway.”

            “Hey, it’s still early yet.” Torrie’s pretty mouth turned down in a mock pout. “You two are party poopers.”

            “That’s us.” Dirk grinned and tapped Torrie’s shoulder. “But this is one party pooper who will have had his eight hours of beauty sleep and be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for tomorrow’s challenge.”

            No one had an argument—pretend or otherwise—so Dirk and Ella waved their good-byes and walked the two blocks to the Radisson. Ella bid Dirk a good-night as he turned the corner in the lobby, headed for his first floor room. Ella started for the elevator when she heard her name.

            She spun around, shocked to see Luke Abney standing in the lobby. Ella started toward him, then glanced around. “What—what are you doing here?”

            He moved closer, and in that one motion she noticed several details. Details that made her heart rate pick up and the now familiar flush to creep up her neck. Things like the neat line in his khakis. The way his button-down shirt hung untucked. The fact that he wore flip-flops and she could see his feet. Silly details that she’d never admit to another human being. But details that caused her heart to flutter in a way she’d never expected to feel again.

            “I came to see you.” He stood in front of her now—no more than a foot away—looking down at her with such frank honesty in his blue eyes that it almost took her breath away. “I wanted to make sure that you…that you weren’t…”

            Ella nodded. “I get it. You wanted to make sure I wasn’t the one eliminated, right?”

            His grin was sheepish, but she loved it. Loved that he wanted to check on her. Loved that he was standing here, close enough for her to reach out and touch.

            “Yeah, something like that.” He stared down at her and his grin widened.

            “What?” Ella felt self-conscious beneath his gaze. She reached up to wipe at her mouth. “Do I have something on my face?”

            Luke shook his head and stepped even closer. With one hand, he reached out and fingered a curl that hung over her shoulder. “You’ve got your hair down,” he whispered huskily.

            Ella’s heart skipped a little beat. She couldn’t have taken her eyes off of Luke Abney right then if a gun had been held to her head. Nor did she want to.

            “I like it like this.” He let go of the curl and it jumped back into place. “You know, curly, free. It’s you.”

            Ella finally found both her breath and her voice and she laughed out loud. “Easy for you to say, mister! I’d like to see you try to tame these curls at six o’clock every morning. It’s not easy, let me tell you.”

            Luke laughed and shook his head. “I’m sure it’s not.” He glanced around the lobby, still littered with groups of people. “Hey, do you want to sit for a while? Just talk?”

            Ella hesitated, thinking of the phone call home she needed to make and of the early morning wakeup call she’d requested. Then she looked into Luke’s blue eyes again and knew there was only one answer to his question.

by Staci Wilder

Chapter Ten

            Ella’s exhilaration barely lasted through lunch.

            As she and the other contestants filed back into Sound Stage C after a rather loud and festive lunch at a nearby bistro, it was clear something was up. The two rows of metal desks had disappeared from view and three more sets of cameras and tripods peppered the studio floor. The kitchen lights remained ablaze, but the round, overhead lights above the studio were dimmed.

          The result was an instant charge of energy.

          Or dread, Ella wasn’t really sure.

            “Welcome back, contestants.” Nathan Charleton motioned for them to cluster to one side of the room. “I trust you had a pleasant lunch. You’ll be glad you’ve had plenty of nourishment because—” he paused and pointed at the group—“this afternoon’s challenge will lead to what you’ve all been waiting for. The first elimination ceremony.”

            A chorus of groans echoed what Ella felt.

          This was it. The contest was on, no doubt about that now. Up till this point they’d felt and operated as a single team. But now the gloves—or Chef’s mitts—would come off and may the best chef among them win. Anticipation wiggled around in Ella’s stomach and she tried to embrace it rather than fight it. This was why she’d come three thousand miles in the first place, wasn’t it? To win the contest that would guarantee a safe future for Chloe.

            The truth could not be avoided. As much as they liked one another and as well as they got along, the contest would boast only one winner. In the end, it would come down to which one of the eight held up under the pressure, delivered culinary delights, and provided an entertaining performance.

            Ella held her breath as the host continued.

          “This is your challenge. You will each prepare the dish that won you a place in the finals. You’ll have two hours to prepare both the dish and a demo tray. After presenting your demo to the judges panel, you’ll be individually rated then you’ll prepare for the elimination ceremony. Tonight—” Nathan Charleton’ voice dropped an octave—“one of you will go home.”

             The three judges were introduced and again the three points of judging were covered: performance, personality, and culinary point of view. Ella still wasn’t sure what the latter meant. This afternoon’s challenge left no time for her to mull it over though. She had twenty minutes to prepare her cue cards and do a dry run-through before the contestants began filming.

            The earlier butterflies in the pit of her stomach now seemed to be having a block party inside her. Swallowing an acrid taste in the back of her throat, Ella found a quiet corner and rehearsed the steps of her demo. Her winning entry had featured her grandmother’s Vegetable Panini, a dish she could—just like Reggie had said—make in her sleep. She concentrated now on the prep work ahead of her: the vegetable chops, heating the griddle, slicing the baguettes.

            This first crucial challenge differed from the previous ones in another way. Before, each finalist was allowed to sit in during each demo and challenge. Beginning today, they’d be sequestered in the green room both before and after their own demo. It added another layer of mystery to the goings-on, making it virtually impossible to know how well one stacked up in light of the remaining contestants’ performances.

            Ella had drawn second demo and now she sat huddled in an overstuffed purple armchair, waiting for a stagehand to come fetch her when it was her turn. Deidra, Ben, and Kim occupied the matching couch. Torrie sat cross-legged against the wall, twirling her braids in her hands. Dirk and Henry lay flat of their backs on the green Berber carpet. All were quiet, just waiting.

            “Hey, check it out,” Dirk, from his spot on the floor, pointed to the walls. “The green room is really green. I’ve always wondered that.”

            It was an observation, but if Dirk was expecting a response Ella was certain he’d be disappointed. Their minds were too occupied at the moment to absorb anything of substance—even something as minute as the color of the green room.

            “How do you think Patty is doing out there?” Deidra was the first to voice it.

            Ella straightened in her chair. She’d been thinking about Patty too. The woman was an enigma to the rest of the group. She fascinated Ella every bit as much as she startled her. With her short, dark pixie cut and waif-like features, she appeared as harmless as a feather on a china dish.

             From a distance, that is. Face-to-face with those small beady eyes and firmly set lips was enough to make Ella back up a step or two.

            “She’s doing fine,” Ben piped up from his corner of the couch. “Haven’t you watched her in the kitchen? She’s a whiz with her chops. If you ask me, that spooky persona is all an act.”

            Ella stared at Ben. Was it possible that someone could have their head in the game deep enough to effect a persona, for crying out loud? It was all she could do to function well as…herself…let alone trying to feign a false front just to throw the others off balance.

            “I don’t know…” Torrie didn’t sound convinced.

            “Wait a minute.” Deidra held up a finger. “I think Ben may be on to something. She was the only one that didn’t go to lunch with us today, right? Something about having an appointment or something like that? Well, when we were leaving the restaurant, I saw her at a table off to the side. By herself.” Deidra’s voice was emphatic, and she jerked her neck as though to accentuate each word. “What happened to that appointment, I ask you? She didn’t have one, that’s what!”

            Ella giggled. “Deidra, that’s a stretch. Give the woman a break. I mean, she freaks me out to, but I don’t think she’s sinister or anything.”

            “Hmph, maybe not,” Deidra crossed her arms. “But that woman’s got some real bad mojo going on up in that head of hers. You know what I’m talking about now!”

            The doorknob to the green room clicked and all seven of them turned to the door. Patty walked in and took a seat in a metal folding chair nearest the door. She nodded curtly, acknowledging their presence, but then hid her head behind a dog-eared copy of California Living.

            Ella watched as Dirk sat up and stared, first at Patty, then at each of them. He raised his eyebrows in question, but she only shrugged her shoulders. They’d all love to ask Patty how the demo went, but no one really knew how to approach her. Ella didn’t know what the deal with Patty was, but she did know she envied the woman right now.

            The door opened and a stagehand poked his head inside. “Ella Paglia?”

            Ella sighed and stood up.

            Patty had another challenge behind her—at this moment, a position Ella envied.

*****

            Luke’s chest tightened as he watched Ella walk to the center of the kitchen and take her place behind the counter. Almost like he was nervous for her. Or maybe he was just nervous right along with her, that was more like it. It wasn’t that he feared she’d flub up or make some awful error. All the contestants made mistakes; the competition didn’t require perfection. But it did require releasing your personality in front of a camera and being at ease with your movements and actions.

            Ella had the latter down pat, Luke was convinced of that. She moved about the kitchen with a grace that captivated him, handling the pots and pans and ladles and mixers with the greatest of ease. It was the former part—the personality issue—that troubled him.

            In Milltown, at Max’s Diner, Ella’s personality had been larger than life. Funny in a very unintentional way, her comedic expressions and quick wit had added wonderful layers to her naturally quiet persona. Here, in the studio kitchen, she was reserved, holding something back from the camera.

            Luke feared she held back the very thing that could win this contest for her.

            He and the other crew members had the distinct advantage of seeing all eight contestants in action. It tickled Luke the way folks reacted with a camera trained on them. Some of them—like that woman, Patty—become an animated version of Superwoman.

          Luke nearly fell off his stool the first time Patty had opened her mouth during filming. The mousy, timid housewife vanished and in her place stood a ball of pure energy, tossing knives and pepper mills around like she was Tom Cruise in Tequila Sunrise. It beat all Luke had ever seen.

            Then you had folks like Ben. And Ella. People with unmistakable skills and resources. But they tended to hide from the camera instead of reaching out and embracing it. For something to be appealing on a TV screen—whether it was the food or the chef—it had to be over the top.

            Okay, Ella, show me what you’ve got. He eased behind his camera and waited for Marnie’s countdown. Ernie, another camera guy, would be taking the opening sequence of shots, so Luke used this time to zoom in tight on Ella’s face. Show me that beautiful smile, Ella.

            “Three…two…one!”

            On cue, Ella smiled into the camera and made her opening speech. Luke didn’t move a muscle as he watched, following her every move. Introducing her recipe—Luke wasn’t even certain what a panini was—he locked back into position as she turned on the grill then moved to the far counter to begin her chops.

            Focusing the camera on Ella’s hands, he watched as she lined up eggplant, zucchini, and onions, then began to slice them with the ease of a pro. Her fingers—short and slim—were topped by neatly manicured nails, covered in clear gloss. Luke knew her hands would look awesome on-screen. He couldn’t say the same for everyone else he shot. Take Patty, for instance. The woman was a whirling dervish in the kitchen, but her hands looked like they needed a good long soak in a bowl of Madge’s Pamolive.

            Ella finished the vegetables and reached for a basket of sliced baguettes. Working with one piece at a time, she spread a thin layer of pesto sauce, then layered slices of eggplant, zucchini, onion, tomato, mozzarella, and roasted red peppers. Sprinkling it all with salt and pepper, she then slid the sandwiches onto the griddle and placed a heavy iron skillet on top of them.

            “You can use a panini maker if you want,” She spoke clearly and without hesitation. “But I like to make these sandwiches the way my grandmother taught me.”

            Ella paused and grinned at the camera, pointing to the heavy skillet. “So I just use any old cast iron pan I have around. They’re just weighty enough and press the baguette in much the same way as an expensive panini maker.”

            Good job, Ella! Luke wanted to shout out loud. She’d made it personal. Shared a little of herself with the camera. Now if she could just relax into it…

*****

            Ella trailed down the hallway behind Dirk and Henry. Torrie walked on one side of her and Deidra on the other. Just behind them came Patty, Ben, and Kim. The motley group somehow reminded Ella of a bunch of kids, walking the long barren school hallway to the principal’s office.

           They entered Sound Stage C as a group of eight. But only seven of them would return in the morning.

            Ella’s lunch—was it only seven hours ago that they’d all been laughing and cutting up at Tony’s Bistro?—felt like it was lodged somewhere between the base of her throat and the middle of her ribcage.

             Never could she remember being quite this nervous. Even walking the long church aisle to meet Stephen at their wedding and her planned C-section with Chloe seemed like a cakewalk in stark contrast to the panel of judges she was about to face.

            Ella didn’t know what kind of stakes the other seven had in this competition, but for her, they were high. Winning this meant an opportunity to carve out a future that would utilize her talents and passions and also provide a generous and stable income for Chloe. It was a long shot; she’d known that going in.

           But now that she was here, Ella intended to give it everything she had to make it all the way.

            They entered the dim studio. The three judges sat behind a long table, a single row of track lighting illuminating the space. Just behind them, cloaked in semi-darkness, stood McAllister Pruitt, himself. The lunch-turned-stone in the pit of her tummy rolled over as Ella glimpsed the man who held the key to her future.

          The eight contestants walked to the center of the room and took their places. When they were settled, Nathan Charleton stepped forward.

            “Tonight we’ve reached the very first elimination ceremony. You’ve been introduced to the judges, but now let me tell you a little about each of them. You’ll be seeing them a lot over the course of this competition. First up, Tom Fogelman, Senior Vice President of Programming and Production here at The Cooking Channel.”

          Nathan Charleton took a couple of steps and smiled. “The pretty lady next to Tom is Heidi Turner. Heidi’s role with the network is that of VP of Marketing. And last, but certainly not least, we have Jordan Elliott, well-known TV broadcaster.”

            Ella surveyed the three judges, but could get no real feel on just how tough or how lenient the trio might be. Each of them smiled and waved at the contestants as they were introduced, but it was clear by the expressions on their faces now that they were all business.

            “Now for the icing on the cake, ladies and gentlemen. I’d like to present Mr. McAllister Pruitt.” Even Nathan Charleton’s voice contained a timbre of awe.

            Ella’s fists clenched in anticipation at her side as the tall, daunting man stepped from the shadows, and came to stand before them.

            “Good evening,” He nodded and looked each of them squarely in the eyes before continuing. “It’s my great pleasure to welcome you all to Los Angeles, but more specifically, to this competition. At one time, not so many years ago, I was in the same position you are right now. I had a dream, and that dream was to operate my own restaurant.”

            Ella found herself relaxing as McAllister Pruitt began to share his background. She leaned forward in interest, finding it amazing that a man of his stature would be this candid.

            “I came from a family that could barely afford to place the basics on the table, let alone purchase the extras we all enjoy today. I began to experiment with bits of this and pieces of that—all leftovers from the meal before. I cultivated a love for experimenting with food.” He smiled. “I still love to experiment.”

            Ella could relate. Some of her best concoctions had been mistakes gone right.

            “I finally lassoed my dream after ten grueling years. Now I want to help one of you lasso your personal dream. One of you will walk away from this competition with your own restaurant.

            Not a sound was heard as McAllister finished speaking and retreated to the corner. Ella hadn’t even realized she’d been holding her breath, hanging on to every single syllable out of the man’s mouth. She blew it out in a long, soft sigh.

           “Contestants, we want to thank each of you for your participation in Restaurant 101.  Obviously, the network saw something exciting in each of you or you wouldn’t even be here. But as contests go, there can only be one winner and tonight we’ll take the group down to seven.” Nathan Charleton gave one last look at the finalists, then turned to the panel. “Judges, I’ll turn it over to you now.”

            The one named Tom stood and picked up a sheet of paper from the table in front of him. He ventured a small smile as he began to speak. “I want to second the comments our host, Nathan Charleton, made. All eight of you show amazing potential and we’d love to be able to keep all of you. But tonight we are asking the following people…to stay.”

            Ella felt her stomach drop the remaining distance to her knees and she forgot how to breathe. Without thinking, she reached out to clutch both her neighbor’s hands. In some remote corner of her mind she realized she’d grabbed hold of Patty’s hand, felt a half-second’s resistance, and then the warmth of Patty’s skin as the woman returned her anxious squeeze.

            “When I call your name, please step forward. Dirk…Deidra…Henry…”

            Ella stood frozen as Henry released her hand and stepped forward to join Dirk and Deidra. She felt Patty move in a little closer to her, and found it somehow oddly comforting.

            “Torrie…Ben…Patty…”

            Patty gave Ella’s hand one last squeeze, then joined the others in line. Ella felt sick. This wasn’t how she’d imagined it. Being plucked out during the very first round of competition.

            “Kim and Ella, we have a few comments to make about your performance in the studio today.”

            Ella nodded, rubbing her clammy palms along the side of her denim skirt. She watched as Heidi, the lone woman on the panel, stood.

            “Let’s start with you, Kim.” She nodded in his direction. “There’s no question that you are a skilled chef, particularly with Asian and Asian-inspired dishes. You’ve impressed us with your knowledge of foods. What we’re not seeing, however, is the ability to speak clearly and concisely. This is a trait that any good TV host or hostess must possess.”

            Ella saw Kim nod his head in acceptance. Her knees buckled a little further when Heidi turned her gaze her way.

            “And Ella. You’ve got definite style, and a real flair for cooking. Just like with Kim, it’s obvious that you, too, have a vast knowledge of kitchen operations. What we’d like to see more of though—and haven’t yet—is Ella.” Heidi stretched her arms wide. “Let us see who you are, Ella. All of you.”

            Ella tried to smile, but wasn’t sure if she’d been successful. She just wanted this moment to end. Whatever the outcome…

            “Ella…we’d like you to…stay.”

            Like a punctured balloon, Ella felt her lungs give out and a burst of air shot through her. “Oh…” A mixture of relief and excitement and a sadness for Kim almost overwhelmed her. She took Kim’s outstretched hand.

            “Good luck,” he nodded to her.

            The next half hour passed in a blur of motion and activity as the group bid their farewells to Kim. When they’d all waved to him as he drove away in a cab, it was a moment of bitter sweetness.

            As the remaining seven sat together, rehashing the day’s events and that night’s elimination ceremony, Ella couldn’t help feeling a bit like a knobby-kneed school girl who had won the spelling bee by default. She listened to the chatter around her, marveling that some of the other contestants had the confidence to openly boast about their progress thus far.

            As near as Ella could tell, the competition was just heating up. And—if today was a clear indicator of things to come—the road to restaurant ownership via this particular route would be bumpy, at best. She was ecstatic that she was still in the game, but her heart ached that it was at the expense of someone else’s dream.

            Tonight, Kim’s dream had been sacrificed.

            Whose would be next?