Chelsea was nervous. Her heart was pumping, adrenaline pounding through her veins. Her hands shook as she stared at the letter in her hands. The childish scrawl of the writer made her heart throb. She was playing a game. A prolonged game, on filled with sweets and letters.
Every week, she would walk to the diner, and find a letter someone hidden in the creeks and crevices. The first time, she thought it was by mistake. She had sat down in her normal booth, and shifted her weight. A crunching sound flew to her ears and she stood up, revealing a now slightly crumbled piece of paper. She had hesitantly opened it, wondering what it could possibly say. And more importantly, why it was here. The letter read:
My Sweet,
I knew you would find this letter. You always sit in the same place.
I've watched you from afar, in the safety of my home,
And I can't but think of you all the time.
Your eyes shine brightly
Almost as bright as your smile.
And Chelsea, if you figure it yet,
You have a secret admirer.
Me.
I want to talk to you without being judged. Please, write back!
Now I must return to my work.
Sincerely,
Your Purple Romeo.
When Chelsea found this letter, she couldn't help but feel excited. It seemed so different from what she had ever experienced. She had a secret admirer. When she showed Julia the letter, her blonde friend couldn't contain her shock.
"YOU? MY FRIEND, CHELSEA, HAS A SECRETADMIRER? NOT TO MENTION HE WROTE A LETTER TO YOU? HOW ROMANTIC!" Julia gushed.
Chelsea rolled her eyes. This was why Chelsea did not want to tell Julia. But Julia, ever so persistent, knew Chelsea like the back of her hand and sadly, would not leave the brunette alone until she told her what was bothering her.
Chelsea just could not shake her friend. She was so annoying, so stubborn, she could never win a battle against her.
It was only a wonder how Elliot managed to keep the hyper girl under control.
So here she was, gripping the closed letter tightly in her hands. This would be the last letter before the Cooking Contest. She knew he enjoyed cooking, and she also had a good idea who her secret admirer was. There was only one male on the island who loved cooking and wore purple.
Pierre.
The Gourmet was a perfect match for the letters. Pierre's handwriting seemed to match the one in the letter, and the paper always smelled sweet with fresh baked goods.
Chelsea's heart pounded as she unfolded the letter and started reading:
Chelsea,
The Cooking Contest is arriving and I hope to see you enter. I would enjoy seeing what you would make.
I know anything you make will be sweet and lovely to taste. Just like you.
There is a suspicion that you finally know who I am.
And I bet you already do, knowing how smart you are.
If you do, meet me after the Cooking Contest. Surprise me.
Make me amazed, even more than I already am.
Love,
Your Purple Romeo
Chelsea's hands became slick with sweat as she dashed out of the Diner and back to her Ranch House. The door slammed behind her as she panted, exhausted from her run. She couldn't believe she would finally meet him! After five seasons, she would finally meet this Purple Romeo she had been talking to. And she hoped it would be Pierre.
To tell the truth, Chelsea had always been fond of Pierre. She wasn't sure what it was, but something drew her to him. His golden locks were messily placed under his purple hat, and he was just so adorable she couldn't help but love him!
And sometime along the way, through her swoons and speeches of how cute he was, she fell for him. Hard.
And now she finally had the opportunity to show her skills and prove she was worthy of Pierre's love. She would not give up because she would win the Cooking Contest. In order to show her love of cooking and her love for the adorable chef, she would not lose, damn it!
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Okay, so maybe cooking wasn't exactly Chelsea's best subject.
The kitchen was a disaster. It looked like a tornado hit. Cake batter covered on the counters, spread on thickly and dripping down onto the floor. Many dishes were piled high on the counters, the sink filled with mixing bowls, and wooden spoons. Chelsea sat on the kitchen floor, frustrated. Flour covered her whole body and a piece of batter mixed with her brown locks.
She looked like a mess. Her whole house looked like a mess.
So maybe she wasn't cut out to be a chef. She was okay with that. But she would not lose! She would not back down and give up on her love!
Chelsea huffed before getting onto her feet. A new kind of determination shined through her eyes. What did it matter if she utterly sucked at baking? So what if she probably would never cook again after this? She was in love, for goddess sakes. All that mattered was that the dish was made out of love! She would not rest until her dish was acceptable! Until it was fit to be judged by a Gourmet
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She felt proud of herself, she had finally managed to come out with something that looked decent! Chelsea, after many tries, had made the best dish possible. One that was Pierre's favorite.
Finest Curry was not easy to make. Especially for someone so untalented as herself. She was surprised it didn't come out as a failed dish. She was even more surprised at how great it looked! It made her mouth water by taking a glance at the plate.
The contest started in a few hours, and Chelsea looked like a cooking mess! The flour and cake batter still coated her body, but now curry powder and rice grains littered across her limbs. She didn't even want to take a look at her kitchen, knowing she would have to clean it up later. She only hoped she didn't get any visitors for a few days. It would take a while to make her kitchen spotless again.
She trudged to the bathroom and turned on the shower. She now had the perfect dish to compete with, and now she only needed to look perfect for her secret admirer!
The water flowed down her body and cleansed all of the foods that had stuck to her. She welcomed all of the cascading drops and the soap made her feel cleaner than she had ever felt. She heard a plop as something fell from her hair. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she realized it was the clump of cake batter from earlier. Her fingers dug at her scalp, riding her head of the residue.
Once she was squeaky clean, she quickly changed into her usual outfit, and dried her hair. She placed her lucky red bandana on her head and grabbed the dish of Finest Curry, making sure nothing was out of place.
And with that, she left her house and walked towards the beach, anxious to see how the night would turn.
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As Chelsea stepped onto the sand she realized just how tough of a competition it would be for her. Felicia, Mirabelle, Sabrina, and Lanna had also chose to compete in the cooking contest. While the young farmer knew just how good Felicia and Mirabelle's cooking skills were, she didn't know about Sabrina's.
Sabrina was the shy and quiet girl on the island. And somehow, she had managed to snag Julia's cousin Vaughn in her grasp. Trust that Chelsea was not happy to her that particular news. She would be an outright liar if she said she had not been in love with Vaughn until the last possible moment.
So let's just say Chelsea had not been keen on seeing Sabrina at all for the past few years. And now she was going up against the girl she had hated for seasons, all because of a boy! It was amazing how now that she had her eyes on someone else, didn't mind the girl's presence as much. It did still irritate her to know that the girl had won the boy who had once held her heart, true, but she also wasn't the villain. Not at all.
And Lanna, well, everyone knew of Lanna's cooking skills. Or lack of. Lanna was a former popstar looking for a quiet place to settle down. And since she used to be a famous star, she never had to learn how to cook. And now that she had to fend for herself…. Well it was just a surprise that she managed to feed herself and not get poisoned…. Most of the time at least.
Chelsea could only hope her cooking managed to scrap along and not come in last. It was an embarrassment if she lost to bad cooking, especially if it was Lanna's cooking.
And it wouldn't hurt to beat Sabrina either. Her hostility from those years ago were still buried deep inside her. And maybe there was some old jealously that had not been flushed from her system yet.
But all that mattered right now was that she was here for her secret admirer and to show Pierre that she was fit to be with him.
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The contest had ended and Chelsea's knees were shaking from her anxiety. Sure, she hadn't won. Who could beat Mirabelle's cooking? But Chelsea wasn't upset about that. Her anxiety was sky rocketing not because of the fact that she hadn't won, but because Pierre had witnessed everything. And now that the Cooking Contest had ended, she would finally meet him. Her Purple Romeo. The secret admirer whom she had no idea who he truly was.
And now that the time had come, she realized that she was not ready for this confrontation. And so, without a second thought, she bolted out of the beach until she reached her ranch house. She stood her Purple Romeo up and only hoped he didn't hold it against her.
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She found a letter on her doorstep the next morning. Chelsea's hands shook and unshed tears filled her eyes. She didn't think she was ready to read what he had to say. Would he be mad? Furious even? She wasn't sure she could handle it!
NO! She thought to herself. She had to know. She was the one who foolishly left and now she had to deal with the consequences. Why was she such an idiot?
She snatched the paper off the ground and immediately flipped it open. The stench of sweet cake batter filled her nostrils and her heart beat hard in her chest as she set her eyes on the familiar scrawl.
Mi Amor,
It seems you've gotten scared and left before I could approach. I watched as you left the beach in a big huff.
I hope it was because you were scared to really know who I am. And if you already know, I could only hope it was because you were nervous about seeing me in a new light.
If it was none of those, don't meet up with me tonight.
I want to see you tonight at the Diner at seven o'clock.
Think of it as the last time I will be a secret admirer. I will either be you friend still, or your boyfriend. I'll respect any choice you make.
So follow my directions.
I need this as much as you do.
But remember my sweet, you are the only one for me.
Love,
Purple Romeo.
Chelsea was hyperventilating as she read the letter. He wanted her to meet with him tonight? For the last time!?
It was too overwhelming for her to process.
Should she even bother to show? Could she be that cruel and leave Pierre hanging? If it even was Pierre!? If it wasn't, she could be hurting a very good friend. But if it was Pierre, she would lose her chance.
Who could it be besides Pierre? Who was her friends?
Mark was her friend who constantly helped her on the ranch. Vaughn, although anti-social, had become a great friend to her. Her old crush had indeed gotten close. And they would have been together, had it not been for Sabrina.
Will was the princely type who definitely annoyed Chelsea the most. With his soft blonde locks and rich persona, Chelsea preferred to not stay to close to him. He was a good friend of the farmer's, but their clashing personalities definitely caused the young farmer to avoid him most of the time.
Denny was also one of the most annoying people to Chelsea. I mean he constantly smelled like fish! Sure he was a fisherman, but couldn't he spray himself with something that smelled better than rotting fish!? Chelsea always would talk to Denny whenever she was at the beach, but recently she hadn't seen him. Chelsea made a mental note to give him a fish as an apology for her ruthlessness.
It had to be Pierre. Denny would never go through this much effort to date her. Denny was as blunt as she was, and would just walk up to her and ask. He wouldn't deal with the romantic gestures until after they were together.
It was Pierre and that's what frightened her the most.
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Seven o'clock came and went and she stood just outside her front door, willing her feet to move. But they wouldn't budge. She would end up standing Pierre up and that would be the end of it. She had to move, NOW.
She flinched with every step she took towards the Diner. This would be the end of anything romantic if it wasn't who she wanted. If she messed this up, it was all over.
She had the overwhelming urge to turn back and hide in her house.
But Chelsea was brave and stubborn, she had already promised herself to go through with this confrontation. She never went back on her word. But now, she wish she hadn't promised herself.
Because her knees were shaking, her hands were sweaty, and she felt clammy.
The Diner came into view and she practically sprinted the last few yards until she was in front of the door. She gripped the door knob and stopped for a moment. She gave a deep, reassuring breath as she opened the door.
The lights were off and the room was lit by candles. She saw no one in sight. One table in the middle of the room was set for dinner, table for two. She moved over to the table and saw a letter there. She hesitantly picked it up, wiping her sweaty hands on her shorts.
Mi amor,
I'm happy you've made it and that we will finally have this confrontation.
I hope you enjoy the candles. I think they give a nice touch.
I'll be out soon. Sit and wait.
I hope you won't be disappointed.
-Your Purple Romeo
The letter did nothing but get Chelsea more riled up. She squirmed in her seat, her fingernails digging into her seat.
The back door of the Diner creaked and she saw the familiar head of pink hair.
"Natalie? Why are you here?" Chelsea asked, surprise deep in her voice.
Her friend only smirked and said, "Helping your to be boyfriend. He's coming out in a second. I'm supposed to blindfold you."
Chelsea's eyes widened. "Blindfold!? Why?"
Natalie rolled her eyes. "Because then the suspense is even better."
Chelsea's friend didn't wait for a reply as she pulled a silky purple cloth over her friend's eyes and firmly tied it in place. Chelsea heard her friend's retreating footsteps and the front door close. She was all alone again.
Only moments later did the back door of the Diner open and quiet footsteps came towards her. She heard the chair across from her scrape against the floor. Her secret admirer was here, in the same room as her!
She heard clanking and shuffling but did not move. Suddenly she felt a soft hand cradle her chin and a quiet "Open your mouth."
It was so quiet she didn't know who said it. She cracked her mouth open and felt something, more particularly a finger, assault into her mouth. She gasped, her tongue sweeping across the finger.
Strange, it tasted sweet.
She embarrassingly tried again, and this time tasted the frosting coated on the finger. She also heard a small giggle and that was all she needed to know whose finger it was.
Chelsea pulled away and said, "Can I see you?"
She got no answer. It was silent for a few moments before she felt something new on her lips, and this time, she knew what it was.
A pair of lips!
She was shocked but then realized the man she had been talking to, the man who loved her, was right here in the flesh! Not to mention kissing her!
She pressed her lips against the other pair and loved the feel of them. Neither pulled away, wanting the moment to last forever. But they broke when they could no longer breathe.
Chelsea desperately wanted to see who she kissed to make sure it was the purple chef she had a crush on. In one fluent move, she ripped the offending silk from her eyes. Her mouth dropped in shock.
There, surrounded by the candlelight, was Pierre.
Her dreams had come true. She whispered a shocked, "Pierre…." Towards the chef.
He didn't say a word and merely handed a paper to her. She picked it up and unfolded it. There, in Pierre's familiar scrawl:
I love you Chelsea. Do you love me?
_Yes
_No
_As a friend.
Chelsea smiled at Pierre, who seemed extremely nervous. His purple top hat shielded his eyes from her gaze, his cheeks a dark red hue. The farmer thought it was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen. He was just so cute! And so sweet! Pierre had done everything for her! He was just so thoughtful and amazing.
She hastily grabbed the pen next to her plate settings and checked one of the choices. She smiled as she slid the paper back to the purple chef. She slowly opened the paper, his hands shaking in anxiety. The paper was unfolded and Pierre stared at her answer. Then, in a flash of purple, Chelsea found herself being kissed by Pierre. She quickly reacted and kissed back ,her arms locking behind Pierre's neck. Pierre grabbed the back of Chelsea's neck, deepening the kiss. The paper dropped the ground, opened for everyone to see.
I love you Chelsea. Do you love me?
XYes I love you too!
_No
_As a friend.