Chapter 1

Celeste was a girl from Des Moines, Iowa. Des Moines was a great place to grow up – she couldn't deny that, but the opportunities were limited. She had always felt her creativity was stifled. She wanted to be somewhere she could let that part of herself be free. She'd always enjoyed the seasons, but the winters in Iowa often became bitterly cold and miserable, depressing even. You couldn't help but become a hermit when it was like that outside. She really loved her family and they were her rock. She loved to spend time with them and they were the reason she had stayed in Iowa until this point. But it was time now. She needed to be inspired. She needed to be somewhere she could be herself. And when it came down to it, she needed a change of scenery.

She had always been inspired by the mountains, the forests, the ocean. All natural wonders of the earth that Iowa did not provide. She loved her home, she really did. It was familiar and it was kind and it was loving, but she needed more. So she left. She headed West if only because she thought she was more of a West Coast girl than East. She loved the idea of the cold, stony beaches of the Pacific Northwest. She wanted to wander through the woods and imagine magical things happening. Or to be within driving distance of a big city like Los Angeles where you can attend movie premieres and eat whatever you want any time of the day or night. She wanted the thrill of seeing a movie star and maybe even get an autograph or two. She just wanted to experience new things.

She didn't have much money. After all, she was fresh out of college and had only been working at her family bookstore for a few months trying to save so she could go on her adventure. It was a two-day drive to the West coast and she barely had enough money to make it there and stay for a week or two. She needed to find a job immediately. She pulled into a small town called Port Angeles that was filled with small shops along the harbor where she could see ferries coming and going. The town was beautiful, small, and perfect. She decided her job hunt had better start immediately. As she pulled into town she saw a couple coffee shops, a bookstore, an Italian restaurant, and a boutique. She stopped her car on the main strip, grabbed her purse, and started walking. The first stop was at a coffee shop but they told her they weren't hiring, so she decided to try her luck at the bookstore. The bookstore was filled with books on Indian legends and she didn't think this was probably the best fit for her, but she did find a book about the Olympic Peninsula – her new home – so she decided to purchase that with some of her dwindling funds. She headed towards the Italian restaurant called "The Bloated Toad", walking past the boutique which featured a few prom dresses in the window (fashion had never been her thing). Before she even went into the restaurant she saw a "help wanted" sign in the window and thought this might be exactly where she was meant to be. She opened the heavy windowed door and a bell rang, announcing her arrival. The hostess looked up and smiled.

"How many?," the girl with the nametag "Haley" asked her.

"Oh, I'm not eating, but I was hoping to fill out an application if that's possible?" Celeste replied.

"Oh good, we've really been needing somebody. We're very short-staffed right now."

Never having worked in a restaurant Celeste wondered how much help she would actually be but she was determined to try her hardest and she always caught on quickly, so she was confident she would be able to benefit the restaurant and herself. She filled out an application at a small coffee table in the lobby. She finished up the last of the questions and handed it back to Haley.

"Do you know of a hotel nearby that is affordable? I need somewhere to stay until I find a place to rent."

"There is a cute little bed and breakfast just a couple blocks away that is pretty reasonable, and they serve delicious waffles from what I've heard."

"Thank you. I'll try there," she said, and waved goodbye as she walked back out the front door and down the stone stairs. She was able to find the place easily. The cottage was charming and the rates were reasonable so she thought this would be a great place to settle down until she found her home. It wasn't an hour later her phone rang. It was the manager of the restaurant asking her when she could come in for an interview. She had just unpacked her bags and was going to do some exploring anyway so she said she could come within a half hour. She freshened up in the bathroom and decided to walk to the restaurant which was only a couple blocks away.

She appreciated the view of the water from the main road in town as she made her way back to the restaurant. She could smell the water as she walked and she smiled at the thought of her new home, at least for now. She walked up the stairs into the restaurant, noting this time the eclectic decorations and the flamboyant outfit that the hostess was wearing.

The girl smiled at her and said, "Told ya we needed somebody. I'll go get Drew, our manager."

She smiled back and took a seat on a wooden bench with big comfortable cushions. She picked up a menu and browsed the entrée options while she was waiting. Mushroom ravioli sounded delicious, she thought, and realized just then she was starving. The manager came to the entry and held his hand out to greet her. "Hi, are you Celeste?" he said.

"Yes," she replied with a smile and a firm handshake.

"Great! We're so happy that you applied today," he said, and led her to an empty table. It was early afternoon before the dinner rush would begin so the restaurant was nearly empty.

"So, tell me a little about yourself?"

"Okay. I just moved here from Iowa. I'm 24 years old. I was looking around the town earlier today when I arrived and this place looked like it would be perfect for me location wise. I am a hard worker and I'm dependable."

"Have you ever waited tables before?"

"No, I haven't. But I'm a quick learner."

"Ok, well you look like you'll fit in here just perfectly. I may start you off as a hostess and once you see how everything runs we'll switch you over to server. Does that sound ok to you?"

"Yes! Thank you so much. I really appreciate it."

"When can you start?"

"I'm available immediately."

"Great. Can you be here tomorrow at 10 a.m. to start your training?"

"Yes. Thank you again. I just have one more question."

"What's that?" he said.

"Could I please order something to eat? I'm starving."

He chuckled. "Sure, and it's half price for employees. What would you like?"

"Mushroom ravioli, please."

"Coming right up!"

She felt like jumping for joy. She wasn't sure how easy it would be to find a job when she came out here and worried she would run out of money and have to call and ask her mom to send her some, or worse – go home.

Drew came back out and handed her a basket with bread and butter. She dove in, not realizing exactly how hungry she really was. It wasn't too much longer her meal came as well, and she gobbled it down quickly. She paid and headed for the door, waving at the manager and hostess as she walked by. The air was crisp when she went back outside and she zipped up her jacket and put her hands in her pockets. She walked back to her hotel, smiling.