39. Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Ronan
I had woken from my nap alongside Lysander and Ursula to find the rest of the guys huddled and whispering in hushed voices in the grand salon.
I couldn't quite make out the details at first, but as I drew closer, I could hear the boys talking in more detail about their plans for La Cerise, the new supper and jazz club Mavren had been planning to open, now that he and Ash had begun to mastermind a venue where Mavren could have a new restaurant location and Ursula could have an outlet to perform as a jazz singer.
Ash, rapidly approaching the time in his career where he would be put out to pasture as an elder DJ, forced to retire or ever more, be labeled a ‘has-been’, clearly seemed to enjoy the idea of working with Ursula in the context of making music together—regardless of fame or larger commercial success.
It was only once things turned toward the conversation of finances that the conversation started to go off the rails.
Out of nowhere, Teddy was all at once baring his soul to us
As it turns out. That nagging feeling in the back of my skull. That off feeling in my gut, wasn't misplaced. Teddy confessed to us the reason that he had originally joined the cast of Build-A-Pack-Blind was to help his ailing career. Even though he had thought that he was on a roll in the biz, Teddy soon found himself without jobs, without paychecks, doing whatever he could to get by to pay his own rent.
When Teddy had been doing well, he had been sending money home to his moms who had been struggling to make the payments on their rising rent for both their home and their dual dojo and ballet studio.
Now, as it so happened, Teddy was in a position where he had to tell both of his moms that not only would he not be making more money or getting more opportunities based on this reality show appearance—he also had to confess to his deception and how he had acted like such a complete and total ass.
For the briefest of moments, I really thought that Mavren might punch Teddy out. Lysander looked none too happy either. While Ash and I sat back exchanging knowing looks with one another.
While I can't say that I love the fact that Teddy kept this secret so long, it doesn't exactly surprise us, considering his confession after that day with Anton on the beach. While it hardly excuses his behavior, it's easy to see how our himbo, Teddy Wong, walked into this situation and ended up getting more than he bargained for in the best possible way.
It was then that we resolved to come together to help Teddy and Teddy's moms. After all, isn't that what families are for?
We resolved to make a couple of important stops before dinner that night. First on our list was the small space downstairs on Mariposa. A perfect spot for La Cerise.
After everyone took a look at the place, Lysander and Ash signed the necessary papers and made a deposit.
Lysander and I took photos, and I sketched a few quick scribbles into my notebook, starting to brainstorm what the final outcome would look like.
Ash and I were left to our own devices to call furniture stores, tiling and flooring companies, kitchen equipment outfitters, and of course, for me to start calling my hothouse sources to see what the flora of La Cerise would look like.
Our goal was to have the location ready in time for us to present our new future business venture and home away from home to Ursula ahead of our bonding ceremony.
Of course, there was also the small matter of taking care of Mrs. and Mrs. Wong. Teddy and Lysander made their way to visit Lindsay and Mei alone. To impart Teddy's story of cheap deception for cash, to runaway whirlwind romance, and to inform Mrs. and Mrs. Wong. They were the brand-new owners of the modest Sunny Strip Plaza, in which their Dojo and Dance Studio were located in addition to a modest ranch home located a few blocks from the strip.
Though both of his moms had been furious at him, neither of Teddy's moms could decline that generous gift.
They came to find out, the Wong’s were planning to sell the business and move into a small ramshackle apartment due to the raising of rents in the otherwise dead Sunny Strip Plaza mall.
Now, with the prospect of a Dojo and Dance studio expansion and renovation along with moving to a house of their very own with no stairs, was more than Teddy could ever have dreamed of giving them.
When Ash and I returned home to Ursula preparing for the family dinner, it had been difficult to keep the secrets from her. I just hoped that the reveal would be worth it, the same way that letting Teddy speak his truth to her in front of all our families was to demonstrate the seriousness of his commitment.
We left the dinner with our parents and friends that evening and returned home, falling into bed exhausted, eyes sore from crying and adrenal systems shot from the events of the day.
Of course, there's hardly any rest for the wicked. The next day would be our final social mixer, where we would meet the rest of the contestants that hadn’t made it to the second stage of the show.
At the final social mixer, we will announce our intention to become Pack and our new pack name before heading into the trial heat, is the last bridge to cross before biting in and bonding as Pack Gold.
In a unanimous decision, in the color of our new pack's namesake. Be it a shirt, accessories, or in Ursula's case—an incredible gold lamé cocktail dress; our pack is gilded head to toe.
Thankfully, this time we are not among the first packs to arrive at the mixer. By the time we show up, it appears that all the contestants that were sent home before the trip to Costa Rica are waiting at the bar for the prospective packs to arrive, men and women alike.
None of us have to ask who Roxy is when we enter the bar. A tall woman with mauve eyes and a streak of shocking pink hair shoots up from a stool at the far end of the bar and sprints to Ursula.
“Urzilla!” she exclaims. Black mascara tears carving rivers down her face as she cries happy tears. “Oh my god, you look gorgeous! I swear to god you're literally glowing. I barely even recognize you,” she blurts out holding Ursula's heart-shaped face in her long willowy hands.
“And holy fuck! This is them? These are the guys!? All right, dish, who's who? Which one of you assholes is Teddy?” she blurts, not giving us time to chime in.
“Hi. Hello. I'm Ronan.” I step forward and offer Roxy my hand.
“Hey, It's trauma dump florist!” She grins.
“I'm Teddy.” Teddy waves, stepping to the fore.
“Well, Teddy, you certainly are hot.” Roxy shrugs.
“Glad that we could live up to your expectations,” he laughs uneasily.
Ursula makes quick introductions between Roxy and the rest of the guys before dragging her off to find a seat at the edge of the nearby bar, the two of them talking hurriedly in low voices.
Lysander looks hurt that she hasn't invited us to join them, but I lean in and remind him that she hasn't had the opportunity to talk to anybody besides us since she left the bubbles, and he brightens.
A few of the other ladies make their way towards us to have a conversation or two, or to introduce themselves as someone who we had dated in the early stages of the process, but nothing too in depth. For the most part, I hung around with the other guys, as Ursula and Roxy took their time catching up. The two conspiring about the upcoming heat and Ursula's first time, no doubt.
We all squirmed a bit when we saw Britt make her way into the bar along with two of her pack beaus.
For a moment, I wondered if there would be fresh drama, but Britt didn't even spare us a second glance, making her way carefully around the edge of the crowd to meet up with her other friends, Anton conspicuously absent.
Ursula and Roxy rejoined us. The seven of us enjoyed drinks and talked about our lives at home in LA along with the drama of the last 48 hours. In the back of my mind, the clock is ticking. Seconds, like sand in an hourglass, falling away every moment. Our first heat together as a pack—drawing closer and closer.
I do my best not to appear too eager, but the night has drawn on and the hour is getting late. I am counting the minutes, desperately willing midnight to arrive, when we would be called on to announce our prospective pack name and our intention to bond after the trial heat.
Once all have made their announcements and the clock strikes midnight, we will be blissfully free of this command performance and free to go home to a bed and a good night's rest before the team will arrive at Redthorn to administer Ursula's heat inducing drugs.
I was silently thanking the stars for the quiet, uneventful evening when Anton finally showed up. On his own, disheveled, unshaven, and clearly already several drinks deep. Anton weaved slightly on his feet as he made his way into the busy bar.
I watched in horror as he made his way directly for us.
“Hey Ursula, we gotta talk,” he slurs. Bourbon on his breath.
“Ugh, Hi, Anton.” Ursula turns her face away, fanning away his fumy breath.
“Can we talk?” he asks again haltingly.
“We are talking, Anton,” Ursula answers flatly.
“Come on, you know what I mean. I mean without.” He shakes his hand at Roxy and the rest of us.
“Anton, respectfully, after that afternoon on the beach, there's no way that I'm talking to you on our own. Whatever you need to say to me, you can say to me here,” she scoffs coldly.
“Fine, I've got nothing to hide,” Anton laughs, shooting Teddy a venomous look. “Teddy's full of shit. He's only on the show to make some quick money to get some pussy by proxy and drive traffic to his social media, maybe pick up a few sponsors and get himself a couple of auditions for other reality shows, if nothing else. He doesn't care about you. He doesn't care about any of this, he told me when we were in Britt's lounge,” he blurts out—barely able to stand.
Anton is visibly upset when Ursula doesn't take the bait, instead sitting back, arms crossed over her chest, looking at him, bored.
“Is that it, Anton? Is that everything that you have to say?” Ursula asks impatiently.
He looks around, desperate—gears visibly turning in his head as he figures out his next move.
“That's not all. I, well, the truth is. I care about you, Ursula. I always have.” He blurts out, crocodile tears springing to his eyes.
This does surprise Ursula. Though not in the way that he hopes.
“You can't be serious, Anton. I know that you'll do just about anything to get what you want, but this is ridiculous.”
Ursula winds up prepared to lay into Anton again, Roxy hot on her heels when suddenly Britt appears from the crowd, her blonde ponytail bobbing, her girls in formation behind her.
“Cut the shit Anton. Ursula's too smart for your act,” Britt snipes.
We all turn our faces to Britt, dumbfounded.
“Why don't you tell her, Anton? Tell her how she's your last resort. Tell her how you tried Jesse, Suzi, and even Lana—making your way around all the other girls, seeing if you could find a way in. A way to get yourself all the way to the finale,” she spits at him acidly.
Anton doesn't bother to look at Britt, just grabs Ursula's hands, pleading.
“Are you really going to listen to her? You know what she was like to you! She's a total bitch. Imagine what it was like to date her!” Anton protests.
Britt, looking chastened, turns her face to Ursula.
“He's not wrong. I was a total bitch to you. That night after the beach, I went home and talked with the guys, and I was so embarrassed about what happened. It's no excuse for how I was in the bubbles. But that night, I told Anton he could kick rocks. This wasn't the kind of pack that I wanted to be an omega in.”
Ursula nodded solemnly. Pulling her hands away from Anton.
“As it just so happens, Anton. Teddy already told me all about his original plans to get work or even a little money off of this show to help out his moms—o help himself get more jobs to keep supporting himself and them in the future. You're not telling me anything I didn't know, but I'm telling you right now, something that you don't know. What we have, as a pack? It’s real. And tonight, we officially announce our intention to bite into a new pack together with Teddy as our leader. May I introduce Mavren Renard, Ash Dressaliers, Ronan O'Neill, Lysander Ewing, Theodore Wong, and yours truly, Ursula Golblum-Laskaris—Pack Gold,” Ursula proclaims boldly as the entire bar, including Britt and her minions, erupt into thunderous applause.