Chapter 24
Ripley
This is not good. The third episode aired last night and I’m scrolling through the comments.
There are a few good reviews, but also quite a few saying they aren’t sure Garrick is taking it seriously.
It doesn’t help that some anonymous source is claiming there’s drama behind the scenes – hinting at Riya’s secret boyfriend, and that Garrick has wandering eyes for girls other than the contestants.
It’s probably Desiree, but without proof there isn’t much I can do about it.
Plus, it’s already out there, so kicking Desiree off the show will just add fuel to the fire.
I spiral as I get sucked into the vortex of TikTok, breaking down Garrick’s interactions with each girl and ranking his interest on a scale from one to ten. According to several, Beeloved and its show are a fraud.
So maybe it is. I can’t honestly say I disagree with them, but Beeloved will crash and burn before it even takes flight if the reviews stay this way. The investors made it clear that they wouldn’t provide funding if everyone’s screaming fraud into the black pit of despair we call the internet.
Mom’s face pops up on my screen and I panic, sending her to voicemail.
I have to see her in less than five minutes for an early morning shoot with the girls before today’s date, but I need those extra five minutes to organize my thoughts.
She might not be on TikTok, but if it’s there, it’s bound to be everywhere.
My throat tightens, sweat slicking my skin as I envision the conversation I know I’ll have to have with her.
Crap.
‘You need to stop.’
I look up from my phone to see Brett standing in my way to the break room, where I thought I’d grab breakfast, but now I want to hurl.
‘If you want a boyfriend, you should have been the lead, like your mom wanted.’ I’ve done my best to avoid kiss-ass Brett when I can, but like a bad smell he won’t go away.
I bite my nail as flushed heat coats my cheeks.
‘I don’t want a boyfriend.’ I hide my phone in my pocket, hoping that will somehow make the comments go away.
Even though I know that’s not how the internet works.
I push my shoulders back, refusing to let this man intimidate me.
Even if my holly-red cheeks say otherwise.
‘Then why are you and Garrick attached at the hip?’ He stares me down, trying to make me feel small.
‘I thought when I brought this up to Ivor Walton, you’d get the hint.
I didn’t want to be the one to have to tell Ms Ripley her daughter was putting the show at risk.
But I might have to, for the show’s sake. ’
For the show’s sake. Give me a freaking break.
‘Maybe you should do your job and stop watching me.’ Sort of a weak response since it’s probably Garrick he’s keeping an eye on, not me. Garrick and I just seem to keep ending up in each other’s orbit.
He scoffs, and I want to scream. ‘Don’t flatter yourself. I’m doing my job – which is to make Beeloved a success. As Ms Ripley’s daughter, you’d think you’d have the same goal.’
I open and close my mouth a few times, but arguing with this person will not help the situation. He probably just wants to feel superior, and I’m not giving him the time of day. ‘Don’t you have some ass-kissing to do?’ I turn around and head back outside.
I don’t know for sure that he’ll bring this up to my mom – it might be a bluff. Snitching on me might backfire, but he seems ambitious enough to take the risk.
I suppose I could say something to her … No, that won’t work, not after the response to the last episode. It’ll just make the situation a billion times worse.
When I get to the private dining room of the Royal Fare, the gift-wrapping stations have already been set up for the girls.
Giant rolls of colorful paper, bright bows and shiny ribbon fill several tables along the back wall.
This afternoon, we’re going to a shelter to hand out presents, so they wanted a scene where the contestants wrap the gifts beforehand and talk about their best holiday memories.
I did a good chunk of them yesterday with Nathan and Melika, but there are still enough presents left for the girls to do a few each.
‘Juliet.’ Mom grabs my arm the second I step past the threshold. I stiffen under her grip. ‘Did you see the reviews of last night’s episode?’
I open my mouth to respond, but she keeps going.
‘An absolute train wreck. The one thing I was clear about from the start is that this should look organic and natural. Beeloved is about blossoming relationships and cultivating long-lasting love. If the public believes it is all a sham, they won’t download the app.
Which means I can kiss any investments goodbye. ’
I could tell her that people download dating apps all the time for reasons that have nothing to do with what she just mentioned. Or that there was no way a staged reality show would ever come off as entirely natural.
Why are she and Anna so in the dark about what love actually does to a person?
The evidence has been piling up since I was a kid, divorce after divorce.
It tricks you, then it ruins you. Hasn’t Mom nursed enough heartaches, or watched Anna tear away parts of herself to conform for a man who doesn’t deserve her, to realize that the only thing she should be counting on Beeloved to do, is turn a profit if it can fool enough people into believing its promises.
But I hold those thoughts in as I see the forlorn look on her face. My shoulders sag. Did I do this? Has the time I’ve been spending with Garrick ruined the show’s trajectory?
I take Mom’s hand and squeeze it. ‘I will handle this. We just need to talk some sense into our star.’
Mom runs a hand over my hair in a surprisingly sweet gesture. ‘If anyone can, it’s you, Juliet.’
While I appreciate that she believes in me, it also feels like a lot of weight to carry. But I’m a problem-solving expert. I can fix this.
I step away from her as the contestants are ushered into the room, quickly pulling my phone back out and sending a text to Garrick.
Ripley
Where are you??
Garrick
Why … do you miss me?
Ripley
Where are you???
Garrick
My tower
Ripley
***
Garrick sends a picture of a very unsafe structure and describes how to get to it.
It only takes me a few minutes to find the old death trap and him waving from the top. It’s a decrepit wood structure that once might have been a cool kids’ playground attraction. But those days are long gone, much like my patience.
‘Will you come down?’ I bite my thumbnail. I’m not a fan of heights. And I’m definitely not a fan of heights when they involve dilapidated buildings. It looks like it would collapse in the slightest snowfall. My foot bounces up and down as I wait for his response.
‘I can’t,’ he finally answers, peeking over the edge of a railing. ‘I’m decorating for Christmas. The children will be sad if I don’t finish. How will Santa know to find them here?’ He holds up a bunch of red bows.
‘Hilarious.’ My phone rings, and I don’t even look who’s calling. ‘Get your butt down here now. We need to talk asap. It’s important.’
‘Yeah, that makes me wanna come down even less.’
I huff, and I hear him laugh.
‘OK, OK. Just a sec.’
It takes him a few minutes, and the rickety sounds from the building make me think we might never get to that conversation, that I’m going to have to pull him from a pile of rubble. Weirdly, that makes my heart hurt. I guess I’ve gotten used to having him buzzing around.
‘We have a problem,’ I say as soon as I see his face appear at the bottom of the stairs.
‘Way to greet a guy first thing in the morning, Juliet.’
My annoyance for Brett is back, and Garrick is the only person around to let it out on. ‘You need to take this seriously.’ My words come out harsher than I mean them to.
Garrick steps back, a frown dipping his brows together. ‘I’m not even sure what the conversation is about. So, how am I supposed to take what seriously?’
‘Not this conversation. Well, yes, this conversation. I mean this whole thing in general.’ I wave around at him and then at the park. ‘The episode aired last night and the comments are saying you’re half-assing it.’ The annoyance fades away as worried notes seep in.
‘Juliet, I can’t believe you listen to the internet. They just like to complain. Best not to look.’ He pulls a cookie from his coat pocket and offers it to me, but I ignore it.
‘This whole show’s on the internet, Garrick.
’ I emphasize his name. ‘The whole point is to get buzz on the various platforms. Good buzz. I don’t think my mom will buy the whole there’s no such thing as bad press thing.
’ People think you’re not taking this seriously.
Can’t you just for once act like you care? ’
Garrick’s face loses its easy charm and a hard stare replaces it. ‘If I remember correctly, I’m doing you a favor. So, why are you coming at me?’ I’ve never heard the sharp edge in his voice. At least I know I’m getting somewhere.
I hold in a groan, pinching the bridge of my nose.
If I want this to succeed, I need him with me, not against me.
‘Look, I’m not expecting you to find true love.
You and I both know that that’s not real.
But there’s got to be at least one girl you’re somewhat interested in. Can you just focus on her?’
‘I think something is wrong with your algorithm. Because the girl I felt something for has a boyfriend – so strike one, right off the bat.’ He bites off a chunk of one of the peanut butter chocolate cookies I saw him make in his video this morning.
Riya. How long has he known about this? If I thought I saw any hurt from that revelation, it’s gone in a blink of an eye.
‘But did I complain? No. Maybe I’m not the problem. Maybe you have a flawed dating app, which is not my fault.’ He deflects this back on me, and I feel my blood boil.
‘If you hadn’t been messing around while doing the survey, you might’ve gotten better matches.’ Usually, I wouldn’t be this fussed about it. I would let this guy do whatever he wanted. But I told Mom to trust me, and if I get this wrong, I will never live it down.
‘Excuse me, I took that very seriously.’ I’m not sure how he gets that out with a straight face.
I try another tactic. Taking a deep breath, I attempt to cool the annoyance.
‘OK, it doesn’t really matter whether you were screwing around and messed up the algorithm, or if there was an oversight in casting background checks.
Because we’re in it now, so can we just agree that we both need this to work?
And maybe we can find a solution together? ’
Garrick stares up at the sky, running a hand through his hair. ‘You and me? I thought you were pretending you didn’t like me?’
‘See, if you can channel that charm for the girls, it will be all good.’
He studies me, and I try not to squirm under the intensity of his gaze. ‘Did you have something in mind?’
Actually, I did. ‘We need intrigue in the show. So, why don’t we fake a spontaneous kiss?’
Garrick rubs his chin. ‘Who did you have in mind?’
I know just the person who would be interested in this.