Chapter 35
Garrick
Fairytale Gardens is closed now and won’t open again until the summer season. We have a few events lined up. Not as many as I would like, but more than we had before the show started. We landed a pretty massive wedding in February – Dad was pleased with that one. So, I guess it’s doing something.
We’ve returned from Christmas break, and while I enjoyed having my time off – I finally got to play some video games and sleep past seven – I’m excited to be back, but it’s probably not for the right reasons.
All right, it’s a thousand per cent not for the right reasons.
My wandering thoughts, which really should have stayed in place in the back of my brain, won’t stop.
And those thoughts all have one name: Juliet Ripley.
I haven’t seen her since Christmas, two days ago, but we’ve been messaging non-stop.
It’s a good thing I could sleep in because we were up until three the other day.
Juliet fell asleep for some of it, but I can easily carry a conversation alone.
Knowing I will see her again today has me buzzing with nervous energy. My foot taps to the beat of nothing in particular as Pierre finishes my hair and make-up for the shoot. It’ll be nice only to have the show to worry about and not my knightly duties too.
The group date today is all about the new year.
We’re stuck in this weird time warp of a week.
It always comes between Christmas and New Year.
The park is still decorated like Christmas, but a bit of the holiday spirit has worn off.
So, like many other people, we will put all our hopes and dreams into the upcoming year.
We’re due for a heavy storm tonight, and there will be lots of wet weather. Which is why we’re on a time crunch to get everything filmed in case Mother Nature drowns us out. So, it’s full speed ahead until the final next week.
Dang. It’s kind of shocking it’s almost over. It feels like just yesterday that Juliet showed up and offered me the job.
Speaking of.
‘Hey,’ Juliet says, pushing herself off the wall when I exit the main office into the outside air, heavy with pre-storm gray clouds.
I can’t help the way my face lights up when I see her, warmth spreading across my body when she returns it, blue eyes sparkling with what I hope is excitement to see me.
‘Hey, yourself. Were you waiting for me? Missed me that much?’ I stumble on the last words, my thrumming heart reminding me I genuinely want her to say yes because I missed her like crazy.
Juliet does this half-shrug that pulls at my strings, yanking me toward her. ‘Maybe I did.’ The way her voice lifts in the hopeful peak, I’m ready to throw caution to the wind and drive off to who knows where with her.
My hand reaches for hers without thinking, our fingers wrapping together in an electric shockwave you can’t replicate. I want to pull her in for a kiss, but she releases our touch too quickly. We are not alone, and we’ve already got caught once.
‘Ready for your date?’ The drop-off at the word date feels like we were both doused in ice water.
‘Juliet, I …’ I don’t get to finish as a PA scoops me up and we’re off to meet with the girls.
Just like this is the first time I’ve seen Juliet, it’s been twice as long since I’ve seen the contestants, but I don’t feel any particular way about it. I’m happy they all look healthy and rested from the break, but the urge to wrap any of them up in my arms isn’t there.
‘Hi.’ Desiree is the first to greet me when we arrive, throwing her arms around me. ‘We still have a deal?’ she whispers in my ear.
My smile is tight when I pull away. ‘Glad to see the holidays haven’t softened that killer edge.’ I flick my tongue over my teeth. ‘We’re good.’
The other greetings from Zoya, Arianna and Ellie are much tamer. They offer their excitement to be back and ready to get things going again. They all say they missed me, and I genuinely can’t tell if it’s an act or not. I hope my facade is as convincing.
I clap my hands and slide on the knightly grin.
‘All right. So, because the new year is just around the corner, I thought it would be fun –’ the producers thought it would be fun – ‘to make sure we’ve all got the right moves to show off at a New Year’s celebration.
So, let’s see what kind of dancers we’ve got. ’
A professional choreographer is here to teach us some classic dance styles. We’re performing on the castle stage, which was probably a better idea in theory than execution since it starts to rain about twenty minutes in.
‘OK, cut!’ Hassan calls and the blasting music goes silent. ‘Let’s move into the Royal Fare and finish this out. We can do the vision boards after.’
The second activity is cutting out magazine clippings to create our visions for the new year. Crafting a vision for the future is about the last thing I’m interested in doing.
I watch Ms Ripley speaking quickly to Juliet before Juliet dashes toward the parking lot. Instead of following everyone inside like I’m supposed to, I head for Juliet.
As I’m jogging through the ever-increasing rain to meet up with her, I have a sudden realization. It smacks me in the face as hard as the gale-force winds shuttering the buildings. Maybe this whole reality show is working but with the wrong person.
I really like Juliet. Like, like like her. Seeing her again only made that even more prevalent. Sure, I didn’t want that. I was adamant, as was she, that true love didn’t exist. And OK, maybe we both know that it does exist, but we understand that it sucks, and you should leave it alone.
But somewhere along the way, I started to realize that it might, in very rare cases, not be so bad. Who knows, maybe I’m one of the lucky chumps who gets to have it.
Tristian got it, and he is my twin – maybe it’s in our DNA.
‘Juliet!’ I yell as she’s getting into her mom’s SUV.
‘What?’ she says, halfway into the driver’s side, the rain drenching her hair. ‘I’m getting soaked.’
‘Then get in.’ I yank open the car door and take the passenger seat. ‘Ooh, seat warmers.’
She slides into her seat but doesn’t start the car. ‘You’re supposed to be dancing.’
I push the button to start the car. ‘I’d much rather go wherever you’re headed.’
‘That’s not how it works. You’re in the middle of a date.’ Sleety rain covers the windows, blocking us from the world.
‘Not with the person I want to be with.’ I brush a strand of wet hair from her cheeks, the sweetest shade of pink blossoming on them. She stares back at me, speechless. ‘Juliet, lost for words – I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.’ My body is warm, skin tingling as she moves her hand over mine.
She smiles. ‘They’ll come looking for you, and then we’ll both be screwed.’
‘Then we’d better hurry and do whatever you’re supposed to do. Really, Juliet, you shouldn’t slack on your duties.’ I up the heat on the warmer. ‘Oh, yeah, I could get used to this.’
She quickly pulls out of the driveway. ‘OK, let’s make it fast.’
We stop at the craft store and pick up a few missing items.
‘Pick a hand,’ I say to Juliet as I hold my arms behind my back. The aisles are barren, not restocked since the Christmas pandemonium.
‘We need to get back. Where have you been?’ A basket nestles into the crook of her elbow, stuffed with various crafting items.
‘Getting you something. Pick a hand.’ I love watching the emotions play across her face now that she’s let me past her defenses.
She’s debating if we have time for this, but gives in. ‘Right.’
I produce a bouquet of fake roses. ‘For you, Milady.’
‘Thank you. Now, left.’ She always needs all the answers.
In the other hand, I’m holding a plastic crown. I slide it on her head. ‘I thought it was time you joined the fairytale.’
She takes the roses, smelling them. ‘Mmm, plastic and dust, my two favorite scents.’ A beautiful pink flushes her cheeks. ‘But you know I’m not really into fairytales.’
I scoff. ‘I thought it was theme parks? Now you’re not into knights either? Are you trying to wound me, Juliet?’
Removing the crown, she inspects it carefully. ‘Well, I am into this one knight.’
I scoot closer, placing a hand on her waist. ‘Do tell me more. Is he handsome?’
‘He seems to think so.’ She tries to keep a stoic face while staring at me, but her sweet smile bursts through.
‘You don’t agree?’ I lift her chin.
‘I do, but don’t tell him. We don’t need it going to his head.’
I kiss her on the nose, before lightly touching her lips. ‘It’ll be our little secret.’
She sighs. ‘Garrick, we need to get back to filming.’
Resting my forehead against hers, I sigh too. ‘C’mon, Juliet, can’t we wait a little longer?’
Offering a quick peck on my cheek, she steps away, giving me all the answer I need. Duty calls, and neither of us can afford to play hooky.
We get most of the items into the car without ruining them in the downpour. I offer to drive us back as the weather worsens. We don’t have far to go, but even the short drive is becoming deadly.
‘I got to pull over,’ I say. The rain/sleet becomes so hard that I can’t even see the headlights on the road. I thought it was winter. Beautiful snow is my jam, not torrential downpours.
‘We have to get back.’ She squints to look out the window. ‘You don’t think you can make it?’
‘Not unless you want us to both get killed on the way there.’ My chest tightens at the idea of my brothers and Dad having to bury another body. I slam on the brakes harder than I should in the rain, pulling us to the side. She looks like I may have given her whiplash.
‘Sorry. Are you OK?’ I reach for her hand gripping the seat. She releases it and takes mine.
It takes a minute, but she nods. ‘Yeah, a little rattled, but I’ll be fine.’ I brush hair from her eyes, and she leans into my hand. ‘So, what now?’
‘I know a few ways we can kill some time.’ I give her a wry smile. The rain isn’t so bad when we’re in a stable position.
‘Garrick.’
‘Juliet.’
‘You got me caught in the rain, and now you want to make out with me. Could you be any more cliche?’ She sounds annoyed, but she’s laughing.
‘I literally play a knight in shining armor. I am a walking cliche.’ I link our fingers, holding on to her for warmth as the temperature drops around us with the car turned off.
‘If you would have asked me that a few weeks ago, I would’ve said one hundred per cent. But I don’t think you’re as 2D as you pretend to be. You’ve got a lot of layers when you let someone see them.’
I turn her hand over, studying them like I’m memorizing my lines. ‘Not many someones get to.’
‘Then I consider myself lucky.’
‘I think I’m the lucky one. Did I tell you about my idea for the fencing camp?’ I haven’t shared this brainchild with too many people. I didn’t want to get my hopes up if it never came to be, but I feel like sharing my dreams with Juliet.
‘No, but I want to hear all about it.’ I know that look of determination. She’s already got a mental notepad open, ready to take down all my ideas and create a spreadsheet and action plan for me later.
Leaning over, I kiss her. I know it’s wrong. And I know I’m supposed to be finding my dream girl in the batch that she picked out for me. But I can’t help it. Just like Romeo, I’m falling for Juliet.