Chapter Fifteen #2
I get to the lounge area and shake off thoughts of anything that won’t help me stay on the show.
I’m determined to try harder to be here, but where do I start?
I look around at the contestants and see that Madison and TC are already deep in conversation and they both look smitten.
I can’t help but smile. But then Bill sees me smiling and thinks it’s for him.
He gives me a big wave and a tip of his cowboy hat. Ugh. Give up already!
Then Javier rushes over to me. “Hey. Can we talk?” He sounds serious.
“Uh, sure,” I say, with no clue what he could possibly need to talk about that isn’t flirtatious.
But before Javi can pull me away to chat, Shantae struts out, looking stunning in a white jumpsuit, and motions for us all to sit down.
“Good morning, lovers!” she greets us, while also beaming into the cameras. “I hope you all enjoyed your night of luxury because for some of you, it’ll be your last.”
My stomach drops. I was so distracted by my makeover with Madison and sparring with Andrew that I forgot I’m definitely at the bottom of the leaderboard. I didn’t even know what Suck and Blow was, and clearly I didn’t form a love connection with Bill. Might as well dust off my bedroll now.
Shantae rubs her hands excitedly. “First, let’s find out how the one-on-one dates went. Who wants to go first?” Beth Anne’s hand shoots up. Shocker. “Okay, Beth and Javier, how was your date?”
“Beth Anne, and it was amazing, Shantae!” Beth Anne gushes. “Javier is so funny and sexy. We really connected.” Beth Anne gives me a smug look.
“I heard you two even shared a steamy kiss good-night,” Shantae adds, fishing for details.
“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell,” Beth Anne says coyly, as Javier glances over at me guiltily.
“How does that make you feel, Grace?” Shantae asks, turning to me.
I look around. “Me?”
“Yeah, you and Javier shared a kiss earlier in the day. And it really seemed like you two were vibing.”
Javier turns to me and whispers, “I’m sorry, Grace. I was trying to tell you before you found out like this.” Oh. That’s really mature and considerate of him.
“It’s okay, Javi,” I whisper back. Then I think about it for a second and answer Shantae truthfully for the cameras. “I’m enjoying getting to know Javier, but I don’t blame him for exploring other options. If we’re here to find a romantic connection, I don’t think we should limit ourselves.”
“Does that mean you’re exploring other options too?” Shantae asks.
“I’m just trying to keep an open mind,” I hear myself saying. And then hope I can actually follow through with that.
Shantae shrugs disappointedly as if she was hoping I’d make some sort of petty remark, or maybe throw my unfinished coffee at someone. She turns to Madison. “Madison and TC, how was your date?”
TC and Madison hold hands as they talk about their romantic dinner on the veranda overlooking the Santa Monica Mountains. At one point, they even finish each other’s sentences, causing them both to blush. It’s adorable.
And then it’s my turn. I feel my face heating with embarrassment as Shantae turns to Bill and says, “Are you and Grace going to ride off into the sunset?”
I struggle to stay quiet when Bill tells Shantae and the seedy underbelly of America who watches reality TV that our date was incredible, and he loves a woman who challenges him. Luckily, before I can tell Shantae in some very colorful language what I thought of our date, she’s already moving on.
She hands out markers and dry-erase boards as she says, “Now the moment of truth. Do you want to go out with your date again? Write ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ and then we’ll reveal them all at the same time,” Shantae says with a glint in her eye.
We all scribble down our answers, and Shantae counts to three. Because of the way we’re sitting, I can’t see anyone else’s answer. But I can see Shantae’s eyes widen as she says, “Savage! Two of you have said ‘no.’”
Madison gasps as Shantae continues. “Grace, what is it about Bill that makes you not want to go out with him again?”
Bill looks at me with hurt and surprise all over his face. Shit, why couldn’t this be anonymous?
As much as I can’t stand Bill, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. So I turn to him and gently say, “I’m sorry, Bill. I told you last night, I just don’t think we have much in common.”
“What happened to keeping an open mind?” Beth Anne says snarkily.
Shantae nods at me, then moves on to the next couple. “Okay, Javier, why don’t you want to go out with Beth Anne again?”
Beth Anne huffs in shock. “What?! Are you freakin’ serious?”
Javier faces her. “I’m sorry, Beth, but—”
“It’s Beth Anne!” she yells.
“I didn’t feel as strong of a connection with you as I have with other contestants,” he says in the kindest way possible.
“Ohmigod, I’m a ten and you’re like a seven! And you weren’t feeling me?” she shrieks. My mouth must be hanging open. Maybe a secret part of me is starting to understand why people watch this trash. This is getting dramatic.
“Do you have a response to that, Javier?” Shantae asks. He just shakes his head. “Well,” Shantae continues, “that means that Beth Anne and Bill don’t get points for the first one-on-one date—”
Beth Anne interrupts her by standing and shouting, “This is bullshit! I knew I should’ve applied for The Bachelor instead!” She takes off her microphone necklace and storms off. We all sit there in shock, watching her leave.
After an awkward pause, Shantae tries to recover by saying, “She’s such a diva. I love her!”
“Are you allowed to do that?” I whisper to Madison, who shakes her head. “Do you think she’s playing it up for the show or was she really upset?”
Kristina comes rushing on set as Madison shrugs and whispers back, “I don’t know.”
While everyone is distracted and Kristina is trying to figure out what to do, I stand up and tell Madison, “I’m going to go check on her.” Madison nods and I sneak away toward the mansion, hoping none of the producers notice I’m breaking the rules again.