Chapter Sixteen
Luckily, the mansion is empty, and I quickly find Beth Anne’s room. It’s farther down the hall from mine and on the opposite side facing the front of the house. I stop outside her door and knock tentatively.
“Go away!” Beth Anne yells from inside.
“It’s Grace,” I say, before realizing that’s not a selling point.
She cracks the door, and I see that she’s crying. Shit. Why didn’t I send Madison instead? She’s much better at feelings than I am. “Why are you here?” Beth Anne asks through sniffles.
“I came to check on you. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine. If you tell anyone I was crying, I’ll deny it. Now go away or you’ll attract the cameras.”
But even as she’s saying that we hear Kristina downstairs, bossing around the camera operators. “Where did Beth Anne go? Find her!”
Beth Anne grabs me and pulls me into her room with a frustrated sigh, then shuts and locks the door behind us. I don’t know what to say to comfort her. I finally settle on, “I’m sorry about the one-on-one dates.”
Beth Anne is still crying, so I hand her a tissue from a nearby tissue box.
“It’s not even about Javi,” she starts. “I mean, I thought we had a connection, and of course rejection never feels good. I’m sure you know.
” I ignore her dig as she keeps going. “But I’m more upset because I thought I’d be top of the leaderboard by now.
” She blows her nose, then says, “I need to stay on the show.”
“To find love?”
Beth Anne scoffs tearfully. “To make money.”
I wonder briefly if Beth Anne also has a charity and I’ve wildly misjudged everyone, but then she adds, “The last two seasons, the couple who make it to the end have made millions on social media.”
“What? How?”
“They get enough followers because of the show that they can do paid posts, get endorsements, ads on their pages, that kind of stuff.”
“Wow. That’s insane. They end up making more than the prize money.”
“Way more,” she sniffles. “If I only wanted $250,000, I would’ve just stayed in my marketing job.”
My mouth drops open. “You made that much in marketing?”
Beth Anne shrugs. “My dad owns the firm.”
My head is swimming. “So, what do you need the social media money for then?”
“I hate working for my dad. He still treats me like a child. I want to get into modeling or have a lifestyle brand, you know?” I don’t, but I nod anyway.
Just then there’s a loud knock on the door. “It’s Kristina. Open up!”
Beth Anne wipes the makeup under her eyes. “Ugh, I don’t want them to see me like this. It’ll ruin my image.”
“They wouldn’t film you when you’re upset, would they?” Beth Anne looks at me like I’m stupid. “You’re right. They totally would. Okay, I’ll stall them.” Then I cross to the door and yell out, “We’re busy! We’ll be out in a minute.”
Kristina just pounds on the door again, causing me to jump back, startled. “You better open that door, Grace. You signed a contract that you’ll always be on camera.”
“Sorry, no can do at the moment . . . because . . . we are, uh, naked?” I look at Beth Anne and shrug pathetically. She laughs.
My victory is short-lived though as Kristina yells through the door, “What? Why? Someone get me the lawyer!” Crap.
Well, good thing Andrew and I didn’t call a truce. It hasn’t even been half an hour.
Beth Anne has stopped crying and she turns to me. “Thank you, Grace.” I smile at her, and she quickly adds, “But don’t think this means we’re friends.”
Someone knocks on the knock. “Grace, it’s Andrew. Open up.”
I say cheerily through the door, “Hello, Andrew, how are you?”
“I was better before I got called down here for this,” he responds.
Then I hear Kristina’s voice. “Tell her she’s in breach of contract.
” I look over at Beth Anne. She’s reapplying her makeup and taking a steadying breath.
I hear a sharp but muffled conversation between Kristina and Andrew, as if he’s walked away from the door to talk to her without us overhearing them, but then he comes back and knocks again.
He sounds pained when he says, “You’re in breach of contract. Please open the door.”
I open the door, squaring off with Andrew. We’re only a few inches apart as we stare each other down. He looks at Beth Anne inside the room, clearly still tearstained, and then back at me, searching my eyes. He sighs like he wishes he didn’t have to have this conversation.
“Do you like making my job difficult?” he asks in a low voice, so that Kristina and Beth Anne can’t hear.
“Maybe if you didn’t have such a corrupt job, it wouldn’t feel so difficult.”
He looks like I’ve slapped him. I start to feel guilty until he responds in his Important Lawyer voice, “You can’t lock yourselves in a room without cameras. You signed a contract.”
Just when I think there’s a chance we don’t have to be so combative, he reminds me that we’re on opposite sides. If that’s the way he wants it to be, fine. I grab Beth Anne’s hand and push past him. “So sue me.”
I hear the camera crew and PAs gasp in shock as I hold my head high and walk off, Beth Anne in tow. I’m sure they’re not used to contestants pushing back like this, but I’ve never been good at playing by unfair rules.
As we walk away, Beth Anne appraises me, as if seeing me for the first time. She whispers, “The lawyer looks like he’s wants to murder you. Or push you up against a wall and have his way with you.”
I’m replaying what Beth Anne said about Andrew as we walk to the backyard where the rest of the contestants are waiting for us. If it’s true, the intensity in his gaze takes on a whole new meaning. Why does this thought make my pulse race?
“That was pretty badass,” Beth Anne says, jarring me out of my over-analyzing. She sounds both surprised and reluctant to give me a compliment.
“Thanks. It felt badass in the moment. Of course, now I’m regretting it and worrying that they’re going to kick me off the show.”
She shrugs. “It takes a lot more than that to get kicked off. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go save my image.”
Beth Anne struts onto the patio, past Shantae—who looks annoyed that she had to wait for us—and climbs on top of Bill.
Straddling his lap, she takes off his cowboy hat and starts making out with him.
He doesn’t seem to mind because he grabs her ass and pulls her closer.
While Beth Anne’s methods may be unorthodox, I appreciate her determination to stay on the show.
They’re getting so hot and heavy that I look away as Beth Anne begins grinding on Bill.
Shantae tries to regain control. She fans herself and shouts, “Save a horse, ride a cowboy!” Beth Anne finally takes the hint and climbs off Bill.
She puts his cowboy hat back on his head, but he takes it off and covers the front of his jeans.
Beth Anne notices and laughs. “Oops.” Then she sits back down and shoots Javier a dirty look.
I see Andrew and Kristina watching from behind the cameras.
Kristina’s all smiles now, loving the drama, so I guess that means she won’t be kicking us off the show.
But Andrew gives me a look that I can’t quite decipher.
And then Beth Anne’s voice pops into my head: “The lawyer looks like he’s wants to murder you.
Or push you up against a wall and have his way with you.
” Shit. That’s exactly what he looks like.
I quickly turn my attention back to Shantae before I can picture what Andrew could do to me while holding me against a wall.
But it’s too late. I’m already blushing when Shantae shifts into Polished Host mode and without missing a beat says, “Well, there’s good news for Beth Anne and Bill.
You’ll have a chance to earn more points in the upcoming team competition.
And there’s a new twist this season! After each episode airs, we’re letting America vote for their favorite contestant.
And that person will receive ten extra points. ”
Madison gives an excited whoop, Beth Anne nods confidently, and I evaluate the odds of winning America’s Favorite.
Technically, I have a one-in-six chance.
Though I can’t imagine anyone falling for Bill’s cowboy schtick.
So that leaves me at a 20 percent chance.
Which feels generous sitting next to America’s Sweetheart, Madison.
“Unfortunately for you all,” Shantae drawls, “you’ll have more than just each other to compete with.” Shit. “Please welcome our two new contestants.”
Just like that, my odds fall to 14.29 percent. And when I see who is walking out to the pool, I know my chances have sunk even lower.