Chapter Twenty-Five
Why do you look like that?” Blue asks when he shows up at the shack a few minutes later with crutches in hand.
Oh God, is it that obvious I kissed his coworker? But then I remember what I’m wearing and that I just woke up from a nap. “Oh. Kristina wants me looking like shit.”
“Well, you nailed it,” he says, and I laugh. “What does your shirt mean?”
I look down at my dad’s motivational T-shirt that reads, “You will never always be driven.”
“I have no idea,” I admit with a shrug.
Blue ties a knot in the oversize shirt so that “at least it looks like a choice.” Then he helps me adjust the crutches to my height.
As I make my way up the hill with Blue’s help, he casually says, “So Andrew brought you ice . . .”
“You’re not as smooth as you think you are,” I tell him, but he just bats his eyes at me, waiting me out. “You’re worse than Madison and Ciara,” I groan. But he’s still staring at me, so finally I break and tell him a partial truth. “I’m a contestant. He works for the show. It’s off-limits.”
“That makes it even hotter,” Blue says with a wink.
Oh, don’t I know. I will myself not to blush as I hobble along and replay the kiss for the hundredth time.
The sun is just starting to set as we make our way up to the pool.
I’ve learned from one of the camera operators that this time of night is called “Magic Hour” because the light is the best for shooting.
I’ve started calling it Magic Hour because it means my reality TV torture is almost done for the day.
Everyone else is already lounging on the patio, waiting for me. Madison, Ciara, TC, and Javier give me looks of concern when they see me on crutches. Shantae just looks impatient. Clearly, we’re the ones who can be kept waiting, not the other way around.
Madison makes everyone push over so I have room to sit. “How are you feeling?” she whispers.
“Delighted I didn’t have to strip on national TV,” I whisper back, and she laughs.
“We kept our bathing suits on. It wasn’t that bad.” Then she subconsciously glances at TC, and I immediately understand why it wasn’t that bad.
Shantae gives us a look and says, “You ready?” Chastened, we nod.
Shantae faces the camera and turns on the charm.
“Welcome back to Love Shack!” I watch as the camera pans around to all of the contestants.
TC has his arm around Madison, Javier and Ciara sit together, and Beth Anne is pawing at Scott.
Everyone is happily coupled up except me and Cowboy Bill.
Shantae puts her hand on her hip in what must be her fierce modeling pose and continues addressing the camera. “As you know, our contestants have started forming connections. Some more serious than others.” I see the camera operator zoom in on Madison and TC. “And sadly, some of them have not.”
I assume there’s a giant close-up on me happening right now.
Awesome. I haven’t showered, my bangs are probably still sticking straight up, and I’m wearing whatever is left of last night’s makeup and my dad’s convoluted T-shirt.
You’re welcome, America. At least I know why Kristina wanted me to look like a disheveled hot mess.
I definitely fit the role of the odd woman out.
Shantae turns to us. “As I explained on the first day, if you don’t form meaningful connections, you’re at risk of being sent home. And unfortunately we have to say goodbye to one of you today.” Madison and Ciara immediately turn to me with concern in their eyes.
A bolt of panic shocks my system. I can’t go home yet! I’m nowhere near reaching my fundraising goal. If I get kicked off the show, all this will have been in vain.
I’m racking my brain for some sort of speech to defend myself or promise to take the challenges more seriously when Shantae says, “I’m sorry, Bill, but your time on Love Shack is over.”
“Well damn.” Bill gives a resigned nod and adds, “I knew I should’ve brought my chaps.”
Madison lets out a big sigh of relief as Ciara reaches over and squeezes my leg. Bill stands to say goodbye to everyone. Madison and Beth Anne give him a hug before he does one of those hybrid high-five/handshake things with each of the guys and then walks off set.
And just like that, Cowboy Bill is gone.
“Savage,” Ciara whispers.
My heart is racing. That was a close call.
Too close. But once the shock wears off, I find myself feeling bad for Bill.
Meat-eating, oil-drilling Bill. Maybe this show is changing me.
But at least Bill tried to get to know me, and it seemed like he wanted to form a meaningful connection with someone.
I can’t help but feel a little guilty that he got sent home and I didn’t.
Shantae claps her hands to get our attention and smiles brightly, like she didn’t just send someone packing.
“Before the new arrivals come, we have the next round of one-on-one dates. This time the ladies get to choose. But to make things fair . . .” She motions to someone off camera.
A moment later Blue rolls in something covered in a sheet. Oh God, what now?
Shantae pulls the sheet off with a flourish, revealing a colorful wheel. Each segment has one of our names.
“The Wheel of Fate!” Madison exclaims, as she claps her hands.
“I don’t like the sound of that,” I whisper to Ciara.
“I’m going to spin the Wheel of Fate to see who gets to pick first,” Shantae announces as she gives the wheel a big spin.
It goes around and around until it finally lands on Madison, who exhales in relief, then jumps up excitedly. “I’d like to pick the guy who I’ve enjoyed getting to know and who I think I’m making a real connection with. TC, would you like to go on a date with me?”
TC stands up with a huge smile on his face. “I’d love to, Maddie.” He gives her a big hug, lifting her off the ground.
Shantae spins again. “Next up is . . . Ciara! Ooh, the new girl. This should be interesting! Who do you pick?”
Ciara stands up. “Well, Shantae, like I said when I got here, I’m not here to make friends.
” I have to hide my smirk as Ciara plays the role Kristina assigned her.
“When I see someone I’m interested in, I go for it.
” She gives me a discreet wink as she confidently turns to Javier. “Javi, will you go on a date with me?”
Javier smiles at her, obviously smitten, and says, “Let’s do this!” If Cassie were here, she’d already have come up with a ridiculous celebrity couple nickname for them, like Javi-ara, and I’m so happy for them that I might not even hate it.
I look past Javi and Ciara and see Beth Anne sitting on Scott’s lap. If she’s chosen next, she’ll obviously pick him. Oooh, does that mean I’ll get to go back to my shack and go to bed now?
As I’m wondering if I can pay a PA to sneak me some books, Shantae’s wheel lands on Beth Anne, who predictably picks Scott. Madison and Ciara give me concerned looks, but I shrug them off.
I stand, ready to hobble back to my shack when Shantae turns to me. “And then there’s Grace. The producers want you to go on your one-on-one date. Though I guess it’s more of a one-on-none date,” Shantae says, chuckling at my misfortune.
“By myself?” I grimace, but Shantae only nods gleefully. “But I’m injured!”
“The dates aren’t until tomorrow, and the medics cleared you,” Shantae responds condescendingly.
I plop back down, and Ciara leans over to whisper, “You should do it. They’re trying to make you look like the charity case so that, when the next arrivals come and you meet someone, America will be rooting for you. Classic dating show storyline.”
The thought of a new arrival coming doesn’t cheer me up.
Instead, all I can think about is kissing Andrew, but I shouldn’t be thinking about that either.
If anything, I should be thinking about how my coworkers are doing with the release today and what I should be doing so I’m not like Cowboy Bill riding off into the sunset . . .
Madison gives me an encouraging thumbs-up, and I realize I have to do the producers’ bidding. “Okay, I’ll go on my one-on-none date tomorrow,” I sigh, immediately knowing that’s a sound bite that puppet master Kristina will be all over.
The only silver lining in this humiliating development is that because I’m playing ball with the one-on-none date, the producers are letting me skip the confessionals they’re filming tonight.
I pick up the veggie-and-grain bowl that the chef has waiting for me and another bag of ice for my ankle. I say good night to the rest of the contestants and hop on the golf cart that Blue borrowed from production to drive me down the hill.
When he drops me off at the front door, I notice he sounds congested. “Are you sick?” I ask.
He shrugs. “Probably coming down with a cold. I always get sick during production.”
“Are you getting enough sleep?”
He laughs at this. “My turnaround last night was eight hours. It takes me forty-five minutes to get home.”
“So, between commute time, you only get six hours to yourself. How many hours did you sleep? Five?”
“If I’m lucky.”
“That’s not sustainable! No wonder you’re sick. I’m exhausted, and you were up later than me wrapping the Angels and Devils party. Did you have to help set up the obstacle course this morning too?” He nods. “Aren’t you in a union? Don’t they have protections in place?”
“Yeah, for what they’re aware of. The show pays a meal penalty if we work through lunch or dinner. And they’re required to pay overtime when—”
“What do you mean ‘for what they’re aware of’?”
Blue looks like he shouldn’t be saying this. “The industry has been tough lately. If you find a steady production gig, you want to keep it. Which means not ruffling any feathers.”
“And Kristina has a shit-ton of feathers,” I say, nodding in understanding. “Can you at least go home now and get some rest?”
He shakes his head ruefully. “I need to help with the confessionals. Then set up some stuff for the one-on-one dates tomorrow. I have at least four hours left.”