6. I’m Ready
I’M READY
SAUL
As I step out of the Hub, my chest feels lighter and heavier all at once. Tessa and I just called it a night on our fifth date, and I already miss her. The echo of her laughter, her voice laced with vulnerability and strength—it’s all still with me, like a melody I can’t stop humming.
According to the contract, we had to go on at least five dates before we could propose marriage. A ridiculous rule, but I understand the logic. The show needs content, and they want to make sure our connection wasn’t a fluke. As if five dates could tell me something my soul doesn’t already know. I finished my last required date yesterday, and now? Now I’m ready to make Tessa mine.
The Hub door slides open with a soft hiss, and I step into the dimly lit corridor. The buzz of the production crew fades into the background, overtaken by the steady rhythm of my heartbeat. Each step I take is a step closer to the moment I can finally see her, hold her, build something real. Something lasting.
"Saul, this way," a production assistant calls out, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glance toward her and nod, my feet following the path, but my mind is miles away—stuck in that tiny room where Tessa’s voice wrapped around me like a prayer I didn’t know I needed.
The assistant, a young woman with a clipboard and an easy smile, falls into step beside me. "You seem... different tonight," she observes, her tone light but curious.
"Different?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
She nods. "Lighter. Happier. Most of the contestants come out of these dates looking stressed or confused. You? You look like you just won something."
I chuckle, shaking my head. "I wouldn’t say I’ve won yet."
"But you’re close?" she presses, grinning.
"Closer than I’ve ever been," I admit, my voice dropping to a softer tone. “It’s strange, isn’t it? Coming here to find a wife.” I glance at her, gauging her reaction. “A year ago, I’d have laughed at the idea.”
“What changed?” she asks, her curiosity piqued.
I pause, considering my answer. “My grandmother,” I say finally. “She’s the most remarkable woman I know. She raised me, shaped me, made me who I am. Her only dream is to see me settled, happy... married.”
The assistant tilts her head. “And you’re doing this for her?”
“Partly,” I say. “But it’s more than that now. At first, this was about pleasing my grandmother. But now... now it’s about Tessa. I can’t imagine not waking up every day to her voice, her laughter. She’s changed everything.”
The assistant smiles, her clipboard forgotten for a moment. “She sounds incredible.”
“She is,” I reply, my voice firm. “You know, I used to think marriage wasn’t for me. Too many complications. Too much vulnerability. But with Tessa...” I trail off, a smile tugging at my lips. “I don’t want just one moment with her. I want every moment. For the rest of my life.”
The assistant’s smile widens, and she nods approvingly. “Sounds like you’re ready.”
“More than ready,” I say, my confidence growing with every word. “My grandmother’s going to be over the moon. She’s been praying for this day for years. Tessa? She’s exactly the woman my grandmother would’ve chosen for me. Strong, passionate, grounded. She’ll fit right in.”
We stop at the end of the corridor, and I glance back toward the Hub, where Tessa is likely still sitting, her presence a gravitational force pulling at me even from this distance.
“Good luck, Chef,” the assistant says, her voice warm and encouraging. “Sounds like you’ve got something really special.”
I nod, gratitude flooding through me. “Thanks. I do.”
As she walks away, I take a deep breath, letting the weight of the moment settle over me. This isn’t just about the show anymore, or the restaurant, or even my grandmother’s dreams. It’s about Tessa—about the life I can see so clearly now, the life I want to build with her.
I rub the back of my neck, a nervous habit I’ve never quite shaken, and smile to myself. She’s going to flip my world upside down, and I can’t wait to let her.
“Alright, Tessa,” I murmur to the air, a quiet promise to the woman who’s already taken over my heart. “Let’s see where this story goes.”