“Okay, but on one condition. Dante sends me home tonight in the first round.”
The room erupted in cheers, and Taylor hugged me tightly. “Yes, he’ll send you home first. Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She ran back to the conference table to strategize.
“Dante? Tonight, you’ll send me home?”
He smiled at me, which I took as a yes.
I quickly sent texts to Kat, my mother, and Sterling, letting them know what had happened. I didn’t want to call because I could predict how each would react. Kat would be thrilled, because she had been pushing me toward Dante since our time in Monterra. My mother and father would be disappointed in me for the millionth time and would probably put Grandma Lemon on the phone, and she would be shocked that I would besmirch the Beauchamp name by appearing on something as lowbrow as reality television, even for one episode. Sterling would again tell me that I didn’t need to do any of this, that he could provide for me, and I should just come home.
I was already stressed enough.
And it was just for one night. One episode. I would say what I had to say, do what they wanted me to do, and then I would be done.
So why did I suddenly feel so nervous?
Chapter 3
I think I suffer from amnesia. Do I come here often?
I signed what they called a “standard contract” for the contestants on the show. They made me turn over my cell phone and laptop and checked my luggage. I asked the production assistant what they were looking for, thinking I could help speed up the process, and she said any magazines, music devices, books, or tablets.
“I seriously can’t take any of that with me to the house?”
“You seriously can’t,” she replied, once she’d done a thorough inspection. I already knew the mansion we were staying in didn’t have any televisions or computers available, but I thought at least I’d be able to keep my personal devices. Losing my phone was sort of like losing a hand.
“What do you expect everyone here to do?”
“Drink heavily and ‘interact’ with the other competitors. That’s all you can do.”
She left with my confiscated items. Thank heavens I’d only be here for one night. I already hated everything about it.
I walked over to my window, pressing my forehead against the glass. I could see the ocean from the hotel, and so far it was my favorite thing about California. I had invited Kat to come out and visit me for a little while during the filming, but she’d declined. I had arranged a press tour for her and Nico because they had officially announced their engagement, and she wanted to have some downtime with him before they started flying all over the world.
She also ordered me to not go all California on her. Said that if I started drinking kale smoothies, we could no longer be friends.
There wasn’t much danger of that.
I had been instructed, by another assistant, on what I needed to do that night when I “met” Dante. I had to pretend like I didn’t know him, and he would do the same. It was expected that I would do something memorable to catch Dante’s attention, because that’s what all the other competitors would be doing. No one wanted to go home first.
Except for me.
I didn’t have anything appropriate to wear for this show. The women tended to dress formally for Heart Celebrations and had cocktail dresses for the parties and other get-togethers. I had packed only business attire as I’d never imagined I might end up a contestant.
What I didn’t tell anyone was that I had watched Marry Me obsessively for years. The girls in my sorority had been addicted, and they got me hooked too. I watched every incarnation—like when a woman was at the center and the men competed, or when former contestants were sent to an island location to fall in love with each other—and I ate it up. At first I pretended to watch ironically, but I soon fell under the spell. Even though I knew the couple wouldn’t actually end up together, I still loved it.
I had just never wanted to be on it.
Not knowing what else to do, I threw on an Atlanta Braves jersey that was worn and comfy and a pair of jeans. That was different and unusual, right? Everybody else would be dressed like they were ready for the Miss America pageant, so I would definitely stand out.