Love in the Spotlight
Page 14
I shift in my chair and nervously pat my hair, trying to tame any flyaways from my braid.
“First up we’ll talk to our King and Queen. Let’s have a round of applause for Jody and Tyrone.”
I clap along with the crew as Jody and Tyrone walk onto the stage, a small bundle wriggling in Jody’s arms.
“Welcome back, you two. I see you’ve brought someone with you, but before we chat about that. Let’s look at Jody and Tyrone’s highlights.”
Jewel turns away from the camera and leans in to brush the baby’s cheek with a finger. Her silver nails sparkle in the spotlights and a miniature fist grasps her finger and the whole room gasps.
“She’s adorable,” Jewel says while cooing at the baby. Julian motions for the countdown, and Jewel sits up again.
“Now, last season had some surprising twists. We learned that none of the couples knew each other before the show. But for Jody and Tyrone, their fake relationship became all-too-real, especially when Tyrone made a declaration of love after the big reveal during the live final.”
As I sit in the side room, following the interview on the enormous television screen, my stomach flips uncomfortably. Jody rests her head on Tyrone’s shoulder, her almond-shaped eyes glisten as she grins at the baby in her arms.
“So Tyrone, perhaps you can tell us what you’ve been up to. I see you’ve been busy.”
Tyrone squares his shoulders with pride and grins.
“We certainly have,” he declares. “I took this exceptional woman to the altar, and we made our marriage official. Ten months later, this little girl made her appearance.”
Jody and Tyrone were worthy champions. The viewers loved Tyrone’s swoon-worthy lines and admired how speedily they fell in love while on camera. Now, a year later, they’re a family. It’s the perfect story to lure in more people to sign up for the show.
None of the other couples stayed in touch. In fact, rumour has it that one of the women got a restraining order against her man.
I drum my fingernails against my white lace dress and take shallow breaths to avoid bursting out of the seams of my bodysuit. I’ve not missed the pressure of being on screen. I promise myself it’s the last time.
“Now, it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. It’s time to catch up with Melissa and Ronan.”
I rise to my feet and wobble on my high heels. I walk onto stage and beam into the spotlights. Ronan appears from across the stage and we sit in squishy chairs side by side.
“It’s lovely to see you both again. Let’s take a moment to watch your highlights.”
I turn to see a large TV screen and a montage play out of our scenes on the show. Then I look back at Jewel, who is muttering something in Ronan’s ear. Jewel’s eyes flash to mine and she smiles.
“May I remind you not to shout while we are recording?” she says. I roll my eyes. Once. That happened once. And I’ll never live it down.
Julian begins the countdown and Jewel shifts in her seat.
“Now, Ronan, how is your mum?”
Ronan’s hands ball into fists and he clamps his jaw for a moment.
“Thanks to Melissa, and everyone who contributed to her crowdfund page, my mum is now home and in great spirits.” He pats my leg and gives my knee a squeeze.
“Wonderful, wonderful news.” Jewel and the camera crew clap.
“Now, tell us. Did anything happen between you two? Have you been in touch since the show ended?”
Ronan and I exchange knowing looks.
“We’ve been dating,” I say shyly. “We’ve been taking things slow. But we’re both very happy.”
“Yes. Very happy. In fact…” Ronan adds, rising to his feet. Jewel makes an overly dramatic gasp as Ronan lowers to one knee in front of me.
“Mel, I have fallen in love with you one thousand times already. And I know that I’ll continue to find new reasons to fall in love with you every day for the rest of my life.” His eyes twinkle as he grins at me, and his forehead turns magenta as he swallows.
“We met on this show, it feels right to do this on the show too.” He pulls out a small box from his pocket and opens it up to me. Jewel guides his hands to angle the engagement ring towards the cameras as the crew take their turn to gasp.
“Melissa Jones, love of my life. Will you marry me?”
Every single moment we’ve shared together over the past year flashes before my eyes. A swirl of emotion builds in my chest and my eyes brim with tears. This was not what I was expecting. It’s a cliché move on live television. But I never thought it would happen to me.
I allow a grin to take over my whole face and forget about the huge spotlights shining over us. Jewel, the crew and all the cameras fade away into a soft white glow and I take a breath.
“Of course I will, you weirdo,” I whisper.
“What did you say?” Jewel asks blankly. I guess my answer was not loud enough. I slide off the chair, sit on Ronan’s thigh and wrap my arms around his neck.
“I said yes,” I say, before leaning in and kissing him. Ronan clutches my back and joins in. The two of us become lost in our own world. Cheers and applause surround us as we break apart, and Ronan slides the diamond ring on my finger.
“I love you so much.” He says with fervour, pressing his lips to my cheek. I take his face in my hands and rub my nose against his with my eyes closed, savouring the moment. My heart swells so much I worry it might implode. Then I open my eyes and gaze adoringly into Ronan’s baby blues.
“I love you more.”
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