The Wrong Bachelor

by Alexandra Moody

  She folded her arms over her chest and pouted when she caught my expression. “I would have thought you’d be a bit happier to see your favorite True Love girl,” she said.

  “Just because the audience picked you this week doesn’t mean I have.” I needed to be firm with her. Laurie and I were getting on a little better since our date, but I didn’t want her getting the wrong idea about us. Especially not when things were finally starting to go well between Madi and me.

  “Don’t be silly,” she replied. “Everyone loves us together, and they can see what amazing chemistry we have. You’ve got to stop denying it.”

  I had no idea what the viewers thought they saw because in the episode I watched we had absolutely no chemistry whatsoever. The date between us was awkward at best, though I guess it hadn’t looked quite so bad on the show. Angus had edited the footage together to make us seem far more intimate than we were.

  I caught sight of Tanner pressing his lips together in a weak attempt to silence a laugh. I really hated my best friend right now. He was supposed to be saving me, not relishing in my discomfort.

  “Was there a reason you came over here?” I asked. There was no way I was going anywhere near her chemistry comment.

  “Oh,” she perked up, “I wanted to ask you about Friday’s date. Any idea what we’re doing?”

  “No idea,” I replied. “You’ll have to talk to Angus.”

  “Are you sure you don’t know? I need to plan my outfit.” She started twisting a long piece of hair around one finger. I wondered if she thought it was appealing. I turned away from her, glancing in Madi’s direction. She wasn’t watching me, and I hoped that Laurie left before she noticed her standing with me. I didn’t want anything upsetting her unnecessarily.

  “Cole?” Laurie prompted.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” I replied, as I faced her once more.

  “There’s Angus now,” Tanner said, pointing across the cafeteria. “Looks like he’s headed out. You better run if you want to catch him.”

  Laurie looked dispirited as Tanner finished speaking. I had a feeling the date was just an excuse to talk to me, but she could hardly say that now.

  “Oh, yeah, I better run. I’ll see you later, Cole.”

  As she walked away, I felt a rush of tension leave my body.

  “You owe me one,” Tanner said.

  “I do,” I agreed. I felt like I owed him more than just one for saving me from Laurie. Maybe Tanner wasn’t such a bad best friend after all.

  I sought Angus out myself when I finished classes for the day. He was walking to his car, so it was lucky I managed to catch him before he left school.

  “So, what’s the big and brilliant date you have planned for Friday?” I asked, falling into step beside him.

  Angus glanced around the parking lot like he was worried people would be listening in. There wasn’t another student for at least twenty yards, so I wasn’t too sure what he was so paranoid about.

  With another concerned glance around him, he leaned in close to my ear. “We’re camping,” he whispered to me.

  “We are?”

  “Yes, it’s going to be great,” Angus replied. “I’ll send the film club up to the site on Friday afternoon to start setting up, and we’ll get the date going once it’s dark. The fans are going to love it!”

  “How about the girls?” I asked with a laugh. I couldn’t picture any of them being particularly excited about a night in the outdoors.

  Angus shrugged. “If they hate it, it will make for better television.”

  I slapped him on the shoulder. “You need to sort out your priorities,” I said, with a shake of my head.

  “What?” He stared back at me with a blank face. He really didn’t get how skewed his thinking had become as the show got more and more popular, but he would never listen to a lecture about it from me.

  “Just tell me where I need to be and when,” I said.

  “I’m sending an email to everyone,” Angus replied. “The details will all be there.”

  “Okay.”

  Angus paused beside me as I reached my truck. “Remember, it’s going to be the last group date. It’s our last chance to really thrill the audience before they vote for the final time. Our viewer numbers are getting bigger and bigger, and we could raise a lot of money this week. We have to make it good.”

  “So, no pressure,” I said.

  “None at all,” Angus answered. “It’s going to be great, you’ll see.” He walked away with an excited spring in his step.

  “Can’t wait,” I called after him. The truth was, Angus’ pep talk actually had me dreading the night.

  Angus had chosen a site in the national park that was about twenty minutes drive from town. My dad used to take me camping in a similar spot as a kid, but we hadn’t done it in years.

  As soon as I heard the news of the location, I offered to give Madi a ride there. She insisted on going with Willow and Teagan though. It was probably a good idea since the two of us arriving together would have raised some eyebrows.

  It was growing harder and harder not to show Madi affection in public. It was like a form of torture. We wanted to be together, but we couldn’t until after next weekend. It didn’t stop us from trading secret smiles though, and it certainly didn’t stop me from talking to her whenever I got the chance. Still, it wasn’t enough, and I couldn’t wait for the True Love contest to be over.

  By the time I arrived at the campsite on Friday night, the film club guys had already set up all of the tents. I was a bit disappointed because pitching the tent was always half the fun. They hadn’t got the fire started though, so I set about gathering some wood. The evening air was already growing crisp, and we were definitely going to need the warmth.

  When I got back to the campsite, the girls had all arrived. Willow, Teagan and Madi were all rugged up in sweaters with heavy jackets slung over their arms, while Laurie was wearing something that was probably more appropriate for a nightclub. Her tight jeans and sparkly top weren’t even slightly suitable for camping. It was barely dark and I could already see goosebumps on her exposed arms. I hoped she’d packed something warmer or she was going to freeze.

  The film club trained their cameras on us almost immediately. Out here in the woods, the cameras felt so unnatural, and it was harder than ever to ignore them. It was like the film club had gone on safari and we were the high attraction animals.

  I walked over and gave each of the girls a hug. My arms probably lingered a little too long on Madi. I doubt anyone noticed, but I was starting to care less and less about whether people found out. I hadn’t felt her in my arms since Monday night, and I’d forgotten how perfectly she fit within my grasp. I think she might have missed my hugs too because she seemed to struggle to pull away.

  Skye called out to the girls, directing them over to the tent they were sharing. The girls started toward her, but Madi hovered at my side. After our hug, she didn’t seem ready to leave me yet. I didn’t want her to go either.

  “You coming, Madi?” Teagan called over her shoulder, as the other girls walked toward the tent.

  Madi hesitated but gave me a brief smile before jogging to catch up with Laurie, Willow and Teagan. I watched as she disappeared into the large tent behind the others. The four of them were bunking together while I had a smaller tent for myself. The film club was also camping with us, but they’d set their tents up a little further away so they wouldn’t be in shot.

  While the girls were busy dropping off their bags, I started on the fire. It didn’t take me long to get it going. It seemed I still remembered all the survival 101 lessons my dad had given me back in the day. But, then again, Angus had provided plenty of matches and paper.

  Madi was the first one out of the tent. She was dressed in leggings and a big puffy jacket swamped her upper body. It was probably big enough to fit me, and I suspected she’d borrowed it from her brother. She looked really cute in it.

  “So this is camping, huh?” she sai
d as she joined me by the fire. The warm glow of the fire lit her face and she rubbed her hands, putting them closer to the flames for warmth.

  “Please don’t tell me you’ve never been before.”

  “Does sleeping in a tent in Hayley’s backyard count?”

  “No.”

  “Then no, I’ve never been camping before,” she replied with a grin. “But I think I might like it. It’s so peaceful out here.”

  The words had barely left her mouth when a squeal echoed from within the girls' tent.

  “Get it off! Get it off!” Laurie’s voice reverberated through the trees.

  “So much for peaceful,” Madi muttered, making me laugh.

  Laurie came stumbling out of the tent, her hands raking through her hair and shaking her head like crazy. Willow followed after her, trying to stop herself from laughing.

  “There was a bug,” Willow said, holding out her hands to try and calm Laurie. “It’s gone now.”

  “That was no bug,” Laurie replied, pulling herself upright again. She’d completely messed up her hair, which had been perfectly straight just minutes before. “That was like something out of the Middle Ages.”

  I spluttered out a laugh and shook my head. Did Laurie even know when the Middle Ages were?

  “Are you trying to say it was like a dinosaur?” Willow asked. “Because that was a little before the Middle Ages…” Somehow, she spoke with a straight face.

  Laurie shot Willow a glare. “It was big. Okay?”

  Willow lifted her hands up in defense. “I know, it was huge. I saw it.”

  Laurie nodded, like she felt content she was understood. She walked toward the fire and started rubbing her arms. It didn’t take a genius to see how cold she was. I couldn’t understand why she wasn’t wearing a jacket. All the other girls were dressed for a night of camping. How had Laurie missed the memo?

  “It’s cold out here,” Laurie said as she came to stand beside me.

  I wasn’t surprised. “Why don’t you put a jacket on then?”

  “Because I didn’t bring one.”

  “You didn’t bring a jacket camping?” Madi asked. “Angus told us to pack one in the email.”

  “Like anyone got to the end of that list. Not all of us are as perfect as you, Madi,” Laurie spat in reply.

  Madi frowned but didn’t fight back. I didn’t blame her. There was no winning when it came to a fight with Laurie. Even if you won the argument, you usually wished you’d lost.

  “Maybe I can borrow your jacket, Cole?” Laurie said, looking up at me. “You’re such a big guy, I’m sure you don’t feel the cold like me.”

  Giving her my jacket was the last thing I wanted to do because then I’d be the one who was cold. But I couldn’t exactly say no in front of the cameras. I didn’t want to look like a total dick.

  I grunted and took my jacket off, passing it to her. Thankfully, I had another sweater in my tent. Plus, it wasn’t nearly as cold as Laurie made it out to be after a few minutes sitting by the fire.

  Laurie snuggled herself into the jacket, and all I could think about was how many times I’d have to clean it before her intrusive smelling perfume was gone.

  “Alright, team,” Angus said, coming to stand before us. “As you can see, tonight’s group date is camping. We’re going to be playing a few campfire games to start off the evening before Cole gets a little alone time with a lady of his choosing.”

  My heart skipped a beat. Angus hadn’t mentioned anything about his plans for the evening until now. It wasn’t hard to guess who I would be choosing for alone time though. Madi gave me a small smile as I glanced in her direction. I really loved being on the receiving end of those smiles. The night suddenly didn’t seem so bad.

  “First game for the night is truth or dare,” Angus announced, to several groans from the girls.

  “Seriously, Angus? What are we, twelve?” Teagan asked.

  He shrugged off her question. “So if everyone can take a seat by the fire, we’ll go around the circle, starting with Cole. And remember to make it interesting. No playing it safe.”

  In my mind, I was groaning as much as the girls were. It was one thing to play this game at a party when we were younger, but it was something else entirely in front of cameras.

  I was seated between Willow and Teagan. I would have liked to be next to Madi, but at least I got a good view of her across the fire. We waited for the camera guys to get into position with their tripods before I got the nod to begin.

  I turned to Willow, who was sitting on my left. “Truth or dare?” I asked.

  Willow chewed on her lower lip for a brief moment before answering.

  "Truth,” she muttered, somewhat reluctantly.

  I sat back in my camping chair as I considered what to ask before grinning. “What is the strangest place you have peed?”

  “Behind a tree about ten minutes ago,” she replied with a scowl.

  I laughed. “Sorry Will,” I mouthed at her.

  She shrugged and looked to the person sitting on her left, Laurie.

  “Truth or dare, Laurie?” Willow asked.

  “Dare,” came Laurie’s immediate response.

  Willow tapped her fingers against her lips as she considered her dare. She then smiled. “Dance for everyone without music for one minute.”

  “Like that’s a chore,” Laurie replied with a smug smile. She stood up and started dancing before a timer had even been set. Laurie was a cheerleader, so she knew how to move and was completely comfortable in her body. Almost too comfortable, it seemed. Her dance moves were far from innocent, and I could see a couple of the film club looking a little hot under the collar as they watched on.

  It became especially uncomfortable when she started dancing toward me. Her eyes didn’t leave mine as she ran her hands up and down her body, stopping right in front of me like she was putting on a private show. I wanted to close my eyes and pretend it wasn’t happening, but I knew I couldn’t when the cameras were rolling. Laurie grinned when she noticed how uncomfortable she was making me. I kept glancing away from her, which only seemed to encourage her more.

  “I think that’s been a minute,” Madi finally announced.

  Laurie’s dancing slowly came to a stop, and she flipped her hair over her shoulder, giving me a confident smile before returning to her seat once more. She had enjoyed that dare way too much.

  “So, truth or dare, Madi?” Laurie asked, sounding suddenly bored.

  “Dare,” Madi replied, surprising me. I had assumed she wouldn't want to take the risk of letting Laurie come up with her dare. Perhaps she was more afraid of whatever truth might be uncovered though. I didn’t blame her.

  “I dare you to swap clothes with me,” Laurie said.

  “Seriously?” Madi frowned, with a quick glance toward the cameras.

  Laurie shrugged. “You playing this game or not?” she asked.

  “I don’t think you can put the girls stripping on the show, Angus,” I said, chiming in.

  Angus slowly nodded, thinking it over. “You’re right. I don’t think it would go down well with Principal Green. Laurie, pick another dare.”

  Madi sent me a grateful look, but Laurie looked annoyed. “If you don’t want to do my dare, Madi, you need to do a truth instead,” she said.

  “Fine, truth,” Madi said.

  The answer brought a smug smile to Laurie's face. “Truth: were you in love with Cole before you and Jake broke up or was it only after?”

  Madi’s eyes widened, and I gripped the arm of my chair as I waited for her to respond. The question wasn’t fair, but I wanted to know the answer.

  “I’m not in love with Cole,” she whispered. A small part of me withered inside at her answer. I knew it was way too soon to be saying things like that about each other, and that she couldn't talk about us in front of the others, but her denial still hurt.

  “Okay,” Laurie replied. “Maybe not love, but like. Did you like Cole before you and Jake broke up? Were
you playing the both of them at the same time?”

  Madi stood and glared down at Laurie. “How can you even ask that?”

  Laurie stood and met her eye for eye. “Because it’s clear you don’t care about either guy.”

  “What?” Madi responded.

  “You just want to be with whichever guy gives you the highest profile.”

  “That’s not true,” Madi replied. “We broke up because we didn’t make sense as a couple anymore.”

  “Or was it because you felt like you made sense with a more popular guy?”

  “That’s enough, Laurie,” I said, standing up.

  Laurie glanced at me. She didn’t look finished—not by a long shot—but she relaxed when she saw my irritated expression and gave me a sweet smile.

  “Sorry, Coley, I was only playing.”

  It was hardly just playing, but as long as she stopped, I didn’t care what she called it. I took in a deep breath before slowly blowing it out.

  “Tonight is supposed to be fun. I won’t have any fighting. The next person who starts a fight is eliminated. Okay?”

  The two girls slowly nodded.

  “Angus,” I said, turning to him. “Next game. Now.”

  Laurie huffed out a breath before resuming her seat. Madi looked like she wanted to run away rather than sit back down again, but she slowly returned to her chair.

  We went on to play a game of “would you rather” and followed that up with charades. Thankfully, neither of the games had as much potential for drama as truth or dare. There was no more bickering or fighting, and I began to forget about the incident between Madi and Laurie. Angus must have felt it was becoming too dull though, because he pulled me aside halfway through a game of telephone.

  “I want you to pick one girl to take away for some alone time,” he said.

  I nodded, and my eyes automatically drifted toward Madi.

  “Not Madi,” Angus said, watching me closely.

  “Why not?” I asked, my gaze shooting back to meet his.

  “Because the audience already like her and we need them to start worrying that she’s in trouble so they’ll spend more money on votes. I want you to pick Teagan.”