“Are you done staring at yourself yet?” Zoe said, trying to see into the full-length mirror. “I don’t think that look’s going to get any better.”
Cassidy stepped aside and let Zoe primp in the mirror by herself.
“Why’re you so quiet today? Have you finally realized there’s no way anyone, especially a great guy like Brad, would ever choose you?”
“I don’t have the energy for this today, Zoe. It’s stressful enough going on live TV without getting flak from you. Aren’t you nervous?”
“Nope. I have an awesome guy who’s going to tell me he wants to be with me. Now, if I were you, I’d worry about acting like a fool in front of America. Thank God I’m not you.”
“Thanks. That really helped.”
Cassidy stood in front of the smaller mirror hanging over the vanity and put a few finishing touches on her makeup. Zoe was right. She was going to make a fool of herself today when Brad rejected her, but it was still better than being chosen by him. That wasn’t a curse she’d wish on anyone. Well, except Zoe. Those two were made for each other.
Zoe paused while reapplying her lip-gloss. “Feeling all alone without your cameraman following you around?”
Cassidy eyes narrowed. It was as if Zoe knew that was the one comment that would hurt Cassidy the most. “What’s with you?” Cassidy waved the mascara wand at her like a weapon, her chest heaving as she tried to hide the hitch in her breath.
“I guess some of us are better suited for life in the spotlight.”
“Why did you come on another reality show anyway? Did you lose the first one so badly you needed a chance to redeem yourself? Or are you so insecure you have to come on television to feel superior?”
Zoe stiffened as she glared at Cassidy through the mirror. Her chin quivered once before going rigid again. “Not all of us are lucky enough to have had a Brad in real life.”
What? No way did bombshell Zoe have trouble dating.
Cassidy laughed. “Nice try, but I’m not falling for your act. That’s a good one, though. I’m sure America will eat that up.”
Cassidy shook her head. She was too tired for this.
Zoe got a very strange look in her eyes. One Cassidy hadn’t seen before. It made her uneasy. “Yep, you figured me out. I’m all a big act.” Zoe grinned but something about it didn’t look as convincing as it should.
If only Cassidy wasn’t so emotionally exhausted already, maybe she’d have the desire to push Zoe’s buttons and find out what she was getting at. If only she cared enough to bother.
“Whatever.” Cassidy flopped onto the couch. “If you want to live your life thinking you’re better than everyone else, that’s fine. After today, leave me out of it.”
Zoe put her hand to her heart and stuck out her bottom lip. “Oh, that makes my heart hurt. What ever will I do if Cassidy doesn’t like me anymore?”
“Oh, come on now, Zoe. You know I never liked you to begin with.”
“It’s time to come to the stage,” Chip said, sauntering into the room. “Save the drama for the cameras.”
Chip guided them through the confusing backstage hallways until they were stage side, but still out of sight. The din of the live studio audience became white noise to Cassidy. The stage itself was flooded with bright overhead lights and all around the perimeter, cameramen faced toward the cluster of couches and chairs cluttering center stage.
Cassidy’s chest tightened. She tried to see the faces behind the cameras, but the lights were too bright to see past. Everything beyond them was cast in shadows.
Are you one of those shadows, Evan?
“This way,” Chip said, leading them on stage. A cheer rang up from the audience as they stepped into the light.
Cassidy heard people chanting her name as well as Zoe’s. It’s a good thing the final choice wasn’t up to America or, by the sounds of the cheers, it would be a deadlock tie.
“Smile to your fans. They’ve been waiting hours to finally see you.”
Cassidy waved, feeling self-conscious that someone would actually wait hours to see her. She settled herself on the couch beside Zoe and faced out to the audience.
Behind her, the other contestants sat in chairs. From the middle of the row came a wave and a smiling face Cassidy had missed more than she realized. Waving back at Paige, she wished she could give her a big hug.
Spencer walked across the stage, taking a moment in the center to smile and wave at the audience. He positively glowed, basking in the warmth of the lights and the cheers of the audience. Finally, after many over-appreciative bows and waves, he took his place on the empty couch set off to Cassidy’s right side.
“Are you ready to start?” He spoke softly so only they could hear him.
Cassidy nodded. She was more than ready to get this over with.
Spencer waved his hand and the room grew quiet.
Is he a magician, too? How the hell did he get all those people to shut up?
Beside the camera directly in front of the stage, Chip held up an open hand, palm side toward Spencer. He pulsed his hand, each time counting down one finger until he got to one. At that, he pointed at Spencer, who started speaking on cue as if controlled by some external source.
Man, this guy is good. Is he the world’s largest ventriloquist dummy?
“Welcome to the final ceremony of The One.” He waited for the applause to settle before speaking again. “We’re here today to find out who will finally be chosen as The One. I know we’re anxiously awaiting his decision, but before we get to that, we’d like to spend a little time chatting with some of the ladies Brad didn’t choose.”
Spencer turned his body slightly so he faced more toward the back of the room to where the row of other contestants sat. They all seemed eager to have their chance to speak.
“Let’s start with you Savanna and Erica. You were both here almost to the end. How did it feel to make it so far and then not get into the final two?”
Erica laughed. “Well, it didn’t feel good. It was hard making it almost all the way to the end just to get voted out at the last minute. I would happily have stayed and done any challenge they’d asked of me, if it meant I could’ve had another chance with Brad.”
A chorus of sympathetic sighs spread through the audience.
“So it’s safe to assume you’re heartbroken?” A softness filled Spencer’s voice.
Erica blushed. “Well, I was at first. But then I went home and I had a chance to think, and I realized we weren’t meant to be. So I’m not heartbroken anymore. In fact, I’m ready to date if anyone out there is interested.”
“That’s great. We’re all glad to hear that.” Spencer turned to Savanna. “And what about you? How are you doing since leaving the show?”
Savanna flipped her long hair over her shoulder. “Oh, me? I’m fine, sugar. I have plenty of gentlemen wanting to be my friend lately, so obviously Brad wasn’t the only one for me.” She giggled and gave a demure wave to the nearest camera.
“Do you miss being in the house with all the other women?”
Savanna glanced around at the women sitting on the stage. “Well, now I wouldn’t say I missed them. Y’all are great girls, but I like the quiet of my house.”
“We had a pretty big scare when Lauren was forced to leave the show for medical reasons,” Spencer said. “Lauren is here with us today and looking as beautiful as ever. How are you feeling?”
Lauren smiled. “I’m happy to report that all testing came back fine. I think I wasn’t cut out for the stress and drama involved in a show like this.”
“We’re so happy to hear you’re okay. Now, about the drama, we did see our fair share of that in the house. What did you think about the drama between the girls, Paige?”
Paige startled at her name and faltered for a moment before answering. “I think most of the drama was pretty trivial. It’s hard to share a space with this many girls even when it’s a huge mansion. And a little extra drama happened between a couple of g
irls.”
“Which girls were those?”
Paige faced flushed a deep pink. “The two finalists, Cassidy and Zoe.”
Spencer nodded his head for a moment before turning to face the two in question. “What do you think of that? Were you two the reason for the drama in the house?”
“Let’s just say not everything was sunshine and roses between myself and Zoe,” Cassidy said.
Zoe rolled her eyes. “It would be impossible for anyone to live with a girl like Cassidy.”
“Sounds interesting. Care to elaborate a little for us?”
Zoe plastered on her most paparazzi-worthy smile. “I’d be happy to. You see, some people are meant to be leaders,” she pointed at herself, “and some are meant to be led.” She pointed at Cassidy. “And the two are not meant to share the same space.”
Oh, for the love of all things chocolate.
Cassidy turned to Spencer. “What Zoe’s trying to say is that she’s a giant bitch — can I say that on live TV? She’s a spoiled, self-indulgent brat who’s never figured out she isn’t nearly as awesome as she thinks she is.”
Zoe’s face turned a few shades of red before she finally opened her mouth to respond, but Spencer spoke first. “Let’s hope the censor was paying attention. I didn’t realize there was this much animosity between you. Anything you’d like to say?” He turned to Zoe.
“Cassidy tends to have these little outbursts with me. I’m not sure why. I think it’s because she feels intimidated by my successes, here and in real life.”
“Yep, that’s it, I’m intimidated by the wannabe singer who had to come on a reality show — again — so she could feel good about herself. You figured me out.”
Careful now, C. Calm down. This isn’t you.
She sighed. “You know. I think Zoe’s probably a great person in real life. It’s just, being in the same house with a bunch of girls for a few weeks is enough to drive even the nicest people to their limits.”
“All right, before this gets messy, maybe we should bring out our main man and get his thoughts on everything. Let’s hear it for Brad Murphy.”
Spencer stood from the couch and greeted Brad with a warm handshake while the fans in the audience cheered like they were at the Super Bowl. Brad almost seemed embarrassed by the adoration of the audience as he took his seat beside Spencer.
Zoe straightened her back and waved when Brad smiled hello to them. Cassidy couldn’t bring herself to do more than nod.
“So, Brad, you’ve been listening backstage. What’s your take on the tension between your two final ladies?”
Brad laughed. “I think it’s pretty obvious, don’t you? It’s hard for these girls to get along because they’re both after the same guy. If you and I were fighting for the same girl, Spencer, I wouldn’t like you very much either.”
“Good point. Do you think your previous relationship with Cassidy has anything to do with it as well?”
“The fact Cassidy and I dated a few months ago definitely added some tension between the girls. It added tension between us, too. Neither Cassidy nor I expected to see each other here and we really had to deal with everything in our past while also taping the show. It certainly added some excitement.”
“What was this process like for you?”
“Wow. Dude, it was totally awesome. I’m mean, what’s not to like about ten girls all wanting to get with you? It’s every man’s dream.”
Spencer turned on his serious face. “Now, I know it wasn’t all fun and games. You also had some really tough decisions to make each week. Are there any girls you wish were sitting here instead of your finalists?”
“Dude. You ask such loaded questions. I’d have to say no. I’m happy with Cassidy and Zoe being the final two girls. But that’s not to say there weren’t other girls I was sad to see leave. It was challenging to get to know each of the girls in such a short amount of time. I definitely wish I could have spent more time getting to know each one of them, but I’m confident that in the end, I still would have ended up with the same finalists.”
“Let’s take a moment to recap some of our favorite moments between you, Cassidy, and Zoe.”
An enormous screen hanging on the wall blinked to life. Images of Cassidy flashed across the screen while a bad instrumental version of Bryan Adams’s “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” played over the speakers.
Oh fun, there I am falling off my horse. Oh, and getting stepped on by that stupid horse. Falling into the river, also a highlight. Thank you production people for portraying me so gracefully. I’m the blooper reel.
After an agonizing few minutes, the screen grew dark and the last image of Zoe and Brad snuggling on a picnic blanket faded away. The music was replaced by another chorus of cheers from the audience.
“It must be fun to see those moments again, huh?” Spencer spoke to no one specifically. “I know the audience and the ladies across from me are growing tired of the suspense. So, let’s not keep them waiting anymore. Brad, I hope you’re ready, because it’s time to tell us who you’ve picked to be The One.”
Brad sat forward on the edge of the couch. Cassidy could make out tiny beads of sweat coming to the surface of his forehead.
Here we go — the big rejection.
“Zoe,” Brad started. “I think you’re an awesome girl. You’re always up for having a good time and you live life by taking control and getting what you want. I love those things about you. You don’t seem afraid of anything and you’re willing to take big risks to get big rewards. And you’re incredibly hot. Any guy would be lucky to have you as his girl.”
Zoe beamed. Cassidy thought Zoe might jump across to the other couch and do dirty things to Brad right now if it wasn’t for the live studio audience keeping her libido in check.
“Cassidy, you have an amazing personality.”
Great, I’m getting the “it’s not you it’s me” speech from him again, and on live TV this time.
“You’re more reserved and laid back than Zoe. You’re willing to try some new things, but you still have your little hang-ups holding you back. You’re sarcastic, opinionated, and passionate. You constantly challenge me. I haven’t always made the best choices when it comes to you and me, but I’m trying to learn from my mistakes. You’re definitely not the easy choice — but you’re my choice. Cassidy, you’re The One.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Wait, what?
“You’ve always been the one for me and I was stupid to let you go. I can’t wait to see where this takes us.” Brad stared at her with dream-filled eyes.
Cassidy’s heart galloped in her chest making her feel faint. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t the choice he was supposed to make. Guys don’t date the girl who knees them in the groin, who doesn’t share their interests, and who constantly gives them a hard time.
Beside her on the couch, Zoe shook. Cassidy wasn’t sure if it was from anger or sadness, but her heart suddenly went out to Zoe who obviously had feelings for Brad. Before Cassidy had the chance to worry about Zoe’s reaction, Brad hauled Cassidy to her feet and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.
Spencer clapped. “Cassidy, tell us what you’re feeling?”
“I’m, um, shocked. I didn’t think he was going to choose me.” Cassidy could hardly manage to string words together into a proper sentence.
“Brad, why don’t you make it official with a kiss? I’m sure everyone is dying to see your happy ending.”
Brad stared deeply into her eyes. He looked so happy. How could he not tell she didn’t feel the same?
Please don’t. What if Evan’s filming this? I can’t.
Brad put his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. His lips edged closer and closer to hers.
“Wait!” a voice called from off stage.
Brad dropped his hand and turned to see who’d called out. Cassidy stepped to his side so she could see who she could thank for saving her from yet another kiss she didn’t wa
nt.
Chip stood facing them. By the expression on his face, it was clear something major was about to happen, but Cassidy didn’t have the faintest idea what. “Brad, I’m afraid there’s something you need to see that may make you reconsider your future with Cassidy.” The audience fell silent. Chip eyed Cassidy. “Is there anything you’d like to tell us? Anything you need to get off your chest?”
Um, this is probably bad, right? But it couldn’t be.
“No, I don’t think so.” Her voice was a whisper in the huge room.
Chip motioned for them to turn their attention to the big screen again. “Roll the tape!”
Cassidy’s heart stopped beating as images came to life on the screen. This could possibly be the second worst moment of her life, the first being when Evan walked away from her at the campsite. Both made her feel like she was under water again, fighting to find the surface before the darkness encompassed her.
Video clips of Cassidy and Evan’s romance played for the whole world to see. Cassidy sank back onto the couch staring at the screen in horror as tears filled her eyes and streamed down her cheeks like black rivers of ink.
There were quick clips of smiles, winks, and nods that happened between them while Evan filmed. Looks they’d thought no one else had seen, but clearly someone had. These clips were from another camera that had captured both of their faces.
Other clips were of Cassidy, looking at the camera with an expression only meant for Evan’s eyes. The messages she sent him in those moments filled with flirtation.
Cassidy struggled to swallow as more tears fell down her cheeks and dotted the front of her dress like fallen rain. She wiped them away with the back of her hand, not daring to take her eyes off the screen for even a second.
Evan.
Cassidy gasped as a video from inside Evan’s room played. She’d never thought there’d be cameras in his room like there was in hers. He was staff. Didn’t he get privacy at least?
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