The One

by Danielle Allen

“If we were in the real world, what would a perfect date look like to you?” He asked, his cocoa breath danced across my face causing me to smile.

  “If it’s someone I’ve been dating, candlelight dinner at home with—”

  “Julian?” Mya’s voice interrupted, causing us to break apart. “I need you.”

  Julian turned his head, giving her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Hi, Mya. Yeah, sure.” He looked at me. “Thank you for spending some time with me, Zoe.” Intensifying his gaze, he continued, “And I meant to tell you that midnight blue is your color.”

  My stomach flipped as I heard his emphasis on the word midnight. Solidifying our plans to meet, I nodded as I said, “Thank you.”

  He turned around and offered his arm to Mya. “How are you? You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you. I wanted to see if you had time for something a little more…sexy,” she flirted, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

  They left out of the kitchen, followed by the camera crew. I sat at the table in shock. Mya was generally quiet and reserved, but she came on to Julian like some sort of sex kitten. But as quickly as the shock of Mya’s personality shift wore off, thoughts of meeting Julian at midnight and really talking infiltrated my brain and shook me up.

  I remained in the kitchen until the Bracelet Ceremony. We were gathered and arranged in two rows. There was an issue with the way Leah’s dress looked in the front row so she was switched around with Bailey. Once we were staged correctly, Bryce and Julian entered the patio area.

  “Hello ladies! Welcome to the Bracelet Ceremony,” Bryce announced, clapping his hands together. “Emma and Samantha, you won the contest today so you automatically get to hold on for another week in hopes of becoming ‘The One.’ Once you get your charms, please go straight upstairs and change into your outfit for the listening party.” He turned to Julian. “Now, Julian…the floor is yours.”

  “You all look beautiful tonight,” Julian began. “I wish I would’ve had more time to spend with each of you, but we have a tight schedule.” He took a deep breath. “So I guess we will begin.”

  A sense of calm came over me. Because I was meeting Julian at midnight, I didn’t need to worry about him getting rid of me. His reassurance over hot cocoa was enough for me to feel secure that I didn’t have anything to worry about.

  Julian reached over and picked up a musical note charm. “Zoe.”

  I knew I wasn’t going home, but I didn’t expect him to pick me first. He smiled at me and I saw nothing but adoration in his eyes.

  Before I was able to take a step, someone yelled, “Cut!”

  The set exploded in murmurings as Robert Brady marched onto the patio.

  “What’s the creator doing out here?” Mya turned and hissed at me from her perch on the front row.

  “I have no idea,” I replied even though a part of me did.

  My stomach sank as I thought about how I saw Robert Brady staring at me earlier in the day. Whatever he was discussing with Julian in hushed tones wasn’t going over well with Julian. His jaw was locked as if his teeth were clenched and his arms crossed his broad chest defensively. The heated discussion came to an end with Robert walking off seemingly satisfied and Bryce patting Julian on the back.

  “Okay let’s get set,” the same voice called out. “In five, four, three, two, one. Action!”

  Taking a deep breath, Julian reached over and picked up a musical note charm. His demeanor, his facial expression, and his body language had changed. He still smiled, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

  “This first charm goes to…” He looked at me and I could see in his eyes that something was wrong. “Samantha.” He shifted his gaze to Samantha who was on the second row with me. She made her way between Bailey and Tiffany and walked gracefully up to Julian. “Will you continue on this journey with me to find ‘The One’?”

  “Yes,” she squealed, allowing him to clasp the charm onto her bracelet. They hugged and then she went inside to get ready for their date.

  Julian called Emma next, followed by me.

  When I moved toward him, I felt Julian’s energy. I stood before him and when he looked me in my eyes, I saw the anger or frustration or whatever was clouding his features before giving way to peace. “Zoe, will you continue on this journey with me to find ‘The One’?”

  Staring up into his eyes, I answered without hesitation. “Yes.”

  He clasped the charm on my bracelet, letting his fingers linger on my skin longer than necessary. We exchanged smiles and then I took my place on the other side of Bryce.

  As he cycled through the rest of the women, I watched the production crew as they milled around. Some seemed to be working, but others looked on with clipboard or tablets taking notes. It felt as though some were staring at me, but with the group being so close together, I couldn’t really tell.

  “This is it,” Bryce interjected, bringing me back to the actual ceremony. “One of you is not the one.”

  I looked and saw Leah and Nicole on the chopping block.

  “Leah,” Julian called out.

  Leah moved forward and they had their moment, but my eyes were glued to Nicole as she broke down crying. I didn’t know why that made me sad, but it did.

  Once the ceremony was over, Julian left with Emma and Samantha. The rest of us were left to our own devices.

  I went into the kitchen to get a bottle of water and when I turned around Leah was standing behind me. Because I was lost in my own thoughts, when I saw her I jumped.

  “Leah, shit, you scared me,” I informed her.

  “Oh, sorry,” she said in a way that let me know that she was not at all sorry. “So, you and Julian, huh?”

  I didn’t respond because I didn’t know what she was trying to say. So I stared at her with a quirked eyebrow. “What are you asking?”

  “So it’s clear you’ve made quite the impression on Julian. Everyone is talking about it. Even Mya, which surprised me.”

  Oh, okay, I see. She’s trying to make drama happen between us. She must have just acknowledged me as a threat. Got it.

  I nodded, walking away. “Cool.”

  When I was almost out of the kitchen, she added, “Do you think that it’s crazy that Ana has a sixteen month old baby at home and she’s out here looking for love? Shouldn’t she be home taking care of her child?”

  “Have a goodnight, Leah.” I didn’t bother to turn around. I headed straight to my room.

  I grabbed my headphones and iPod and proceeded to take a long hot bubble bath. Listening to songs didn’t do anything to stop my mind from drifting to Julian. I didn’t know how long I ended up being in the bath, but when I got out, my fingers were pruned.

  Mya wasn’t back from wherever she was hiding and although I knew she probably took Nicole’s leaving hard, I wanted to spend some time with my own thoughts before she came back. After putting on leggings and a sexy bra and panties set, just in case, I climbed into bed and let my body get sucked into the depth of the mattress. I pulled the sheets up and the time seemed to creep by slowly because I was anxiously awaiting midnight. As soon as I felt sleep coming, Mya burst through the door. Flipping on the light and making a lot of noise, she stopped as soon as she saw me peering at her.

  “Sorry! I didn’t know you were sleeping so soon.” Her words were slurred.

  “No worries,” I said, sitting up in bed, rubbing my eyes. “Are you okay?”

  She stumbled to her bed and then collapsed. “I’d be better if Julian was here,” she giggled. “He’s so hot!”

  My eyebrows furrowed. “Mya, how much did you have to drink?”

  “Enough!” She groaned. “I think they have an open bar every day for a reason. No snack food, but drinks for days!” She did a little dance. “Do you know what’s crazy?”

  “What’s crazy?”

  “How it is obvious to everyone that Julian is really into you.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that so I just looked at her.

/>   She started laughing. “Don’t be shocked. It’s a good thing. And honestly, it’s not a surprise that Julian Winters has a thing for you. You’re great and you have your shit together and you don’t have all this baggage.”

  “Mya, are you sure you’re okay?” I got out of the bed in my black leggings and soft pink t-shirt. “Do you feel sick?”

  “No, I didn’t have that much to drink. I’m good. Just drunk, but not drunk drunk.”

  “Do you want help getting out of your dress?”

  “Yes please!” She sat up and threw her hands in the air like a child.

  I unzipped her dress and she held it up so it didn’t fall, exposing herself to the camera. I helped her slip on an oversized t-shirt. She climbed into the bed and I tucked her in. “Are you good?”

  “I’m good, I’m good. Are you good?” She reached up and grabbed my hand. “I heard what happened.”

  “I’m good. I don’t know what you’re talking about though,” I answered slowly, looking at her skeptically. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  Mya gave me a look of pity as her eyes fluttered closed. “It really is a good thing that he likes you. I mean that so much.” Her lip started quivering as her eyes seemed to shut for good. Her voice became lighter with each word. “But I hate that the only thing that gives the rest of us hope for a relationship with Julian is that the show isn’t going to let you win.”

  “Wait, what?”

  No response.

  I stood there looking at my roommate sleeping peacefully wondering if I heard what I thought I just heard.

  “Mya?”

  Light snoring.

  *****

  Chapter 12

  I was glad that I put on a jacket as the breeze was a little chilly. I stuffed my hands in my pockets as I quietly followed Julian to the gazebo. I spent most of the walk in my head, trying to figure out how to approach him about what Mya said. I wasn’t trying to throw her under the bus and I wasn’t trying to start anything, but if it was true and someone with knowledge of the show told her that, I wanted to know.

  Once we walked through the narrow walkway to the fence, Julian reached for my hand.

  Intertwining our fingers, I felt that familiar pull to him, that immediate connection to him. I sighed.

  As soon as we get inside, I’ll talk to him about it, I assured myself.

  “The closer we get, the quieter you get. Are you having doubts about sneaking out of the house?” His playfulness pulled a smile out of me.

  I looked up at his handsome face and my stomach flipped. “When we get inside, can we talk?”

  He looked at me, clearly unnerved by those three little words. “Is everything okay?”

  He opened the door and gestured for me to walk through the door. I had only taken two steps before stopping in my tracks.

  My eyes swept over the dimly lit room. Moonlight poured into the room, cascading light through the glass windows. Rose petals surrounded a small table that was placed in the middle of the gazebo. Three big white candles sat on the table, fire flickering at the wicks. Slow R&B music played lightly through speakers hidden in the walls. The smell of chocolate wafted through the air.

  I spun around just as Julian closed the door behind us. Even with the beautiful layout before me, he was the reason my heart skipped a beat. In a pair of sweat pants and a tight t-shirt that showcased his muscles and the half-sleeve of tattoos on his arm, he was gorgeous. And knowing that the gorgeous, amazing man before me might have put together the most romantic layout for me was almost enough to make me cry.

  “What’s this?” My voice was so light that it lost itself in the music.

  “This,” he said, stepping forward. He cupped my face. “This is the date you deserve.”

  He planted a sweet, lingering kiss against my lips. When he pulled away, he gazed down at me. My heart thumped between the kiss and the way he looked at me.

  I wrapped my arms around him. “You are an incredible man.”

  “And you are an incredible woman.” He pecked my lips and then spun me around. Wrapping his arms around me from behind, he kissed my neck as he guided us to the table. He pulled out my chair for me and I sat.

  The expensive looking bottle of wine he poured from was beautiful, but I’d never heard of the brand before. He filled our glasses and upon tasting it, I knew it was the most delicious thing I’d ever tried.

  I looked around in awe. Taking another sip, I gushed, “This is so thoughtful, Julian. Really. Thank you.”

  He walked to the small refrigerator and pulled out a huge slice of cake. “Do you like chocolate drizzle on your cake?”

  “That sounds good.” I unzipped my jacket and pulled it off as he brought the cake and chocolate to the table. “Julian, this is amazing. When did you have time to do this?”

  “I made a few calls and then once I had everything I needed, I put it together when I got back from the listening party.”

  I had a visual of Emma and Samantha on his arm. “How was that?” I tried to make my voice sound natural and unbothered.

  “It would’ve been better if I would’ve been there with the woman I wanted to be there with.” He picked up a fork and cut a piece of cake. Offering it to me with a slight movement, he fed me the decadent desert. “I was there, but I wasn’t there. I smiled for the cameras. I did what I needed to do. But this was the date I was looking forward to.”

  I swallowed and smiled. “You always know the right words to say, don’t you?”

  He took a bite of cake and nodded. “I just speak the truth.”

  “This cake is the truth,” I returned, picking up the other fork and spearing another piece for myself.

  We finished off the cake as we talked about our life prior to the show and the things we wanted to do after the show.

  “What kind of law did you specialize in?” Julian asked.

  “I specialized in Corporate Law, like my mom.”

  He nodded, studying me. “What kind of law do you want to practice? Or do you even want to practice?”

  I let out a breath and even though I didn’t know how to verbalize the feeling his question gave me, I wanted to try to answer it.

  “I do want to practice. I joke that it was a quarter-life crisis, but seriously, I think it is.” I put my hand over my mouth and let out a little laugh. “I think I opted out of the bar because it felt like too much pressure. I was either going to pass it or fail it. I was either going to start a career or spend six months drowning in my parents’ disappointment. And then I’ve been flirting with the idea of Entertainment Law and… I just got in my own head. I’m not a risk taker at all so spending my whole life wanting to do Corporate Law and then feeling like I want to change to Entertainment a couple months before the bar…it was a lot. It’s still a lot. And I still ended up doing something rash by not taking it at all. I don’t know...”

  I’m rambling.

  I bit my lip. Placing my fork down on the empty plate, I kept my eyes trained across the small table at him. I smiled, shaking my head. It was crazy to me that I felt so at peace in the moment, yet two weeks prior, that line of questioning had me throwing a bag together and fleeing to Virginia.

  A smile played a Julian’s lips. “What?”

  “People usually automatically assume that my mom’s path is my path, too. I like that you didn’t and that you cared enough to ask.”

  I like that you see me.

  “I like that you open up to me.” His eyes diverted from mine and he chewed his bottom lip. “You, uh, you wanted to…talk to me about something?”

  A series of heart palpitations kept me silent for a moment. “It’s not important,” I answered, rashly deciding against bringing up what Mya said at that moment.

  I rationalized my decision by reminding myself that I just wanted to enjoy my time with Julian since it was so limited.

  I’ll probably be over here for a few hours so I can work it into the conversation later.

  He didn’t look like h
e entirely believed me, but he didn’t push. His eyes gave him away though. There was a certain vulnerability in the way he looked. Finally, he nodded.

  Picking up a remote control to turn up the music, Julian stood. Stretching out his hand toward me, he implored, “Will you dance with me?”

  I smiled, placing my hand in his.

  He pulled me up quickly, causing me to collide into his chest. I giggled until he wrapped his arms around me. At that point, my body melted into him. With my ear to his chest, I closed my eyes and listened to his heart. His hands ran through my hair and then moved down my back as we moved to the music.

  “I love your hair down.”

  “Mmmm. Thank you,” I murmured into him. I inhaled his scent and then sighed.

  He chuckled to himself. “What are you doing?” He asked, kissing the top of my head.

  Not being creepy, I promise!

  “Just enjoying this. This is nice. This is…”

  Perfect. My eyes flew open as soon as the word entered my mind.

  “This is what?” He asked softly, his hands running up and down my back.

  “This is…the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.” I looked up at him. “Thank you.”

  “You don’t have to keep thanking me.” He kissed me before pulling away. “I have something else for you.”

  As he went over to the shelf, I refilled our wine glasses and walked them two steps over to the couch. Placing the glasses on the end table, I smiled as he walked over to me with a gift box the size of his hand.

  My jaw dropped. “You did not get me a gift.”

  He smirked. “I did.”

  “I can’t accept it.” I stood up and gestured around to the table and the petals. “I told you six hours ago that my ideal date night was a candlelit dinner with rose petals and you executed it. That is gift enough.”

  He took a step closer to me and grabbed my hand. “You being here, spending time with me is my gift from you so please accept it.” Turning my hand palm up, he placed the gift in my hand.

  I tried to contain my smile, but I couldn’t. I clutched the box to my chest with one hand and I grabbed the collar of his shirt with the other. Pulling his face closer to mine, I pushed my lips up to meet his. I moved my mouth over his in appreciation, in adoration and in absolute lust.