First Date

by Krista McGee

  After lunch—an orchestrated event at The Mansion with twenty-five girls who tried desperately to make the cameras look at them—Hank called Addy in for a private meeting.

  Without cameras around, Addy knew Hank would not be in “cool older brother” mode.

  Pacing in the spacious sitting room, Hank raked his hand through his pseudo-sun-bleached hair and sighed. “I was afraid of this.”

  “Afraid of what?”

  “This. You.” Hank motioned toward her like she was a deadly virus. “Who’s helping you, Addy?”

  “What?”

  “You heard me.” Hank crossed his arms and glared at her. “Someone told you to say that to Jonathon. Who is it?”

  “N-no one. It was a mistake. I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry that you’re the front-runner or sorry you’re all over the Internet? Funny, for someone who swears she doesn’t want attention, you sure are getting a lot.”

  “I didn’t want any of this to happen. Honestly.”

  Hank growled, “I spent half the night talking with parents. Parents who have been playing by my rules and are now feeling cheated because you come along and do your thing and their kids are barely even noticed.”

  Addy stiffened. “Hank, what do you want me to say? I’m sorry. I didn’t plan this, and I certainly wasn’t coached to do this. I’m sorry you’re angry, but it isn’t my fault.”

  “It most certainly is your fault,” Hank yelled, then calmed himself before continuing. “Let me make one thing crystal clear: this is my show. I’ve worked long and hard to get here. I am the host and I am a producer—and I call the shots. Me. Not you. Do you understand that?”

  Addy refused to say another word. Hank stared at her and she stared right back.

  “Look, I have no choice but to keep you on another week.” Hank raked a hand through his hair again and grunted. “But that’s all you get. I’m still willing to work with you. I know potential when I see it, and you’ve got it. But only if you understand that you work for me, and not the other way around. I don’t want you to sneeze without checking with me first. Got it?”

  Before Addy could even consider a reply, Hank stormed off.

  Walking into The Mansion’s living room, Addy thought things couldn’t get worse. She wanted nothing more than to go back to her trailer and call Uncle Mike. He would know what to do. He would at least be a friendly voice. Instead she heard Hank’s voice addressing the contestants.

  “Girls, I want all of you to gather in the living room for some casual shots. Just sit and talk, act as naturally as you can. Be careful on the couches, though. Only two or three on each, the rest can just stand behind them. Don’t sit on the floor. You are young ladies,” he added. “And hurry up. We need to get the other groups in for their camera time.”

  Cameramen swarmed in from all directions, blocking the exits. Lights and boom mics crowded the ceiling. The girls, each applying more layers of ultrashiny lip gloss, vied for a spot in front of the huge gilded mirror above the marble-topped table in the foyer. They were all chatting about how beautiful everyone looked, how much they liked Dawn’s eyes and Lila’s hair and Hannah’s shoes. Eyes darted to the cameras after each compliment.

  “Dan, no mics on this. We’ll be playing music under these shots. Cameras only.”

  The girls suddenly switched tactics. Smiling toward the cameras, they moved en masse to Addy. “So, Addy,” began one of the girls, a southerner with long blond hair and a big mouth, “how long did it take you to come up with that line the other day?”

  “Yeah,” piped in another contestant, a beautiful Latina, her hazel eyes flashing, “we didn’t know we’d have to start playing the game so early. You think you’re pretty smart, huh? Well, you’ve messed with the wrong girls. Just wait until those cameras are off. We’ll—”

  Addy was shocked at the contrast between how they looked and what they were saying. Suddenly Kara pushed her way through the crowd, smiling and yelling at the same time.

  “Leave my roommate alone or I will make your beautiful faces look like a scene from a horror movie.”

  Addy couldn’t help laughing as she watched Kara—always smiling her thousand-watt smile—turn the angry mob into a group of frightened little girls.

  Maybe actresses aren’t so bad after all.

  Chapter 7

  . . . And the worst part is that I’m in the Top Thirty, Uncle Mike.” Addy had finally gotten some free time, so she returned to her favorite spot in the woods and called her uncle as soon as she cleared the paparazzi.

  He laughed his deep, husky laugh. She could picture him smiling through his salt-and-pepper mustache, his hazel eyes dancing.

  “Addy, my girl. This is a good thing. Really. Remember what James tells us: the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”

  “Uncle Mike,” Addy whined. “I don’t want perseverance. I want out.”

  “How are you handling things? Getting angry, frustrated, biting people’s heads off?”

  “What, are you hiding in the trailer?”

  He laughed again. Even at her most upset, Addy was reassured by that sound.

  “I just know you, girl. You’re just like your mama. She would get like that when she was trying to handle difficult situations all by herself. And do you know what our daddy would tell her when she got like that?”

  “What?”

  “He’d sit her down, put his arm around her, and say, ‘There’s one God, baby, and you’re not him.’”

  She smiled.

  “Are you asking for his help, Addy?”

  She sighed. “No.”

  “Are you reading his Word?”

  Addy winced. “No.”

  “Then you’re not handling things well. How can you expect to get through this if you’re not talking to God about it?”

  “What does he care about this stupid TV show?”

  “Absolutely nothing. But he cares a great deal about you. He also cares about those other girls. And Jonathon. Even Hank.”

  “Aw, Uncle Mike, you almost had me.”

  Another laugh. “Don’t get so caught up in what’s happening around you that you forget what’s going on above. God has a plan for everything. He’s not looking down and saying, ‘Oh man, what in the world has that Addy Davidson gotten herself into now?’ He put you there. For a reason. You don’t have to go around preaching. Just be a light. Be Jesus to those people. And remember, it’s the meanest ones who need him the most.”

  “I love you, Uncle Mike.”

  “I love you too, Addy-girl. Hang in there. I’m here whenever you need to talk.”

  She hung up the phone and looked up into the cloudless sky. Uncle Mike was right. She had been getting too caught up in what was going on around her. She had been completely self-absorbed, too self-absorbed to even consider what God might want to accomplish through this whole mess.

  She closed her eyes. Lord, please forgive me for my behavior, my attitude, and my anger at the situation. She asked God to help her remember that she was happiest when she was obeying God, as Uncle Mike always said. She had certainly experienced the reverse of that the last few days.

  She entered her trailer and found two of her three roommates packing. They were throwing their belongings in their suitcases like boxers throwing punches.

  Allison looked up. “What, have you come to gloat too?”

  Addy looked over at Kara, who had also made it to the Top Thirty, and saw that roommate lift her arms in surrender.

  “I’m not gloating,” Kara said, an edge to her voice. “I’m in my trailer.”

  “Watching me and Lindsey pack to go home.”

  “And now Addy is here too,” Lindsey said. “You don’t say a word to us all week, and now you want to be here?”

  Kara stood from her bed. “Just because you’re miserable doesn’t mean we have to be miserable.”

  Lindsey faced her. “Just wait, Kara. Your turn is coming. I think Hank has already picked his favorites. So you’ll event
ually be off too. Just like us.”

  “We’re not gloating, Lindsey. Really.” Addy placed her hand on Lindsey’s shoulder. “You know, I’m pretty good at packing. Would you like a hand?”

  Lindsey looked at Addy, and Addy could tell her roommate was wondering if she was being sarcastic or sincere. So Addy sat on the floor and began folding Lindsey’s shirts and helping her place them in her suitcase. “My best friend’s mom owns an upscale clothing store in Tampa. One time she showed me how they fold shirts for the displays.” She demonstrated. “See?”

  Lindsey sat beside Addy and sighed. “Thanks. I’m sorry. I just really wanted to stay on, you know? Everybody back home expected me to make it. I’m so embarrassed.”

  Addy handed her a pair of jeans and smiled. “You know what, we’ll all be off eventually. Even the winner. You just get a head start. You get to sleep in your own bed and go back to school with your friends.”

  “But I go back a loser.”

  “Did anyone else from your school get on this show?”

  “No.”

  “Anyone from your city?”

  Lindsey laughed. “No.”

  “So you got an experience no one else around you has ever had. You’re going to go home a celebrity.”

  Kara shut the door behind Lindsey and Allison as they left. “That was nice, roomie.”

  “What was?”

  “That, with those girls. They were all nasty and you calmed them down.” Kara placed her suitcase on the bunk that had been Allison’s. “I was ready to get into it with them.”

  “They’re disappointed.” Addy shrugged.

  “Not the word I would have used to describe them.” Kara laughed. “Anyway, enough about that. We’re in the Top Thirty and we get this whole trailer to ourselves now. Woo-hoo. I say we decorate it. I’m thinking sparkly beads hanging from the doors and maybe a disco ball.”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what this trailer needs. Sparkle.” Addy rolled her eyes.

  “I’ll make a star out of you yet, Miss Addy.”

  Lila

  BOL: So, Lila, why should you be chosen to be Jonathon Jackson’s prom date?

  LILA: Well, I am the only island girl here. All these other girls are from the mainland. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, you know. I like mainlanders. But we island girls are special. More relaxed. And I think Jonathon needs some relaxation in his life. He must be so stressed, being the son of the president and all. It must be so hard. I can help him enjoy life and ride the waves. I’m a lot of fun, so he’d never be bored. I can bring him home to meet my family, put him to work in the fields. We would have a special luau in his honor. I’ll bet he’s never experienced anything like an authentic Hawaiian luau. My parents are some of the best cooks on the island.

  BOL: Tell us a little more about your family, Lila.

  LILA: They are the greatest. My parents own a pineapple plantation on the island of Maui. The plantation has been in the family for four generations—I’m thinking of majoring in business so I can take over when my parents retire. But I have twin brothers—eleven years old—and they are so smart. If I choose to pursue a career in the arts, I’m sure they could run the business.

  BOL: The arts, huh? Is that what you’d like to do?

  LILA: I just don’t know. So many people back home expect me to continue to study dance and music. And I love both so much. I’d love to combine them both somehow and use those skills to help underprivileged children. You know, kids who would never be able to afford lessons on their own. So many people have helped mold me into the person I am today. I just want to give back, you know?

  BOL: That’s great, Lila. Not many girls your age, with your talent and beauty, think of others. Good luck with all your plans. We look forward to seeing more of you on The Book of Love.

  Chapter 8

  The crew had been given a day off, so Addy was enjoying what she hoped would be a relaxing, camera-free day. She had just opened her Bible when Hank’s voice came over the intercom.

  “All right, girls.” He sounded put out to have to be talking to them. “Just because the crew has the day off doesn’t mean you do. Get dressed and get out here. You’ve got fifteen minutes.”

  Dozens of comments flew into Addy’s brain—none of them kind. She looked down at her Bible, then looked up. “I know, I know. Love your enemies.”

  “Who are you talking to?”

  “Sorry, Kara.” She had thought her roommate was asleep.

  Kara sat up and stretched her long arms. She even stretches gracefully, Addy mused.

  “So what do you think about this Top Thirty?” Kara said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you really think Jonathon chose us? Or were we chosen for him?”

  Addy hadn’t mentioned her conversations with Hank to Kara. It seemed pointless. But Addy knew there was much more going on behind the scenes than just a teenage boy choosing his prom date.

  “Addy, hello. Did you hear me?”

  “Yes. Sorry, Kara. I was thinking.”

  “And . . . ?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Want to know what I think?”

  “That’s rhetorical, right?” Addy smiled.

  “Ah, my friend, you’re learning.” Kara laughed and pulled her long legs up to her chest. “None of us are from the same state. All ethnicities are represented. All sizes. All hair colors.” She flipped her auburn mane. “Coincidence? I don’t think so. It’s way too politically correct for a seventeen-year-old boy. It’s all about audience. If the producers want all of America to watch The Book of Love, then all of America has to be represented.”

  “So we’re just pawns in the hands of the producers, then?”

  “Exactly,” Kara said, a triumphant look filling her face.

  “And this is the life you have chosen for yourself?” Addy grinned.

  Kara stood, clutching her heart. “Oh, you got me. But,” she began in a pseudo-Shakespearean accent, “I, my de-ah, am a true act-trees. Thy silly words may prick, but they do not pierce.” She walked around the trailer, long arms filling the space. “Nay, I say, nay. I wilt not succumb to thine attacks on my profession. I act, therefore I am.” With that, Kara made a deep bow, sending Addy into a standing ovation. Both girls were laughing when they heard a knock on the door.

  “Let’s go, girls.”

  “Seriously, though, Addy. This is like a game. There are rules, strategies. All we have to do is figure out what those are, and we’ll make it all the way to the Top Five.”

  “Hold on there, Juliet,” Addy said as she changed into shorts and a T-shirt. “I have no interest in staying that long, remember?”

  “Addy, you can’t leave me here.”

  “And what makes you so sure you’re staying?”

  Kara replied with a swat from a pillow to Addy’s head.

  The girls were still laughing as they walked around The Mansion to the spacious backyard. Hank was sitting on a director’s chair, sipping a huge iced coffee from a green straw.

  Addy looked around and realized Kara was exactly right. There were brunettes, blondes, redheads, African Americans, Latinas, Asians, an American Indian, a Pacific Islander, three who looked like plus-sized models, and two who looked like negative-sized models. From their voices, she could tell they were a mixture of southern girls, New Englanders, at least three from the Midwest, and a sprinkling of others from around the country. They all had one thing in common, though. They were stunningly beautiful.

  Addy suddenly felt like a weed in a rose garden.

  “Addy, what’s wrong? Are you sick?” Kara asked.

  “No.” She tried to smile. “I’m just feeling out of place.”

  “Why?”

  “Remember that song from Sesame Street—‘One of these things is not like the others’?”

  “Yeah, so?”

  “I’m the thing that’s not like the others.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  �
�Kara, look around. All of you are beautiful. Then there’s me.”

  “Addy Davidson.” Kara placed her hands on her hips. “You’re prettier than any of these girls. I’d give anything for that body. Not to mention your hair . . .”

  “You don’t have to say that. I really don’t care what I look like—”

  Addy was interrupted by Hank yelling for the girls to come closer. He must have been full from his iced coffee—it was too much for him to go to the girls. And his eyes looked more tired than normal.

  “All right, ladies. Let’s hurry and do this. I was out in LA yesterday. Just flew back last night. I am tired and cranky, and I want to walk through this as quickly as possible so I can go back to my hotel and sleep. Okay?”

  Addy was amazed at how self-important Hank could make himself sound in just thirty seconds.

  “One of you will be Jonathon Jackson’s prom date,” he announced as the girls jumped and yelled. Hank motioned for them to be silent with a wave of his beverage. “But as you know, this isn’t your average reality TV dating show. Being pretty and charming isn’t enough. Jonathon’s date must be a well-rounded young woman. Beautiful, yes, but also smart, athletic, talented. He is the president’s son, after all. So you will be tested in several areas. We will have different competitions every week for the next five weeks. The night after each competition has been aired, Jonathon will choose five girls to leave.”

  A collective groan came from the crowd. “Until the final week, when we are left with the Top Five. Believe me, you want to make it that far. That’s the week you get to go on a date with Jonathon Jackson. So work hard and listen to everything we have to say. This is a great opportunity for you girls. Take advantage of it. Also, from now on, each morning will begin with boot camp with Lacy.” He grinned. A beautiful and incredibly fit woman appeared at his side. “This doesn’t replace your schoolwork. It comes before it. You will be out here at 6:00 a.m. ready to work out. That will be your first activity tomorrow morning.”