AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She took a large sip of her sweet tea. It was nothing like home, but it scratched the itch needed to get through her following interview. Plus, it soothed her raw throat after talking so much today. Stella’s job was to communicate with the contestants after significant events. She was waiting for the next contestant to go through her date with Quinn in order to interview her. She’d thought there would be more downtime since she was really only needed for times when the contestants were trying to win a date with Quinn or after their one-on-one, but she was finding a lot of her time was spent setting up the next interview. With twelve ladies, her time filled up fast.
Currently, she was watching Avery on her short date with Quinn. She wasn’t sure why the interaction was bothering her so much. Seeing Avery’s smile directed at Quinn was harder to witness than she’d thought it would be.
The band across Stella’s chest loosened when the date ended. She observed them standing, and Quinn held her hands up for a hug. Avery stepped willingly into her arms. Stella wanted to nip at Quinn to get her to stop caressing the back of Avery’s hair. Mine. That thought was distressing. She needed to work through her emotions fast, or she wouldn’t last another week as the host. Stella sighed, looking away. Avery wasn’t hers, and to think so was dangerous and could ruin not only everything she had worked for but also Avery’s chances on the show.
“Are you ready for me?” Avery’s voice startled Stella. She hadn’t even realized she’d walked to the table Stella was sitting at.
“Yes, sorry, I was in my head. Please sit down.” Stella motioned to the seat in front of her. “The cameras are here and here”—Stella pointed to them—“so feel free to look at either one when I’m interviewing you.”
“It’s nice to know where they are for a change.” Avery’s face looked haunted. “I found three in our bedroom,” she whispered with a shudder. “I wanted to find a fraidy hole to crawl into.”
The obscure mention of their time together both warmed and frightened Stella as she observed Avery wiping her hands on her pants. A clear sign of nerves. Mentioning that night should be against some code.
“Just pretend you’re catching up with a friend at their house.” Stella patted Avery’s leg. Her fingers remembered the path they’d traveled. “You’ll soon forget about the cameras.”
Avery grasped the glass of water sitting in front of her. “I doubt that,” she mumbled, but it was loud enough for Stella to catch.
“Do you need anything before we start?” Stella wanted to put her at ease. Not only because it made for a better interview when the contestants were relaxed, but also, she didn’t like seeing Avery uncomfortable.
“No, let’s just jump right in.” Avery’s fists clenched and opened.
“I’m here with Avery Greene, who just finished the speed date round with Quinn. How do you think the event went?” Stella leaned in to engage and show interest, except this time, she wasn’t playing the host role. She was genuinely curious.
“It wasn’t long enough,” Avery said, smirking at one of the cameras Stella had pointed out earlier.
The short response and arrogant demeanor were a quick pivot from Avery’s actions a few moments prior. For an added curveball, it didn’t resemble anything from their previous encounter. The interaction threw Stella off for a moment.
If nothing else, Stella was a professional and knew how to rally. “You’re almost two weeks in, and the first elimination is tomorrow. How have you found your time here so far? Are you getting along with the other women?” Stella kept eye contact, but Avery wasn’t looking at her. She was looking over Stella’s shoulder, lost in thought. The magic of editing would cut this down, so she gave her time to think.
“I’m excited to get to know Quinn better. There are a few people here I can see being friends with outside of the house. And I think I lucked out on my roommate. We both have a similar neatness level, which helps cut down on potential strife.” Avery’s eyes briefly latched onto Stella’s before skittering away.
“Good luck tomorrow, Avery.” Stella turned to the camera. “Tune in tomorrow for…” Stella’s words were swallowed with a fit of coughing.
Stella reached for her iced tea, trying to get herself under control. Finally, she pulled her shoulders back to help project her voice better. “Tune in tomorrow for the elimination round. Will your favorite be going home? You won’t want to miss it.” She nodded to help the editors mark the place where they should cut. There would be a camera crew to capture all the contestants' faces for more significant events, but these small one-on-ones only required the hidden ones in the room.
“Are you okay?” Avery asked in a whisper, rubbing her chest where the mic pack would be hooked. The question was surprising since Stella thought she’d left already.
“I’m fine. Just some air went down the wrong tube.” Stella cleared her throat. “Thanks, though.” She reached for Avery’s hand but stopped halfway and picked up a pen instead.
Silence descended on them once again. Neither seemed sure how to navigate their dynamic. Especially since they couldn’t openly talk about anything. Instead, they were left to deal with things in a cloud of assumptions and doubt.
“See you at the eliminations.” Avery stepped towards her but thought better of the movement and swiftly left. Stella could only stare at her retreating back, wishing she could have prolonged their interaction somehow.
Later that night, Stella turned on her side in bed, contemplating what tomorrow would hold. She’d already witnessed a fight break out between two roommates over the temperature the room was kept at. For the most part, Quinn would have difficulty choosing who stayed. Everyone was putting their best foot forward these first two weeks.
Being in the house with the contestants gave her access in a way that many shows didn’t have. She knew these women, and the odds were that someone she liked would be eliminated. There were only a few that genuinely got on her nerves.
A light knock on her door made her sit up, her back against the headboard. “Come in.”
Quinn padded into the room wearing a dark red nightshirt and shorts that barely covered her thighs. Stella motioned to the chair under her window. Just like other nights, Quinn ignored the motion and climbed onto the foot of her bed, sitting cross-legged. Her shorts rode up so high that Stella might learn what color panties she wore.
“Toss me a pillow, will you?” Quinn asked, pointing to Stella’s side.
“I’m giving you my best huggin’ pillow, so don’t get it all lumpy.” Stella tossed it to her with a flick of her wrist. It was one of the only comfort items she’d brought with her from home.
Quinn wrapped her arms around the pillow. “I can see why it’s your best. Just ignore the pillow-shaped lump under my shirt when I leave, okay?”
“Oh, no. I don’t go anywhere without that thing. You’re not getting it from me.” Stella lunged, ready to wrestle away the one piece of security she had.
