AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Quinn had spilled red wine all over Riley, who seemed to take it in stride. From where Stella was sitting, she couldn’t get a great read on how the date was going, but both were laughing, so it must not be too bad. She’d have to wait to see what they shared in their interviews.
It was good to get insight into what was happening. She’d written down a few tidbits of observations during the game and now had a pad filled with notes from dinner. Only some interviews would air, but Stella’s job was to get enough material to make the show enjoyable.
“I think we’re ready to go. Can you get the car?”
So lost in her thoughts, Stella hadn’t seen Quinn get up from the table.
“I’ll take care of it,” Monica said from the seat opposite Stella. She was already unclipping her walkie talkie, presumably to ask for the car to be brought around.
Stella fell into step behind the duo, consciously staying out of the shot. As they stepped outside, Stella rubbed her arms to ward off the surprisingly chilly summer night air.
“How was it being away from the house?” Stella asked. She ignored the camera over her shoulder and the gawkers on the street. Someone on the sidewalk stopped and made a silly face behind Quinn while their friend pulled them further along.
“It was a bit shocking at first. The basketball game was overwhelming. Everyone felt pressed together. I like that the house is big enough to feel like we’re not sitting on each other’s laps, but that’s what it felt like at the game. The seats were so close together,” Riley supplied with a grin. She pulled off her coat and draped it over Quinn’s shoulders when she saw her shivering next to her.
“I didn’t mind you being in my lap.” Quinn leaned over for a kiss.
Stella averted her eyes. Although she didn’t need to, as they broke apart quickly after the car pulled beside them.
A knock sounded on Stella’s door that night. She had given up the fight a few nights prior, so now, when she heard the knock on her door, she kicked her pillow to the edge of the bed and motioned for Quinn to sit.
“How do you think that date went?” Quinn asked, tucking herself in her usual place, wrapping her arms around the huggin’ pillow.
“I’m not going to talk about your dates, Quinn. I can’t influence you.” Stella rubbed her eyes. The lack of sleep the past few days was catching up to her.
Quinn huffed. “I’m not asking you to give your opinion. I want to know how you think it went.”
“That’s the definition of opinion.” Stella laughed, opening her hands, palm up.
She had to give it to Quinn for how tenacious she was in prying information from her. Each night, Quinn tried to get her to talk about the contestants, and each night, Stella thwarted her attempts. However, she was afraid she’d slip up one of these days. She couldn’t afford to show favoritism. If it came out that she was influencing Quinn in any way… Stella shivered at the thought.
“I think it went well. The basketball game was fun and Riley’s great company.” Quinn touched her lips.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that. Is it hard to watch basketball? Would you rather be playing?” Stella didn’t want to linger too much on the date and instead focused on what she did best—interview.
“Not really. Sometimes I’d get frustrated at some of the plays, but mostly I enjoyed the experience.” Quinn’s fingers ran along the scar on her knee. “To be honest, I was a little relieved when I got hurt. My heart wasn’t in it, which gave me the excuse I needed to move on to something else. Like this show.” She hid a yawn behind her hand.
Stella felt a small smile develop. “I’m glad it worked out for you.”
“I’ll leave you to sleep even though I’m wired. It might take me a while to come down from this date high. Night, Stella.”
Quinn hopped off the bed like she had every night prior, but this time, she paused like she was about to say something. Stella was about to ask what, but Quinn shook her head, bounding out of the room.
At breakfast, Stella found Avery tucked in the backyard with a book. Stella knew there were cameras all around the yard, which made continuing toward Avery’s orbit a colossal mistake. She couldn’t stop herself from being pulled in. The minuscule silver lining was Quinn was eating breakfast, meaning the action was inside and could afford Stella and Avery some privacy for a few moments.
Stella felt safe sitting on the other end of the outdoor couch. A twinge of amusement tickled her chest when she saw Avery glance at her, back to the book, then zero in on Stella’s face, her eyes wide.
Fluttering her fingers, Stella provided a small wave. “Hi. What are you doing out here?” she asked, breaking what felt like minutes of silence.
Avery tucked the book under her leg before reaching for her coffee. “I started this book last night and can’t seem to put it down. What are you doing here? Should we be seen together?” Avery looked around as if just realizing there were cameras.
“Quinn’s inside, so the other women are flocking. I didn’t see you, so I thought we might have a few moments. They record everything, but most of what’s captured won’t make it into the show.” Stella leaned back, stifling a yawn. “You might want to mingle more. Dazzle Quinn with your shiny personality.” Stella sipped her coffee, hoping the liquid could jolt some of the tiredness from her head.
Stella watched a range of emotions play on Avery’s face. She sat back, letting her process the words.
Avery sighed, nodding her agreement. “Seeing you here threw me off more than I thought possible. Then almost getting sent home—” Avery’s head fell forward as she shook it. “This is harder than I was thinking. I’ve been caring for my mom since I was young. All my life, I’ve been trying to bail out this little lifeboat that keeps taking on water. I thought this show would provide some duct tape. I’m trying to rewire my thought process on the whole thing.” Her whispered voice trailed off. “Sorry, that was too much.” She placed her hands on her knees, seeming ready to leave.
“Don’t go.” Stella leaned over to put her hand on Avery’s arm to keep her from standing. She looked like she wanted to run to the nearest exit. Stella ached to soothe her worries. “I know it’s hard. But what you just said shows humility and humanity. I’ve been watching and don’t see any of your personality. You’re a marble carving of yourself. Let go and show some emotions. Let Quinn see how great you are. I think you’ll find the experience better for it.” Her hand tingled when she saw she was still holding Avery’s arm. Not wanting to break the contact but knowing she couldn’t touch her any longer, Stella squeezed and retreated.
