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“Thank you,” Avery said when she stepped around her. Stella’s signature scent seemed to follow Avery as she hurried down the empty hallway. The squeak of her own sneakers was the only sound to drown out the screams of frustration in her head.
The sun had gone down, and Stella was subjected to the torture of watching Avery and Quinn cuddled up outside. Everyone was waiting for the car, but the crew stood to the side, giving the contestants some space while the mic picked up everything they had to say.
“I had a blast tonight.” Quinn leaned into Avery’s side.
Stella wanted to break them apart. She wanted to stand in the middle of them or, better yet, switch places with Quinn. Watching the scene unfold was torturous.
“I did too,” Avery said, pulling Quinn closer. “I got you something.” To Stella’s relief, she stepped back and pulled out a crumpled bag from her back pocket. “It’s nothing really.” Avery held out the gift bag to Quinn, who took it with a look of giddiness.
“You were gone for so long, I thought you got lost. I was about to put out a flare to help you back.” Quinn rubbed at the logo of the winery on the bag.
Some of the crew chuckled. Quinn stiffened and looked around as if she’d forgotten people were there with cameras.
Avery snorted, hanging her head. “I probably could have used it.”
Quinn fiddled with the top of the bag, “Can I open this now? You should know I’m horrible with surprises. It’s a curse at birthdays and Christmas since I try to open my gifts and then seal them back up.”
“Go ahead.” Avery indicated with her hand.
Stella watched as Quinn peeked inside, gasping. She craned to see what it was. Steeping in anticipation but knowing it wasn’t time to interrupt, she discreetly radioed the car, asking to hold off the arrival for another five minutes.
“See, it’s a knife that has a wine opener. Plus, it has a logo from the winery, so you’ll never forget our date.” Avery grinned.
“I’m not likely to forget about this date, but I love it. Thank you.” The mics could barely pick up Quinn’s whispered voice.
With no warning, Quinn’s lips locked onto Avery’s. She looked like she stiffened but ultimately leaned into the unexpected overture. Stella felt a pit settle heavily in her stomach, remembering her own lip lock with Avery. Turning around, she gathered herself, finding it unexpectedly hard watching the moment. It wasn’t like she and Avery were together, but she still didn’t enjoy seeing the display.
Swallowing became more difficult when Stella heard one of them groan. This was more than her heart could handle. “Bring the car around,” she said softly on the radio.
“Are you okay?” Monica put a hand on her shoulder. The unexpected kindness was welcome. Stella needed a distraction from the kiss.
“Yeah, everything’s fine.” The choked words came out mangled in her ears, but Monica took her at her word, squeezing her shoulder and stepping away to talk to one of the camera crew.
Peeking over her shoulder, she saw Avery and Quinn laughing over something, luckily no longer kissing. She wondered why there was such a visceral reaction to seeing them together. Avery had been a one-night stand. They probably wouldn’t have run into each other again if it weren't for the show.
“Do you have heartburn?” Monica came by her side again.
“What?” Stella asked, wondering where the odd question came from.
Monica pointedly glanced at her chest, where she realized she’d been rubbing the area around her breastbone.
Dropping her arm, she winced when her shoulder popped. “Yeah, the food was delicious but rich,” Stella lied, not very convincingly if Monica’s raised eyebrows were any indication.
The car pulled up to the curb, saving Stella from further comment. The ride back to the house was quiet, everyone looking out their own window, lost in thought. Stella was sitting behind Avery in the large SUV and was having a hard time not reaching out to brush a swoosh of short brown hair that sat on the collar of her shirt.
Stella’s seat belt pulled tight across her chest when the car stopped in front of the house. The small group stumbled out but hovered around the SUV, awaiting final confirmation for the next steps.
“Avery, meet me in the interview room in five minutes. I’ll start with you, then Quinn in fifteen,” Stella directed, knowing this was now her domain. Monica and the rest of the crew were leaving since they only came out for special events. She gave a wave before trekking back to the house without stopping to see if anyone followed.
Five minutes. That’s how much time she had to pull herself together. In her room, she freshened up with a touchup of makeup. Before she left, she threw a shawl around her shoulders. Another layer wouldn’t hurt in the frigid air-conditioned room.
Settling into her interview chair with thirty seconds to spare, Stella tried some deep breathing to help further center herself. Seeing Avery on a date was harder than she’d expected. The pep talk she’d given her earlier sat heavily on her heart.
A knock on the door crumbled the small work she’d been doing. However, when Avery’s head popped from around the door, she relaxed at seeing her face.
“Come on in, Avery. Have a seat.” Stella indicated the ‘hot seat’ across from her. She knew the camera angles were all positioned to capture their faces. “You look like you got some sun.”
Avery touched her face with a smile. “I’ve got my mom’s complexion. She always said we could get a tan from the bathroom light.”
