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This is what she signed up for, though. The thought of going through life with a little financial breathing room pushed her forward to the gateway, where she entered the code the showrunners had given her. The wooden fence opened to a well-manicured lawn. Avery’s rainbow Converse kicked at rocks while she walked up the stone path.
She tentatively opened the door and was greeted by a harried-looking crew member with a walkie-talkie hanging from her belt.
“Avery, right on time. Let me show you to your room.” The woman was shorter than she was, yet Avery had to jog to keep up.
The contestants had staggered arrivals, so Avery was alone as the crew member walked her through the house. She would meet her roommate but was asked to stay in the room until dinner. On the way to her room, she saw the red glow of lights littering the walls. Anywhere she went, she’d be filmed. Even in parts of the bathroom, although they would have privacy in the toilet and shower.
As they walked through the halls, the crew member introduced herself as Monica. Their conversations were halting, primarily due to Avery’s inability to focus on any question Monica asked. Soon, they stopped in front of a blue door.
“This is you. There’s a clock in the room. Please meet us in the kitchen at three. Also, Lou here needs to look through your bag.” Monica motioned to a woman who had snuck up on them like a ghost.
Lou would have been intimidating if it weren’t for her Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts. Avery had known this was going to happen and had been prepared for her stuff to get rifled through.
Avery tossed her bag on the bed closest to the door and motioned for Lou to do her thing. For a moment, she watched as Lou took out her carefully packed clothes and thoroughly searched all the pockets. When she held up Avery’s boxer briefs, Avery felt anxious sweat coat her skin. She refocused her attention, using the time to walk around the surprisingly spacious room.
Lou was thorough, ensuring there wasn’t any paraphernalia not allowed during taping. She was highly methodical as she fanned each book for objects that might have been carved into the pages. Avery tried not to cringe at the sight of the newly bent spines.
When Lou finished, Avery put everything away. She tried not to think about someone having to leave the house in two short weeks. It couldn’t be her. She’d tried to think of a strategy, but it was difficult without having an idea of the main contestant, most likely a minor celebrity, or other players in the show.
Placing a photo of her mom on the bedside table, she fiddled with the frame until it lay precisely where she wanted. She wanted a daily reminder of why she was doing this. Satisfied that everything was put away to her liking, Avery kicked off her shoes and lay in bed wanting to pass some time by reading. She leaned over to set an alarm on the clock sitting on her nightstand. Without a phone, she wanted to make sure she wasn’t late since she tended to get lost in a book.
Reading came in spurts as she tried to relax. Each paragraph was a battle to get through while trying not to focus on the fact she was itching to explore. However, she knew the show wanted to keep everyone separate and film an authentic first meeting with the love interest whose heart everyone was trying to win.
A knock sounded and Monica peeked her head in. “Avery, this is your roommate, Riley.”
The process started over as Lou rifled through Riley’s suitcase. Avery slipped her bookmark in place and hopped off the bed and extended her hand.
“Hi, I’m Avery. She/her pronouns.”
Riley’s handshake was timid at best, which didn’t seem to match her looks. A stunning Asian woman, she wore a light layer of expertly done makeup that enhanced her round cheeks and highlighted her deep brown eyes. She was slightly taller than Avery’s admittedly short frame. A little gap in her teeth enhanced her look when she smiled.
“Looks like we’re roommates. I hope you don’t mind that I took this bed.” Avery indicated with her thumb over her shoulder to the bed closest to the door. “I thought I’d give you the window, but if you want to switch, that’s okay with me.” She bit her lip to keep her from continuing.
“Not at all. I like being close to the window. I’m, well, Riley, like she said, also she/her. Great to meet you.” She chuckled sheepishly. “I’m hoping to be one of the first trans girls to win a dating show.”
As she walked around Lou, who was still rifling through her stuff, Riley winked at Avery over her shoulder. She meandered to the window to take in the view. It wasn’t much since the large yard was fenced in, but there were bird feeders and a glistening pool.
“Well, you’ll have to forgive me for not rooting for you unless I get kicked off.” Avery smirked as she stood next to her at the window.
“All right, I think we’re all set here,” Monica said. They turned from the window. “Riley, everyone is expected to be in the kitchen at three. Nice meeting you both, and good luck.” Monica and Lou left as quickly as they’d come.
They had an hour to kill and ended up playing a round of cards since neither could concentrate well enough to read. Avery enjoyed Riley’s quiet personality and dry quips that she mumbled under her breath.
The alarm shrilled, startling them into getting ready for the meet and greet. Avery pulled her sandals from her suitcase, opting for the ease of slip-ons rather than having to deal with re-tying her shoes.
On the way to the kitchen, she had to remind herself that this was a competition and getting chummy with people might not be the best idea. However, she couldn’t stop laughing with Riley as they wandered the house, trying to find the room they were looking for.
A babble of conversation finally directed them to the right area. In the kitchen, a group of women was conversing around a large center island that was covered with snacks. Most people stayed near their roommates. There must have been some primal force in finding comfort in the only person they knew, helping them through the awkwardness of being in a new place with new people.
Avery and Riley found themselves beside Denver, a muscular-looking masc woman with only four fingers on her left hand, and Echo, a white woman Avery couldn’t put in a category. With her androgynous look, she pulled off the flowing dress but would also look mouthwatering in a suit.
Monica had everyone go around and introduce themselves. So many names were thrown around that Avery lost track of most of them. Avery shuffled on her feet as Monica continued talking, but she perked up when she heard, “All right, go ahead and take a break. I’ll call you back in a little bit for more information.”
With that, the large group broke off.
“Who wants to go explore with me?” Ocean, a Black woman Avery had yet to talk to, asked the room. Her bleached-blond hair with blue streaks was intricately braided down her back.
“I’ll go.” Avery was itching to do something other than stand around. She wasn’t sure whether she was intimidated by being surrounded by such diverse, gorgeous women, or disappointed that they were all off-limits.
