Page 32 of One to Watch

Johnny shook his head. “We’ll have to hope the rest of the men aren’t like that.”

Bea nodded, reassuring herself internally that it hardly mattered if they were.

“Okay, Bea, one last question, and I know all of America is waiting for the answer to this one: Of all the men you met tonight, who did you like the best?”

Luc sprang instantly to mind—Bea hadn’t been that attracted to any man since Ray. But she knew that wasn’t the right answer to give in this moment; Luc was too sexy, too volatile, definitely not the choice of a woman earnestly seeking her soulmate. She considered picking Jefferson, but something inside her rebelled against the idea of admitting so publicly what she privately feared: that he was the only man here who might honestly find Bea attractive. She thought back to Lauren’s advice—her job was to sell a fairy tale. It was her duty to find a Prince Charming, handsome and noble and, most important of all, capable of graciously sitting by her side for interviews for the duration of their pretend engagement. If those were the criteria, Bea knew exactly who she’d choose.

“Wyatt,” she said with a confident voice. “The way he comforted me when I was feeling down? If that’s not husband material, I don’t know what is.”

The audience applauded appreciatively, Johnny thanked Bea for her time, and they broke for commercial. Mack came to fit Bea with her giant headphones, a sad smile on his face.

“Sorry about this,” he groused as he got the earphones nice and snug.

“Come on, Mack. We’ve all got jobs to do.”

His smile faded a bit, and he clicked the headphones into noise-canceling mode. As the lights got hot and the men all around her started talking, the sounds of the set dissolved, and Bea felt the stress of the night fade into a nocturne by Chopin.

SELECTED TRANSCRIPTS OF JOHNNY DUCEY INTERVIEWS WITH MAIN SQUEEZE SUITORS:

Season 14, Night 1

Johnny: So, what was your reaction when you saw Bea?

Ben K.: I was surprised. I don’t mind telling you I was surprised.

Johnny: Like, a good surprised?

Ben K.: Like, a very surprised.

Kumal: She seems cool.

Johnny: In what way cool?

Kumal: I don’t know, she probably learned a lot in school.

Johnny: What makes you think that?

Kumal: […]

Johnny: How do you think the night is going so far?

Brian: I think beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.

Johnny: … okay?

Brian: Yeah. You can’t judge a book by its cover.

Johnny: How do you think it went when you met Bea?

Sam: Dude, did you see what happened? I poked her in the side! Oh my God, I made a fool of myself on TV. My grandma’s going to laugh forever.

Johnny: Have you ever dated a plus-size woman before?

Jaime: That depends on your definition of “dated.”

Johnny: Are you worried Bea might send you home at tonight’s elimination ceremony?

Nash: [laughs]