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“All right. Well, I’m glad we had this little chat. Looking forward to seeing your television debut tonight.”
“Thanks, Vicki. Can’t wait. Have a good night.”
I clicked off the phone and stared up at the ceiling. I wasn’t surprised that she was the one who pushed for me to be on probation. She had even complained when I was running Blake’s rehearsals. But for her to call and apologize was completely unexpected, and probably the nicest thing she had done in the last ten years. I decided to be grateful that she had redeemed herself in my eyes, even if just by half a percent, and move on to my actual reality: getting ready to watch the show tonight.
We all gathered in the living room eating homemade fudge (Katy finally got her wish), waiting for the show to come on. Amy, Lucas, Scott, and I all gathered on the floor, while the rest of our friends and family took the couches.
“There’s a chance you won’t even be on there,” Hannah tried to console me, sitting on the couch behind me. She tried to reach my shoulder to rub, but her growing belly got in the way.
I rubbed her belly and the sweet baby growing in there. “Nice try, mama. But there’s no drama like the kind I caused.”
She laughed, then started to sob. “I think that’s the first time anyone has called me mama,” she wailed. Poor Evan wrapped an arm around her. I felt awful, but he mouthedhappens all the time, which cracked me up.
I snuggled in next to Scott. I looked around the room, grateful that I had my village here to support me during what could possibly be the most embarrassing night of my life. The recap began, and it was clear that the show producers were setting up the whole plotline of Maritza Sanchez and my dad for a while. If only I’d had time to watch TV in the last few weeks, I would’ve seen it coming. Apparently she had confided in her best friend, Rhonda Taylor (Ethan’s mom and Blake’s aunt), that she and my dad had dated in college, and she let him go, but he was her one true love.
My mom barked out a laugh. “She was so annoying in our humanities class. Remember?” She nudged my dad.
He laughed and put an arm around my mom. “Yep. She must have forgotten that you and I got engaged right after high school and were together all through college.”
My mom shook her head. “The producers didn’t do their research. That’s too bad.”
I smiled at my parents, grateful for their love and trust in each other. I looked back at Scott, and he was watching my parents, too.
“I hope we have a love like theirs,” he whispered to me.
I beamed at him. “I think we’re on our way.” I kissed his lips gently, only to be interrupted by a pillow from Amy.
“Ew, no PDA!” she yelled.
“Now you know how I felt with you and Lucas,” I retorted.
“Ugh. This is ten times worse. He’s mybrother.”
“Get over it,” Scott said, poking her side and making her squeal.
“Quiet, everyone! I want to see myself on TV!” Katy chimed in. We all burst into laughter but appeased the little tyrant.
The gala began about halfway through the show. The cameras followed the main trophy wives, including Rhonda Taylor, and I caught a quick glimpse of myself handing them the oysters. Blake was quickly shown, glamorous as ever. I noticed Thea tensed up as soon as Ethan was visible. I still hadn’t found out what the backstory was there, but I’d let her explain in her own time. But then Stella’s speech began, and it was exactly what I had envisioned.
Stella introduced my parents, and watching them on television brought a tear to my eye again. With Scott’s support, though, I was able to handle it better this time. My dad gave his impassioned speech, and one camera was trained on Maritza Sanchez to catch her reaction. She gasped, breathing heavily, making her large bosom expand out of her dress (yeah, that wasn’t intentional), and then she finally cried out for him.
It probably would have been the most dramatic part of the episode, if my fainting hadn’t come next. I watched through my fingers, too embarrassed to see completely. On the show, Katy called out to me, but the cameras didn’t reach me until I was already passed out in Scott’s arms.
“Oh, my lord. This is so embarrassing,” I murmured.
Scott squeezed me tightly.
“It’s pretty romantic, actually,” Thea chimed in. “You two look like a picture.”
The cameras rushed around me, and I got a good view of what I looked like a couple weeks ago. My skin was pale, and I was way too thin. But it was Scott who caught my eye. He looked like a hero in an action movie whose love had just been shot. Handsome as ever, his dark hair swooped over his forehead as he cried out for help.
“Man, I wish I had been awake for that part,” I whispered to him. He squeezed my arm but didn’t smile. I looked over at him, his face full of worry. “Hey, you’ve already seen how this movie ends.” I kissed him on the cheek.
That was enough to shake him out of it. “You’re right. But I don’t like reliving it.”
“Me, neither.”
The doctor rushed in, I woke up, and then he ordered everyone away while Scott rushed me out of the ballroom. I worried that one camera may have spied on us in the hallway, but an unexpected savior stepped in.
