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Although Evan had said they were running half an hour behind, that time came and went. With every minute that ticked by, I got more and more nervous. I envied the girls who were taking the new development in stride. Some of them were throwing names around for who they hoped to be paired up with, like Gabe Gable and Liam Oliver. My hopes weren’t nearly as high. I would be happy if I knew the guy at the first meeting. I was fully expecting a B-list celebrity like the ones who competed onDancing with the Stars.
Georgia retrieved a nail file from her purse and started smoothing a rough edge on her ring finger. “How awesome would it be if Garth Brooks walked in?”
I snorted. “The odds of that are—”
“Oh, stop. I know it’s not going to happen. But I can dream for the next… well, however long this takes. Who’s your dream guy?”
“No one.”
“Come on. There’s got to be someone.”
Sighing, I thought about it for a good minute.Go big or go home, right?“Elvis Presley.”
Georgia pursed her lips. “Seriously?”
I shrugged. “You said anyone. Why not go with the king?”
“True enough. Might as well aim high. I guess that would make you the queen.”
I laughed. I could deal with that title, though I would have preferred to earn it instead of having it bequeathed upon me because of my relationship to someone else.
After another hour, a sound tech finally pulled me aside to fit me with a lapel mic. By that point, my nervousness had turned into annoyance at having to wait. The importance of punctuality had been drilled into me for my entire childhood, and as an adult, I hated when others didn’t prioritize it. At least I was in the first group. Since there was a limited number of cameramen available, our first meetings were being filmed in shifts.
“Say something,” the tech instructed one he’d gotten me all wired up.
“Uh… hello?”Real original.
The cameraman gave the tech a thumbs-up. The mic was live. “There will be another cameraman already in the room so we can get both angles. Don’t look at the camera if you can help it. This isn’t an episode ofThe Office.″
“Okay.”
“All right. You’re all set.” The tech looked over his shoulder. “Babe! This one’s ready.” Then he walked away, leaving me with the cameraman.
A young woman with a springy ponytail walked over. “Hiya! I’m Babe, an intern.”
I blinked. I’d been thinking the sound tech was being a misogynistic asshole, but that was the girl’s name. “I’m Ali.”
“Right-o.” She scrolled through the tablet she held. “Here you are. I’m going to escort you to meet your celebrity partner. Are you excited?” Her smile was bright and her tone bubbly, but she seemed genuine. It felt safe to be truthful with her.
“More nervous than excited, I think.”
She nodded. “I understand. Try to have fun, okay? Just act natural.”
I shook out my arms. “Natural. Right. Got it.”
She smiled encouragingly. “Ready?”
No, not really.“Sure.” I followed her and the cameraman out of the main meeting room and down a series of hallways.Natural, I silently repeated. The problem was that the more I thought about it, the more difficult it was to accomplish. I fixated on how my arms swung by my sides as I walked.Do I swing them too much?I held them still, and that felt even more awkward. I shook them out again.Stop thinking. You’re thinking too much!We hadn’t even made it to our destination, and I was already a head case.
Babe stopped outside a closed door. “Here we are.”
I exhaled. On the other side of that door was the person who had the capacity to help me achieve my dreams or dash my hopes. For better or worse, I needed to get on board with the idea of having a partner forSing Battlebecause it was happening whether I liked it or not.
The cameraman switched on his equipment, and Babe smiled kindly. “Any last questions before I open the door?”
My eyes widened. “That’s it? You’re just going to throw me in there?”
She laughed. “Not exactly, but more or less, yes. We’re trying to get a natural reaction from everyone.” There was that word again.
My tongue suddenly felt too big for my mouth. “So do I introduce myself? Is he expecting me?”
“He’s been given your name, but that’s it. So introducing yourself seems like a good start.”
Makes sense.Him having my name meant nothing, really, because I was a nobody.But not for long.
I exhaled one last time then nodded at Babe. “I’m ready.” I said a silent prayer into the ether, a last-minute plea for a quality partner.
Babe swung open the door, and the cameraman went in first, blocking my view of who was waiting for me inside.So much for a sneak peek.Plastering a smile on my face that was anything but natural, I stepped through the doorway.
The smile fell off my face as my eyes widened.
