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CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
London
I woke up in a foul mood. Scott got me thinking. And I went to sleep in my old room. I didn’t say a word to anyone when I got up. No, I headed straight for the barn to meet Carlton.
Of course neither Ryan nor Lisa showed. I got my chuckles when security threw open both their doors after a few knocks. When they didn’t answer, doors were kicked in. Sal wasn’t happy but it’s a door—it can be fixed fairly easily.
Both cried and whined all the way to the van. Since they were leaving, they should have been able to sleep in.
Even better, Lisa had a houseguest. The cameraman Ryan had been talking about was in her bed. He was told to leave. He had to do the walk of shame in front of all the crew.
That was my entertainment of the morning.
I finished mucking the stalls just as the contestants arrived.
Afton avoids me. I don’t blame him—I was a dick.
“I hope your day gets better,” Scott says, leaning over the stall door.
“What?” I stop what I’m doing and wipe the sweat from my brow.
“Everyone is talking about how you’re in a mood. I hope it wasn’t something I did.”
“It wasn’t.” It was, but he might be right.
“Oh, good.” He steps in closer to me.
Taking a good look at him, I note he’s shorter than me, but I like that in a man. He’s good looking with plump lips. He has short, dark hair, clean-shaven on the sides, and longer on top. Something you can run your fingers through.
“How about we get that beer later?” I suggest, catching his gaze and slipping past him.
“Yeah, I’d like that.” He beams. “See you at lunch.”
“Yep.” I put my shovel in its respective place and head out to the pasture where these medieval catapult-looking contraptions are assembled.
There are five set up. People will run to the pumpkin patch we grew this year, grab a pumpkin, run back, put it in the launcher, and pull.
Each contestant will get five chances. Farthest distance gets the date. Sal changed it to the top man and top woman. So, women on one side, men on the other.
“You’ve been given your numbers to know your order,” Carlton announces. “The ones are up to shoot first, but let’s change it up. Free-for-all in the pumpkin patch.”
Alrighty then.
“Ready. Set. Go,” Carlton shouts, and everyone takes off.
Afton is in the lead, followed by Rudi.
For the women, it’s Mary, followed by a girl named Sarah.
I chuckle when an actual girl fight breaks out over a pumpkin and security has to break it up.
“Bitch,” a girl named Ava yells at Mary.
“Get your own,” Mary shrieks back, placing her hands on her hips.
“I did,” Ava screams. “You were trying to steal it.”
“It’s a pumpkin, sweetie.” Mary gives her a sickly-sweet smile, her tone derisive.
