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Tys’s eyes blazed. Snow held her breath, praying he would follow the rules and leave the stage. She didn’t blame him for being put-out. He was after a billion-dollar prize, after all, but if that was the reason he was upset, she would have thought he’d have put a little more effort into acting like a decent person.
Finally, Tys turned away. Several of the guys patted him on the back, mentioning their condolences, but he shook them off with fisted hands before he made his way toward a waving Eloise on the side of the set.
Marcos remained, beaming at Snow with the widest grin she’d ever seen a man wield. He was adorable, with bronze skin, dark hair, and an infectious likeability that she couldn’t help but reciprocate.
“I love America,” he said before she managed to ask for his three offerings. He kept his hands at his sides as if reciting verses. Snow smiled and quickly allowed the lingering ickiness from her conversation with Tys to melt away. “That’s my truth. America is a beautiful country.”
“I love it here, too,” Snow said. “Thanks for making this easy on me.”
“Yes,” he said, beaming and grinning. “My secret is that I’m hoping to bring my family here too. I guess it’s no secret to them, but it is to you.” He glowed at this.
“That would be amazing,” Snow said, matching his infectious smile with one of her own. “Is that why you’re going to school?”
“Yes. And my wish is for time with you, Snow. Time to talk, and time to sit together, and get to know one another.”
Snow reached into her basket. The two remaining apples rolled, but she grasped one of them and handed it to him. Marcos’s smile displayed even more of his teeth as he accepted the apple.
“Thank you, thank you,” he said. “Muchas gracias.”
“De nada,” she said with a laugh.
“Oh, you habla Español?”
“Only phrases,” Snow said, then offered one of the few things she could remember from her Spanish class in college. “Necessito los pantalones azul.”
Marcos laughed and wagged his finger at her. “Good, good. Your accent is muy bueno.”
“Ho ho,” Oswald said, closing in from where he’d been sitting on the sidelines. He strutted to the center of the stage, holding the microphone to his chin. “All apples but one were given, that is impressive, very impressive, men. Snow is obviously a woman who knows her own mind. We wish Tys Ulrich the best of luck in his future endeavors.”
The audience gave sympathetic applause. Snow wished she could agree quite as readily. She hadn’t liked how confusing Tys had been or how cheap he’d made her feel in only minutes. The other men had been completely charming, but Tys had instantly rubbed her the wrong way.
“Now then,” Amira said, stepping forward. She was shorter than Oswald and wore a silk navy blue blouse and pencil skirt. “That’s the conclusion for tonight. Before we go, Snow will tell us which of our lucky six she’d like to take on a date first.”
Snow placed the basket on the table behind Oswald and smiled at Amira and Oswald. Her cheeks were starting to hurt. “It’s a hard choice, since they’re all amazing. I would like to start with Preston,” she said, and the audience shattered into applause.
“Impressed by that performance, eh?” Oswald asked.
“I was,” Snow said. “I was impressed with all of them.” But thanks to his rudeness, Preston seemed like the next one on her elimination list. It might be best to eradicate the most obviousnos as quickly as she could so she could better enjoy her time with the ones who had actual potential.
Preston strutted forward and from the smugness on his face, Snow hoped she hadn’t just made a mistake.
4
Hunter paced the back room where video surveillance equipment was held. The screens displayed security areas he had to keep tabs on—the station’s entrances, halls, stage doors, and wings, and of course, the various views of the stage itself. Snow smiled and waved as she strolled off the wing and though she was no longer there within view, her energy lingered.
She was vibrant. With her infectious personality, she’d been an instant hit, and from the responses this first episode was getting on social media, others thought so too.
As head of security, Hunter had had nothing to do with the selection process, but he did know Snow Hendricks had gotten a unanimous vote from the crew—
Except for one person.
Eloise sniffed and lowered her clipboard. She stared through the plastic pane barring the recording room from the rest of the set, so they could see out, but no one could see in.
“What’s wrong?” Hunter asked.
“I told you she wasn’t a good fit.”
“Why not? She did an amazing job.”
