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Chapter Twenty-Five
Alice
My toes tap silently against the floor. I put on my favorite red flats that make me feel invincible for this finale taping. My armpits are sweating, and I feel like I can’t take a full breath in. These nerves will be the death of me.
I look up as the door opens, and it’s the makeup lady, Pat, coming to touch up my face for the fourth time. Sadly, I need it since I can feel the sheen already coating my cheeks and forehead.
“Are you nervous?” she asks, brushing some powder across my T-zone.
I look up. “Is it that obvious?”
“Not at all. I was just asking,” she says, smiling at me, and the sight calms me a little.
“Yeah, I am. It feels like this whole experience has passed in the blink of an eye, almost like I dreamed it.”
“Do you know what your answer is?”
She leans conspiratorially toward me, and I can’t help the grin that has the corner of my lips tilting up. I nod. She winks and goes back to brushing a little extra eye shadow on my eyelids.
“For what it’s worth, you two are my favorite couple. My fingers are crossed that he’s a yes as well.”
“Mine too,” I tell her, holding up my hand and crossing my pointer and middle finger.
“You look perfect.” She steps back and gives me a once-over, tucking a stray curl behind my shoulder. “Five minutes until they call you.”
“Okay, thank you.”
She nods and leaves, and I face the mirror again. I don’t touch anything, not wanting to mess up my face or hair. I smile, checking my teeth to make sure there’s no lipstick on them.
The door opens again. I turn to look, thinking maybe she forgot something, but it’s Boris standing there instead. I cringe.
“What do you want?” I ask. The niceties flew out the window after he did what he did at Bertha’s Diner.
“Just checking in on all my little stars,” he says, spreading his hands wide and then shoving them in his pockets. “You and Simon have been the overall favorites every single week.”
“Really? I haven’t kept up with it.” I sound uninterested, and I am. I haven’t checked social media or read comments. I don’t want the mindfuck that goes along with being in the public eye, and I think my mental health thanks me for it.
“You should. Voted most likely to get married out of all of you. Words like wonderful chemistry and soul mates are thrown around often.”
“How nice of the public. Can I help you with something?”
Boris steps closer, standing behind my chair, and he settles one cold hand on my shoulder. I fight the urge to shiver.
“I want to see what your vote is going to be for the finale.”
“Is that any of your business?”
“I’m asking everyone, so we’re sure not to have any surprises.”
I narrow my eyes at him.
“Okay, the truth is, I just want to look out for you. All of you feel like friends to me now since we’ve been on this journey over the summer, and I just thought you might like a leg up for the final showing.”
“A leg up in what way?” I swivel to face him, knocking his hand off my shoulder. He promptly places it back in his pocket.
“I just thought you should know how Simon is going to vote.”
The way he says it has the blood in my veins running cold.
