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“Yeah.” I squirmed under the pressure of his attention. “It’s fine. I can handle it.”
“It’s not fine. You shouldn’t be singled out. Fair play has to be in the contract for a competition of this nature.”
“Fair play? I doubt it. Have you ever watched reality TV before?”
He paused for a moment and ran his thumb slowly over the edge of his cup.
I imagined how it would feel if he was doing that to my lip or my nipple.I could not be thinking these things!
“No,” he said finally. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, the producers look for people’s weaknesses and play up disagreements. If they can manipulate you into hating someone, they will. They have no qualms with inventing tension out of nowhere, either.”
“That’s unethical.”
“It’s all in the name of entertainment.”
“That doesn’t make it better; if anything, it makes it worse.”
“I…” He was right of course—it sucked hairy donkey balls. “I knew what I was signing on for, and I’ve heard it can get a lot nastier. I’m lucky all they’ve done is give me a giant rat to deal with and a few lies to tell.”
Tristan scowled and his jaw ticked he clenched it so hard.
I appreciated his concern, but I was fine. It would be better if he didn’t care, really. No feelings were the best feelings.
I turned my attention back to the show as it came back on. This time, Tristan didn’t guess any of the answers. I did, though. I wanted to look over at him, to see if he was having any fun, but it was safer to pretend I didn’t care.
At the next commercial break, he spoke again. “What are you making?”
This was a topic I could handle.
“You know how the Resplendent Theatre is putting on a show based onThe Great Gatsby?”
He shook his head.
“Well, they are. I applied to be an assistant costume designer, but never heard back. So I’m making the kind of pieces I would have made, to put in my portfolio. I do that every time I apply and get rejected or ignored. I’ve never even made it to the interview stage. But someday I will.”
“Why make the costumes after you don’t get the job?”
“Because even if it’s not the Resplendent Theatre, some television station or movie studio eventually is going to be looking for a person just like me. They’ll see what everyone else is missing out on.”
“They’ll see you.”
“Yeah.” I grinned at him. “It’s been my dream since I was five, and I watchedBeauty and the Beastfor the first time.”
“The cartoon?”
“Yep. I know everyone always wants to be Belle, kidnapped by a monster and held captive. But I never did. Sure, I’d love her library, but come on, giving a girl access to your books doesn’t make up for kidnapping.”
Tristan chuckled.
“Aside from the library, I fell in love with Belle’s yellow dress. And I wanted to be the person who made things like that, the iconic pieces that people remember twenty years later, the pieces that make people feel.”
“You’re extraordinary, Morgan.”
A warm sensation filled my chest. I laughed. “I’m something.”
Fortunately, the show kicked back on, and I didn’t have to look at Tristan anymore, because my cheeks were so hot, I thought I might burst into flames.
