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Chapter Six
Simon
That did not go as planned. I’d read the situation wrong. Very wrong. I thought she would be happy to know that I wasn’t going to take this whole situation seriously either. If we couldn’t get out of it, at least we could benefit from it. Remembering her uttered no at the beginning of our meeting on that stage spurred me on in my decision. Maybe she’d meant something else by that no.
I watch her walk away, steps firm and unfaltering, and she doesn’t even turn to glance back. The rigid set of her shoulders and back keeps me from following her. I doubt I can make anything better at this point.
“Ah, the look of a woman in love.” Boris’s voice sounds in my ear, causing me to flinch and catch myself before I raise a fist to hit him. My surgery department head would definitely not be happy with that move.
“It takes longer than a day to fall in love,” I say gruffly, turning to pierce him with a stare.
He doesn’t back out of my personal space; he just stands there, smirking at me. I don’t want to be the one to give in first, but it’s making my skin crawl, him being so close, so I take a small step to the side, squaring my shoulders.
“Sometimes, you can wait and wait, and the other person will never notice you. But you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” He claps me on the shoulder, which is getting to be his habit, before walking off. “Don’t forget to be back in your waiting room in five minutes. You’ve got a job to do,” he calls over his shoulder.
I stuff my hands in my pockets, and this time, I’m staring after him as he strides away, my brow furrowed as I mull over his words.
I climb into my SUV and start it up, exhausted after a full day of cameras being shoved in my face and cold shoulders from Alice after our falling-out. Sure, she put on a good face for the group date, but she interacted with me the least amount that she could get away with.
I lean my head against the headrest, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. I’m not sure where to go from here. We won’t know for another few days which couple will be booted since there is a lag in filming and premiere night on Friday.
We will film on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays; they’ll edit on Wednesdays and Thursdays; and there will be a new episode every Friday night for six weeks.
It would almost be easier to know this is filmed way ahead of when it comes out, but it seems the tight schedule allows for all of the emotions to play out and no time to recover. Upping the drama and the ratings or some shit like that. I’m used to working long hours, but I’m not used to everyone knowing my business. Or what business I even have.
A tap on my window has me glancing over, and I see a stone-faced Alice frowning back at me. I roll the window down and watch as she shifts back and forth on her feet. She’s nervous, I think. Or eager to say what she needs to say and get out of here.
“I wondered which vehicle was yours,” she blurts out.
“What?”
“When I got here this morning, I looked at all the vehicles parked in this area and tried to picture which one belonged to the person I’d matched with. It suits you.” Her eyes dart over my black Mercedes-Benz G-Class. “It’s dark and imposing, just like you.” Her eyes find mine again and then widen as she realizes what she said. She claps a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that out loud. It’s really a beautiful vehicle. Not that I’m implying you are beautiful. But you aren’t ugly. Oh my God.”
Her face is beet red, her chest rising in tight breaths as she fails to meet my eyes again. I want to smile, but I don’t want her to think I’m laughing at her, so I keep my stoic face.
“Did you want to talk about something? Other than my car?”
“Yes. I know we are supposed to live together for the next six weeks. I would offer my apartment, but it is rather small, and I don’t have room for both you and Ivy. So, it might be better for me to move into your residence for filming. I could even give the impression of moving in but only reside there for the three filming days and stay at my apartment for the rest of them.”
“That’s fine. Ivy won’t be there for the first two weeks anyway,” I say.
When I learned about the details and schedule for the show, I decided to have Ivy stay with my parents for the first couple of weeks. That way, I could adjust to living with my match and limit Ivy’s exposure to this whole ordeal.
I had a short talk with Ivy about what would happen and what I was doing, explaining it the best I could.
“And you’ll stay with Nana and Gramps for a short time while I get to know the person the show has matched me with.”
“So, you will be like the prince in my books? You are going to find a princess?”
“Something like that, baby.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her I was no prince and that I had no intention of finding a princess. Fairy tales are just that—dreamed-up things that help people escape reality.
Alice cocks her head at me. “She won’t?”
“No, I think it’s wise not to get her involved so soon, but I couldn’t bear to send her away for six weeks.” “I didn’t think of that.” She chews on her bottom lip, and I hungrily track the motion with my eyes. “I accept.”
“Accept what?”
