“I don’t think so,” said Vanessa, rubbing her earrings thoughtfully. “Have you noticed how many of you are blonde? I’m not blonde. I don’t think I’m his type.”
“There are all kinds of types here. I don’t think he has a type. And even if he did, your hair is light brown. That is practically the same thing as dark blonde. Am I right? Whatever. You’re his favorite and you know it,” said Aubrey.
“It’s strange that he likes you so much, considering I’m here,” said Caj, glaring at Vanessa. She took a bite of her sandwich and shrugged, seeming genuinely perplexed by the unlikeness of not being someone’s first choice.
“Delores, could I have a word with you?” We all looked up to see Bellamy standing before us, still wearing his costume and wig.
“Sure,” she said. Her face turned as pale as her long white-blonde hair. She followed him out of the room.
“I can’t believe he just showed up like that! What if we’d still been changing our clothes? Yikers! That would have been ultra-embarrassing,” said Deb, rubbing her hands up and down her arms and grimacing.
“Ugh. I’m in Nerdville. I’m second-guessing even being here,” Caj said, locking herself in the bathroom.
“I think he’s going to send Delores home,” said Vanessa to me and Shyla. “You girls missed it, but she behaved like such a bitch. Aubrey messed up a little, and it totally ruined Delores’s concentration, and she was insanely mean about it.”
“She’s horrible,” I agreed. “We saw her behaving that way again, just before you got back here. She had a freakout at Aubrey and me just a little while ago.”
“While you were busy making out with my husband,” Shyla added to Vanessa.
“You really think he’d send her home instead of me?” asked Aubrey, overhearing our conversation.
“I guess we’ll find out soon,” said Vanessa.
Moments later Bellamy was back, looking very serious. “Would you all mind coming over here?” he asked. We all gathered around him, with the exception of Cashmere. Cameramen got up and jumped back into action to catch the big news from every possible angle.
“Where is Caj?” asked Bellamy.
“She’s busy pooping,” said Shyla, smiling sweetly and plugging her tiny freckled nose.
“Well, I’d like you all to hear the news at the same time. Let’s just wait for a minute,” he said. The minute turned to minutes.
“Just tell us! Is Delores gone? Did you send her home?” Aubrey asked.
“Uh, well. You see, she wasn’t very nice, but, um, where is Cashmere?” asked Bellamy. We all shrugged and waited another couple of minutes. Finally Bellamy couldn’t stand the awkwardness any longer. “Is she okay in there? Maybe one of you girls wouldn’t mind checking on her?”
“I’ll do it,” said Shar.
“I’ll go with you,” said Shyla. Then she looked back at us and added, looking straight into a camera, “I groom doggies for a living, so I’m used to stinky smells.” What she’d lacked on stage earlier she was clearly determined to make up for now.
We all stood around, fidgeting and waiting. And then, a moment later, we heard screams. Shar and Shyla came running back to us with looks of horror on their faces.
“What’s wrong?” asked Bellamy. “Is Cashmere okay?”
“Oh shit,” hollered a producer, tossing aside her clipboard and taking off running in the direction Shar and Shyla had come from, for fear she was missing something big. The cameramen went running after her.
“She’s fine,” said Shar. “By fine I mean she’s having sex with one of the lighting guys.”
“Oh no,” said Bellamy, collapsing onto the floor. His wig slid off in his hands. “I’ve lost two more. We’ve barely gotten started and they’re dropping like hotcakes. I know I will never find true love!” He began weeping.
“Bellamy Sweetie, I think you mean flies,” Vanessa said softly, but he was crying too hard to hear her.
“So that confirms it,” said Aubrey, addressing all of us like she was a cheerleading coach. “Delores has been let go.”
“Bellamy, Bellamy, Bellamy,” I said, going to him since I was the closest. I patted his sweaty, matted hair. “It’s going to be fine. Consider yourself lucky that the bad ones are making it so easy for you to weed them out.” I felt like I was comforting one of the kids I used to babysit.
“Are you sure?” he asked me.
“Sure I’m sure.”
“Come on, Emma, let’s go for a walk and talk a little.”
“Alright,” I said. He lifted up both hands so I could help pull him up. ‘Really?’ I thought.
“Do you want me to come with too?” asked Deb from Duluth.
“Uh, no, you can stay here,” said Bellamy.
Bellamy and I walked down the sidewalk a little ways and then he abruptly stopped. “I hope you don’t mind that I cried,” he said.
“Oh, of course not,” I said.
“When I was on the show with Alanna, I really held back. I can see now that hiding my feelings and not communicating enough is what got me into trouble, and why she didn’t choose me.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Actually, I think she just didn’t like me as well as she liked Antonio, but the producers told me maybe it was my bad ability to communicate. I really don’t know.”
“Who can say why two people fall in love?” I said. “Don’t beat yourself up over it.”
“See, that’s why I like you. You just always know exactly what to say. What do you do again? Are you a therapist?”
“No, I’m an interior designer.”
“Oh, right. Is um, Emma short for Emily? I mean, I know sometimes it is, but in your case is it?”
“No. I’m just Emma.”
“Do you ever call yourself Emmie?”
“No.”
“Oh. Why not? You should, it’s cute.”
“Huh. I’ll think about that. Bellamy is an unusual name. Is it a family name?”
“Family name? I don’t know what you mean.”
“Was it your mother’s last name before she got married, or something like that?”
“Yeah, no. My name’s not Bellamy Timberfrost. That’s just something they made up for television. Like Cashmere. I’ll bet that’s not her name. And, um, maybe Vanessa. Is Vanessa a real name? My real name is Dirk Wiedenbueller. My parents call me Dirky. If you marry me you’ll be Emmie Wiedenbueller. But, I mean, that’s just our little secret.”
I looked around at all the camera people.
“You won’t believe how much this gets edited,” he said.
“Oh. Weird.”
“So, back to me and my emotions, I hope I didn’t catch you off guard.”
“Not at all,” I said.
“Let me just, real quick, do this,” said a girl with some hair gel in her palm. She stuck her hand between us, and with a couple of flicks of her wrist, she magically turned Bellamy’s hair into a cool, casual style. A powder puff gently blotted my nose. Some lip gloss was dabbed onto my lips. Bellamy looked unfazed, but I felt my pulse quicken a little. Was I becoming an important part of the show? This was the first time any attention like this had been paid to me. I’d seen them fix up Bellamy now and then, but never any of us girls. It all took no more than four seconds, and then she dashed away.
“Thanks,” said Bellamy. “Anyway, Emma, as I was saying, I want to be myself. The real me is a crier. I hope you don’t mind.”
Why would I care? “I don’t mind at all,” I said.
“Really? Cool. ‘Cause I like to climb mountains and look at eagles flying overhead, and cry.”
“How about that? Good for you.”
“Do you think the other girls will mind?”
“I have no idea. But I don’t mind.”
“In that case,” he said, reaching into his pocket, “would you accept these Deluxe sapphire and diamond earrings?”
“Sure!”
“Here you go. These little posts are tough! My fingers are
so fat, man.” He tried to stick one into my ear and poked me in the cheek instead.
“I got it,” I said, taking care of it myself. I guessed this was a lot like how sex with Bellamy would be.
“These earrings mean I’d like you to continue on your journey with me towards true love. Do you accept that?” he asked.
“Yep,” I said, hating myself a little.
“Good deal. Ready to go back and join the crowd?”
“Sure,” I said. We turned around and were greeted by Shar.
“Have you been following us?” asked Bellamy.
“No. I just caught up with you. Have you got a minute?” she asked Bellamy.
“Sure,” he said. “Do you mind, Emma?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll see you later.” I walked back alone. Even though I had a mic on, no camera people were following me, so I paused and removed an earring so I could take a closer look. It was gorgeous! I put it back on and found myself starting to skip. It was exciting to be a favorite! Even if Bellamy was really Dirky Wiedenbueller. The competitive part of me enjoyed this simply because I seemed to be one of the front-runners. Not to mention that the prizes were amazing.
If only everything with Pete could have just waited until after I got back home. Why was I so impulsive? “Because you love him, that’s why,” I said to myself. I pictured Pete’s face, his body, the way he said my name, and I got very sad. “Why are you squandering love?” I asked myself. “True love is very rare. Very hard to find!”
This was all wrong. I needed to get away from it all and back to Pete as fast as I could. I realized that the alcohol, cameras, and constant interaction were confusing me. Only now, alone without cameras and people, was I myself again. Another couple of steps and I’d be back with all the girls. I sat down on a rock behind a tree, trying to hide, trying to think. Suddenly, Shyla was standing over me.
“Emma, you’re back! Get up! You aren’t going to believe it. There’s a television here. Come and see. Whoa! What are those? Oh my God! He gave you earrings. No way! You are the luckiest person ever. Anyhow, come inside and watch TV with me.”
So I did. She was hanging out in the producers’ trailer with Deb from Duluth, watching old music videos.
“We’re not allowed to watch TV,” I said.
“How can they get mad at us when they’re the ones who brought it?” asked Shyla.
“Good point,” I said, sitting down with them.
“Deb,” said Shyla, “did you see that Emma is safe from elimination for another day?”
“It figures,” said Deb. Her eyes were glued to the screen. Sarah McLachlan’s Building a Mystery video was on.
“I always wanted a total dipshit boyfriend like that,” said Shyla.
“Me too,” said Deb.
“Even the sandals in the snow and the tantrums?” I asked.
“Yes,” said Shyla.
The video ended and Deb started flipping through the channels.
“Stop! Stop! Go back,” I said.
“Why? What did you see?” she asked, clicking back a few channels.
“There. Stop there,” I said. And there he was. My man. My Pete. My uterus started beating like a drum. I wanted to have his baby!
“Do you like this guy?” asked Deb.
“No! Of course not! I just love that vegetable slicer dicer! Look at the way it juliennes!”
“Let’s find one of those court room shows,” said Deb. “You know what I mean? I love those shows! Especially Judge Judy. Do they have those where you guys come from or are they just in Duluth?”
“We have them too,” said Shyla.
Deb started flipping through channels again.
“No, wait! Go back please,” I said. “Can’t we watch the slicer dicer show a little longer? I want to see what else it can do. I need something just like that.”
“I suppose,” said Deb, going back to Pete. I couldn’t believe I was experiencing the luxury of watching him, listening to him. It was amazing. He looked adorable. He was so animated and expressive. I couldn’t believe he was mine.
“I think this guy is kind of cute,” said Shyla. “I’ve seen him do other infomercials. There’s just something about him. I mean, he’s no Bellamy,” she added quickly, since we’re never safe from scrutiny.
“I don’t think he’s the least bit cute,” said Deb. “I think he’s way too obnoxious.”
“I’ll bet he’s totally different in real life,” I said.
“Maybe,” said Deb skeptically.
“Are you watching television?” snapped the girl who had just powdered my nose. She looked horrified, like she’d just caught all of us smoking crack.
“They said it was okay,” said Shyla.
“Who said that?”
“Um, I’m not sure what their names are.”
“I think you’d better turn it off and join the others. It’s almost time to head back home. Don’t forget that you all have a cocktail party you need to get ready for tonight.”
We stood up. I took one last look at Pete’s face.
“Geez, Emma, we’ll all chip in and get you one of those slicers, okay?” said Deb.
I nodded and the sapphires bounced against my neck. Oh right, that’s what I was selling my soul for. I followed the others out of the trailer, determined that I would make this my last cocktail party on Bellamy’s Redemption.
Chapter 15
Vanessa and I were sitting away from the other girls since we were safe from elimination once again. Tamika from Topeka was sitting with us too, having earned herself a pair of earrings as well. The cocktail party had been going on for hours. Since Bellamy only had to send one woman home after the surprise of losing Delores and Cashmere earlier in the day, we thought the party might wrap up early. But it seemed he was having trouble choosing whom to let go. Thirty minutes ago we’d been told to get ready for the filming of the elimination ceremony, yet here we sat, as girls struggled to steal another moment with him.
“Did you hear,” said Vanessa, “that Delores and Cashmere had to give back their bracelets when they left?”
“What?” I asked, touching my sapphire earrings. They felt like part of my body. I’d rather lose a finger. “Do you mean we don’t get to keep our jewels unless we win?”
“If you get eliminated at a ceremony or some other scripted elimination you can keep them, but if Bellamy or the producers kick you off for bad behavior you have to give everything back,” said Tamika.
“What constitutes bad behavior?” I asked, imagining my plan to tell them tomorrow about the huge mistake I was making.
“Oh, anything could be bad behavior. Like, if you had a boyfriend at home that would be really bad behavior,” said Tamika.
“Um, that makes sense,” I said.
“Alright, ladies, take your places,” said Catalina Cartwright. Tonight she was dressed in a white tuxedo with sparkly red jewel-encrusted shoes. Her hair was slicked back and her lips were so dark red they were nearly black. I stood between Vanessa and Tamika, trying to ignore the glares coming our way. If I was going to wait until Bellamy sent me home on his own, I was going to have to become a lot more… what? What was it that he liked about me anyway? I decided that whoever he sent home tonight, I would become that person.
“Hi ladies,” said Bellamy, entering the room, nervously smoothing his pants. “I’ve made my decision.”
The other girls had gathered into a bunch, each standing on a small X of masking tape on the floor, with just enough room between them to properly show off their evening gowns. Some were taking deep breaths and wringing their hands. A few were smiling in pained, cheerful ways, but most looked serious and worried.
I stifled a yawn, wondering what Pete was doing. Then I thought about my job, especially Mrs. Norman Fillmore and her houndstooth obsession, wondering how my boss was dealing with her. Next my mind wandered to my mom and dad, and I felt a little sad. I stifled another yawn.
Meanwhile, Mylar, Shar, Deb, and Aubrey had all
endured the painful-but-worth-it receiving of sapphire earrings and had joined us in the safe zone. Watching Bellamy give them earrings had been like watching someone play pin the tail on the donkey with daggers. It didn’t help that with each girl he saved, Vanessa flinched and cringed as if she were watching a horror movie. I wasn’t sure how she’d made it through medical school considering how much the sight of a little blood set her off.
I hoped Shyla was going to be safe from elimination. She was the most fun of all the girls. I hoped Marissa would be sent home. She whined and complained ceaselessly. Even Shar was less annoying.
I watched as Bellamy kept both of them around, and made a mental note that he’d had special clip-on earrings prepared for Marissa who didn’t have pierced ears. Was it possible he really liked her? Vanessa raised an eyebrow at me, having caught this detail as well.
“I wish I would have gotten clip-ons,” said Tamika, rubbing her inflamed earlobe.
Eventually Bellamy narrowed it down to Chloe and Eve. They were both rather boho-chic and only had time for each other. Even during the cupcake free-for-all they had sat outside wrapped in hemp sarongs by the pool, playing with tarot cards and Chloe’s belt loom. Now they were holding hands and crying, probably over the idea of separating. I hoped he sent Eve home instead of Chloe. I really wanted her to make me a hippie belt. Well, I decided, whoever is left is going to be my new best friend here.
“Eve,” Bellamy was saying, “will you accept these Deluxe sapphire and diamond earrings, and continue on this journey towards finding love with me?”
“Are they blood diamonds?” asked Eve.
“I don’t know,” said Bellamy.
Eve looked at Chloe. “Should I?”
“Can she continue on with you without taking those tainted earrings?” asked Chloe.
Bellamy looked at the producers. One of them came forward. “This is a two part deal. You get Bellamy and you get the Deluxe jewelry, and you need to seem happy about both. It was in the contract you signed.”
“Maybe I can’t,” said Eve.
“If she can’t, I can,” said Chloe.
“Fair enough,” said Bellamy. “Chloe, would you accept these Deluxe sapphire and diamond earrings, and continue on in a journey towards finding love with me?”
Bellamy's Redemption Page 15
