Love Is in Sight

by Jill Ferraro

  Stacey got up to use the bathroom and Brielle opened her phone once again. Shea had sent her two new messages.

  Shea: I’m still thinking about our date last night

  Shea: You are just so beautiful

  Brielle pulse quickened. Her thoughts drifted back to their kiss, how Shea’s body felt pressed into hers, how soft and urgent his lips were. She felt herself blush before she turned her attention back to her phone to respond.

  Brielle: You are also VERY attractive. And I had a good time.

  Brielle: Why do you think you’ll be a good husband for me?

  Shea: Well I think we’d make pretty beautiful babies, for starters. And we had fun, right? I think it’s important to have fun.

  Her mom had made a valid point earlier. She had seen her parents go through good times and bad times but they always came through it together. They were always on the same team, even when things were hard. Brielle wanted that.

  But she wasn’t sure Shea was going to give it to her. They had a wonderful night and shared a kiss that she was not going to forget anytime soon. But Shea might not stick around for the tough parts of a marriage. He certainly didn’t put in much effort at the beginning of the week. He flew under the radar until Brielle had narrowed her options, until things were easier for him, before he put in any real effort. Did Brielle want a husband who would always take the easy way out?

  Before she could contemplate the question any longer, the phone rang. Brielle looked at the clock, it was awfully early for Abigail to call about an elimination decision.

  “Hello?”

  “Are you sending Matthew home or no?”

  “I thought I had until 6 to decide.”

  “You do. But with Shea still here we want the decision sooner rather than later.”

  “I’m sending him home.”

  “And going on a date with Shea?”

  Brielle hid her smile. She was definitely going on another date with Shea, she needed to confirm he wasn’t right for her. But she wasn’t telling Abigail that now. Abigail had caused enough problems in Brielle’s life and Brielle held so little power. “You know what, I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know later.”

  “You little-”

  Brielle hung up the phone before she could hear the rest of Abigail’s insult. Sending Matthew home, in combination with her decision to go on one final date with Shea, lifted a huge weight off her chest. Brielle felt like she could breathe again.

  Another pot of coffee had just finished brewing. She grabbed two cups and joined Stacey at the table to prepare for her meeting with the photographer.

  “Ready?”

  Brielle felt more ready at that moment than she had all week.

  Chapter Four

  Carl/Seth

  Brielle: Why do you think you’re the best husband for me?

  Carl/Seth: bcuz i’m the only 1 here who will take care of u

  Carl/Seth: I no we wont always have good times but i no we can get thru nething 2gether

  ◆◆◆

  “Have you lost your mind?!” Abigail had been screaming at him for over an hour. He had mostly tuned her what she was saying at that point but her shrill screams were giving him a headache.

  There were worse ways to pass the time. The producers’ apartment was much more comfortable. And none of the other guys were there. Mark sat on the couch across from him. He was clearly used to Abigail’s shrieks.

  “Are you almost done?” Seth had things to do and listening to Abigail scream at him all day wasn’t high on his priority list.

  Abigail leaped across the floor. Her face was inches from his. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. I know you’re not going to do anything to me. And I know you’re not going to send me home. So, are you almost done?”

  She flung her clipboard across the room and stormed out.

  “Not cool, man.” Mark finally spoke. He had been sitting there, in silence, for almost 45 minutes.

  “I don’t really care if it’s cool. You brought me on the show to win Brielle over. I made a mistake. I told Abigail I was sorry. Let’s move on.”

  Mark shook his head. “You and I both know that this morning wasn’t a mistake. You did it on purpose because you wanted to stir the pot. Well, guess what, Seth, you did it. Everyone’s pissed. We’ve got a dozen lawsuits for emotional damages just waiting to happen because of you-”

  Seth interjected. “No, you have a dozen lawsuits waiting to happen because of you. You contacted me. You offered me money to be on the show. You put me in the same apartment with the other guys. I did nothing except accept your invitation to be on the show.”

  “You’ve got it all figured out, don’t you?” Mark was almost as angry as Abigail now.

  Seth got up. “I’m going back to the apartment, I’m going to continue talking to Brielle, and if I get in another fight, just let me kill the guy. Add some more drama to your precious little show.”

  He slammed the door behind him. There were only three more days but he was ready to leave. They couldn’t keep him there, that would be kidnapping. He could do whatever he wanted.

  Back in the apartment, no one looked at Seth when he walked in. He was fine with it, he had friends at home who weren’t losers. He could hang out alone for the next few days. Besides, that would give him more time to work on his plan for Brielle to fall in love with him.

  Judging from the messages she’d sent so far, his new plan was working. He just had to be sweet, doting, and the complete opposite of the partner his instincts told him to be.

  He grabbed a turkey sandwich from the table and settled in on the couch to eat. He checked his phone and had a new message from Brielle. She was very curious about the type of husband he would be, and why he wanted to marry her. He quickly learned over the course of the week that if he wrote out the answer and it made him cringe, it was probably the right one.

  Brielle: So how long do you want to wait to have kids?

  Carl/Seth: idk like maybe 1 year or 2

  Brielle: Do you think you’ll be a good dad?

  Carl/Seth: yeah i like little kids. I thnk they can be fun. Always wanted a fam

  Carl/Seth: we’d hav 2 b on the same page about discipline n stuff tho

  He knew Brielle was family-focused, she’d always wanted kids. And teamwork was very important to her as well. He tried to keep a mental list of the things she valued so he could include them in his messages.

  Seth hadn’t noticed Brandon sit down across from him. He looked up from the phone to see Brandon studying him closely.

  “What?”

  “I’m just trying to figure out how you can be so fine with this. You’re sitting there. Smirking. Is her life a game to you?”

  Seth laughed. “It’s called revenge buddy. She humiliated me in front of my friends, my family. She told my mom I was sleeping around. My mom. And she knows she should be with me in the end anyways. My parents were unhappily married, we can do the same.”

  “But love and marriage isn’t about playing games. You can be with someone you care about, who you want to spend time with. You don’t have to marry someone just to spite them.”

  “No, you don’t have to marry someone just to spite them. I don’t care about anybody but myself. Brielle makes good money, my mom likes her, and she can cook. That’s all I need in my marriage.”

  Brandon shook his head. “Whatever, man. She’s never gonna go through with it when she finds out it's you.”

  “And she won’t find out until her wedding day. After she’s fallen back in love with me.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Are you going to snitch?” Seth suddenly grew suspicious of Brandon. “You’ll owe them a shit ton of money if you snitch. And you’ll have to deal with me.”

  Brandon shook his head. “I’m just gonna keep minding my own business.”

  “Good.”

  Brandon turned to leave. Seth didn’t trust him. He didn’t trust any of those guys. He wondered if Brandon had
been making any progress with Brielle. He knew Asher had. And Seth was sure she was fawning all over Shea. If Seth was being honest with himself, Shea was probably his biggest competition.

  Brielle: That’s so good to hear!

  Carl/Seth: can i tell u sumthing ive ben thinking bout a lot

  Brielle: What?

  Carl/Seth: i think im rly falling in luv with u

  Brielle: Honestly, I feel the same way about you.

  Seth smiled and walked into the bedroom. He had Brielle right where he wanted her. He just had to make sure no one tried to mess it up.

  Chapter Five

  Brielle

  Carl: i rly hope i get 2 spend the rest of my life with u

  Brielle: You’re so sweet. You’re definitely high on my list ;)

  ◆◆◆

  Brielle never understood people who said they were in love with more than one person until she started filming Sight Unseen. Now, with Carl and Asher competing for her heart, she was more sympathetic to the classic love triangle. Asher was amazing and gentle but Carl was mysterious with a soft center. And although Brandon and Shea were great guys, they just didn’t hold a candle to these two in her heart.

  How could she pick one? Brielle wished she could just flip a coin and be happy with results. She had, in fact, flipped a coin but she was disappointed each time. When the coin told her to be with Asher, she thought she would miss Carl and his rugged manliness terribly. When the coin told her to be with Carl, she worried he would be too emotionally closed off to handle her emotional side.

  There seemed to be no clear right answer but the wrong answer meant she would be spending the rest of her life wondering if she chose the right guy. Brielle was happy her wedding was less than 72 hours away, she would have her final decision soon enough.

  Carl’s texts kept coming throughout the day. He was so sweet and seemed to say exactly what Brielle wanted to hear. He even told her he wanted to honeymoon in Tuscany one day. She’d been dreaming about going to Italy since she was a little girl and a few weeks drinking wine under the Tuscan sun sounded perfect to her. They had so many bucket list items in common, it was hard to imagine they’d ever get bored.

  Still, Asher was slowly and consistently communicating with her about her values. Family, honesty, working hard, doing the right thing. The things everyone said mattered the most. Could Asher be on board with a three-week Tuscan vacation? Or was he too practical to spend money on a trip when they could be saving for a house for their growing family? One choice wasn’t necessarily better than the other but would impact the life she lived.

  Brielle tried to push her decision out of her mind. She still had to go on her date with Shea, he was a real wildcard. And she hadn’t eliminated Brandon yet, even though she knew in her gut that he wasn’t the man destined to be her husband. If Shea or Brandon suddenly became a top contender in the next 24 hours, she didn’t know how she could ever make a decision.

  “Brielle?”

  She’d been daydreaming again. Brielle blinked a few times and looked in the mirror. She was wearing the simple bohemian sheath dress. Her eyes filled with tears. She was so beautiful, so bridal. It took her breath away.

  “I’m sorry!”

  “What do you think?”

  “I think it’s absolutely beautiful. I feel like a bride.” She twirled around on the pedestal, to see the back in the mirror. “Can we get this strap adjusted?”

  The seamstress nodded. “Whatever you’d like.”

  Stacey nodded. “I think other than that strap it looks perfect. Are you ready to try on the other dress?”

  Brielle nodded and the two women helped her get out of the first dress and into the second. This one was much tighter and form-fitting. The lace sleeves fit her arms perfectly, she could move without worrying they were going to bust open.

  “Can I move yet?” Stacey was busy buttoning the dozens of buttons that went up the back of the dress.

  “Almost. I have five more.”

  Brielle waited anxiously. This was the dress she’d always envisioned herself getting married in. She was hoping with the alterations she would feel certain that this was the dress for her.

  “Alright, turn around.”

  She gasped as she looked in the mirror. The dress was everything she’d ever imagined. It fit her every curve, hid all of her insecurities, and was the gown she’d always dreamed of.

  “Well? What do you think?” Stacey was smiling at her reflection in the mirror.

  A tear fell from Brielle’s eye. “I love it so much. It’s perfect.”

  “Do you think you want to wear this dress to your wedding?”

  Brielle froze. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Was this her wedding dress? Was it too loud or flashy for her future husband? Would he be distracted by the dress and not see her, really see her?

  “Um...I still don't know.”

  The seamstress shook her head. “This is your dress. Your problem is, you don’t know which one is your husband yet.”

  Brielle stared at her with her mouth open. “How...why...how do you know?” The accuracy of this woman’s assessment startled her.

  “I see it all the time. The perfect dress but they aren’t sure if they have the perfect man. Give it time, you’ll know what to do.”

  Stacey let out a laugh. “Unfortunately, she doesn’t have time. We can bring both to the morning of the wedding, Brielle. You’ll have to pick then though, we can’t put you in both gowns.”

  She let out a sigh of relief. “Another decision I can put off for 72 more hours.”

  “Shall we discuss the schedule for the day of the wedding?”

  Brielle nodded. “Can I get out of this dress first? Before I have a panic attack?”

  She shimmied out of the dress and put her loungewear back on. It was far more comfortable than the wedding dress and Brielle felt like she could breathe again.

  Back in the apartment, they sipped on coffee while Stacey presented the wedding day schedule to her.

  “It’ll be an early start. You’ll have to be ready for hair and makeup at 6:30 AM. We’ll get you dressed at 9 AM. You will do a first look with your husband to be at 10 AM, after bridal portraits are finished.”

  “And that will be filmed?”

  “Yes, that is mainly for the show. You won’t be making your decision known to the final two until the morning of the wedding. They will each get ready in a tux and you will tell them your decision for the cameras.”

  A wave of nausea washed over Brielle. “Well that’s...terrible. But okay.”

  Stacey shrugged. “You are getting married on what should be a hit reality TV show.”

  “True. What’s next?”

  “The ceremony begins at noon. Then there’s time for pictures and brief interviews for the show before we get to the reception.” Stacey gathered her papers. “I’ll bring you a paper copy tomorrow.”

  “Is that it?” Brielle was surprised. “No homework for tonight?”

  Stacey shook her head. “You have enough on your plate. I sent some things to your mom to decide. I’ll obviously run them by you but-”

  Before she could finish Brielle wrapped her in a huge hug. “Thank you so much! I didn’t think I was going to make it through yesterday!”

  “I may be employed by the show but my job is to keep the bride sane and happy. If they don’t hire me back, I’ll be fine.”

  “The less you have to deal with Abigail, the better.” Stacey nodded in agreement.

  The phone rang. “Speak of the devil,” Stacey muttered.

  Brielle got up to answer. “Hello?”

  “We need you to come film your elimination video for Matthew.”

  “I’m going on a date with Shea.”

  “Whatever.” Abigail hung up the phone before she could respond.

  “Well, I have to go.” She gave Stacey another hug. “Thanks again. It really means so much to me.”

  “You’re welcome. I will see you in the morning. Get s
ome rest.”

  Stacey left Brielle alone in the apartment once more. She got dressed in silence before heading down to record Matthew’s elimination video.

  Chapter Six

  Matthew

  Matthew: Carl is actually your ex-boyfriend Seth. They’re trying to trick you. I’m sorry to tell you this but it’s true.

  Message Returned to Sender: We’re sorry. Your message cannot be sent at this time. Please try again later.

  ◆◆◆

  Matthew tried every five minutes to send a message to Brielle warning her about Carl but each time it came back rejected. He thought, perhaps, that Mark was bluffing about every message needing to be approved. It appears he was not. It gave Matthew the creeps, knowing that every intimate detail shared between Brielle and the eight guys on the show was read before it was delivered.

  He wondered if they intentionally prevented any other messages from coming through. Or if they sent messages themselves pretending to be the other participants on the show. He was growing more paranoid by the second and was so happy he was leaving soon.

  His suitcase was packed and was sitting at the end of the bed. Matthew doubted he was getting a date, he’d ignored Brielle since the previous day. He was just excited to go home. He would miss Shea, they had grown to be good friends during their time in the apartment, but he was happy to sleep in his own bed and eat breakfast in his own kitchen. Without Seth.