Groom Wars

15. Lust (1)

My head throbbed painfully, and I struggled to open my eyes. When I finally managed to pry my eyelids apart, to thank me for my efforts, harsh white light struck my eyeballs, forcing me to squint. My sore muscles ached as I lay on my stomach. My neck tilted to an unnatural angle, and there was no pillow for my head. Rubbing the kinks out of my neck, I glanced at my foreign surroundings, blinking to clear my blurry vision. Boys were sitting and chatting in various states of dress; some had shirts, others were naked except for their underwear.

Camera people floated about, reminding me of fish and how the critters fought for a single pellet of food. I wondered at the speed and fluidity of their movements. Like the fish, so the cameras chased after any interesting thing the participants did—what an awful job. I would rather watch a rose bloom.

I had slept badly, and a few buttons of my shirt had come open. A cool gust from the air-conditioning brushed my exposed chest. The fluorescent bulbs were bright and damming; I had to shield my poor, watering eyes with one hand. I felt a tad nauseous as well.

Did I have the flu?

And if yes, would I be kicked off the show prematurely for my illness?

One of the cameramen came over to me. A woman standing near the cameraman introduced herself as one of the show's assistant producers, Cara Daniels. She was holding a notepad and wore her blonde hair in a neat bob. Her eyes were a dull grey. I shrunk back from the camera, sitting with my back against the navy-blue wall tiles.

She smiled and said, "Don't be afraid of us; we won't hurt you; I promise. I wanted to ask you a few questions."

"It's bright," I muttered. In addition to fluorescent lights, portable box lights were trained on me, which put extra strain on my eyes. Cara asked for the lights to be removed, and the men surrounding her obliged. It was better, but I still had to squint to protect my sensitive eyes from the fluorescent lamps that decorated the ceiling.

She said, "Your name is Adriel Delamar?"

I nodded.

She continued, "I was speaking to Leandro earlier, and he said the two of you were like brothers, close enough to hug and sleep together. I was wondering how you felt about participating against a man that you have such an intimate relationship with? Do you feel like the competition may ruin your relationship?"

My head resumed throbbing. "Give me a second," I said as I winced and waited for the migraine to pass. Once the pain dulled, I answered, "I think we both have our strong points. He's a hardworking, decently muscled guy. And I'm more of the artistic type, but I do have some martial arts training, and I ran track in high school. Overall, I think if either of us were to win, neither of us would grudge the other as we know the other probably deserved it."

Her face brightened. She said, "You said you won track in high school? Did you win any medals?"

"When I graduated, I got the most improved award in Algebra."

"Okay, well, that's something.... If you and Leandro were to fight, who would win?"

"I don't mean to brag, but I know how to trick and out—" I winced as the headache returned. I closed my eyes and muttered, "I-I know how to outsmart people." When the pain passed, I opened my eyes.

"If you could say one thing to Princess Anne, what would it be?"

"You...." My voice trailed off. Cara watched me expectantly, so I knew I should say something moving. The other contestants were watching me too, so I decided to make a good impression.

I told Cara, "I don't have much money, and I'm not the strongest person here, but my love is the purest gift I can give. My love can be like the old woolen scarf you wear when it's cold. It's soothing, long-lasting, and something that only gets better with each wear. Even when holes start to riddle its surface, we can mend them, and the scarf will continue to thrive, stronger and more vibrant than before. My love is something that can immediately comfort you once you put it on. It contains memories of the past, the beauty of the present, and the dreams for our future. Whatever happens, whatever trials we face, I'll continue to love you, ardently and surely if I'm selected as your groom."