A Defining Mistake

Chapter 2 - You and Him

The jaunty jingle of the Am I Enough? theme song sounded and Ada sunk into her seat, already cringing hard. On the screen, Ada appeared in a black and white polka dot bikini that left very little to the imagination. In the present, Ada was unable to decide if she wanted to watch or not. She settled for watching between her fingers, splayed out across her face and soon enough she was immersed in the memories that felt like years rather than weeks ago.

"My name is Ada, I am 25, a trained nurse and a YouTuber and I'm looking for love," Ada beamed, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger, looking up through her eyelashes. "Visually, my ideal man is on the short side with brown hair, brown eyes, tattoos and piercings. I'm looking for a partner with ambition and passion, someone who loves to travel. And when I say travel, I mean wants to go to every single Disneyland with me."

Her voice continued in a voiceover, describing herself and why her previous relationships had never worked while Ada modelled in different coloured bikinis. She strutted into the manor house Am I Enough? was set in with a booming confidence that present Ada herself couldn't recognize. Despite her confidence, Ada struggled to find a connection with any of the other contestants that spanned more than friendship for the first two weeks. That was until he arrived.

"All I'm saying is, it's been so long and I am so gagging for it that Shrek could show up and I'd be like, y'know what? Green is my favourite colour, wanna play hide the cucumber?" Ada was splayed out on one of the beds in the communal bedroom as the other women ripped through her wardrobe. Laughter rippled throughout them all, on the screen and in present day. She pointed lewdly to her crotch. "What if I stop thinking with my head and start with my fanny?"

"He's picked you for a date and he's been watching," Daisy held up a skintight black jumpsuit. "He must be your type and must be into you."

"Or he knows that I'm the only sad case in here without a partner," Ada rolled her eyes and accepting the jumpsuit.

"Keep an open mind," Lucy passed Ada a cropped lightweight bright pink bomber jacket. "Just not open enough that you'll accept Shrek."

"He might be nice or he might be a nob," Georgia chucked a pair of wedges with pink straps that matched the jacket at Ada's feet. "You'll be able to tell the difference. And besides, if he's giving your fanny a heartbeat, that's a good sign."

"He can be a nob and still give my fanny a heartbeat," Ada warned, slipping on the shoes. "It's happened before."

"Shut up and enjoy yourself, you fanny," Daisy fluffed Ada's hair and giving her the once over. "You're a knockout."

Ada stared at herself in the mirror, turning around to get a good look. Present Ada watched herself a small smile on her face. She had to admit, she looked good. Molly nudged her arm and mouthed 'wow', pulling her fingers into the okay sign with a wink and a click of her tongue.

The setting for her date was romantic and with hindsight, Ada could see how overwhelmed she was by the atmosphere and him. He was confident, almost intimidatingly bulky and out of this world attractive. He introduced himself as Luke, caressing her hand and kissing it softly. Ada could see herself lost in his spell. Their banter was almost instantaneous, joking and flirting like their lives depended on it. Present Ada counted every single red flag that Luke offered to her, totally unabashed, and how she had accepted each and every one, tossing them aside as if they didn't matter. Despite this, she still felt a little pang when she saw the two of them together. Not to mention that unmistakable heartbeat. Even though it ended badly and she hated herself for it, she was still attracted to him.

After their date, the girls cornered Ada while the lads got to know Luke. Ada told them how well they had got on, how she felt an instant connection and how much she fancied him. In the present, Ada was considerably red faced and chose to look away and avoid the next minutes or so that was dedicated to the growing relationship between Luke and Ada. It shared stolen moments of the two of them alone, forgetting there were cameras everywhere, where they shared kisses and cuddles and intimate conversations about their future outside of the show. Ultimately, this was more painful than the ending Ada knew was coming.