Adeline Macca has spent years watching love flourish from lies and deceit.
Now she is cynical and doubtful that there is ever going to be someone that loves her. But fate has a twisted - yet amusing - tale in stall for her, and it might be exactly w...
Here she was, standing up her date that her dear friend set up for her, to sweep out a musty shed. Sweat caused her shirt to cling to her small form and cause dirt and hay coat her legs. After she had mowed the lawn and removed all the weeds at the entrance to the shed – a washed out board with countless holes that sunlight filtered through – she had moved on to cleaning and furbishing inside. Not only had she encountered so many spiders – not that it bothered her – but she had made a newfound discovery; what horse dung looks like after five years of sitting under hay – then her butt. Her nose was now clogged with the acrid stench of animal faecal matter and approximately fifty million particles of dust maybe even a spider or two.
After the sun had passed it's highest point and the barn was fully furbished, thanks to the immaculate work of her, she collapsed onto the plush couch. The crumpled leather encased her body in the arms of a cowboy. Why did I even think that? She thought to herself and then continued her thought process, wait, it's because I'm alone and single. For many years she had fought off the bitter thought, stating her mantra that 'I don't need no man', but the years kept on coming. She wasn't in a relationship either due to two things:
A) Her job.
B) Her job.
The hours were harsh and coffee had now become her soul mate. Sometimes it would take her a whole day – like today – to set up, amongst other times where she was forced to drive hours to the location.
The second part of her job was the most troublesome. For the past couple of years, as the stager for The Bachelor, she had witnessed men play with women's affections in the bitterest ways. One of the better cases was when the guy was actually gay. Nevertheless, rich and attractive men would strut into the studio with a smile that said this suit costs more than your paycheck and be vulgar and disrespectful towards everyone and anyone, but cautious not to be caught.
In regards to the girl's emotions, they were lead on by an image. Romantic dates planned by Addie. Gifts delivered, paid for, and thought of by Addie. Comforting words spoon-fed to them through an earpiece by Addie. She had grown sick and tired of watching men be womanisers, and she had given up on trying to fix them.
The sound of crisp voices penetrated deep into her ruminating. With immense effort and the last dregs of caffeine from her bitter, yet virtuous, coffee from six o'clock that morning, she forced her eyelids to open. For a few more heaving breaths, she propped herself on her elbow, taking in the amber light rays filtering through the cracks in the door. An object obstructed light and cast her into darkness, as well as realisation. After hurling her body off of the couch, the sound resembling a Band-Aid being torn from the skin, she pummelled out of the back door of the shed. Not only was she going to be late for her friend's party, but also her boss – and another deep voice – had almost caught her lounging on the job, a sure way to be fired. There were only two things that her boss, Sasha, hated most in the world: coffee and lazy people. Unfortunately, Adeline happened to love both of those things with fervour.
The cropped grass shifted underneath Addie's light footsteps as she passed the now-open barn doors.
Sasha's voice clipped the warm evening, "As you can see, this set is prepared for your first date. Our stager is well experienced and will have the itinerary to you by the end of the week." Adeline could practically hear the pen checking off the grey-toned pad of paper. She also couldn't help a smile breaking on her face as her boss complimented her, something she never did face to face. Well, I have seen a lot of bull shitake to know how to cover it up.
"I can see that, I especially enjoy how the lights make constellations," the unfamiliar voice continued. In all honesty, Addie hadn't meant to do it, but the bland sandwich she packed herself and the monotone country music playing from the stereo called for her to spice up her plans. Wait – did that mean that this was the new Bachelor? "However, I feel as though if I actually want to find someone to fall in love with, I should plan the itinerary. I have no doubts that it would've been wonderful, but it would also be too forced and not me."
"Oh, well, uh –" Addie could see Sasha both swooning and being flustered, from where she stood paralysed on the grass outside, all thoughts of being late forgotten.
"I can have meetings with the stager to confirm my activities if that would please you?" he suggested, his tone being both casual and polite.
"Wonderful! I will have her on that tomorrow..." the voices faded towards that back of the barn. After the internal battle of whether or not to follow the voices and risk being caught/ fired, or go to her friend's party with free food, Addie made her way towards her battered, yet trusty, car. The faded maraschino-cherry-red paint had also begun to chip around the smaller dents within the metal, but it was all a hoax because she still ran like a dream.
As Drummer – the name was earnt after she first bought it and the gunning reverberations from the engine sounded like drum beats – sped over the potholes and navigated the winding roads, Adeline couldn't help thinking that maybe the unfamiliar voice wasn't so unfamiliar.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Author's note: I have a minimal idea where this story is leading me, but thank you for reading so far. I would like to thank my friends for inspiring me and you for taking a chance on me. I will try to update frequently so you can fall in love with the characters.
