Bachelors, Bigots, and Bisexuals

Chapter 2

The next few weeks flew by. Somehow, Jessa coached me into "passing" my bachelor auditions and I was chosen. They liked my story, a biracial professor who had been marred by tragedy and had never fallen in love. They liked how my eyes lit up when I talked about Niko, though they claimed they could not officially confirm he was the bachelor. Jessa assured me that Reality Steve never lied, and his spoilers were the gospel. But it didn't matter. I did not need to win or get engaged- I just needed to persuade my Aunt Maggie that I was trying without making a fool out of myself on national television. It could be fun- living in a mansion with a bunch of girls. We could travel to exotic places. It was a vacation and it did pay: about five grand. That was enough to pay rent until Aunt Maggie unblocked my trust fund.

The first step was to go to the Bachelorette finale to meet the new bachelor. Only three or four girls got to have a "preview " and I had no clue why they picked me. Jessa was jealous that I got to go on the live finale- After The Final Rose. She had already begged me for Flynn's autograph. I doubted I would meet anyone, but I didn't know what to expect. The producers picked me up from my house in a nice black Prius and promptly took away my phone and internet access. I had three days of prepping- going to the finale, going to photoshoots, doing promo packages. By Friday, I'd be going to the mansion to meet Niko, officially.

They took me to the airport and helped me with my very specific two suitcases. Aunt Maggie had graciously offered to let Jessa go shopping for me and buy what I would need. I doubted pantsuits were appropriate for The Bachelor. I didn't care but focused on my real goals- my trust fund and summer with my sister. Everything else was just an obstacle. Still, the chance to fly on a private jet sounded nice.

I got into the jet, my simple black yoga pants and white shirt suddenly feeling a little too casual. A woman sat before wearing a bright red jumpsuit, which matched her fingernails and shoes. She had flawless olive skin and long black hair. She glared at me and it hit me, she was one of my competitors. I offered a wave but she crossed her arms, so I moved forward. I guess she must have been from the northwest as well since she was flying out of Seattle. Two other girls, blonde women who looked seventeen and had hair so big I thought they must have been pageant queens, sat across from her. They were giggling and chatting away, so I didn't bother sitting next to them.

There was a set of seats in the front, two chairs and a small table close to the cockpit. There were a nice window and a few magazines. I sat down and grabbed a People, noticing that this season's bachelorette was on the cover. Angie was smart and strong, with fiery red hair and a vibrant personality. I had admired her, though I usually mocked the show when I watched it with Jessa. I flipped open the cover and began to read when I heard the sounds of a deep voice. A man cleared his throat and I looked up to see a familiar face. He looked different in person, but I knew exactly who it was. Flynn, the travel photographer. I wanted to speak, but I was a bit dumbfounded.

He looked different in person, his muscles less massive and he looked thinner, possibly because he may have lost weight. He was tanner than I remembered and his dark brown hair had flecks of gold in the tops of his curly tresses. Still, I was surprised by how devastatingly handsome he was. Maybe Jessa's crush was justified. He smiled at me and gestured to the seat next to me.

"Hey, I'm Flynn," he said. "Can I sit?"

I just nodded, mute, and probably staring.

"This is a packed house," Flynn said. "I guess they are bringing in the birds for the bachelor preview. Don't worry-I am obviously not the Bachelor. You look like Niko's type."

"Thanks," I offered. "I'm Annie."

He sat down and put down his bags. The other girls ignored him, perhaps because Niko and Flynn had historically been rivals. What could he offer them? They glared at me as we struck up a conversation. I didn't think the blonde pageant queens or the lady in red were going to be my friends.