Bachelors, Bigots, and Bisexuals

Chapter 3

The backstage room I was set up in was nice. There were pastries, which the other women looked at with an acute hatred, and some Champagne. We could see the live feed to the stage, which was mostly full of the crew setting up in the beginning. Thomas, one of the producers, was giving us a run-down of the show.

"In the first half-hour," Thomas explained. "You will be watching the final episode. I will give you spoilers, which you have probably figured out. She breaks up with Niko, and Angie is proposed to by Flynn."

A couple of the blondes were pretending to be shocked, but it was silly. Why would they have let us hang out with Flynn if he was the next bachelor?

"Before Flynn comes out on stage, Angie will have her moment of closure with Niko. He will ask some hard questions, they will make up. She will give him her blessing to be the bachelor. After that, we will move into the second half. Flynn will come out on stage and propose on stage. She will say yes, Lord willing, and then we cut to commercial. In the last ten minutes is your moment to shine. Niko will come out on stage and be officially announced as the next bachelor. Then he will meet his first four women."

The taller blonde clapped her hands, giddy with excitement. I was a bit excited too, but in a nervous sort of way I could not squash. Was I ready for this?

"You will go out in this order, Brittany S, Brittany B, Nicolette, and then Annie. He will not be giving out a rose. You will each be given a script-read it. Your real "first impression" comes at the mansion, where you will plan with your assigned producer how to wow him."

I glanced at the girls. I assumed that the two blondes were both named Brittany, and the red dress woman was Nicolette. The name suited her classy demeanor.

"For tonight, you will be given wardrobe and hair and makeup," Thomas said. He glanced at my yoga pants. "Some of you need it more than others."

"Oh, I was going to change," I whispered.

"She was probably distracted by flirting with Flynn," Nicolette sneered. "It is so sad how desperate some women are. He is about to be engaged, Annie."

"It was a friendly conversation," I said. "I am here for Niko, just like you."

"Save the drama for the mansion, girls," Thomas said. "I will give you girls some suggestions for what to say and you go get pretty."

He clapped his hands and we jumped up, following him into hair and makeup. I really, more than anything, wanted to text Jessa and tell her everything. More importantly, I wanted to seek her advice. Nicolette looked like she wanted to throttle me, for reasons that defied my comprehension. Mostly, I felt out of place and totally twisted up inside. In the hallway, Nicolette stopped me as I thought about how much I missed Jessa and my iPhone, her lips pouting as she glared at me.

"Just so you know," she whispered. "He was flirting with you, Annie. I think I saw a spark."

"Who?" I asked.

"Flynn," she said. "Girl to girl, he seemed into you. I don't think Angie says yes to him. Maybe you should bow out, chase after Flynn, and leave Niko to the rest of us."

"Why are you so hung up on me," I said. "Did I do something to offend you?"

"No," she smiled. "Just trying to help."

"Well thanks," I said. "But maybe let's just focus on prepping for tonight. I'm pretty nervous. "

"I'm sure you are," she sneered, glancing at my sneakers.

I took a deep breath and shook my head. It was going to be a long night.

***

The show was going on in the background as a makeup artist worked her voodoo on me. My lips were painted and my hair was perfectly straight. I looked like a doll with the lashes they put on me. I had been given a white sequin gown which looked very bridal to me-which was probably the point. Nicolette had negotiated her way into a red gown that left little to the imagination. The blondes both wore pastels. I was surprised as I watched the finale and saw how raw Niko and Angie's breakup was. He really loved her. I could not imagine him jumping from that to dating thirty women, but that was not really my concern. I had one job, and if I could keep my head on straight, it would help.