Bachelors, Bigots, and Bisexuals

Chapter 5

The last week was a whirlwind. I had shot promos, taken some very unflattering stock photos, and spent time with the producers as they asked me question after question about my life. The night was here and I was going to "meet" Flynn. Of course, we had already met, but I was still nervous. I was going to be filmed and I had to be true to myself, satisfy my aunt Maggie, not make a fool of myself, and also get to know Flynn better. That last goal was on my own personal agenda. I had decided sometime in the last twenty hours that it was not worth it to go through all of this for a trust fund or a vacation. I was already exhausted and time started to blur together. I had not seen a clock in three days, and it was very disorienting.

Still, I had decided. I liked Flynn and wanted to see if he and I had any real chemistry. Was I desperate to get engaged: no. Was I suddenly optimistic about a process I was convinced was a sham three days ago: yes. I had another obstacle: the other women. If Nicolette was any indication of the caliber of women, I could be sure other vipers and bullies would come. They may want to come for me. I was an easy target: shy and meek. Not to mention the show had a not so subtle race problem. The leads rarely chose black girls. I was biracial, my mom was white and my dad was black. I was almost passing for a white girl with a tan, but it still stood to reason that some crazy bitch from Tennessee would see me as a problem.

But I had to focus. Tonight was night one and I had to figure out how to make an entrance. I had come up with a plan that was tailored to Flynn and to myself. He was a photographer and I was an artist, so I had a plan. I made a scrapbook of sketches I had made and photos of my family, and in the back, I had hidden a letter in between the pages. It detailed who I was and what I hoped to learn on this journey. I had used that fucking phrase organically. What was wrong with me? I liked him. I shook my head and was surprised by it all. People were different in person than they appeared on television. It was odd.

The limousine picked us up from a hotel. I had worn the outfit that Jessa had planned for me. She had put labels on everything for me. She told me to wear a red sequin dress with red lipstick and wear my hair down. I put on my mother's diamond earrings and a pair of red pumps. The other girls in the limo were a mix. The two Brittanys were there and were very excited to see me. I chatted them up, not seeing any reason why these girls couldn't be friends. They were young and blonde, but they were actually kind of sweet. One was a pageant queen from Nebraska, who had some pretty funny stories about her mom. The other Brittany was a grad student who needed a break. There was a fourth girl, a short-haired brunette who said nothing and watched the three of us with crossed arms.

I was the first one out of the limo and I stepped out into the night. The cobblestone felt shaky under my feet as I started to walk because a wave of nervous energy rushed over me. Then I glanced out and saw him. Flynn was wearing a classic black tux and looked at me with a hint of wonder in his eyes. His smile was wide and I started to walk faster.

"Well hello there," he said flirtatiously. "You look gorgeous. Wow."

"Wow, yourself," I chuckled as I approached him. He reached out and put his hands on mine and for a moment, I forgot to speak. I had forgotten just how handsome he was and his intense eye contact did not help my nerves. His eyes looked me up and down, probably contrasting how I looked today with the yoga pants version he first saw.

"So I am Annie," I said. We had already met, but Thomas assured me that was to be kept a secret.

"I'm Flynn," he said. "I'm so happy to meet you."

"Me too," I giggled. "I'm sorry, I had this whole speech and suddenly I can't find the words."

He let out a chuckle and squeezed my hands.

"So I'm from Washington state, I'm an art history professor," I said. "I always wear this necklace which my mother was given to by my father. They were married for twenty years. It says love never dies on the back of the pendant. They were together for twenty years and I am looking for something real, the kind of love that is forever."

"Beautiful. That's what I want too," he said. "Did you bring something for me?"

I could sense it: we were running out of time.

"I made you this scrapbook," I said. "I know you're a fellow artist, a photographer. I'm a painter too, so I made you some sketches and paintings so we could see each other's creations. There are a few surprises in there too."

"Oh awesome," he said. "Well l, I look forward to seeing you inside."

"I can't wait," I said as my voice trembled. I wobbled off, my heart racing a million miles a minute. We had talked for three seconds and already I was flustered. We had barely even said anything. I needed to get a grip and fast. Luckily the other women would probably set me back to reality.

I walked in to see the mansion I knew from behind a screen. In real life, it was much bigger than it looked. I glanced across the room to see four women I did not know and one I did: Nicolette. Why was she here? I could have sworn she quit. I went over and sat down, grabbing a glass of champagne.

"Well, I guess we were all pretty early," I said. "So we get to watch everyone else arrive."

"Obviously," a blonde in a blue dress said with an eye roll. The one next to her, who wore a white dress and big southern curls, smiled at me.

"I'm Tina from Texas," she said. "Who are you?"

"Annie, from Washington," I said. "I wish I had an alliteration for a name."

"What did you do for your entrance?"

"I gave him a scrapbook," I said.

"How cute," Nicolette said. "I pulled up in a red Ferrari and then we made out."

I felt like the wind was kicked out of me. Someone had already kissed him? It had been five seconds. I knew he was going to be dating other women but holy shit that was fast. Nicolette raised an eyebrow at me and I took a deep breath, refusing to be ruffled.

"Do you have a thing for cars?" I asked.

"It's a hobby," she laughed. "I like to restore old classic cars. I used to do it with my dad before he passed away last year."

"I'm so sorry for your loss," I said. "But what a cool talent."

She nodded, her smile deflating. Kill them with kindness and class. That was a lesson my father had taught me years ago.

Another car pulled up to the entrance, and the other women scrambled to the window to watch.

"She is in a lobster costume!" They squealed. "How wild!"

I took a drink of champagne and went over to watch. It was sort of fun, even if I still felt queasy. Tina seemed nice and I had the chance to enjoy myself, even if I could feel Nicolette's eyes on my back. It was going to be a long night.