All Out Of Love

Your Life Is No Longer Your Own

In the three weeks it had taken to cement her contract, Madison's life seemed to be accelerating at the speed of light.

Wardrobe had to be selected from the best designers. Hours upon hours were spent being poked, prodded and cinched until her curves screamed bloody murder, stuffed into the creations that would turn her from her drab wardrobe.

Promotional content for the show meant circling back around to where she had begun, hitting the media circuit between her preparations for the show.

The biggest setback had been the additional clauses to the contract. There were things she just wouldn't do for the sake of entertainment. The first was a kissing clause which meant that she wasn't contractually obligated to kiss anyone that she didn't feel like she was growing close to. In fact, her attempts at sucking face would be minimal at the least.

The second was the fantasy suite clause that prevented the producers from forcing her to spend the night with the men or worse yet sleeping with them. Last season, it had almost given her father a heart attack to think that she had slept with Ethan Wright even after she had admitted that she had slept on the couch of her producer's room after the lights had shut off for the night.

Having no power last season meant she had been forced to play along by rules that defied her morals. This season there would be none of that.

The last was a narrative clause Kristin had come up with which meant that there would be no manufactured drama for the sake of views and entertainment.

As Madison sat in the stylist chair as a team of beauty professionals attempted to beat her face into the next century, the nerves she had expected to show up on the first night of filming seemed to have packed their bags for an extended vacation.

Beside her Kristin paced, micromanaging her look down to the smallest detail. Although the woman's critiques probably infuriated the team of beauticians, the mixture of Botox and lip fillers meant that it was almost impossible to read their expressions.

Once satisfied with their handiwork, Madison was ushered to another room where she was zipped and sewn into the most beautiful creation her eyes had ever lain eyes on. The sweetheart rose gown was the first she had flocked towards in her fittings. With its narrow corseted waist which dipped into a full ballroom skirt which featured in small pearls and flower applique which also ran along the top of the dress.

To prevent her father from having a heart attack though the television, the dress's designer had a sheer panel of nude mesh which preserved her modesty. As a preacher's daughter, not only did she have a moral code which she had to uphold but there was the added pressure of knowing that her actions on the show would reflect on her father and his ministry.

"You look stunning," Kristin chirped, clapping her hands together as tears welled up in her eyes.

Taking her hands in hers, the other woman led her over to the full-length mirror, spinning her around so she could see the transformation the team had made.

It was only then that she saw herself...

Her bouncy coils had been tamed, into an ornate and complicated updo graced by pearl pins which matched the ones on her dress. Soft tendrils framed her face adding an air of romance to her look.

The makeup artist had chosen to highlight the things she had been insecure about. The large eyes she had been teased about hid behind a rosy pink smoky eye and large lashes.

The gown she had chosen emphasized the figure she had always hated growing up in the most complimentary way. Reaching out, she touched the mirror in hopes that the image would scatter yet the true image remained.