Dating Mr. Darcy - Kate O'Keeffe Page 0,52
go to your room?”
“For the record, as I’ve said before, I did not invite him to my room in that note. He was kidding about that. It was hilarious, when you think about it.”
Which it wasn’t.
“He called you a firecracker today. How did you feel about that?”
I think of our horse ride, before Hayley rode up and stole him away, and something stirs in my chest. “I liked that he called me a firecracker,” I begin, remembering what I’m meant to do, “because it was cute. I am a firecracker at times.”
“In what way?”
“When I go after something, I really go after it. I’m like a dog with a bone.”
“Like with Timothy, your label?”
“Exactly. I’m working really hard to get Timothy off the ground, which, now that I think about it, makes it sound like a blow-up character, floating in the air.” I laugh lightly at my own joke, but Cindy just looks at me.
Tough crowd of one.
“Is your label the reason why you came on this show, Emma?”
I blink at her. “No,” I reply in an entirely unconvincing way. “I came on the show to find love.”
“Not to promote Timothy?”
I shake my head vehemently. “No way.”
She tilts her head to the side, watching me, and I know I’ve got to convince her—and the American people.
“I’ve been a fan of reality TV dating shows since forever. Me and my friend Penny watch them, like all the time. I adore the romance, the suspense, the whole thing. I guess I’m in love with love, you know what I mean? I watched people fall in love on these shows. And I figured that if others can do it, why not me? And trust me, I am here for the right reasons. I’m here to fall in love with Mr. Darcy.”
I hold my breath. I’ve pulled out every cliché known to dating show contestant-kind. One of them has got to do the trick.
“Camille must have got that wrong, I guess,” Cindy says pleasantly.
I lock my jaw. I should have known it would be Camille. “She has.”
“Good to know. Okay, Emma, we’re done here. The card ceremony is coming up soon, so you’ve got an hour or so before then.”
My mind swimming with thoughts of the traitorous Camille, I thank Cindy, remove my mic, and head back to my room.
Of course I get why Camille would tell the producers about my label. I’ve made no secret of the fact my clothes are all by Timothy. I told a bunch of contestants on my first night here.
I reach the empty bedroom and flop down on my bed, thankful for the rare solitude.
Camille’s playing the game, that’s all. She wants to get me kicked off the show. In a way, I should see it as a compliment: I’m sufficient enough competition in her mind to make her want to get rid of me.
The problem for her is, if Sebastian follows through on getting Timothy some air time, she’s got no clue the star of the show is in on the whole thing.
* * *
It’s another card ceremony and the final two are standing on the other side of the room from us. Hayley and Shelby are clutching onto one another as though the Titanic has struck the iceberg and Leonardo DiCaprio is nowhere to be found.
Despite knowing how Shelby manipulated Sebastian with that whole fake fainting saga, I still feel sorry for her. She genuinely thinks they’re destined to be together, and by the looks of the confusion and hurt on her face right now, she’s having a hard time processing her current predicament.
Then there’s Hayley. I’m not going to lie, Hayley being sent home would make my life here considerably less like a scene from Mean Girls, not to mention the absence of the Oompa Loompa in drag will mean Camille might not be quite so horrible to be around.
Who am I kidding? She’ll continue to look down her aquiline nose at me and work behind the scenes to get me thrown off the show.
I guess all’s fair in love, war, and reality TV.
“Who’s it going to be?” Kennedy mutters under her breath at my side.
“I know who I want it to be.”
Johnathan has his hands steepled as he looks at the two girls, waiting for the drama to build until he puts one of them out of her misery. “Shelby. You have been invited to stay. Please, join The Lizzies.”
Shelby instantly bursts into loud sobs as she hugs a shocked Hayley.
Hayley pushes her away,