wine, thank her, and take a grateful gulp.
“Whoa!” a woman in a strapless hot pink taffeta gown exclaims as she comes to a stop beside me. “What look are y’all goin’ for there, darlin’?” she asks as her eyes glide over me.
“Not a look exactly,” I begin.
“Her game is to stand out from all of us,” Hayley says with her arms crossed. “It’s smart, even if she forgot her shoes and has ended up looking like she belongs in a yoga studio.”
“Oh, I love yoga,” Shelby gushes.
“Of course you do,” Hayley replies.
“Well, whatever you’re doin’, it’s workin’.” The girl grabs my arm. “Oh, I got it. I know who you’re trying to be.”
“You do?” I ask in surprise.
She nods, a triumphant look on her face. “Sporty Spice!”
“Sporty Spice? Oh, you mean from that ’90s band, the Spice Girls?”
“That’s right,” she replies. “You’re the feisty one who could actually sing.”
She and the other girls look at me in expectation.
I decide to give in to it. “Sure. Why not.” I punch the air. “Bring back Sporty Spice, that’s what I say.”
“You go, girl!” Pink Taffeta replies. “It’s good to stand out from the crowd.”
“Oh, she’s doing that all right,” Hayley harrumphs with a disapproving look.
Well, I didn’t stand out so much as fall out, but there’s no need to share my limo exit with anyone, is there?
Pink Taffeta gives me a light hug. “I’m Reggie, and wow, do I want your butt.”
I shift my weight, feeling self-conscious, my admired-butt still throbbing with pain from its unfortunate collision with the tarmac a short while ago. “Had it all my life,” I quip.
“Ha!” Reggie exclaims so loudly, I fear for my eardrum’s health. “Abbi, Camille, Kennedy. Y’all have got to come meet this one. She’s a real hoot!”
Within moments, I’m surrounded by a gaggle of women, all of whom look like they stepped out of the eveningwear section of a beauty pageant, only they forgot to put on their sashes. At five foot three in my bare feet, they tower over me, and good butt or not, I feel like a prepubescent child.
“Didn’t you get the dress code memo?” a woman with expensively highlighted blond hair in an elegant silver dress says. She stands out from some of the other women around us in that she screams class—well, class and cattiness, that is.
“It must have gotten lost in the mail,” I reply.
She looks me up and down, clear she doesn’t like what she sees. “Right.”
I ignore her judgmental tone and instead smile at her. “I’m Emma. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Camille,” she replies as she continues to look down her nose at me. “It’s an interesting move to turn up today in this.” She gestures at me. “Do you really think someone as cultured and educated as Sebastian will be interested in a woman who dresses like ... you?”
I blink at her. Wow. Just wow.
“I guess we’ll find out,” I reply sweetly, taking an instant dislike to her and imagining the TV audience will, too. Has she forgotten everything we say and do is being filmed right now? But then, maybe she’s just doing her.
“Hmmm. My guess is we’ll find out pretty soon,” Camille replies as she turns her back to me.
I totally catch her drift. She means Sebastian is going to send me home tonight.
Well, we’ll see about that, Camille.
I feel a hand on my arm and turn to look at who it is. It’s a pretty girl with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a gorgeous white gown that shows off her curves.
“I envy you,” she says. “This dress may look good, but it’s making it hard to breathe.” She extends her hand. “I’m Kennedy, and please be as normal as you look. There are some total freakshows here.”
I smile at her. She’s a girl after my own heart. “I’m Emma, and I’m pretty sure I’m normal.”
“Do you think you’re destined to marry Mr. Darcy?” she asks and I shake my head, thinking of Shelby.
“Did you sign up for the show because your boyfriend kicked you out and now you’ve got nowhere to live?”
“There’s seriously someone here who did that?”
“I’m not naming names. Let’s just say there are a lot of stories out there.”
“Well, personally, I’m beginning to wonder what the heck I’m doing here.”
She grins at me. “Oh, I’m with you. My well-meaning sister made me do this because she thought it would help me get over my ex.”
“How’s that working out for you so far?”
Kennedy rolls her eyes. “So well.”
I snort with