Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 95609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
“Like you care,” Hannah shoots back.
“I do,” Ashley insists. “Look, I won’t turn the guy down. He’s gorgeous and all, but I’m more of a rock star kind of girl. I’m mostly here because my agent told me it’s a good way to get on people’s radars. Hannah here is a true love kind of girl. How about you? Sorry, I didn’t hear your name when they brought you in.”
Because Christy had shoved me into this dress and dropped me off here without a word beyond “don’t fuck up.”
The trouble is I can fuck up easily. I’d almost snatched Shelby’s sure-to-be-fake hair off her head. No real hair sits that perfectly. “I’m Anika.” I realize I’m not sure how to explain my presence. Although, unless they’re going to fire me, the women will figure it out very quickly. “I’m a production assistant. When the other girl decided to be a corpse, they pulled me in because I fit into her dress. Except I don’t. I won’t be bending over anytime soon, if you know what I mean.”
“That dress is perfect on you,” Ashley F promises. Her dark skin contrasts beautifully with the yellow of her cocktail dress. She’s stunning, with close cropped hair that shows off the definition of her face. She’s slender and tall.
In comparison, Hannah is maybe five foot four and looks like she just came out of the cornfield. Not that she’s not pretty. She’s lovely, but she’s got an air of middle America about her, from her staid, almost matronly dress to the somber bun at the back of her head.
“Did production pick out that dress for you?” I ask.
Hannah smooths down the black dress. “My original dress had a big stain on it. I never noticed it before. They said this will be better anyway. It will show up better on camera or something.”
“Colors show up better,” Ashley F replies. “Not that black doesn’t look good on you, but I would put you in jewel tones, and definitely a shorter skirt. When you have short legs there are ways to cheat the camera. Why wouldn’t they let her wear what she wants? Sorry, this is my first show like this.”
“They’re playing to stereotypes. I would bet Hannah here is from the Midwest. With a degree in something like business or marketing.” I turn to Ashley F. “You’re in the business. They’ll give you some leeway. She’s not, so they’ll mold her image to better fit the character they want her to play.”
“But I’m me,” Hannah says. “I’m not a character.”
“You are to them.” And likely to most people who would watch the show. On a show like this, they don’t see you as a human being. You’re a character on a show. Some people can handle that. I would bet it’s not going to bother Shelby at all. But I’m worried about Hannah, and I’ve only recently met her. “They want to put a bunch of different people into a room and see what chaos they can create. You’ll be an excellent target for someone like Shelby. So here’s the key. Don’t let her push you around.”
“I’m scared of her,” Hannah admits. “I think I’ll stay out of her way.”
“Good luck with that,” Ashley F replies.
The door opens again. “Ashley F,” Patrick calls out.
Ashley straightens her skirt and walks for the door. “See you out there, ladies. When I get to the cocktail party, I’ll save you a place to sit.”
The door closes behind her, and Hannah takes another long drag off her glass. “She’s nice. There are a couple of others that are too, but a lot of them are super bitchy. We have to share rooms in the mansion, and I got kicked out twice before I found someone who would let me stay with her. I thought I looked good in this dress.”
I turn to my new friend. “You look spectacular in that dress, but maybe the next time they try to put you in black, insist on jewel tones. You’re not a doll for them to dress. You’re Hannah, and you’re here to meet a king and fall in love in a very short period of time. While he’s dating a whole bunch of other women.”
Her laugh spills through the now almost empty room. “Put like that it does sound crazy.” She sets her glass down and sighs. “I think I might be the only person here who thinks it really might work. I thought everyone else sent in an application like I did, but from what I can tell everyone’s got an agent or someone they know who got them on the show.”
I don’t want to burst her bubble, but I also don’t want her to think this is a fantasy come true. “You have to remember that this is a television show. It’s for entertainment, and sometimes the production team will manipulate things to create drama. Don’t worry about it. I’ll be around after tonight.”