I clap my hands together and smile as if they’re all my Prince Charmings and I’m their princess. “That was a lot of fun today, guys! Thanks for mostly being good sports and making this fun.” I pause, taking a deep breath and drawing out the moment. Meredith told me that whenever I’m making an announcement or a decision, be as dramatic as possible.
“Well, I’m supposed to pick from the top two for lunch. I’d like to invite Hayden,” I say finally, my heart pounding in my chest. More than a few faces drop, even though according to the rules, they’d already been disqualified.
Hayden’s face breaks out into a grin as he starts walking toward me, his arms open wide. But I’m shocked when Meredith interrupts from the sidelines, shaking her head. “Wait! I’m sorry, Emily, but you weren’t supposed to just pick like that. The crew was supposed to bring out the button for you to push. Don’t worry, we’ll edit that out.”
I look at her, confused. “What button?”
As if in response, the crew quickly rushes forward and sets up a prop button and the score displays change above us. The names Hayden and Lee flash back and forth on them, and apparently, when I hit the button, it’ll freeze on one of their names.
Please let it be Hayden.
I stand and watch the names flash, concentrating. When I think I got a lock on the name I want, I smash the button and it freezes on . . . Lee. My heart drops in my chest and it’s a struggle to keep the smile on my face.
I’m surprised when Hayden steps forward and gives me a hug, whispering in my ear, “It’s all right, beautiful. Thanks for picking me when you had the chance. I’ll look forward to our date.” When he steps away, I have goosebumps on my flesh.
Before I can say a word, Lee virtually prowls toward me, appearing irritated and practically radiating power and sex. He takes my hand, kisses it softly with his lips, and then takes a little bow like I’m a princess. There’s a challenge in his eyes when he straightens and looks at me. A challenge I don’t think I want to accept.
“Shall we?”
Emily
Confessional
I look at the cameraman, sitting back in the high chair, feeling a bit of nerves tightening my stomach.
“Are we on?” I ask.
The cameraman, Joe, nods at me. “Talk whenever you’re ready.”
I pat my hair, hoping nothing is out of place and that my makeup isn’t crazy, but I see McKayla over on the side give me a thumbs-up. I take a deep breath, thinking about what I’m going to say, and then draw myself up.
“Ahem.” I clear my throat and begin speaking. “Never in a million years did I think I’d wind up on a show like this. I mean, I’ve watched enough of them to become an expert, but my experience being the first Matchmaker, thus far, has already been an eye-opener. The men seem nice, and it’s been tough cutting some of them. There’s a few I feel a spark with, so I guess we’ll see how that goes. I appreciated Hayden’s help with the bowling. There’s a few I’m not as invested in, and some have even turned me off a little. I work a lot with children, and I’m not looking for immaturity in a man. But who knows? Anything can happen.”
The comment gets a chuckle out of McKayla, and I continue. “I’m off to lunch with Lee, who seems very charming and confident. Other standouts? Matt . . . something in his eyes says he’d be fun to get to know more. Cody . . . uhm, he seems like a huge teddy bear and I kinda wanna cuddle up with him. Dean . . . kinda an All-American boy next door. Carlos . . . he promised to teach me how to dance, and that sounds fun. Yeah, there are some standouts.”
After a quick touchup to my hair, makeup, and wardrobe, I settle in at an intimate table for two on the back porch. Well, it would be intimate if there weren’t ten people around doing the set work. It’s kinda funny when Meredith tells us that this is supposed to be a bit more revealing, more connection. She wants some kind of fireworks to happen.
Apparently, that’s my job, like I have any idea how to create the ‘camera magic’ she’s demanding. Lee, who’s sitting across from me, is unaware of the turmoil wracking my mind as he smiles warmly at me. “I’m so happy to have lunch with you today, Emily. Finally, all to myself.”
I return his smile, trying to relax and nodding my head. “Yes, I want to get to know all of you better to see who I might be a match with.” I pause. God, I sound so awkward, so forced. It gives me a newfound respect for the women who seem so natural at doing these things.
“So, uh . . . tell me about yourself,” I say, flashing a smile.
Lee grins, leaning back in his seat. “Well, I used to be a major gamer geek, doing live gameplay voiceovers. I moved on to a multi-media platform reviewer who gets early releases from the studios. As an early reviewer, my videos could make or break a game release. I’ve got about fifteen million subscribers.”
I arch an eyebrow, impressed. Fifteen million and I’ve never heard of him? I have to wonder if he’s pulling my leg, heavily exaggerating. But then again, I don’t play video games or even get on social media much. “Fifteen . . . million?”
Lee smiles proudly, nodding. “Yep, my last E-Sports convention sold out within minutes. I had people lining up to watch me play and talk about the game.” He goes on to tell me about how much he’s made from endorsements and how he’s headed for even bigger things.
I’m a bit flabbergasted, both in that I didn’t even know such a thing existed and that he’s talked for about fifteen minutes straight with barely a sound from me.
After a while, he must see something on my face, because he stops. “I’m sorry, I’m talking your head off. I’m just passionate about my work and can get carried away sometimes. You get the picture. Tell me about you.”
I stare at him for a moment. I can appreciate that he’s passionate, but I admit I’m comfortable steering the conversation away from something I know so little about.
At the same time, I’m hesitant to tell him about myself. I’m boring, certainly not popular. I could embellish a little, but I remember Meredith saying that I need to be truthful. She and the producers feel that viewers connect more with leads who are authentic.
“For the past few years, I’ve been working as a nanny. I was going to school for an education degree, and this was a way for me to spend time with little ones,” I finally say. “I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much, and while I’m still taking classes, it’s on a more part-time basis so that I can take care of my kids when they need me there. They’re like my family now, their parents too.”
Lee grins. “So you’re a babysitter? I think that’s awesome. I’m sure you’re great with the kids and they love you. Besides, who doesn’t love kids?”
I shift in my seat. He’s smiling, but for some reason, the way he called me a ‘babysitter’ almost feels like he looks down on it. I do so much more than that, but maybe it’s just semantics. He probably just doesn’t know the difference. I would probably botch video game lingo too. With a smile, I try to let it go, choosing to focus on the compliment he gave me instead.