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)
Ashley W
I thought he liked me. I thought he was going to pick me because we had a moment tonight. We were standing over the buffet and I told him I like sauerkraut and then he said he liked it too. I don’t think anyone else ate the sauerkraut, so I don’t know why he would cut me. He’s going to find out all those other women hate his cultural food and then what’s he going to do?
Emily
What’s the hardest thing about being in this house? It’s old and drafty, and some weird chick keeps walking around the mansion going on and on about the original crown molding. Is that a codeword or something? That’s annoying, but the real awful part is how nasty Shelby is. She’s not here for the right reasons. I don’t know why Reg keeps her.
Ashley F
Oh, dealing with Shelby is the worst. She’s not a girl’s girl, if you know what I mean. Like if she had a squad, it would be made of Cruella de Vil, Regina George, Bellatrix Lestrange and that woman who made JoJo Siwa cry when she was twelve. I don’t know what the king is thinking because if she becomes his queen, that country is going to be ripe for a revolution.
Anika
Everything’s good. Yep. All good. Looking forward to my next group date. Fun. Do I want private time with L…Reg? Uhm, I think we can get to know each other in a group setting. I wouldn’t want to take time away from the other women. They’re all so lovely and smart. He can’t make a wrong choice. Except for Shelby. That would be a disastrous choice. Not sure what he’s thinking.
Riley
I think Hannah is wonderful. She’s become my best friend in the house. I can tell her anything. Since we lost our roommate, it’s been me and her sitting up every night talking. Telling each other everything. In our pajamas. Yeah, of course we talk about Reg. I mean what else would we talk about? That’s why we’re here.
Katy
I was cool with Shelby at first. I’ll be honest, I like a mean girl. You can trust that they will always tell you the brutal truth. I think it’s meaner to not tell someone they have lipstick on their teeth or to fail to mention that they shouldn’t leave the house in that micro mini because it makes you look like a whale. I was surprised when she turned on me. I thought we were close. But I overheard her saying that I’m just here for the fame. Bitch has to go.
Chapter Fourteen
Two weeks into this godforsaken process and I am ready to strangle someone.
And that someone has a name, and her name is Shelby.
“One of us has to talk to him,” Ashley F says as we’re sitting on the couch in the mansion. It’s early afternoon and everyone with the exception of Shelby has the day “off.” Off is a euphemism for we don’t get to leave the house or see the king. There’s a one-on-one date today, and the rest of us are filming confessionals and this house meeting scene.
I can tell where the director thinks the real drama is because Joe is right here and not across town filming Luca and Shelby and their magical day on the Upper East Side.
“Can you say that with a bit more feeling?” Joe interrupts. “The sentiment is exactly what we’re going for, but there’s no place for subtlety. You’re mad at Shelby, and this house meeting is going to steer the ship when it comes to her. You’re fed up and you can’t take anymore.”
Ashley F nods and closes her eyes like she’s prepping for a scene.
Which she is.
Is it real? Do we all hate Shelby for how awful she is? Yes. But apparently we’re not hating her in a film-ready way.
“We’re still rolling.” Joe adjusts his glasses, sitting back in his chair while Patrick hands him a travel mug of coffee.
I haven’t had to deal with Patrick unless I was on one of the group dates and at the elimination ceremonies, of which there have been two. Two of the Ashleys have left in what I like to call the limo of doom, and it was all very dramatic and tearful and there was something about sauerkraut that I didn’t fully understand. I feel like I’m floating through these days.
But the nights…the nights are when I feel solid ground beneath my feet. The nights are when I feel alive.
Every night without fail Luca sneaks into my room and we watch shows. He gets surprisingly emotionally invested. I’ve started asking my mom to sneak me extra food for our midnight binge fests.
Last night she made me a small but lovely charcuterie box, with grapes and gouda and salami and crackers. Luca made me taste the grapes because apparently they don’t have cotton candy grapes in Ralavia. They also don’t have men who make poor choices. At least that’s what he tells me.