Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 339(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 339(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
“Gag. Jesus, what’s next? You four going to sing Kumbaya and start a hug circle?” Jenna asks from where she’s perched beside Krampus on his pedestal, sipping from a silver flask I’m positive wasn’t part of her wardrobe. “The lack of competitive instinct is…stunning.”
“Talk to her about the flask as soon as filming is over. This is supposed to be a family-friendly show,” I murmur into my headset, earning a slight nod from Ainsley. “And we need to remind the rest of the cast members to keep the cursing to a minimum. We can always bleep them afterwards, but better if we don’t have to.”
Ainsley nods again before declaring the challenge at an end and thanking Dirk for being part of the competition. When I first pitched the idea of having my director double as my host, my industry friends thought I was crazy. But Ainsley’s doing a fantastic job, and I think the audience will enjoy the glimpse behind the curtain.
But not too far behind the curtain…
When one of the cameramen in charge of capturing “color” of the contestants outside the challenges shifts his lens my way, I wave him off with a scowl. “Not me. Them,” I hiss. “Get some reaction footage from the woman who had hot chocolate spilled all over her. And Caroline’s conga line,” I add as he hurries away.
Caroline’s conga line…
They were as charmed by her as I am. The rest of the cast seems to be taking to her, too, despite the fact that she’s joining the competition a couple days after the initial members. As I make my way back to the production tent to check our shot list with the head of photography, I hear Millie ask Caroline if she’d like to be her roomie, now that Meredith’s gone.
I glance up at the monitors flickering above the control panel, watching the two women chat in black and white.
“No way am I leaving you to bunk with Jenna,” Millie says. “You might wake up with your blood sucked dry by morning.”
Caroline laughs. “Thanks, I appreciate that. I had a room at the conference hotel for two more nights, but Leo and Ainsley said I’d need to move in with the cast. Are they really going to film us brushing our teeth and getting ready for bed?”
“Yes,” Millie says, as they settle onto a bench to remove their skates, their every word captured by a cameraman hovering a few feet away. “They also really love waking you up first thing with a lens in your face. Don’t you, Blake?”
“You can’t talk to me when I’m filming, Millie,” Blake mutters. “I told you that this morning.”
“And I told you that if I wake up with a camera within striking distance again, it’s getting a swat,” Millie says pleasantly, before adding to Caroline, “I was a very sleepy child. Spent all ten years of Girl Scout camp waking up to someone drawing a moustache on my lip. Or spraying whipped cream into my hand so I’d slap myself with it when they tickled my nose. I learned to swat first and ask questions later.”
“I didn’t know Girl Scout camp was so perilous,” Caroline says. “Makes me glad I went to a tiny country school without after-school activities.”
Millie pulls a face. “Nah, it was great. Just kid stuff. Those girls are still some of my best friends. One of them is my landscaper and another caters weddings at the inn in the summer.”
“That’s great. My best friend and I run our inn together. It’s been our dream since we were in third grade. She’s just the best. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“Female friendships are so important.”
Caroline nods. “A vastly underrated form of love.”
“And way less likely to break your heart.” Millie sighs, “Though I did have a friend betray me pretty badly once. It was so painful and just…came out of nowhere.”
Caroline makes a sympathetic sound. “I’m sorry. If it makes you feel any better, I caught my boyfriend making out with a Rockette earlier today. Betrayal happens to us all.”
Mille gasps. “Oh no! Oh my God, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Caroline rolls her eyes. “It was all so ridiculous it was hard to get too upset about it. And the Rockette apologized and dumped him on his ass after, so that was fun. She seemed cool. I’d rather hang out with her than my ex.”
Millie giggles. “Yes! Girl power for the win. I’m glad we’re in an alliance.”
“Me, too,” Caroline says, laughing with her. It’s a softer version of her big, shameless laugh, but still fucking…perfect.
I lift my gaze, watching over the monitors as Ainsley approaches their bench for the post-contest interviews. Caroline looks up with a wide, easy smile that makes her even prettier. She’s fucking beautiful, this woman, and it’s becoming clear it’s more than skin deep.