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“Damn it, Diane! I should have known better than to ask one of the Williams demons.”

“Oh, come on, you know I have to mess with you a little. They aren’t that different when you aren’t around. The mean one is mean, the sweet one is sweet. The wild one is wild.”

“Not helpful, Diane. Have you picked up on anything else? Like someone who’s not here for the right reasons?” He didn’t know what that meant, or why it was so important, but Marina had stressed that point. Apparently, weeding out at least one contestant who wasn’t there for “the right reasons” was expected.

“Well, I don’t know about their reasons, but those twins freak me out. They weren’t kidding about doing everything together. Eat, sleep, bathe. Everything. As models, I’m sure it’s safe to assume they were hoping for a career boost with an appearance on the show.”

“A hot night with twins is one thing, but long term? I’m not even sure that’s legal. Mercedes is fun. I know Iona is a bit forward, but I guess I could get used to it.”

“Yeah, that’s one word for it.” Diane grinned.

“What do you think about Jazz? We haven’t had a lot of time together, but she’s almost too normal for a show like this. I keep waiting for the catch.”

“Oh, she’s great. Her sister signed her up as a joke, which is why she doesn’t seem like the type. She made it through the first couple rounds of casting and decided what the hell. It was a free trip to the beach and a good excuse to take time off work.”

Al’s brow furrowed. “You seem to know a lot about her.”

Diane’s cheek’s reddened and she tucked a strand of blue hair behind her ear. “There’s a lot of downtime when we’re filming, and she’s easy to talk to.” She cleared her throat. “Charlene is a sweetheart. If you get a chance to talk to her one on one, ask her about kids.”

“Kids?” Al gulped.

“Yeah, my guess is she wants a boatload and is ready to start tomorrow.”

Sweat beaded on Al’s brow. “Okay, well, good chat.” He stood up as his six-ish dates arrived.

“Let’s get this party started!” Mercedes shouted as she walked into the room, arms linked with the twins. Mercedes was of course in a tight fitting dress that accentuated her breasts. The twins were in skin-tight jeans with identical skimpy tops. Al grinned as he watched the ladies settle in. It was nice that they were getting along. There was a special area set up on the back patio for one-on-one chats, and he hoped to have a few minutes with each woman before the date was over.

His smile faded as he watched Shane enter the bar with Jeannie at his side. He whispered something in her ear, and she laughed.Give me a break.That man was not funny. He was old and stupid. Okay, so maybe he was like, ten years older than Al, but still. She swatted at his chest and kissed him on the cheek.Son of a bitch.When did they get to thatstage? He thought they were just flirting. Were they fucking now?Damn it.

Lindsey clapped her hands. “Okay people, I hope you’ve rested your voices because everyone is singing tonight. Al, why don’t you go first? It’ll be a good way to set the tone.”

Al nodded. Oh yeah, he was ready to set the tone.

Chapter 24

“That was an interesting choice,” Lindsey said to Jeannie as Al walked off the stage. “Any idea what that was about? I don’t think we’ll be able to air it; it’s not quite fitting with our aesthetic.”

“Yeah, you’re right about that,” Jeannie said. Morgan Wallen’s “Thinkin’ Bout Me” would definitely raise some eyebrows. The song was about a guy taunting his ex for thinking about him while she’s dating someone new.

The sound of cheers and clinking glass interrupted their conversation.

“When you need a spotter for your squats, are you thinkin’ bout me?” Paige asked and the women cheered and clanked their glasses.

“When you’re locked up and need someone to get you out, are you thinkin’ bout me?” Jazz shouted, followed by another round of cheers.

“When you have to carry all her shit, are you thinkin’ bout me?” Mercedes squeezed her breasts together, laughing into Diane’s camera.

Jeannie turned to Lindsey. “Maybe leave it in. I guess he was singing on behalf of the women and their exes.” Her shoulders dropped while her heart sank. For a second, she thought maybe that song was directed at her. That maybe Al was taunting her, reading her thoughts because she was thinking about him while she flirted with Shane.

Marina sang a slow song that Al and Paige danced to as part of Paige’s reward for winning the day’s challenge. After that, the women enjoyed karaoke while Al had one-on-one time with each contestant.

Jeannie was dying to know what they were saying on the patio. No one would question her if she went outside to listen. Part of her job was to keep up with the contestants and storyline. Before she could decide what to do, her phone vibrated in her pocket.

Nick: Checking on the rookie. Rough day at the station yesterday.

She sucked in a breath as she read Nick’s text. Al had been acting off all night. No matter what else was going on with them, he was her best friend and always would be. She quickly typed out a reply and walked outside to the one-on-one set.

“And then I followed the mama dog through the woods and found a whole litter of puppies, trapped in a hole left from a rotted-out stump. I carried all six of them back to my house. I have a picture. Want to see?” Charlene’s wide eyes stared up at Al, which might have been sweet if he’d been looking back at her instead of staring off in the opposite direction.