Page 14 of Playing With My Heart Strings

baylor

Drama, Drama, Drama

Dusty and Sage walk back from their conversation as the rest of us stand around waiting with Jarrod.

“Dusty, it looks like that’s all the time we have for tonight,” Jarrod announces.

Dusty’s face falls a little, but in the blink of an eye, his expression reverts back to normal.

He takes a deep breath. “Ladies, thank you for such a fun evening. I will see you all tomorrow night.” He gives Sage a hug then moves down the line.

When he finally makes it to me, I sigh, letting my shoulders drop as I sink into the warmth of his chest, a gentle woodsy scent enveloping my senses.

I didn’t intend for that reaction—I didn’t want that reaction—but there’s something about him that causes me to drop my defenses.

“Thanks, Baylor,” he whispers in my ear as a tingling sensation drops down my spine. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you,” I murmur back.

Any intimacy is cut short, though, as Jarrod whisks Dusty away, and we’re escorted to the vans to head back to the hotel that production has us staying at.

It doesn’t make a lot of sense for us to be staying at one, but Dusty is already staying at the house we filmed in, and they want to limit our interactions with him off camera.

Sage, Aspen—unfortunately—and I are riding in the same car, and Sage sidles up next to me as we exit the axe throwing building.

“So, what do you think of Dusty?” she asks, quiet enough that Aspen can’t hear.

I shrug. “I think he’s okay.” I’m still skeptical of him, but I’m here for a reason, and as much as I want to trust the other girls, I have to play the part.

“Just okay?” She laughs, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“He’s different than I expected,” I admit. “I don’t know, I’ve only ever seen what the media portrays.”

She ponders what I say for a moment. “That makes sense. I feel like he’s got a deeper side to him, though.

I had some really great conversations with him, and I think he’s really leaning into this whole process.

It’s gotta be hard dating multiple people at once, so I’m trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. ”

“What are you guys talking about?” Aspen’s voice is monotonous and disinterested, like she’s only talking to us because she has no one else to talk to.

“We’re talking about Dusty,” Sage offers. “I think he’s got a deeper side than the country star persona he puts on.”

She scoffs a little. “I mean, he’s a celebrity, though. Sure, everyone’s going to have a deeper side, but at the end of the day, he’s still a famous musician. How different is he really to the rest of us?”

I’m not sure, but I want to find out , I think as she continues.

“We’re all just trying to make it, otherwise, we wouldn’t be here.”

I hate to admit Aspen has a point, but she does—everyone here is trying to get their big break.

But at the same time, I have the insider info that Dusty never wanted to be here.

If he was just like the rest of Nashville, like the rest of Music Row, then would he have complained so much about the exposure?

Sage and I both shrug, and the rest of the walk to the car is silent.

Luckily, it’s only a short distance, and soon enough, Aspen is climbing into the passenger side and Sage and I take the backseats.

It’s been a long day and I’m ready to flop down on my bed for a deep slumber, so I find myself zoning out the entire car ride back to the hotel.

The next morning, the rest of the girls—Valerie, Morgan, Jordan, and Abigail—leave for their group date with Dusty, but Katherine, the other girls who went on the group date last night, and I are driven to the property where the speed dating took place.

I personally would rather stay at the hotel, but we were told we can’t spend all day in our rooms. Probably so the crew can get footage of any drama that happens between the girls who aren’t on the date.

We are fortunate enough that we don’t have roommates, because with my luck I’d get stuck with Aspen. I take it as a small blessing that once the day is over, I can at least have a little bit of privacy.

When we arrive, I get out of the car and reach my arms toward the sky, stretching out my limbs. Aspen shoots me a glare as she exits the vehicle she was in and walks toward the house without giving me a second glance.

I shake my head, rolling my eyes, as the rest of the girls and I follow.

We all plop down on the sectional couch in the living room, and silence overtakes the room.

There’s no TV or music—although, I’m sure we could listen to Dusty’s music on a loop if we really wanted to.

Just the company of five of Dusty’s other girlfriends and the hidden cameras placed around the house.

Kind of weird if I think about it too much, but reality TV has always stretched boundaries and norms.

“How was your date with Dusty, Katherine?” Sage asks.

The smile that spreads across Katherine’s face tells us everything we need to know. The girl is practically glowing just from the mention of his name.

“It was amazing. We went for a bike ride, which doesn’t sound romantic at all, but it really was.

He’s so understanding and engaging in conversations.

I knew he was charismatic, obviously, but it really felt like he listened to what I was saying.

I don’t know, I just feel really good about where we’re at so far in our relationship. ”

A few of the other girls squeal and blush, swooning over the details of Katherine’s date, but Aspen rolls her eyes, scrunching her nose.

No one makes any comments about her apparent distaste toward Katherine, but I make a mental note about her attitude.

It was clear to me from the beginning that Aspen thinks she’s better than all of us, but she doesn’t have to make it so obvious to everyone else.

“That’s so cute!” Kelsie bats her eyelashes as she rests her head in her hands, and Sage nods in agreement.

“It was a bike ride,” Aspen mutters. “What’s so special about that?”

I don’t think any of the other girls heard her—at least Katherine didn’t, luckily—but it’s enough for me to decide that the next time she runs her mouth I’ll pull her aside and ask what the fuck her problem is.

“What do you think they’re doing today?” Jade asks, changing the subject.

“I’m not sure, but they were all dressed pretty nice when they left this morning,” Katherine replies.

“Hopefully it’s not something super romantic.” Kelsie lets out a nervous laugh.

“Honestly, anything would be more romantic than axe throwing.” Aspen has the guts to open her mouth, but it’s not as snarky of a comment as I expected. To be fair, axe throwing wasn’t the most romantic way to spend a day, but it was kind of fun once I got into it.

“Oh, is that what you guys did last night? I guess I didn’t even ask how that went!” Katherine places a hand on her chest apologetically.

A chorus of, “It was fun,” and, “It went really well,” floats around between Jade, Sage, and Kelsie.

“I was horrible at the axe-throwing part, though.” Kelsie giggles, making the rest of us laugh with her.

“She was so bad, Katherine. I was genuinely scared for my life,” Sage teases. “But Baylor was so good at it. You should have seen her win.”

Warmth creeps into my cheeks as I shrug. “It wasn’t a big deal, really.”

“It was, though! You get a solo date next week because of it!” Sage adds, and I can’t help but recoil at the disclosure. I wasn’t going to advertise that me winning the challenge meant I’d get an automatic pass from the elimination and make it to the next week.

“Oh…wow.” It seems like Katherine is at a loss for words, and I can’t say I blame her. It’s a huge advantage in a competition like this. Every minute counts, because it could mean the difference between a record deal and going home.

“If anything, this should just prove that everyone needs to be on their A-game. No messing around.” Aspen’s lips curl up slightly as her eyes narrow, gaze hardening. “Besides, she got lucky and just barely beat me.”

“It may not have been by much, but I still won.” I just couldn’t bite my tongue on this one, letting the comment slip. “It wasn’t luck, though.”

“Excuse me?” She crosses her arms, her tone a bit accusatory. “What are you trying to say?”

I decide that if I’m going to open my mouth, I might as well go all out and tell her what’s really on my mind. “All I’m saying is that maybe if your axe-throwing skills were as big as your attitude and ego, you’d be the one getting the solo date.”

Sage’s eyes widen, and Aspen’s mouth gapes a little, as if she can’t believe what I said. I was trying to keep a low profile, be one of those contestants who is easily forgotten, outshined by someone else, but that clearly backfired on me.

“Hmm. Well, if that’s how you really feel, I guess we’ll see if Dusty keeps you around after your solo date.” Her retort is nicer than I expected, but the fire in her eyes practically burns through me. Then she leaves the room without another word.

That was both awkward and better than I expected.

The only thing on my mind when I walk down the hallway of the production building toward my interview is the conversation from earlier today. I shake my head as I look down at my shoes, watching my feet pass each large tile on the floor.

So much for keeping a low profile. Why did I do that?

“I can’t believe I—” I don’t even realize I’m muttering out loud to myself until I hear, “Can’t believe you what?”

My head snaps up right before I collide with the solid chest of the person who the voice belongs to…Dusty Wilder. I jump backward, putting a couple feet between us, as my heart pounds.

“I-I can’t believe I actually won the axe-throwing competition.” I make something up as I throw my arms up in the air to add to the pretend shock.

He lets out a chuckle. “You’re not a very good liar, Baylor.”

Panic rises in my chest. Does he already know?

Before I can protest, he takes a step forward, closing the distance between us. As if to drive the point further, he leans in to whisper in my ear. “I think you knew exactly what you were doing on that axe-throwing date.”

When he backs away, I tilt my head so I’m looking him square in the face and force my shoulders back so I stand a little bit taller. “I guess I’m just good at pretending.”

“You don’t have to pretend with me.”

“You’d be surprised,” I scoff then widen my eyes. “Did I say that out loud? I just meant I’m full of surprises.”

“I don’t doubt it for a second. I’m looking forward to being surprised by you, sweetheart.” He looks me up and down then steps out of the way so I can continue walking.

I try to resist the urge to look back over my shoulder to see if he’s watching me as I leave, but my heart gets the better of me. As though he was waiting for me to turn, he’s facing me with a wide grin on his face.

I’m absolutely fucked.