Page 125 of The Fire Between High & Lo (Elements 2)

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The One by Danielle Allen

The One Blurb

The cattiness.

The fights.

The shaming.

I don’t generally watch reality television, but I definitely don’t watch reality dating shows. Besides the fact that it’s completely staged, it’s a horrible depiction of people—women especially.

Women are pitted against each other to compete for the affection of a man they “fall in love” with after a week or two.

I call B.S.

It is complete crap.

So when my best friend, Koko, was hired as a makeup artist on the set of the most popular reality dating show, The One, I teased her mercilessly.

She told me that if I didn’t stop teasing her, she would get me back.

And she did…

Which is how I ended up as a contestant on The One.

Chapter 1

“What?” I screeched aloud in the empty room.

I reread the congratulatory letter stapled to the top of the confidentiality agreement and other contractual forms to be a contestant on The One. “This has got to be a joke. This has something to do with Koko.”

Although I didn’t let my best friend forget that she was working for a television program that set women back decades, I was so proud of Koko for following her dreams and landing a big time job on a network TV show.

But what does that have to do with me?

Putting my law degree to work, I carefully read each document addressed to me, starting with the one welcoming me to join the “most popular dating show on TV.” With each line I read, I became uncomfortable.

This almost looks real.

When I finished, I tossed the stack of papers on the wooden coffee table and picked up my cell phone. Standing in the center of the rustic living room of my parents’ Virginia home, I tapped my bare foot against the cold hardwood floor as I pushed the call button. With a hand propped on my hip, I waited for my call to be answered.

I glanced at the clock hanging over the crackling fireplace, calculating the time difference between Virginia and California. It’s only four o’clock over there so she should be—

“Zoe!” My best friend’s light airy voice chirped as she answered the phone. “Oh my God!”

“Kumiko Liane Green,” I barked her full name, walking toward my childhood bedroom and closing the door behind me. I flipped on the light and the oceanic blue walls lit up. “This bullshit has your name written all over it.”

The gasping sound of her laughter was infectious as my suspicions were confirmed.

“You ass!” I exclaimed, my smile taking the bite out of my words.

Koko laughed harder.

“This is not funny,” I argued, stifling my own amusement. “I don’t even watch reality TV so as soon as I saw The One in the first line of the letter, I knew your ass had something to do with it!”