“That’s a crappy attitude to have. Why not you?” Kendra asked.
“The audience tallies are in and Americans have made their decision. When we come back, one of these beautiful women will go home,” Darius said from the television speakers.
They’d filmed an exit segment for all of the contestants before the first show, as well as personal interviews. Combined, those would determine via social media who was voted off first. Belle prayed it would be her.
“Why not me? Because it’s not real, Kendra. Erik isn’t going to propose to me.” She and Erik had an agreement.
“You used to think it was romantic.”
“That’s was before I was in the thick of it. The idea of some guy asking me to marry him in front of a million people kind of freaks me out.” Especially since Erik wasn’t in love with her.
A commercial on household cleaner broke the silence and Belle fiddled with the hem of the pillow.
“You know the klutz is a mid-season kick off. I predict that second woman, the lawyer. She was boring as hell,” Kendra said, scratching at her nose.
Picking up her water bottle from the table, Belle nodded. The NDA stopped her from saying anything—not that she knew anything specific. She hadn’t been kidding about Kendra. The woman was terrible at keeping secrets. If Belle wanted to talk about the show, she’d have to vent to Erik. Of course, she couldn’t talk about the kiss with him. She crossed her fingers, hoping against hope, that she’d be voted off.
The commercial ended and MFF music sounded before Darius came back into frame.
Belle clutched the pillow tighter, her heart in her throat. Kendra reached over and squeezed her knee.
“And tonight, we say goodbye to Rachel,” Darius said. “I am sorry, Rachel. You won’t be Erik’s future Fiancé.”
Belle sank back into the couch, squeezing the bottle in her hand. Water squirted out on her leg, the wetness seeping into her sweat pants. The worst thing had happened. She was on the show for another week. Her one consolation, Erik wasn’t going to pick her in the end.
Chapter Sixteen
“What were the ratings for last night?” Erik paced his dressing room at the theater. He wasn’t sure if he was pissed, annoyed, or glad that Belle was still on the show. The last bit made him feel guilty as hell. He wanted more time with her on a non-professional level. Being on the show for longer wasn’t what she wanted and he had no desire to force the situation, or himself on her.
“Belle received eighty-eight percent of the audience,” Darius said. “And I might add, we had record number of clicks on all social media platforms. We added another two point six million viewers last night.” Excitement showed in his voice, the flash of his too-white smile genuine. It was the first time Erik had seen the guy be real since he’d met him. “You should both be proud. You’re breaking a record and America loves you.”
Erik had to admit, he was pretty pumped at the news.
“There has to be some mistake.” Lips downturned, Belle shut her laptop; her cheeks wan. Defeat evident in her drooping shoulders. “Thanks to my alleged wardrobe mishap, I came across as a sl... klutz.”
“If that were true. Which I’m not saying it is.” Darius’s expression became guarded, his eyes cold and distant.
Belle looked directly at him. “We both know the klutz never goes the distance on the show. Nor does she—or he—depending on the season, last more than a few shows.”
“It doesn’t seem to be the case here.” Darius shook his head. “They loved you and when the audience loves you, the more sponsors we get.”
“And Erik gets.” She nodded, her spine stiffening as if she were gaining strength for the inevitable concession.
“The more money he makes,” Darius nodded, a smug smirk on his lips before he schooled his features.
The more money he made, the more money she made. She got a percentage of his earnings and she deserved every cent of it. He watched her with caution but kept his mouth shut. This was her decision. Not that she had a choice in the matter. She’d signed a contract, the same as him. Except this wasn’t what she’d signed up for.
“The viewership went up by almost eleven percent?” Belle asked, resigned to the inevitable.
“Yes, you’re not the only one surprised by this. I figured Erik would bring more viewers because of his fan favorite status but he exceeded our expectation.”
Erik should have been thrilled by the news but guilt had a way of taking the edge off his victory. “How do we fix this with Belle?”
“We don’t. She still gets paid per show and if she’s around for the final, she gets a nicer car.” Darius turned on his heel and crossed his arms. He offered another smile, this one meant to be persuasive. “You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.”
Erik watched her expression to see if she was buying this bullshit.
Releasing a soft snort, she gave a curt nod. “Fine, short of litigation, I’m stuck on the show.”
