“It will not be fun. Where is the real Willa and what have you done with her?”
She laughed, my favorite sound in the world. “Okay, so maybe I’m contractually required to say it’s fun.”
“That’s more like it.” I pulled into my parking space in my apartment complex, glancing around before heading straight inside. Perhaps it was time to move into a place with a manned security entrance, considering all the extra attention Alan was placing on me. But the pay per episode hadn’t kicked in, and I had never been much of a financial risk taker. I wasn’t counting any chickens before they hatched as long as they were coming from Alan’s coop.
“You still there?” Willa asked.
“Yup.” Tiger jumped off my shoulder and down to circle his food bowl. “I was just thinking that my apartment complex is not the best place to hide from the paparazzi.” I refilled Tiger’s food and water and then went to relax on the couch, picking up a few Red Hots and tossing them into my mouth. They would forever remind me of Willa now. At this point, there was nothing in my life she hadn’t messed with.
“Same. I have a tiny house in a regular neighborhood. I guess we’ll wait and see.”
There was a lull, and I wondered if I should apologize for my inability to kiss her back when she’d thrown herself at me. I could joke about feelings and technique and how I seemed to lack both under pressure. Maybe it was better to let it go. Chances were good we’d get a redo, which caused more stress than excitement. Willa must be so tired of me. I had to be about the least pushy love interest she’d ever encountered. And that was about the best she could possibly say about it.
“I’ll let you go. You must be tired.” Willa let out a fake-sounding yawn.
“Yeah, goodnight.” I hung up and rubbed my hands down my face. Everything about the last hour had mentally drained me.
Willa
Boot camp ended up being as much work for me as anyone else. Doug, Justin, Victoria, and I learned the choreography along with the contestants, ran lines, performed songs, and sat on the floor during water breaks moaning about our aching muscles.
I had my favorite contestants picked out. We all did. I wouldn’t call them friends, but we’d gone beyond acquaintances, and thanks to the extensive background checks, I felt safe enough to hang out and play the buddy role. There was Oscar, of course, but I also had grown to like the little circle of friends he’d garnered.
Alan had given me and Doug a break, which I was grateful for. The contestants were always with us, and until the first few episodes aired, Alan only wanted us to give them the suspicion of a relationship between us, not confirmation. For now, we were only supposed to be antagonistic buddies. So, I stole his water bottle and finished it off while he watched, used his shirt to wipe my sweaty forehead. Basically anything that walked the fine line between flirting and annoyance.
Doug knowing it was all for show took a little of the fun out of it, but only a little. His blushes were real, and flustering him was too easy.
I would have been more at ease if Justin wasn’t still bothering me. The thought of losing out to Doug had to be killing him. Justin was used to winning at everything. I thought if I gave him a little bit of attention it would even things out, but he was a thirsty well of need that begged for constant refilling.
This morning was no different. “Willa, come stretch with me,” he called, using his most persuasive smile.
He had his own special corner of the dance space, and nobody breeched it unless they were invited. He used his aura of cool to keep the contestants, especially the female ones, at a distance. I could respect that. It was written up, down, and sideways in our contracts that any romantic relationship with a contestant would mean forfeiting pay and our first born child, etc. etc.
‘No thanks,’ almost rolled off my tongue, but I bit it back and smiled at him instead. “Sure. Thanks.” I was supposed to be flattered by Justin’s efforts to single me out. I was supposed to be friendly.
He stepped back enough to give me my own space to stretch, but it wasn’t enough. Honestly, anywhere his eyes could reach me was too close. I reached an arm over my head, gritting my teeth.
It’s impossible to stretch out with someone while worrying about them looking at your body. Your muscles tense and it throws your balance off. And then they call you out on being tense and offer to rub out knots. I couldn’t help it. The look I threw Justin when he asked was the equivalent of drop dead.
Oscar chose that perfect moment to step between us. “Look, dude. She don’t like you. In fact, ten bucks says she and Doug already have something going on. So stop being so unprofessional and leave her be.”
Justin’s perfect skin turned blotchy, but that was the only outward sign he was ruffled at all. He stared Oscar down while tilting his head side to side and popping his neck. “Thanks for the advice, bro. Willa and I are just friends, so there’s nothing for you to worry about here. Am I right, Willa?”
All I could think was that Oscar read me too easily, and worse, had announced his observations on camera. Alan wanted suspicion, not confirmation, so I laughed it off as I glanced over at Doug. “I’m not here to date anyone.”
Doug wasn’t close enough to hear our conversation, but our body language must have been enough to tip him off. He stared back, looking worried. With a tiny shake of my head, I let him know not to come over. It was time to retreat before this situation got any worse, though it burned me up inside not to side with Oscar, who was only trying to help.
“If you two will excuse me, I’m gonna get some air.” I went to walk the halls for a few minutes, keeping an eye out for Alan. I wasn’t interested in a playbook chat, though I knew that would come, considering what Oscar had said. I checked in with Dot, who gave me a little stubby tail wave and a lick on the hand. Darn her, she’d weaseled her way into my Grinchy heart, next to the space I’d made for Doug.
It wasn’t long before an assistant was sent to fetch me. With relief, I went back to practicing and mingling with the contestants. The judges I ignored. All of them. Doug I could call later.
I thought I was done with Justin for the day, but he hung around after filming wrapped up, watching me, his face eerily calm and calculating. He was putting things together in his head; I could see it. I wasn’t afraid of Justin, but I was afraid of that look, of what it meant.
