“But you’re okay,” I say. “You’re going to do great.”The horse handler comes back and gives me a thumbs up. “And you’re next, so prepare yourself.”
She starts hyperventilating, and I reach over and take her hand. A chill runs over me, but I tell myself I’m just being supportive. I’m just helping her through this. I don’t mean anything by it.
I can’t mean anything by it, or I surely would.
“I can’t do this,” she says. “I can’t.”
“You can. And you will.Take a deep breath for me, Becca.”
She does take a deep breath and relaxes her shoulders. She’s clearly trying to get a hold of herself, but it takes her a minute, and then the carriage rolls forward a final time. I can see Prince Charming—Preston Carmichael is his name—and he looks the part. He’s got a square jaw and a sharp haircut and is wearing a royal-looking jacket with epaulets over a fancy dress shirt. His pants are creased and his boots have little golden buckles on them.
He looks like a pansy, honestly, but also every bit the part of the prince.
“Prince Charming is waiting,” I say in a low voice. She leans back on her seat like she’s trying to become one with it. “If you don’t get out in the next ten seconds, he’s going to come open your door for you, and then you’ll be one of those girls.”
She gapes. “I can’t be one of those girls.”
“Better get out there, then.”
I’m leaning forward to hold her hand, and when she looks right into my eyes, she takes my breath away.
God, she’s gorgeous and wonderful, and I’m more into her than I have been with anyone in a long, long time.
And I’m convincing her to run into the arms of another man.
“I’ll see you inside, right?” she says. “You’ll be in there?”
“Yes. I’m going to go in a side door and I’ll meet you there. I’ll interview you. You can tell me how everything went.”
And just like that, I’m the friend she talks to about another man.
Shit.
This sucks.
I’m unprepared for how much this sucks.
Preston is standing out there looking at the carriage in confusion. He takes a step toward the door.
“He’s coming to open your door, Becks,” I tell her. “Now or never.”
“Ahhh! I’m going!”Then she flings open the door and rushes out, nearly tripping over her skirts on the way. She bustles up to Preston, and I can’t see the look on her face because she’s turned away from me, but all the cameras are trained on them, so I’ll get to see the footage later.
I do see the look on Preston’s face. He seems enchanted, taking her hand and kissing it.
There it is. She’s got her Prince Charming, the guy she’ll be obsessing about for the rest of the show.
And I’m the chump who’s going to hang on every word.
