He blinks and wets his lips. “I didn’t have to fly anywhere,” he clarifies quickly. “You’re, like, an hour away from where we’re going to film.”
Oh. Right.That makes sense. He was definitely not flirting with the contestant he’s interviewing—on camera—for a dating show that he works for.
I am saved from having to come up with a response by another rap on the coffee table fromThea.
“What are you going to say to Prince Charming when you first meet him?” she asks.Then she picks up a Barbie and Ken (both dressed, thankfully) and has them move back and forth a bit like they’re talking to each other. Or dancing weirdly.
“I have no idea,” I say, when the interpreter finishes talking. “They said we should come up with some unique thing to do when we first meet him, but . . .” I scrunch up my nose. Having seen this show before, I know how ridiculous it can get. Once, a girl dressed in this big Fruit-of-the-Loom apple costume, asking the prince to “take a bite.”
I realize we are all appearing very desperate just by being on this show, but I’m not eager to make it worse.
“You don’t have any ideas?” Nate asks.
“Oh, I have ideas. Just not any that leave my dignity intact.”
“Right.” He considers for a moment. “You could sign with him.That’s memorable. And not in an ‘I’m trying to be a sexy enchanted apple’ kind of way.”
Dustin laughs again from behind the camera, and I do too.That was pretty infamous.
Thea sets the Barbies down. “You should make him your mashed potatoes.Then he would propose right there.”
“Is that so?” Nate raises an eyebrow. He gives me a sly look. “Obviously I need to try these mashed potatoes.”
“Only if you’re going to propose,” she warns solemnly.
“Does everyone propose to your mom after eating the mashed potatoes?” he asksThea.
She beams at him. “The smart ones do.”
“You are crazy,” I say back to her, and lean over to ruffle her curls. She still lets me do that, at least.
“Is it time to eat?” Rosie pipes up eagerly.
“I can get you a snack soon,” I say, then look over at Nate. “Or is now a good interview break?”
“Now’s fine,” he assures me. “Actually,” he says to Rosie, “do you like to help your mom cook?”
She jumps up and down. One of her wings has somehow broken off during all of this. “Yes! I do!Thea says it’s boring.”
Rosie doesn’t always sign when she talks, but Kristin translates for her, too, andThea nods.
“Wellll.” Nate twists his lips. “It would be great to get some footage of you all cooking together. Any chance you’d be up for that? Boring or not?”
Thea twists her lips right back. “Do I need to pretend to like it?”
“Cooking with me isn’t that bad!” I say, with an aggrieved eye roll. Really, though, the idea of cooking soundsfantastic.That’s something I can do much better than talking about my non-existent love life or previous family tragedies. “Come on.” I tug her to her feet. “I might have the ingredients for those mashed potatoes.”
This brings a grin to her face, and we all head into the kitchen. Dustin and Ken—the other cameraman—get the cameras set up and I dig out all the ingredients.Thea peels potatoes with me, and Rosie puts potato peels over her eyes and pretends to be a monster. We boil and mash and add the cream and butter and the spices, and I’m in my element. And though he mostly stays back and out of the shot, Nate laughs with us and agrees to peel a couple potatoes. He even flicks one atThea when she isn’t looking. It sticks in her hair, causing Rosie to knock over a tub of sour cream from giggling.
The cameras might as well not even be there; my nerves are long gone. And not for the first time, I think that if I could cook instead of date, putting myself out there would be a whole lot easier.
