“The first solo date is tonight,” Chloe says as she methodically scrunches her wet curls in her hands. “I’d bet money on it.”
“Unless your money can buy me five minutes on Twitter, it’s no good here,” Stacy says.
“Am I right?” Chloe asks Mallory, who is sitting perched on the arm of the sofa alongside one lone camera guy and a sound tech in case we do something interesting, but Mallory just shrugs and continues to type into her phone.
Drew sighs. “Sara Claire is a shoo-in for the solo date.”
Jenny’s whole body flops in agreement.
Anna studies her hand. “Does anyone know how to read palms? I feel like this one line is really short, and what if that’s, like, my life line? I was staring at it last night, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Honestly, it took me, like, three hours to fall asleep, and I forgot to pack my melatonin, so I just really wish I could get an answer.”
Stacy takes her wrist and looks over the lines of Anna’s palm. “If I had a stupid phone, I’d be able to look this up and tell you, but until then, all I can say is it’s either your life line or your love line. But it does shoot off into a—”
The doorbell rings, a deep chime and then a high one.
“I’ll get it!” Drew says before tearing off for the door.
Mallory thumps the camera guy on the leg, and he jolts to attention as Sara Claire joins the rest of us with freshly dried hair.
Drew comes racing back, waving a gold envelope in the air. “Gather round, ladies!”
We all pile up on the couches, and even Addison seems to be eager.
“Well, open it!” Allison demands.
Drew steps onto the coffee table and clears her throat. “‘Ladies,’” she reads, “‘thank you for spending the afternoon with me. You’re all the GOAT.’”
“We’re the goat?” Anna asks. “What does that even mean?”
“G-O-A-T,” Drew spells out. “The greatest of all time.”
Stacy shakes her head and looks to Mallory. “Please tell me one of you people is writing these corny-ass messages and not this man we’re supposed to be finding attractive.”
A few other girls giggle, and Mallory just says, “It’s a pun! Puns can be sexy.”
“Sure, Jan,” Stacy says.
I turn to her. “I think I love you.”
“Keep reading!” Addison shouts.
“From the top, please,” Mallory says. “I’d like to get one clean take.”
“Okay, okay,” says Drew. “‘Ladies,’” she reads, “‘thank you for spending the afternoon with me. You’re all the GOAT. Tomorrow night I hope you’ll all join me for the ball, but tonight I’d like to get a little alone time with a girl who really stood out for me today. Sara Claire, please meet me outside the château at seven o’clock, and wear your dancing shoes.’”
Disappointment weighs me down as all the other girls squeal and pretend to be happy for Sara Claire. I know she got the most one-on-one time with him during yoga, so this makes sense, but I held on to some kind of hope that he might choose me after that look we shared.
Sara Claire bounces a little at my side.
“You’re going to have so much fun,” I tell her, the words burning on my tongue.
While Sara Claire is getting ready in the bathroom and both Stacy and Addison are out by the pool, I take the walkie-talkie out to make sure it still has some battery. I flip through a few channels.
“I need a second camera on the car outside the château in thirty minutes. Will Ben be back from—”
I flip again.
Static.
