Page 11 of Date The Billionaire

The only real private moments we got was if the men chose us for a private date. Jake had chosen me for breakfast at the beginning, David had chosen Kelly for lunch yesterday, and Trent chose Arabella for dinner last night. The cycle would start over once this elimination was done.

“Laney, video diary time,” said the man I’d become accustomed to asking me personal questions I’d usually punch somebody for. Well, maybe not punch but certainly wouldn’t answer.

“Fine.”

I went into a small room where he directed me to a chair. As usual, he went straight for the jugular.

“Do you think you’ll be eliminated tonight?” He was watching the camera, not me.

I smiled and shook my head. “Not really. I think Jake and I are forming a real bond. Something that a few people around here don’t seem to like.”

“Do you think Jake will pick Arabella for a private date this time?” He seemed to want to rile me.

“Maybe, but he has to pick somebody else this time, doesn’t he? He can’t pick me twice.” I remained calm and stared into the camera.

“Who do you think should be eliminated tonight?” He looked at me with a slight spark of glee and I knew he wanted me to fall into a trap.

“I don’t know, really. There are some who should go, and others that clearly aren’t standing out, but it’s not my decision, is it?” Oh yeah, attorney deflection at its best!

“Fine, that’s all for now then.” He shooed me out of the room and I’d only just settled back into my place beside Kelly when Skip came in.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention, please. The time has come. Gentlemen, if you’ll follow me, please.” Skip broke into the conversations going on around us and everyone turned silently, staring at the man grinning in glee as we waited for the world to crumble.

Chapter Six

Jake

“I don’t care what your plan is, you can fuck right off with it.” I glared at the clownish woman with her garish hair and her mean eyes and turned to face the window. The sun was long set but I could still see crashing waves in the moonlight, off in the distance. I would much rather be out there with Laney than stuck in here with Carol. “If you don’t like it, I’d be more than happy to leave.”

“Fine, Jake, you win this time,” the grouchy woman said with a sigh. “But we’ll see how long it lasts.”

I didn’t turn as she left the large office we were using to discuss eliminations. “The choice is made then, gentlemen?”

Skip looked at us all and then turned. “Good. Follow me.”

We followed the man through the hallway and back down to the dining room. The ladies had waited for over an hour as I argued against eliminating Laney. Trent and Carol had been all for it. David and I both stood our ground until they relented.

“Ladies, please, I need your attention. Tonight, we will be eliminating four of you.” The room filled with gasps as the ladies realized that we were getting close to the end of this game.

If four were eliminated, that would leave five to choose from and the viewers would be going wild. The program was supposed to run throughout the month of December and conclude on Christmas Eve. I still had no idea how they were going to do it, but I knew they’d want something spectacular.

We men stood behind Skip, waiting for the furor to calm.

“When I call your name, please go to your room and pack your bags. You’ll be leaving the island immediately.” Skip pursed his lips together, as though he’d tasted something awful, and took a deep breath.

“Abby, Samantha, Edina, and Sally, you have all been eliminated by our bachelors. You may go.” Skip said the names in staccato fashion, as though he were pulling the sticky bandage from a sensitive wound. He gave the camera a look that would surely be interpreted as his heart breaking, but I knew the man was really just after a drink.

The sounds of sobbing and goodbyes broke the silence his words left, while we men stood there like lumps. I thought there was quite a bit wrong with this program, quite a bit, but I wasn’t putting it together. To me it seemed almost amateurish, not well thought out, but I wasn’t the one paying for it, so I kept my thoughts to myself. Let them work out why the show would do poorly after it had aired.

I felt almost ashamed of myself as one woman walked past, Edina I think, her mascara running down her face as tears continued to spill from her eyes. I’d been struck by the brutality of the show from the beginning, but that look of defeat was terrible to witness. The cynical side of me said she’d not been attached to any of us men, that she was either crying because she’d failed and had been eliminated or because she thought she’d lost her chance at a rich lifestyle. Then, I thought that maybe she was just sad to leave the friends she’d made.

I wished Gran had never signed me up for the show. Lying that wasn’t really lying, our lives controlled by morons, and girls walking away crying. Brutal stuff that wasn’t my normal style. I hated it, really. I felt as helpless now to change my future as I did when I first learned my parents hadn’t made it out of the fire.

I tried to push the thought away. My teeth clenched together even though I knew I must look rather grim, but the pain came through anyway. I sought out Laney’s eyes and saw how calm she was, how she had eyes only for me, and a smile that made me think only of sex. I wanted to hold her, to lose myself in her, if only we could find some time alone!

“Ladies, there are only five of you left. Make your moves wisely.” Skip spoke to the ladies with the voice of a wise old man imparting great knowledge and I had to fight to keep my eyes from rolling. “Gentlemen, you have five minutes to speak with the ladies before we must separate you again.”

I headed straight for Laney, I wanted to tell her to meet me in the ballroom later, once the lights had all gone out. Carol tried to block me, but I walked past her with speed, not letting her stand in my way this time. I took Laney’s hands, whispered to her quickly, and waited until she’d given me a look of understanding. I’d see her later, I didn’t care where Carol dragged me off to now.