Lucky in Love (A Reality TV Romance)

Twenty-One (a second group date)

There's going to be another round of group dates. This time, mixed Suits. It's unclear exactly how the groups are determined - if it's the girls' privately shared interests, or the Kings' - but in the end no one has a date with who they were with earlier, so maybe there's more than preference at play.

The date invitations aren't on the Suit doors this time around. Instead, the next morning (after being given some heads up so they can make themselves presentable), the girls are sat down - squeezing the couch and chairs into one shot - and Brad hands them each a playing card. Their playing card, of course, because of course the theming needs to be worked in at every opportunity. Alex resists the urge to roll her eyes, but she's still grinning, 'cause the excitement is contagious and real. Dating is fun, after all.

"Written on the back of your playing cards is the King you'll be sharing time with on your next group date."

There's an excited tension in the room, and Alex takes the opportunity to poke Heather - sitting next to her - in the ribs, making her squeak, and Alex smirk mischievously.

"For filming purposes, we're going to start on this end and go around, wait for the okay before flipping your card and reading off the name, please."

Alex isn't the only one shifting in her seat, impatient for the reveal.

"Becca, if you'd like to begin."

With a surreptitious look around at them - just heightening the tension - Becca flips her card to reveal... "Devon." She holds up the card, the heart printed in the center.

"No applause please, ladies, we need clean takes."

Alex pulls a face at that - 'cause oooh, no applause, oooh - and stifles a soft snrk of laughter. Heather, of course, looks to her with wide eyes and shushes her, and Alex puts an arm around her to shut her up.

One at a time they go around the lopsided crescent, flipping card after card.

-*-

"I'm definitely counting cards. There's got to be eight per date, so I'm keeping a tally. I see three for one King, two for another, four for another... and I'm just doing the math to guess who I'll be with." -Jenna (♥A)

-*-

"The whole time I'm just thinking- let it be Tyler, let it be Tyler. ...Just really hoping." Birch looks down, blushing. "I may have a bit of a crush." 

-*-

There's more than one girl who has a satisfied smile, or lets out a little squeal of excitement.

When it's her turn, Heather is shaking, and Alex tightens the arm around her encouragingly. "...Tyler." A pink flush spreads over Heather's cheeks as she bites her lip at the club printed on the back of her card. Alex is already aware that Tyler and Kai are Heather's top two. They're the... fluffiest, really (despite the whole 8-pack situation), opposed to the more imposing personalities of Devon and Nathan. Which makes sense: Heather's fluffy, too.

And then it's Alex's turn. She pulls her arm from around the blonde, giving a dramatic look around the circle before flipping the card suddenly. "Tyler." Another club.

-*-

Time to get down and dirty.

That had been the date clue. They were told to bring an outfit to change into. That's why Alex came in a paint-speckled button-up she usually saves for sleep, and shorts that are meant for exercise. She's got the cute look for later, a little black dress that has seen her through a variety of occasions, but for now it's a messy ponytail, waterproof mascara, and a pair of knee-high tube socks that she'd gotten as a gag gift that read DIRTY on one leg and GIRL on the other. She assumes they may be trashed, and she's okay with that. They just fit the clue so well, she couldn't resist.