A Bachelor For Christmas

Audition

After spending the afternoon tucked away in the office, calling up vendors and confirming contracts, it was actually rather nice to walk with Ellie over to the local high school.  

The crisp autumn air whirled around us, brushing scattered leaves across the sidewalk and whipping them up into a flurry of dancing color.  For a moment, I forgot about the impending doom that the show threatened to bring.  All around me was the cozy comfort of our small town, beckoning me to sit down, take a minute, and drink in the beauty around me.  

That feeling, however, was dashed away the instant we stepped into the school.

"I can't believe we have this many eligible bachelorettes in Anne's Ferry."  

I scanned over the herd of women crammed into the hallway outside the auditorium.  Amongst the crowd, I saw the local hair stylist, Colleen Baker, with a loose braid draped over her bare shoulder and bangs that swept over her perfectly contoured face.  Then there was Maggie Wright, a tenth grade math teacher who managed to cover the dark circles under her eyes and motivate herself enough to return to the school after another grueling day of algebra.  Then, to my surprise, I saw Alicia Quincey looking rather confident in a dress that should have been impossible to move in, and that included breathing.

"Is that Alicia?" I asked, marveling at how she managed to find enough allowance in that unforgivably tight dress to take a few steps forward and through the auditorium door.

"I think so," muttered Ellie, who had been doing breathing exercises to calm her nerves.  "I wouldn't be surprised."  She took a deep breath and held it there, closing her eyes in order to will the trembling from her hands.

"But she's...she's married."  Not just married, but married to Bette's second husband, who had left Bette for the young, vivacious new lawyer at his firm six years prior.

Ellie let out her breath and stared at her hands, assessing her progress.  "She was, she's separated from Bernard now.  Something about wanting different things in life.  I believe he wanted children and she didn't."  She paused and then turned to face me with a serious and desperate look.  "Can you still see the shaking?"  She held up her hands which I immediately grabbed and folded into her lap.

"Hold them like this and no one will notice.  Sit up straight and look them in the eye."  She did as told and looked at me with a shaky smile, but still a smile nonetheless.  "You should also tell them about your penchant for overhearing things.  I imagine that comes in useful on shows like these."

"People forget I'm around," she mumbled, her back curling and her pitiful slouch returning.

"As long as this Rowan Thomas doesn't forget you're around, then that's all that matters."

"I have to get through this first though."  She bit her lip and looked up at the auditorium's bouncer who clutched a clipboard with Ellie's name written somewhere on it.

"Your chances have to be pretty good.  What are they taking, like five of us to pad out their harem?"

"No," said Ellie, her slouch deepening.  "Only three and you're one of them.  Our town isn't really filled with the types they want on these kinds of shows, but they knew the audience would want to see at least some locals in the mix."

"Well, if all goes well, I'll free up a spot once the producers realize their mistake in allowing Bette to have any say on who their contestants should be."

"Ellie Walsh," called the bouncer.  "Ellie Walsh, you're next."

Ellie popped up with surprising speed at the sound of her name, but then, when the crew member tried to usher her to the door, her legs gave and I saw the inevitable bolt for the exit.  So I stood up next to her, gave her back a little push and wished her luck.