Forgetting Prince Charming.

CHAPTER 19

By Friday evening, Linda had called. According to Linda, Joey was still sulking about their little tiff on Monday during the interview. Emma wanted to not care but, she couldn't deny she felt some remorse for insulting her only ally in the contest. Though Joey was the cause of the mess, he'd proven himself to be a good help trough it all.

Emma considered apologizing and her upcoming date with bachelor two was the perfect opportunity.

"Who will I be dating today?" Emma asked through her phone speaker. She stood by her dresser mirror attempting to tame her stiff curls.

"His name is Jeff," answered Linda. If Linda hadn't called early to remind Emma of her date, she'd probably have slept through it.

Emma frowned and thought back to the interviews. "I don't remember a Jeff."

She heard a snort. "I'm not surprised with how drunk you were."

Emma's frown deepened. "That was Joey's fault."

"You didn't have to drink."

"Who says no to a game like that?" Emma asked with her voice raised in astonishment.

Linda's answer was a chuckle. "Most people can say no at ten in the morning. You just don't know how to."

"Yeah and he knows that." she grumbled.

Linda laughed. "He's always known how to get to the ladies. It's a skill."

Emma pursed her lip. "You know him well?"

Linda hummed. "We've worked on the show for years. Before that, I knew of him in studio. He had a reputation from the start."

Emma's eyes rolled. "I've heard of it. He doesn't take anything seriously."

"He takes plenty seriously, just not relationships."

"Why?" she couldn't help asking. Joey was a peculiar person and despite his annoying nature, she found him intriguing.

"You'd have to ask him." If it were that easy, she would have already. "Are you ready for the date?"

"No," she answered lowly. "This whole contest thing is just... too much."

"I know it's not the nicest way to date," Linda said sympathetically, "but it's what you agreed to. The public want to feel part of your decision and your experiences. This is a new real-time bachelorette show for them and they're soaking it up."

"So, what you're saying is that the disaster in my life is good for your show." she grumbled.

Linda paused. It took a moment before a heavy sigh came through the speaker. "That's a morbid way to look at it."

"It's the truth," she answered. Emma moved away from her mirror and moved to collect her bag and keys. "What good, besides money, is this doing for my life?"

"The money helps but you need to look at the situation positively. You've denied yourself love and intimacy for three years and now we're giving you a chance to find it, whether it be with Eamon or someone new. That, in my books, is something good."

Linda's words brought her to a stop at her front door. She stared at the phone for a long time. Linda was right. She'd been so focused on worrying whether Larissa would discover the truth or not, that she hadn't considered a positive outcome. She'd never been one to put herself out there romantically and because of that, she hadn't had many relationships. She'd been pining after Eamon for so long, often times it felt like she had no life outside of her fantasies. Perhaps the contest was good for something. She still wanted Eamon as her prize but, perhaps what she needed was some fun along the way.