Emma couldn't believe her misfortune. There was no more denying the truth of her reality. Larissa knew she was Juliet, or at least she suspected it. Her sister may have never come out to say it but, she knew. Emma could tell. She knew Larissa well enough. What Emma didn't know was what her sister would do with the information. Larissa was a dark horse. She could ignore it all and not find Emma worth the trouble. She could also find every opportunity to break Emma.
Emma prayed for the former.
"Are you alright?" asked Linda. A song continued to play, and Emma was grateful for the break it allowed her. She needed to get her breathing in order.
"I'm," she took in a deep breath, "okay."
"No, you're not," grouched Joey. "You're close to having a panic attack."
"Well what do you expect?" she snapped back. "Larissa knows!"
He frowned. "Yes, and we can't do much about that now. What we need to do is move forward with the contest."
Emma stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "How does that help me? If it wasn't for the contest I wouldn't be in this mess."
He scoffed. "Yes, you'd still be limping after Eamon like a sad dog."
"Joey!" admonished Linda.
"Now, it's alright." Emma said with her back straight. "Now I know how you really feel about me."
He dropped his head. "I didn't mean-"
"Which bachelor is first?" she asked Linda.
Linda looked between them with worry. "Jeff," she reminded Emma. "We've organized something for tomorrow."
"What did you organize?"
"You'll have dinner with him and his friends before spending the night at his place."
Emma gulped. She looked at Joey and saw his jaw tick. She was over the whole contest. She just wanted it all to end.
"Looking forward to it," she said instead.
~~***~~
Emma hadn't heard anything from Larissa. She hadn't heard anything from Joey either. She wasn't sure which to be happy about. She couldn't worry too much about it anyway. She had a dinner to attend with Jeff.
"Are you excited?" asked Gina. She lay stuffed under her comforter. Her skin was chilly. It worried Emma. It was too warm outside for Gina to be that cold. Emma sat down beside Gina and reached for her hand. Her skin was translucent, and Emma didn't like seeing so many blue veins along it.
"How are you feeling?" she asked her patient.
Gina scoffed. "I've accepted it. It's about time you and Charles do too."
Emma's eyes watered. "Don't say that."
Gina's smile fell away. She pat Emma's hand. "It's the way of live. You've been amazing to me this past while. I'm grateful."
"Why are talking as though you're dying?"
"Because I am." Emma shook her head. Gina sighed. "I am," she said sternly. "I've come to terms with it. I've lived a happy and full life. You should start doing that too." It was Emma's turn to scoff. "I'm serious. This competition is the most exciting thing to happen to in you six months. You're too young to be this responsible. Go out and have fun. You've got three gorgeous men wanting to be with you. How many women can say they have as many options as you?"
Emma laughed though small tears slipped through. "I'm not sure I want any of them."
"You don't need to want them. You just need to have fun."
"I'm not good at doing no strings attached." Emma sighed. "I'm not like you were when you were young. I want my fairytale ending, not drunk in Vegas."
Gina chuckled. "Then go into this next step with that in mind." Emma pulled a face of confusion. "If you want your fairytale ending, then reach for it. One of these men or, Prince Charming, is the man you're looking for. It's time to figure out which one."
"I already know who it is," she said with a roll. Emma's problem was that no one agreed with her. He was also in a relationship.
"Well then, go for it. It's your life so make it one worth living."
"That's easier said than done Gina."
"Yes well, the first step is to try have fun. See where your days go from there."
Perhaps Gina had a point. Emma still felt strongly for Eamon but, her heart was torn. Usually when she imagined her wedding day, she could clearly see Eamon at the end of the aisle. Lately, her grooms' image had been blurry as though her subconscious was just as confused as her. She was frustrated with the contest. She was terrified of what Larissa would do with the truth. She was also tired of sitting in limbo.
She needed to make a choice. She didn't want to wait for the public to choose for her. Emma wanted to decide her fate on her own and the next few dates would help.
It was time for her to decide if she wanted Prince Charming, or the suave Romeo.
~~***~~
Emma pulled up to a large cobble stone house later that evening. Linda had given her the address with a recording device. The family knew they'd be recorded and were happy with it. They were the only ones who were. She took in a shaky breath and climbed out of her tiny car. She walked on shaky legs towards the home. It looked glamorous from the outside. The lawn was immaculate with trimmed hedges and decorative fairy lights that lit up the path. She reached the front door and pressed the doorbell. The door was a large, dark oak that fit the dark and stiff textures of the house perfectly.
"Who are these people?" she whispered to herself. The door opened and Jeff smiled at her.
"Juliet," he greeted enthusiastically. "It's great to see you again." He stood aside to let Emma pass. When she was inside the foyer, he closed the door. The door banged loudly in the hollow space. Emma's eyes weren't sure where to look first. The outside was beautiful, but the inside was better. A chandelier hung from the tall ceiling and covered the foyer in a yellow haze. Small tables with crystal figures stood against the one wall. A large, carpeted staircase could be seen off to the left.
Emma gulped. She'd somehow stepped into a wealthy family.
"Are you ready for tonight?" asked Jeff. Emma looked to her right and caught him smirking at her. It made her more nervous. Jeff was dressed casually in a pair of salmon beach shorts and a yellow tank. His feet were bare.
"I was until I drove up her," she answered honestly.
Jeff chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, I don't usually tell women how much money my family has."
"A heads up would have helped. Am I under dressed?"
He laughed and looked down at himself. "Trust me, in this house, you'll be over dressed."
He grabbed her by the arm and led her towards the back of the house. Along the way he pointed at some of the artwork. There were a lot of crystal figurines and bowls. Apparently, his mother had a love for crystal. His father would buy her one on every business trip.
"Your father must travel a lot then." She said.
Jeff laughed. "He does."
"What does your father do? I remember you said your mother was a nurse."
He nodded. "She was. She gave it up ten years ago when dads' business took off. He's a programmer. He created an accounting program which businesses across the world are now doing. Since it took off, his opened a hotel in Barbados and Italy. He travels most there."
Emma was impressed. "I see where your passion for travelling and computers comes from."
He nodded. "I learned most things from him. He's my role model." Emma smiled at him. It was easy to speak with Jeff. He was relaxed and easy going. She worried his family would be uptight but, the more she learned of Jeff and toured his home, the more she believed the opposite. They reached the end of the hallway towards a wide glass door. Jeff pulled it open and instantly, Emma heard laughter.
She looked out onto the deck and found groups of people relaxing under the full moon. Everyone was dressed in casual beach gear. Emma was glad all she wore was a simple black dress and flats. Emma could see a barbeque smoking at the end of the patio. A large table stretched across the wood of the deck and only about four chairs were taken by women. A group of men stood by the barbeque. There were some families sitting alone on the grass watching their children run around.
Emma panicked. She knew she'd have to meet family but, she hadn't anticipated she'd meet them all. She stopped walking. Jeff noticed. "Is everything alright?"
She shook her head. "There are so many people here."
He laughed. "Yeah sorry about that. I told my folks about you and they told everyone else. There's family and friends here." He stood forward and reached for her hand. "Don't worry. They're harmless. It'll be a fun night. I promise."
She looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity in them. Behind him, everyone looked relaxed. No one had paid them much attention. It had her shoulders loosening. She smiled at him. "Alright."
A noise came from behind them. Jeff looked over Emma's head and grinned. He dropped her hand. "You made it," he gushed. She heard what sounded like them hugging. Then Jeff pulled her arm. "I want you to meet someone. This is my date, Juliet."
Emma saw bronze legs in black beach shorts. She looked up into his face and froze. His eyes widened with hers.
"Eamon," she whispered.