Page 26 of Fan Favorite

“All right, let’s reset,” Peter yelled, appearing from behind a large potted palm. “Edie, why don’t you go ahead and walk up again.”

Edie startled—for a second, she’d totally forgotten she was on a TV show. To her left, the dark portico was full of people and equipment. Lights and cameras and cameramen, soundguys holding boom mics and wearing headphones, producers typing away on their phones or whispering into walkie-talkies, and Peter—who had been behind a plant—was now standing in front of her, asking her to walk up again.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously,” he said. “And Bennett, you know the rules—don’t break to the camera to get out of tough conversations. Verisimilitude is king.”

“Fuck off, Peter,” Bennett said. “You think you’re so fucking clever.”

“We’ve all got jobs to do, man,” Peter shrugged. “Mine is making magic every Tuesday night.”

“Literally, does anyone care that I have a dinner reservation? Because I’m just wondering if anyone cares,” Adam Fox yelled at no one in particular. Then to Peter, “This shit is outside my contracted hours, and you know it.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, let’s reset,” Peter said, stepping between Edie and Charlie. “Everything’s fine.” Peter put one hand on Charlie’s bicep and the other between his shoulder blades and guided him back to the sofa. Seamlessly, Jessa hooked her arm through Edie’s and began to tug. But Edie stayed rooted to the spot. Jessa was talking, but Edie wasn’t listening. Because as Peter and Charlie stepped past the coffee table, there on the couch, bathed in a gorgeous, diffused light, was the most elegant, most self-possessed (not to mentionskinniest) woman Edie had ever seen. She stared off into the distance, shoulders back, head tilted slightly so her dark brown hair cascaded down her back like a Pantene model. Her clavicle looked sharp enough to cut glass. Her lips were Kardashian full, and her dark eyes were shaded by thick, natural brows.

Edie pulled at the wrap of her ill-fitting dress and shifted her weight in the borrowed mules. Slowly, the woman turned her perfectly symmetrical face and they locked eyes. Edie scrambledto place her, mentally scrolling the “Meet the Contestants” webpage she’d memorized on her way to LA when she’d still had her phone and the luxury of scouring the internet like a crazy person. But before Edie could figure out which perfectly perfect contestant she was, the woman’s eyes slit, her mouth got snarly, and she lifted her tiny bird wrists into the air and flipped Edie off with both hands.

“Fuck. You. You. Fugly. Bitch,” she mouthed with the sort of deliberate girl-on-girl terrorism Edie hadn’t experienced since the sixth grade.

MEET THE CONTESTANTS

Zo

24, Retired Ballerina

New York, New York

After spending twenty years training in ballet, Zo is beauty, grace, and confidence personified. Zo spent three seasons as a principal dancer at the prestigious American Ballet in New York City before a knee injury sent her life in a new direction. Now, Zo’s looking for her next big love and hopes to find a man who will support her dreams of getting back onstage—or maybe even on the big screen! Her favorite musician is Cardi B. because she “speaks her mind.” Zo powers her barre workouts with true crime podcasts, and her favorite serial killer is Ted Bundy!

Bailey

28, Pilates Instructor

Santa Barbara, California

Bailey is a gorgeous and vivacious blonde who loves being active and grew up riding horses on her family’s ranch. These days Bailey’s into Pilates, yoga, trying out new vegan recipes, bike rides, and sunsets on the beach. Her greatest dream is to become a mother to at least three little ones, and Bailey can’t wait to find the perfect man to start a family with! Bailey’s favorite holiday is Christmas because she loves decorating the whole house and giving gifts that make her loved ones smile. Bailey’s a family girl at heart, but still, she hopes to have an awesome nanny one day so she can travel to Fiji and lie on the beach drinking mai-tais with her super sexy husband.

Max

29, Long-Distance Runner/Track Coach

Kansas City, Missouri

Maybe it’s the exercise, maybe it’s the protein shakes, but Max glows from the inside out. Max got her start in synchronized swimming and competitive gymnastics and now competes in marathons and Ironman competitions all over the world. Max needs a man who takes initiative and isn’t intimidated by the fact she can probably out lift him at the gym. She’s a self-starter who knows how to change a tire and has read Suze Orman’sWomen and Moneythree times. Max says she’s never been in love, but she’s not worried—she’ll know it when she sees it. Because it’s not how fast you get to the finish line, but what you learn on the way there.

Aspen

24, NBA Cheerleader

San Antonio, Texas

Aspen’s an independent woman looking for a man who doesn’t mind holding her purse while she lets her star shine. Aspen’s biggest turn-off is jealousy—it’s not her fault she works with a bunch of NBA players!—and men who don’t like to have fun and be part of the social scene. (Also: men who wear flip-flops.) Her perfect man will be a great Instagram boyfriend with a fantastic career making lots of money because Aspen’s love language is gifts—receiving them, that is!—and she loves a man who knows her worth.

Lily

26, Aromatherapist

Portland, Oregon

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