Page 32 of Fan Favorite

The girls on the risers were getting restless.

“Bennett didn’t want her then and he doesn’t want her now,” Zo, standing front row center, seethed loudly to two of her minions: Parker, the artist/heiress from Palo Alto, and Aspen, the NBA cheerleader from San Antonio.

“Total fucking bullshit,” Parker and Aspen sniffed in agreement.

“That’s the tea and it’s scalding,” Zo pronounced, glaring at him.

The risers trembled with the wiping of eyes and indignant straightening of gowns.

Somehow Bennett thought being on this show was what was going to change everything. He thought he’d come here and pick a wife, and that by virtue of picking someone and that person saying yes on national television, he’d finally be able to give his whole self to another person. But having Edie Pepper on those risers was startling proof that for basically his entire adult life, it had been impossible for Bennett to get close to anyone. Sure, he had lots of friends and followers—he was a great hang. But had he had any relationships, evenone, like the one he’d had with her?

Bennett sighed and picked up the fallen key.The Keywas supposed to skyrocket Bennett to book deals and sponsorships and his own adventure-themed TV show. And by committing to one woman on national television, Bennett would also be creating an additional brand, a couple brand, probably even with a couple nickname like Benley (Bennett + Bailey) or Bentel (Bennett + Chantel) or Benani (Bennett + Imani). His entire vision of the future was based on a positive outcome fromThe Key. Bennett and his beautiful wife on the cover of magazines. Bennett and his beautiful wife working with the best comedy writers to create online content in the vein of “just like us!” couples like Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. And then more followers and more content and more followers and more content and moremoney money money.

But as soon as Bennett saw Edie Pepper, he realized it was impossible. Edie knew who he really was, which was no one at all.

Peter strode onto set and clapped his hands like a football coach prepping the team for the big game. “Okay, all right, let’s get this thing going.” He assessed the girls for a moment. “Edie,” he called. “Why don’t you go ahead and switch spots with Zo?”

“Excuse me?” Zo screeched.

“I want you two to switch spots,” Peter said, pointing to Edie’s spot in the third row.

“Sounds great, Peter,” Edie called, clapping her hands on various shoulders, crutching her way down the risers.

“There’s no way you’re getting a key,” Zo seethed when Edie landed before her. “They just want a better shot of you crying.”

“Maybe,” Edie said. “Or maybe they want to hide that dress you’re wearing? Sequins. How original.”

“You should go home. You’re embarrassing yourself.”

“Listen up, Hannah Montana. I’m thirty-five years old. I do what I want.”

“OMG, Ithoughtthose were dentures!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, save it for the cameras,” Peter said, shooing Zo up the risers. Then he strode over to Bennett and leaned in. “Can I talk to you for a second? In the kitchen?”

Jesus Christ, what now? Reluctantly, Bennett placed the Key to My Heart down on the pedestal and followed Peter back into the kitchen.

“Hey, man, relax, you look tense. It’s all good.” Peter clapped him on the shoulder again. “Can we get another bourbon over here?” he called to a PA. He turned back to Bennett. “I have an idea I want to run by you.”

Bennett made a noise in his throat.

“What if we do the key ceremony like usual,” Peter continued. The bourbon arrived and he handed it over. “And you choose Edie last, really amp up that tension, and then I’m thinking, what if when she comes up for her key, you give her a little kiss?”

“What thefuck, Peter.”

“Just hear me out,” Peter said, palms up. “Now that we’re on the same page that Edie stays, we’ve got to come together on what that looks like, right? It’s a fairy tale. It’s gottalooklikea fairy tale. Right now, it looks like a bad date. You look angry, and what kind of fairy tale is that? But this—a little kiss—that turns it all around. What’s more romantic than you kissing her in front of everyone so she knows just how special she really is?”

“There’s no kissing at the key ceremony, Peter. Everyone knows that.”

“That’s exactly what’s gonna make it great.”

“The other girls will freak out.”

“Jessa will deal with them.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me with this.” Bennett drank the bourbon down fast, well aware that he was, once again, well and truly fucked.

“Do you trust me?” Peter asked.

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