Page 3 of A Chance at Love

Leo

Isee Whitney the moment I walk in. In a room full of beautiful girls, that’s how much she stands out. And the moment I see her, I feel the impulse to rush across the room and carry her out of here. It would be completely ridiculous, I know. But the thought of her being on a show like this, with a bunch of other dudes and catty girls…well, it’s enough to make me have crazy impulses like that.

I’ve thought about Whitney since high school, of course. You don’t have a girlfriend like that and not ever think about her again. But as much as I missed her, I never once tried getting in touch with her. Our breakup at the end of high school hurt like a motherfucker and I knew I couldn’t handle getting in touch with her only to lose her again. Besides, as the years went on, I figured she’d probably gotten married, maybe even had a kid.

But here she is. Standing in the same room as me. As single as they come.

“Introduce yourself, Leo,” says Warren, leaning toward me.

I force my attention to the rest of the crowd. “Hey, ladies. I’m Leo.”

“Luscious Leo!” someone yells out.

I laugh. This whole thing is fucking ridiculous, but I’ve already made up my mind to embrace it. Not that I have much of a choice. My sister-in-law, Sara, is one of the producers on the show, and after talking me into being one of the contestants, she made me swear that I’d stick it out for as long as I can.

I’m not allowed to actually win, though, since someone could easily make the argument that Sara could benefit from me winning the prize money. Not that I even need the money. Thanks to the success of the tech company I co-own, I have far more than fifty thousand in the bank. What I don’t have is much of a social life. Or a love life, for that matter. My sister-in-law is convinced that coming on the show will remedy that, but honestly, I just agreed to it to get her to stop bugging me about it.

“Okay, ladies and gents,” says Warren, raising his voice to get everyone’s attention. “You have the next four hours to mingle and get to know each other. Have fun. Let loose. Just try to keep your clothes on, okay?”

More hooting and laughter ripples through the room.

“And remember,” continues Warren, “anyone not in a couple by the end of the night will be automatically eliminated.”

And with that, the game is on.

Most of the guys start chatting up the girl closest to wherever they’re standing. I set my sights on getting across the room, though. There’s no way I’m not going to talk to Whitney first. Hell, if she’s the only girl I talk to tonight, I’ll be as happy as…well, as happy as a guy reunited with the girl he’s never gotten over.

Making my way through the crowd is harder than I expect, though. Girls keep trying to stop me. It feels like trying to swim upstream.

“Where you running off to?” they say. “Luscious Leo…we want to talk to you. Leeeeo. Stay.”

“In a minute,” I grunt.

“Aww,” they pout.

Finally, I make it to the other side of the room. Whitney’s in the exact same spot she was when I first spotted her, and she’s so stunning that I almost can’t breathe. For a second, I feel like I’m that eighteen-year-old kid again, head-over-heels in love with her.

As I approach Whitney, she stays focused on the conversation she’s in with another girl. Wait. That’s not just any other girl. That’s Jess, her best friend from high school.

“Just go over there and talk to him,” Jess is saying. “Seriously, Whitney. If you don’t do it now—”

“Hey, girls,” I say.

They both turn and see me. Whitney looks nervous. Jess shoots me a smile.

“Leo!” Jess says. “It’s so crazy to see you here.”

“It’s good to see you.” I slide my gaze over. “Hey, Whitney.”

“Hi,” she says, so quietly that I almost can’t hear her.

“Will you two excuse me?” says Jess, glancing over my shoulder.

“Wait, Jess—” says Whitney.

“You’re fine, girl,” Jess says, then runs off with a smile. Whitney swallows and moves her eyes back to me.

“I can’t believe you’re here, Leo,” she says. Slowly—finally—she gives me a smile. “Sorry. It’s good to see you. I’m just surprised.”

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