Free Ineligible Bachelor by Kathryn Quick Page A

to play a little game of elimination paintball. Last one standing gets a one-on-one date with you tomorrow.”
    As promised, the women were already at the paintball field when Freddy and Logan arrived. The show’s host stepped forward, and a secondary set of cameras began to roll, augmenting the ones that filmed Freddy and Logan pulling up and getting out of the limo.
    “As you can see,” the host began, “the ladies are already dressed and ready to play.” He gestured to two young men dressed in uniforms who handed Freddy and Logan some camouflage pants and jackets, along with the required safety masks and goggles. “Put these on, and I’ll explain the rules.”
    As everyone gathered around the host, he began. “Basically, this will be a game of teamwork and strategy. Logan and Freddy and one of the professional team players will have the show’s flag.” He reached down and picked up a triangle-shaped red flag with a large white heart in the center. He handed it to Logan. “The other professional will join the bachelorettes. The ladies will have to find and capture the flag while Logan and Freddy try to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
    Freddy raised her mask so she could talk. “Not counting the professionals, aren’t we outmanned six to two here?”
    The show host laughed. “Only one of the ladies can claim the flag. They’ll have to use both teamwork to find it and strategy to be the last one standing.”
    “So we can shoot them, and they can shoot each other,” Freddy reasoned aloud.
    “If that’s the strategy they decide to use. But ultimately, the one with the flag at the end of the day wins the date with Logan.”
    Freddy pointed to Logan. “And he can eliminate anyone he wants by shooting them also, right?”
    “Or he can show any of them where the flag is if he wants to spend more time with one of the contestants.”
    Freddy snapped her head toward Logan. She couldn’t see much of him with the mask and goggles he wore, but she could see his eyes were crinkled in a smile. She took the flag from his hand. “I’ll take that.”
    Logan’s eyes crinkled even more.
    “Now I’ll let Max and Jerry, the professional paintball players, give out the rest of the equipment and explain the rules.”
    “Cut!” Roberto appeared from behind one of the shelters. “We don’t need to shoot the boring stuff. We’ll pick it up once everyone is in place for the game to start.” He wore what could only be described as a seventies warm-up suit in dark blue fabric with white stripes down the sides of the pants.
    “Borrow that from your grandfather?” Freddy asked when Roberto was next to her.
    “Dolce and Gabbana,” he said, snapping his fingers to show his disapproval. He looked her camouflage pants and jacket up and down. “Very G. I. Jane.”
    “Hooah,” she replied.
    Logan handed her one of the paintball guns. “Listen up, or you’ll be the first to go.”
    Everyone crowded around the professional paintball players and listened. Max then held up his paintball shooter.
    “I don’t like guns or war,” Stacy said instantly.
    “We don’t call it a gun, we call it a marker. This isn’t war. It’s a game.” Max continued, pointing as he spoke. “This is the hopper on top. It holds one hundred paintballs and the compressed air bottle here for propellant.” He took some paintballs from his pockets. “Anybody play before?”
    Freddy raised her hand.
    “You never played,” Logan whispered to her.
    “How would you know? You’re always working.” She raised her voice. “Three times.”
    Max held out his hand, the paintballs in his palm. “So then you know these are carbowax with some other nontoxic, water-soluble stuff and dye, and while they are soft enough,” he squeezed one between his thumb and forefinger, “they can hurt like the dickens if you get gogged or shot point-blank.”
    “Gogged?” one of the ladies asked.
    “Getting hit in the goggles as opposed to ‘eating paint,’