Free Runner Up by Leah Banicki

activities that
were planned usually included a lot of drama to keep the show alive.
* * * * *
Heidi Gold woke me the next day to announce the date-card ceremony was to be held after breakfast. I
always thought that it was done at night but my guesses meant nothing here. I checked my clock and it was 6 a.m.
Blah.
I was in a makeup chair a few minutes later while Heidi showed me dress choices.
“It feels really strange putting on an evening gown at six in the morning.” I said to anyone paying attention.
My makeup artist nodded but I felt a little lost for a moment. I missed my friend Allison, suddenly. The things you
take for granted when you leave everyone and everything behind for a time. The simple pleasure of having
someone laugh at your absurd thoughts and ramblings was something I had taken for granted. Another thing to add
to the -Cons- side of the list for the Soulmate show, I thought to myself.
I would have to call her after the date card thing .
The thought passed through my morning fog. Perhaps I will not get a date card . My inner self felt insecure
today. There are no guarantees . What a horrible thought , I pondered.
My long brown hair was straightened and left to flow down my back. I was happy for the simple do, my
poor scalp had been tortured by pins lately from all the up-hairdos. The makeup was cute and the simple black
dress felt soft and comfortable after the corsets and such from the last date. I went with simpler heels to give my
feet a break, too. My guess was that Anthony was not going dump me if I didn’t show up in stilts. He did not seem
to be that kind of guy.
I can hope anyway . I muttered to myself, I still felt a bit raw and vulnerable. Probably the come down after
such an amazing date, the thud was watching him date other people, I reasoned.
The date card ceremony went smoothly and I received one that said I had a group date. I was a little
disappointed but I would not pout, well I would try not to. I said goodbye to three girls who were let go. One girl
seemed quite devastated and was hiccupping, as I hugged her. I gave her a smile, a shoulder pat and tried to say
something comforting. I wondered at how she could be so upset. Was she upset about Anthony or just love in
general?
The group of Soulmate single ladies was down to seventeen now. The few seconds I spent with Anthony
was short and sweet. He made eye contact and I got an attractive smile. The rumblings throughout the day, as we
packed, were that Desiree was the single solo date for this next trip. He has kept all the girls that have had a single
date with him, so far.
Our assistants beckoned and the herd of high heels and hair were rounded up and updated. We learned
we were flying out shortly and we all wanted to be ready for anything.
Chapter 6
    We landed at Kilikaro Resort in Brazil to tropical temperatures and jet lag. I was not even sure exactly
where we were beyond the name of the resort. The show really knew how to keep us in the dark. They kept us
blinded by gift bags and designer sunglasses as we arrived; we were too busy listening to the giggles and shrieks of
the excitable gals. All Janette and I wanted to do was escape the noise. The ride on the plane had been long and
taxing, some people needed to learn to speak with their indoor voices.
Janette and I crashed and played lets-hide-from-everyone for that first day. It was a good game for catching
up on sleep and finding a moment or two of peace. It was beginning to feel like our routine for surviving the show.
* * * * *
    The warm sun was an insult to my hot skin as I stepped off the bus into the sizzling sand, coming from a
group date that had happened near the resort grounds. The walk from the beach was a long one as I pondered the
mess that had just happened.
    After waiting for two days for my group date I had to spend the most of it with eight other girls. As a
group we did a few artsy projects and I had a mild sort of fun while doing it, but everyone had their own