Bellamy's Redemption

Standing in the ballroom was Catalina Cartwright, grinning radiantly. She raised her glass and smiled warmly into the nearest camera. “Welcome ladies! Welcome. Please take a seat.”

Three tall-backed chairs were set in a line against the wall. We sat down. I was in the middle and I realized as I looked out the corner of my eye that Alanna was wearing my one-shoulder dress. I wanted to punch her. At this point, though I was embarrassed about my appearance, I was still relatively unfazed by our surprise elimination ceremony, thinking there was no way it could personally affect me. We’re probably going to have to eat something gross, I figured. If I can, I will. If I can’t, I won’t. I trust Bellamy; he will keep me around no matter what. But if he does send me home, well… Who cares? I yawned and tucked my feet discreetly beneath my chair.

Catalina Cartwright continued: “Tonight is a special night. A very special night! A night that will truly test the bonds of love, and help Bellamy on his search for love, truth, and honesty. What these three finalists don’t know is that they are about to face a challenge. A love challenge.” She turned to us and smiled. “You’re about to face a love challenge,” she repeated to us.

“Super,” I said, nodding. Alanna smiled tightly and Vanessa pretended to be distracted by her cocktail ring.

“You see,” said Catalina, talking back into the camera, her face scrunching up, an eyebrow cocking, “we’ve done a little research this season, and discovered that these three ladies all have a past.”

Alanna and Vanessa both became incredibly still and pale.

“A past is nothing to be ashamed of,” Catalina continued, her voice suddenly sweet and soothing. “Anyone who has lived has a past. We just want to be sure that all three of these ladies are ready to let go of their pasts, in order to move forward. What do you think? Should we find out if they’re ready?” She paused, smiling a mischievous but not unkind smile, allowing the audience at home a chance to cheer a little.

“May I be excused?” Vanessa whispered to a producer. Instead of responding to her pleas, he got busy pretending to be focused on the malfunctioning mechanical pencil in his hand.

“Before we have our elimination ceremony, where one or more of these ladies may be going home, we need to have a cocktail party,” said Catalina. “Let me introduce our guests. First, we have Bernstein Mulberry-Schlotz, who knows Vanessa very well. Come on out, Bernstein.”

Vanessa looked over at Alanna and me. “That’s my ex,” she mouthed. I couldn’t tell if she was happy or horrified. A guy with brown hair and a tweedy Mumford and Sons type outfit came prancing towards us. He didn’t look like much to me.

“Oh, Bernie,” said Vanessa, gasping, covering her mouth with her hands.

She stood up and they embraced. A velvet curtain dropped from the far wall, displaying a regal portrait of Bernie and baseball card-like statistics about Bernie and Vanessa’s relationship: Met in 2008. Dated for 3 years. Consummated relationship aboard The Sea Princess in May of 2008. Planned on having three children.

Catalina handed them each a glass of champagne. “I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about,” she said, ushering them away from her and over to the dance floor. Do You Realize by the Flaming Lips began playing and soft sparkles of light speckled the floor.

“Oh Bernie! They’re playing our song,” gushed Vanessa. “What are the odds?” The next thing I knew, they were kissing.

“Just as I suspected,” said Catalina into the camera. Her expression turned earnest. The sympathetic newscaster. My least favorite version of her. “Now, to our viewers at home, please understand that this Love Challenge has the best of intentions. We want to find true, committed ladies who are serious and ready to settle down with Bellamy. Bellamy deserves that. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“I need to leave. Please,” Alanna whispered, searching for returned eye contact from one of the producers. They all ignored her.

Catalina continued with her monologue: “Lingering love, those pesky old flames, can be detrimental to new love. They can be the snuffer that puts out new flames. So this is important, and fair. We’ve said it here before, but it bears repeating: All’s fair in love and war.” She nodded thoughtfully, stroking her chin, letting the words sink in for a contemplative moment. “On that note, our next guest of honor is Jean-Luc Fortin. Alanna, I’m sure you recognize Jean-Luc. Welcome, Jean-Luc!”

Out came a huge, gorgeous hockey player. It didn’t matter that one of his front teeth was knocked out. He was an amazing specimen of manliness. I wished he was here to represent Team Emma. He went straight to Alanna, swooped her up in his arms, and began kissing her. I was seethingly jealous that I would never know the joy of tonguing some hot hockey player’s tooth gap. She had everything, even in this moment, my dress. Life can be so unfair.

From the far wall another velvet curtain dropped, revealing a giant portrait of Jean-Luc with his mouth closed, looking even hotter. Along with the poster were statistics about his relationship with Alanna, as well as what appeared to be a proposal: Met in 2006. Dated until 2007. Dated again in 2008 until 2009. Dated for three months in 2010. Dated again in 2011 until 2012. …Baby, I’m sorry I hurt you. You can count on me this time around. You know you can’t quit me! Will you marry me?

“Why don’t you two take a walk through Paris and catch up,” Catalina suggested, sending a camera crew after them. Then she turned to me. “Emma, did you think we forgot about you? Of course we didn’t! We’ve saved the best for last. Let’s see if you’re as serious about Bellamy as you would need to be to marry him. Let’s see how you feel about this.”

I braced myself. Pinpricks of nervous energy ran down my spine and I felt like I couldn’t get enough air, but unlike Alanna and Vanessa, I wasn’t scared. I was thrilled. I realized my time here on Bellamy’s Redemption would be over, but I didn’t care. In fact, I was ecstatic. I squeezed my fists into little balls and smiled, ready to see Pete. Ready for all this to be over. Ready for honesty again. Ready to be safe in Pete’s arms.

“Let’s give a warm welcome to our next guest,” said Catalina, swinging her arm grandly towards the ballroom door.

There was such a glare that I couldn’t see him at first. So many cameras on me and so much heat. I began seeing sparkling stars and the next thing I knew, I was falling right out of my chair. Oh no! I was fainting! Why? Why me? I knew enough to have one final thought before plunking to the ground: “This… is… so… embarrassing.”

Chapter 24

“She has barely been eating,” Vanessa was saying. I couldn’t see he

r, but I could recognize her know-it-all Southern drawl. I tried to say that she was lying, but my lips wouldn’t move. My eyes seemed to be glued shut. When I finally forced them open, I was looking up at many faces. Too many faces. There were Catalina and Vanessa, producers and assistants, and the Bellamy’s Redemption medics.

“Back away, give her some air,” said one of them. Everyone inched back a teesny bit.

“Are you okay? I was so worried about you,” said Vanessa. I realized she was holding my hand. I tried to pull mine away, but hers was clamped onto me like a vice. Behind her was Bernie. I looked at our hands and realized there was a huge diamond engagement ring on hers.

“Bernie and I are engaged,” she whispered. “It just happened. While we were dancing.”

“We’re going to need you to do that again,” one of the producers said to Bernie.