While Lyn was still moving around for the cameras, I started looking up her information online. Normally we had an application with all the details we needed, but I could improvise. She didn’t have a criminal history—that was a good sign. Her social media accounts seemed to be pretty vanilla and there was no sign of a boyfriend or a significant other. Most of what she had uploaded was candid, along with a few glamour shots that she likely used when she was looking for work. True to her word, the only credited acting gig she had was on a zo
mbie show. I watched as the photographers finished their shoot and motioned from the doorway for Lyn to join me in my office.
“Sit down.” I pointed to a chair and walked back to my desk.
“Thank you so much for this opportunity.” She was practically radiant as she took her seat.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “There will be a lot of pressure on you and no matter which guy you choose, the people who liked the other ones are going to blow you up online.”
“So it is for real—the show? The guy I choose is someone I’ll actually date when it’s over?” Her eyes reflected a bit of hopefulness.
“Honestly?” I shrugged. “That’s up to you. There is a reason we don’t have very many follow-up episodes. It usually doesn’t work out.”
“Oh...” The hope dimmed and she looked down at my desk.
“I’m not saying it can’t, I’m just giving you a realistic expectation. You’re going to speed date seven guys and figure out which one you think has the most potential—just don’t be surprised if you only get them at their best when the camera is rolling.”
“I always wondered about that.” She sighed and shook her head. “It did seem a little too easy.”
“Tell me more about yourself.” I turned to my computer. “What kind of guys do you date?”
“Date?” Her eyes went back down to my desk. “I don’t date very much.”
“How the fuck does that happen?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “You’re beautiful. You should be swimming in dates.”
“I guess I’ll have to tell you this sooner or later because it always comes out on the show.” She bit down on her lip and chewed it nervously. “I’m a virgin.”
“Oh dear...” My shoulders slumped forward. “That never goes well.”
“I’m not saying I wouldn’t—with the right guy—I just haven’t met the right guy yet.” She kept chewing her lip and I could see it wasn’t a comfortable subject for her.
“The show starts in two days, so I won’t be able to go through the normal audition process to find a group of guys for you. Luckily, we have a pretty extensive catalog of applicants from previous seasons so I’m fairly certain we can get seven guys who will do the show on short notice.” I tapped a few keys. “So, you’re from Chicago originally?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I’m from the South Side. I grew up poor and I lived next door to Jessica. We both dreamed of becoming actresses when we were kids, but she was the one who made it. I auditioned a lot and even spent a few months in Hollywood trying to find a part, but I always missed the cut.”
“Except for the zombie show?” I typed the information she gave me into the computer.
“Yeah, that actually wasn’t what I originally auditioned for. I showed up to audition for a detective drama, but the guy producing it was one of the producers on the zombie show and he said I was better suited to die there—I’m not sure if that was a compliment.” She shook her head and pursed her lips in contemplation.
“So, tell me more about your love life. What’s been holding you back from finding a date?” I positioned my hands on the keyboard again and looked over at her.
“Terrible expectations?” She chuckled, but it was underneath a cloud of nervousness. “There was a guy I liked in high school—Jordan Steele. Nobody else could hold a candle to him, but he was just a fantasy. After that? I don’t know, I just always pictured myself making it as a movie star, marrying someone along the way, and having a lot of babies. I didn’t put a lot of thought into it—that was just the way life was supposed to go in my mind.”
“So, you were picturing a white picket fence under the Hollywood sign?” I typed her words into the computer as I laughed under my breath.
“I guess.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t something I thought about. That’s the hard part to really put into words. I didn’t think about it, I just knew it would happen. Then I became a teenager and my twenties were coming fast—then they came—and I was on the same ride, but it wasn’t really going anywhere.”
“What kind of guys are you interested in? Keep in mind we need to find seven guys to be on the show with you, so it is preferable if they aren’t all the same. You can embellish if you want.” I looked over at her with my hands poised to type.
Well...” She looked down at the desk and then up at me. “I like guys that are nice.”
“That’s your only requirement? So, you’ll be okay if I book a few nice drug addicts?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “This is the part where you try to make your dreams come true.”
“I’m not saying I want you to book nice drug addicts.” She chuckled and shook her head. “I just want guys that aren’t going to be jerks.”
“Should I just go with tall, dark, handsome—and nice?” I turned back towards the computer.
“Someone who won’t judge me—someone who will support me—emotionally, not financially.” She chewed her lip again. “A guy that will cuddle when I’ve had a bad day. I like romance and passion, even if I’ve never really had that.”