Page 28 of The Invitation
“But what if I don’t like the guy?” I ask, my body temperature rising. “What if there’s no chemistry? And this is going to be filmed, right? Who will see it?”
“It’s just a pilot. So yes, people will see it, but it won’t be on television. This is just used to test audiences on the show's viability.”
I groan, not sure what to make of this. I don’t want to pretend to fall in love with someone. I don’t know how. I’ve never been in love. And I need to look for a real job to keep me from eating dirt.
Yet I’m not getting any callbacks.
“What do you have to lose?” Sutton asks, hope thick in her tone.
“My dignity.”
“I think you lost that in the pool today.”
I groan again, making her laugh. The sound is more playful and less stressed than before.Does she really feel that confident in me being such a good fit?
“We might not even have a guy, and the whole thing might be a no-go anyway,” she says. “But if we can find a guy, will you do it?Please?”
I close my eyes, ignoring the little voice in the back of my mind that says I’m going to regret this. Instead, I follow the louder voice in my heart that says I must be there for my best friend just like she would for me.
I take a long, deep breath. “If you can’t find another woman, and you do happen to find a man, then … yeah. I’ll do it.”
“You are the best friend ever.” She squeals. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! Let me make some calls, and I’ll call you back.”
“Yippee.” I try to sound excited but fall flat on my face. “I can’t wait.”
“Love the enthusiasm. Just remember that you might have just saved my career.”
“That’s me.” I swallow hard, smiling weakly. “Career saver.”
With each of Sutton’s footsteps echoing through the phone as she probably races to Jeremiah to share the news, my grip on the situation slips further away. My heart pounds wildly. My palms sweat around the wineglass that I can’t seem to set down.
I want to shout at her and tell her to slow down. The words are on the tip of my tongue. But the thought of doing that and dampening her joy has me biting back my request.
I can’t do it. I can’t take this away from her despite the irony of me being on a show about finding true love.
Breathe, Georgia. It’s only a pilot. The public won’t ever see it.
“I love you,” Sutton says. “So much.”
“You better.”
“I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.”
“Fantastic,” I say. “Talk to you later, then.”
“Byeeeeee.”
She yells for Jeremiah as the line disconnects. I start to shut off my screen when the text thread from earlier catches my attention.
Ripley: Check in the pool, too. She lost a few things there today.
For once, I’m too bothered with someone else to argue with him.
That’s a first.
Chapter Eight
Georgia
