A Bachelor For Christmas

Enter Santa Claus

"Ugh, look at them."  

I felt my stomach dropping to my feet as two burly men, that probably had trouble getting through normal doorways, escorted a few day trippers off the premises.  As much as it irked me to see tourists carted away, part of me was relieved they couldn't snap any pictures of the absolute madness taking place in the town's central park.  I didn't need this to be the memory they attached to Anne's Ferry.

"I...I can't not look at them," said Ellie with a stutter that made her words barely intelligible.  "They're all really...well, just really...well-endowed."

"Huh?"  I turned to face my friend and away from the little family being escorted off of our once quiet and cheery main street.

Ellie had yet to crack a smile after receiving news that she, along with Alicia Quincey, had been selected as Anne's Ferry's representatives on the show.  In fact, Dina and I had to spend a good portion of the previous evening consoling her as she lamented over how much of a fool she was for putting herself through this.  

Now, as we waited for the big premiere dinner to begin, she cowered against an oak tree, the rough bark threatening to pull apart the classy up-do the hair and makeup people did for her.

"Ellie, don't move," I said as I plucked a few stray strands from the tree with a couple careful tugs.  "You need to be mindful of your hair.  I'm not sure they'll have the crew look at you again before the show."

"It doesn't matter, look at them.  They're all perfect."  She gestured towards the herd of women congregating around the fountain that sat at the park's center.  

Some sipped sparkling cider and chatted as if they were all old friends.  Others hung around the outskirts, watching the proceedings with a strategic gaze.  And then there were the ones looking on with hungry eyes, glancing between where the producers directed crew members and where Rowan was expected to arrive.  Whatever they were doing, they did all have one thing in common.  They were dressed to knock a man dead at first sight and some of the women definitely wore their trendy outfits well.

"Yeah, but isn't this guy supposed to be some sort of altruistic saint.  Surely he'll see past all the glitz and glam, and see what lies beneath.  Not that he needs to, I mean we're pretty hot too you know."  I gave her a playful nudge and she managed a smile.

"Only because of the hair and makeup people."

"Yeah, well, same goes for these other women, you know.  You have no idea what they looked like in the morning."

"I suppose not."  She laughed just a little and I felt I'd made some small victory when Vivian stepped out from the mass of crew members and made her way to the fountain, where she started waving everyone over.

"All right ladies, the time's finally arrived.  Are you ready to meet your Santa Claus?!"

"Yeah!"  Everyone responded with a hearty cheer, but I felt a little weird attributing a childhood character with a romantic conquest.

"Right, well, I'll let you know when cameras are going to begin rolling.  Once we're a go, act natural and have fun, but do not look at the cameras.  We're just going to have to cut the footage if you do, so try to ignore them.  In regards to how this night will play out, we'll leave it to our host Marius Vincent to explain.  Should any questions follow, feel free to seek out either myself or our head producer, Noah Cyrus."  

She stopped and gestured to where Noah stood.  He waited near an archway brought in specifically for the show.  Fall leaves, white string lights, and a few tiny pumpkins adorned the entranceway that was surely meant for Rowan to enter through.  For now though, only Noah and a cameraman stood there and both seemed more preoccupied with the road than acknowledging Vivian.