💦 RoadTrip One Shot Collection 💦

Randy | The Final Rose

"Quiet on set please! Can I have Rye on his mark?"

The assistant director's commands are not met with immediate action as he is used to. Rye has never been good at listening, even after four weeks of shooting he hasn't gotten any better at it. He's distracted as usual, chatting to his four remaining Bachelorettes, who are all making last ditch attempts at flirting their way to safety in their second to last Rose Ceremony.

"Oi, you," Andy intervenes, gently guiding Rye over to his spot by the shoulders before he cops another telling off.

Rye shoots him a cheeky grin. "Thanks, Andy."

"Finally!" calls the exasperated AD. "Let's do this. And hands off the talent, Fowler." His last remark is lighthearted, knowing perfectly well that Andy is just doing his job. He's a great story producer because the talent all trust him. They'll tell him anything because they always feel like he's got their back- but at the end of the day he always gets the content the show needs.

"Alright, alright." Andy backs out of the line of the cameras, Sonny poking his tongue out at him from behind the lens of A-camera. Andy flips him off before returning to his position behind the set, notepad in hand.

"Action!"

Rye folds his hands in front of him as he smiles out at the four beautiful women whose fates are in his hands. "You are all amazing people," he begins, Andy suppressing an eye roll. Rye's almost too good at hyping up the drama of these situations. "But Madison, I just feel like our lives are going in different directions. You will not be receiving a rose tonight."

Madison breaks down in to immediate floods of tears. Excellent, this is great television already. She gets up from her seat and runs off set, Andy jumping to action without hesitation.

"Sonny," he calls. Sonny quickly detaches his camera from the tripod, propping it on his shoulder as he follows after Andy. "Rye, come with me," he orders, pushing him ahead of the camera as they rush out in pursuit of the upset contestant.

They find Madison crouched down behind the building, trails of black mascara nullifying the hour she spent in makeup. Her reaction was suspected, as she was one of the favourites to win. Her surprise elimination before the finale will be a huge moment on the show, and Andy isn't going to miss a single second of the fallout.

"Go talk to her," Andy urges Rye, standing behind Sonny as Rye approaches the girl. "Make sure you get a close of her crying," he whispers to Sonny.

"Already on it, boss."

Andy isn't heartless- in fact it's his empathy that makes him connect so well with the contestants. He's just done this a thousand times before. Tears and heartbreak are just a part of the machine that is reality TV, and those involved know what they're getting themselves into. Madison is upset now, but if she plays her cards right she'll be profiting off this fame for years to come. So there's no guilt involved as he milks this moment now.

"Hey, Maddie." Rye crouches down next to her, taking her hands in his. "Talk to me."

"I just didn't see this coming," she sobs. "I thought you loved me."

"Maddie that day we spent together at the waterfall was one of the best days of my life," Rye tells her earnestly. "But I'm looking for someone I can travel the world and start a family with. We both know that's not where your priorities are at right now."

Madison nods, a fresh influx of tears overtaking her as she sobs into Rye's chest. He strokes her hair and mutters little words of comfort into her ear. Andy can practically hear the swelling music already.