Bachelors, Bigots, and Bisexuals

Chapter 6

The entrances had to be ending soon. There were 29 women, counting myself. 29! I had seen a Horse-drawn carriage, a woman in a bridal gown, a woman with boxing gloves, and lots of beautiful girls. At 26, I was one of the oldest here. There were two token thirty-year-old women. Flynn was 28 so I struggled to see what he had in common with the nineteen-year-old Penny from Nebraska. But still, it was fun. I had been drinking: two glasses of champagne. The last limo arrived and I watched with the other girls. Somehow in the haze, I had sort of forgotten about the cameras. I knew they were there but it was easy to forget.

She stepped out and I immediately felt a sense of dread wash over me. What the hell?

"Nicolette, there's another redhead," Penny declared. "She is so cute."

I nodded and knew this woman very well. It was Tracy, the last person I had dated. What was she doing here? She wasn't even straight. I thought I could sense that somehow, my aunt Maggie was involved.

"I know her," I blurted out. The other girls turned.

"How?" Brittany S asked. Biblically, I thought silently.

"We work together at the University. Tracy is a professor at Pierce too."

"Y'all get along?"

"Of course," I smiled.

Secretly my blood pressure was rising. She looked perfect in a peach evening gown with her hair pulled back. I was over her, but some part of me felt nervous watching the two of them. What would be worse about watching if Flynn kissed her: seeing Tracy with him or seeing Flynn with her? Where was this is the bisexual's handbook? I knew one thing for sure: I was fucked. I secretly prayed that maybe he would send Tracy home that night.

Soon enough, Tracy walked in and scanned the crowd. Her eyes eventually settled on me and I waved sheepishly. She smiled back. I guess she intended to be friendly, although I still didn't understand why she was here. She sat down and we were all talking, waiting. A few producers came in to check microphones and set up lights. A few of the girls went off to do interviews with producers but I stayed put. I wanted to sit and wait for Flynn, not go off to backtalk the other girls.

Tracy sat down next to me after doing an interview.

"Hey," I said. "It's good to see you."

"You too," she grinned.

Her voice was tight and it made me nervous. Tracy was a beautiful woman: a tall redhead with the passion that fit all the stereotypes about redheads. She was a math professor and she and I had been friends for months before we became more serious than friends. She was guarded and she did not trust me after everything. We dated for a year and honestly, I did love her. But I wasn't ready to settle down or be open about my sexuality. And since my lesbian ex-girlfriend was here with me, I was guessing she wasn't out either.

All of the eyes in the room turned and I found myself shifting as well. Flynn walked into the room, his eyes naturally finding mine. Was he actually looking right at me? He grinned a tiny bit and I felt myself melt.

"Hello ladies," he said with a chuckle. "It is good to see all of you."

Everyone cooed and waved.

"Look, tonight will be intense. I want to thank all of you for coming and taking a chance on me. I know this process is not traditional and it can be tough. But I've always believed love can this big and magical thing, and if we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, open, and honest, we will find what our hearts need. I know this can work- I fell in love once. It was not a forever kind of love, but temporary. I believe the forever love is here, and maybe my wife is too."

This time he definitely looked at me. He raised his glass and we all toasted. Shortly afterward, Nicolette immediately stood up. She approached Flynn, her fingers wrapping around his arm like a viper circle around the neck of its prey.

"Can I steal you for a second?"

He just nodded and they disappeared into a hallway. I felt a little bit blindsided but the other girls immediately started bitching about how aggressive she was. I took a drink of champagne and shrugged my shoulders. The night was young.

I saw girls filter in and out of that hallway, and I went to make my way to talk to Flynn. In the background, six of the girls were sitting around staring at the first impression rose with a fixed intensity. I saw Texas Tina get up to leave, and I started to walk towards Flynn. A strong pair of hands stopped me.

"Hey," Thomas said. "Let's do an interview. I haven't gotten one yet."

"But I want to say hi to Flynn," I said. "I haven't seen him yet tonight."

"You don't want to do that girl," Thomas laughed. "Drama is about to explode. Flynn was very specific: I am protecting you from drama."

"How do you know there will be drama?"

"Brittany S is very impulsive and has had seven drinks tonight. She is going to see Flynn next, because Stephen is prodding her. Then, Nicolette is going to go back in for a fourth visit."

"Four?" I said. "Jesus, I'd be pissed too. I haven't seen him once."

"You are going to happen to be there when Flynn gets upset about the fighting. That's your role. He likes you and he hates the drama. We need the drama. So I need you to be his anchor."

"I never realized how much of this is produced."

"It's all organic, but we tend to encourage the girls in order to make the drama happen. Remember champagne gate? I shook that damn bottle myself."

I nodded and laughed. We went off to do an interview, and in the background I heard screaming. That was my cue.