Page 92 of Pity Pact

“Why in the world would they want to talk to my parents?” she asks. “I’m nothing special.”

“Maybe they’re talking to everyone’s parents,” I say hopefully. Because if that’s the case then it would mean they aren’t just gunning for me.

“I can call them and get back to you,” she offers.

“I would appreciate that.”

After we hang up, I head toward the ballroom hoping to find Trina. She’s not there or anywhere else I look. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s in hiding.

I’m nervously wasting the morning in my office when the front desk calls. “Your parents just walked in, sir.”

I run out the door so quickly, you’d think I’d just learned there was a bomb under my chair. Instead of waiting for the elevator, I dash down the stairs to the first floor. Once I’m in the lobby, I ask Frank which way they went. He points to the conference room where hair and makeup is stationed.

I’m met at the door by one of the producers from the show who tells me, “I’m sorry, you can’t go in there. They’re filming.”

“Yes, I know. They’re filming my parents and I want to know why.” I eye the door, and speculate if I could kick it in.

“You’ll find out everything in good time,” she tells me with what appears to be a sinister smile on her face.

“What’s your name?” I ask.

“Marva.”

“Look, Marva,” I tell her. “I need my dad. There’s an emergency in the kitchen.”

“Should we call the fire department?” she asks.

“It’s not that kind of emergency.” She crosses her arms and stares at me, waiting to hear what the crisis is.

“It’s just that … well … the fish has arrived and it’s scrod, not red fish.”Seriously, Tim, that’s the best you can come up with?

“That doesn’t sound too urgent,” Marva says. “I’ll tell your dad when he’s done.”

Instead of leaving, I find a chair and station it right outside the door. I’m going to sit here and wait for my parents until I can confront them and Trina about what’s going on.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

PAIGE

I couldn’t get a hold of my parents, so I left messages on both of their phones before heading to Bride’s Paradise to hang out with Missy. They might call me back today or it could be a week. Neither one of them checks their messages regularly when they’re in Florida.

“Things are getting really weird on the show,” I tell Missy while helping her hang up veils.

“How so?”

“Remember how I told you about the games last week …” She nods her head, so I continue, “Well, last night they brought in a whole bunch of new singles to mix it up a bit.”

“That sounds fun.”

“Except that tonight they’re going to start replacing some of the existing cast with the new people.”

She stops what she’s doing and turns around to look at me. “Does that mean you wouldn’t get paid?”

“I looked at the contract this morning,” I tell her. “It states that we’re to be available for five weeks of shooting, but if something happens and we leave the show, we’ll only getpaid for the episodes we filmed. I take that to mean if they get rid of us, they won’t legally have to pay us.”

“Shoot, you need all the money you can get for your roof,” she says.

“Yes, I do.”