you.”
“Another poem?” he asked, taking it from her hand.
She nodded. “I’ve decided to write a poem about each experience we have and then post them all on Facebook after this is over.”
Logan heard a loud sigh over the earpiece, right before Freddy’s voice.
“Oh, she is so out of here.”
He turned his head and feigned a cough to cover what would have been a laugh.
“Are you all right?” Emily asked him, touching his shoulder.
Logan smiled as he turned to her. “Nothing more than an annoying little irritation that pops up from time to time.”
“Let me get you some water,” Emily said, spinning on her heels.
“Annoying irritation?
” Freddy’s voice crackled in his ear.
Logan put his fingertips on the earpiece. “That about describes it.”
“What does the poem say this time?”
He unfolded the paper and read. “Something about the adventure of the chase and the spoils of war.”
“Something about that or exactly about that.”
He ignored the brevity in her tone. “And about how nice it would be to walk through the woods in the moonlight with me.”
“Good thing she’s a writer because she can use her imagination for that one. She is so gone.”
“You can’t toss her off the show just because she wrote me a poem.”
“Watch me.”
Logan tapped the earpiece. “What was that? You’re breaking up.”
Freddy started yelling—loud and nearly unintelligible because she talked so fast. Logan coughed again to cover a laugh and took the earpiece out, letting it hang over his shoulder. Every now and then, he’d lift the earpiece from his shoulder and angle it toward his ear. He could still hear Freddy yelling.
“Now what’s wrong?” Roberto asked, watching Freddy pace inside the library.
She stopped and turned slowly to him, pointing in the direction of the study. “That is the most infuriating man ever.”
Roberto looked pleased. “Perfect. Makes for good TV.”
She rolled her eyes, the universal sign of annoyance. “I hate it when you say that.”
Roberto picked up a clipboard from the desk and flipped through some blue paper. “Now, because you never let anyone capture the flag, we have a situation.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Have I told you how much I hate that clipboard?”
“Daily since we got here.”
“At least you know.”
“Here’s another thing I know.” He briefly looked up at her before starting on some yellow pages. “The flag is out in the study on a tray.” He tucked the clipboard under his arm and glared at her. “And someone is getting it.” He paused for emphasis. “From you.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
In one motion, Roberto reclaimed the clipboard and began to read. “It says right here…”
She raised her hand to stop him. “I don’t care what it says on the paper you have under your arm. You told me that the contestant who manages to capture the flag gets that date.” She pointed with each word. “They didn’t, so they don’t.”
“It says right here,” he continued ignoring her, “week one, Logan goes on a date with the first contender.” He flipped to the last sheet and angled it toward her. “Your signature?”
She pressed her lips together. “Yes.” The words barely slipped from behind clenched teeth.
He pointed. “Then one of them gets the flag, and I suggest you start thinking about which one gets lucky.”
Freddy pasted on a forced smile and entered the study with the show host. Everyone turned toward them. Logan nodded at her. Some of the contestants waved their hello.
“Ladies, if you wouldn’t mind,” the host said. He gestured beside him. “Logan, please join us.” Logan took his place.
Freddy could feel her facial muscles begin to twitch. Holding the artificial smile on her face started to get painful. She looked at Logan. His smile seemed genuine. He might be enjoying the situation too much.
“And now the unpleasant part of the day,” she heard the host
“Another poem?” he asked, taking it from her hand.
She nodded. “I’ve decided to write a poem about each experience we have and then post them all on Facebook after this is over.”
Logan heard a loud sigh over the earpiece, right before Freddy’s voice.
“Oh, she is so out of here.”
He turned his head and feigned a cough to cover what would have been a laugh.
“Are you all right?” Emily asked him, touching his shoulder.
Logan smiled as he turned to her. “Nothing more than an annoying little irritation that pops up from time to time.”
“Let me get you some water,” Emily said, spinning on her heels.
“Annoying irritation?
” Freddy’s voice crackled in his ear.
Logan put his fingertips on the earpiece. “That about describes it.”
“What does the poem say this time?”
He unfolded the paper and read. “Something about the adventure of the chase and the spoils of war.”
“Something about that or exactly about that.”
He ignored the brevity in her tone. “And about how nice it would be to walk through the woods in the moonlight with me.”
“Good thing she’s a writer because she can use her imagination for that one. She is so gone.”
“You can’t toss her off the show just because she wrote me a poem.”
“Watch me.”
Logan tapped the earpiece. “What was that? You’re breaking up.”
Freddy started yelling—loud and nearly unintelligible because she talked so fast. Logan coughed again to cover a laugh and took the earpiece out, letting it hang over his shoulder. Every now and then, he’d lift the earpiece from his shoulder and angle it toward his ear. He could still hear Freddy yelling.
“Now what’s wrong?” Roberto asked, watching Freddy pace inside the library.
She stopped and turned slowly to him, pointing in the direction of the study. “That is the most infuriating man ever.”
Roberto looked pleased. “Perfect. Makes for good TV.”
She rolled her eyes, the universal sign of annoyance. “I hate it when you say that.”
Roberto picked up a clipboard from the desk and flipped through some blue paper. “Now, because you never let anyone capture the flag, we have a situation.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Have I told you how much I hate that clipboard?”
“Daily since we got here.”
“At least you know.”
“Here’s another thing I know.” He briefly looked up at her before starting on some yellow pages. “The flag is out in the study on a tray.” He tucked the clipboard under his arm and glared at her. “And someone is getting it.” He paused for emphasis. “From you.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
In one motion, Roberto reclaimed the clipboard and began to read. “It says right here…”
She raised her hand to stop him. “I don’t care what it says on the paper you have under your arm. You told me that the contestant who manages to capture the flag gets that date.” She pointed with each word. “They didn’t, so they don’t.”
“It says right here,” he continued ignoring her, “week one, Logan goes on a date with the first contender.” He flipped to the last sheet and angled it toward her. “Your signature?”
She pressed her lips together. “Yes.” The words barely slipped from behind clenched teeth.
He pointed. “Then one of them gets the flag, and I suggest you start thinking about which one gets lucky.”
Freddy pasted on a forced smile and entered the study with the show host. Everyone turned toward them. Logan nodded at her. Some of the contestants waved their hello.
“Ladies, if you wouldn’t mind,” the host said. He gestured beside him. “Logan, please join us.” Logan took his place.
Freddy could feel her facial muscles begin to twitch. Holding the artificial smile on her face started to get painful. She looked at Logan. His smile seemed genuine. He might be enjoying the situation too much.
“And now the unpleasant part of the day,” she heard the host
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