Chapter Seventeen

I stand with Hannah three days later as Shelby walks out of the room where they're filming individual sessions with Luca and the team behind Emma. Katy and Emily have both been sent to the sequester hotel. I'm getting oddly comfortable with the elimination ceremonies, but I'm surprised at the emotion from Shelby.

It's clear from the sheen of tears in her eyes that she didn't get the outcome she wanted. "There's something wrong with that machine. Where is Joe? I'm not letting what that stupid computer said about me get out in public. I will sue everyone on this show."

I exchange a glance with Hannah, who's already had her session with Ivy and Heath.

Hannah shrugs. "She was super nice to me, though she thinks I'm not political enough to be a good match for Reg. She did say I should look for someone I'm comfortable with because I have a tendency to downplay my own wants and desires. I apparently need someone I can have a deep friendship with before we get physical. I liked her. Is it weird to call a computer her?"

They still call him Reg. I have to be so careful because one of the things I've figured out is there is King Reginald and then there's Luca. He's the man. He's my man.

Ashley F snorts. "Well, apparently the thing works because she didn't pick Shelby for Reg. That proves the computer is way smarter than the producers."

I'm getting nervous about this whole thing. They're using the forms I filled out months before. I wasn't looking for a guy then. I'm not now. I'm looking for a Luca, and now I worry I'm going to walk out of there with vengeance in my eyes like Shelby did. "What did Emma say about you?"

"That I need an ambitious man, one who matches my energy," Ashley F explains. "She didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. She said I would be a good pick, but I would likely be bored as queen."

"She confused me." Riley leans in. "I think the computer thinks I'm a lesbian. Which makes me wonder if I am a lesbian."

"I think that's something you just know." What kind of havoc is Ivy wreaking?

"Not necessarily," Tiara Kate says. Today she's wearing a bedazzled tiara with a big fake diamond at the center. She doesn't have to be here since she's going on the one-on-one with Luca. She's just hanging out to show us all…support? "Especially if you're naturally sexually fluid. But I think Riley being a lesbian should disqualify her."

"Hey." Hannah frowns TK's way. "She has every right to be here."

"Fox, they're ready for you." Patrick has one of his patented grim looks on his face as he holds the door open for me.

Teddy bear thief. I haven't forgiven him for that. I walk past him without a glance because he's one asshole I don't give more attention to than is absolutely necessary.

Luca is standing in the back of the mansion's grand ballroom. They've got it divided up into "sets," the largest being where we hold the king's choice ceremonies, and I can't help but remember there's one of those coming up fast. We're down to six of us. Me, Shelby, Ashley F, Tiara Kate, Hannah, and Riley. When we get to four, we're heading to Ralavia for the rest of the show, and I can't help but feel excited at the prospect. I want to see this place that is so important to the man who is rapidly becoming the center of my world. It also makes me nervous because the closer we get to the end, the more careful we have to be.

He's talking to Heath, Ivy's human golden retriever fiancé. He's one of the sweetest men I've ever met, and he balances out Ivy to perfection.

"I walked in here wanting to kill the man, but I like him, so now I'm thinking about murdering you because you got Harper in here and I've had to get all my information secondhand," an acerbic voice says.

I turn and Ivy's standing in the middle of the ceremony set, a cup of coffee in her hands. I've missed her. "Sorry. And I didn't get Harper the job. That was my mom."

I walk into her open arms, hugging her tight.

"I know. Your mom told me I didn't have any skills she could work with. I can make a sandwich," Ivy grouses.

Oh, I understood why my mom turned her down. Ivy is brilliant, but she's not what I would call a people person. "You're here now. That's all that matters."

"I've been worried about you," she whispers. "Are you okay?"

I pull back so she can look into my eyes. "I'm okay. It was hard at first, but…"

"But then you fell for him. At least that's what Harper told me. She said you have the chance to leave but you're not taking it. Are they holding you hostage? Blink twice if you need me to break you out."

"I'm fine," I promise her. "More than fine. I'm really getting to know Luca."

Ivy looks me over like she's trying to figure something out. "Like in a biblical way?"

That is none of her business. At least not here. When we have our after-show sleepover debrief complete with wine and cheesecake, I'll tell Ivy and Harper everything in way too much detail. "In an ‘I want to see where this thing goes' way. I'm honestly okay. How did you manage this? I didn't know it was on the schedule."

"CeCe strong-armed your big boss into it," Ivy explains. "She's known Jessica for years. I'm not sure if she convinced her it was an excellent idea or if she has some dirt on her. I wouldn't put it past CeCe to blackmail someone. Anyway, I got what I wanted which is to see you, so that's all I care about."

"And you get to show off Emma," I point out.

Ivy's eyes light up. "I do. She's performing exactly how she should, by the way. I've been working on her language skills. She's got a great personality, if I do say so myself."

"You call that a great personality?" Joe walks up to us, a look of concern on his face. "Couldn't you tweak her so she's nicer about her matches? She hasn't said a single one of the contestants would be a great match for the king. I need something to work with. The only one she's been positive about is Ashley F, and I'm almost certain she's leaving soon."

Does he know something I don't? Maybe Luca's right and he understands the inner workings of this process better than I do. I know how things work from a production standpoint, but not how they're orchestrating things from the inside.

"Emma tells it like it is." Ivy gives him a shrug, and we start walking toward the office set where Heath seems to be showing Luca how Emma works.

"Did she have to point out that she wouldn't pair Shelby with Satan because no one deserves that kind of drama in his life?" Joe asks.

I bite back a laugh because no wonder Shelby was pissed.

"Hey, she's the one who filled out the forms," Ivy replies.

"That didn't come from forms." Heath's head comes up, and he waves my way. "Hey, Ani."

Luca is looking my way, too, a sexy smile on his face. Even though there's distance between us, I can practically feel his hands on me.

"What do you mean?" Luca asks, though his eyes remain on me. There's a small couch in front of the laptop that represents Emma. On screen it will look like we're in a cozy office, not on a large set with a team of fifteen people working around us. Sometimes when I'm with Luca, I forget, too.

"Part of Emma's process is to scour the Internet for a client's social media and anything else she can find." Ivy moves in around the desk, joining Heath. "Which is how she found out Shelby has asked for a lot of managers in her time."

"There's a whole TikTok profile set up exclusively for her," Heath agrees. "She's been screaming at retail workers for years. And did you know she's banned from four different Starbucks?"

"Shelby is here for very specific reasons," Joe allows.

"You needed a cast-iron bitch," Ivy replies. "Hey, no offense. I've totally been the cast-iron bitch in the reality show of my life. The point is that Emma looks at any number of factors to make her determinations. Shelby's Internet footprint was a big one. I thought the Satan thing was clever of her."

I happen to know that Emma is listening at all times. I often worry that at some point Emma will become self-aware and decide to take over the world, so I'm polite to her. "Emma, could you maybe use softer words during this assignment?"

The screen lights up, and a voice that sounds oddly like Heath's grandma comes out from the speakers. "Mom taught me that I need to speak my truth. Unvarnished and unapologetically. The advice I give is scientific and based on logic and reason."

That's a new feature. "Mom?"

Ivy's eyes roll.

Heath's whole face lights up. "It's because she's our baby."

"She's the only baby you're ever having if you don't get her to stop calling me Mom," Ivy says between clenched teeth.

Heath is unmoved by that threat. "Nah. I'll convince her we need a dog soon."

Joe sighs. "Well, I'll have to edit this so it looks like we've got some good candidates. What does she have to say about Anika? I'd like to know beforehand if I'm going to deal with another contestant walking out in the middle of the scene."

Luca moves to the couch and holds his hand out for me to join him.

I sit beside him, and he leans in.

"Hello, Schatz. You look gorgeous today," he whispers. "I don't care what the computer says. Remember that. She can be quite mean. And I think she thinks Riley isn't into men."

My anxiety notches up. What if Emma decides my perfectly normal obsession with Blake Lively means I'm into girls with ridiculously beautiful hair? I mean I wouldn't say no, but that only means I have eyes and am not a zero on the Kinsey scale. "What has she said about you? Or is she only tearing us apart?"

"Oh, I am a workaholic with a martyr complex when it comes to my people. Her words, not mine," he says smoothly as though we're talking about the weather and not our future engagement prospects. "Any woman who I'm with has to deal with the fact that the crown will likely always come first."

I did understand. "We've talked about that. I understand your job is unique. Now I'm worried about what Emma found on me. I use some weird memes."

"Stop freaking out," Ivy says as she types on the keyboard. "Like I said, Emma works beautifully. Emma, tell us about the king and Anika."

"Anika Fox is an excellent match for Reginald Lucannon St. Marten. Their values dovetail. They have the same beliefs, though the king sees things from a community perspective while Anika thinks about the individual. This could cause disharmony, but both are able listeners, willing to see viewpoints past their own. Anika is service oriented, which will be indispensable when it comes to working as a modern royal. The king has indicated that he will support and encourage his wife to pursue her own interests, something Anika will need to do. In the negative, Anika might find it hard to have all the public attention being royal brings about, but if the king handles it correctly, I believe she'll find her way."

Luca smiles at me. "I take back what I said. The computer is always right."

Joe frowns his way. "I thought we talked about this."

I was unaware they'd talked about anything.

Luca shrugs off his concern. "The cameras aren't running. I assure you I'll be a perfect gentleman when they are. I'm not going to molest the future queen of Ralavia on camera. I'll do that in private."

"Luca," I hiss under my breath.

It merely makes him grin.

Ivy is staring at us with wide eyes. It takes a lot to shock Ivy Jensen, but my showmance is doing the trick.

Heath, on the other hand, seems perfectly cheery. "Nonna did her research when I told her you were doing this thing. She gives you the thumbs-up, too, and says she wants an invite to the wedding."

"I will be pleased to have all of Anika's friends and family," Luca says smoothly.

I hold up a hand. "Nothing is settled. Absolutely nothing."

A look of pure innocence crosses Luca's face. "Of course. We're still in the middle of the process. We have to trust the process."

"Yeah, that's what you're doing. And it's a journey, not a process." Joe sighs and turns, gesturing for his camera crew to come in. "All right. Let's roll in ten. Check the lighting, please. Shelby kicked some of the equipment on her way out."

Luca stands, stretching and looking a little like a satiated lion. It's amazing what good sex will do for the man. "I'm getting some of your mother's scones. Can I bring anything back for you, darling?"

"I'm good. Thanks." I want to kiss him again, but I remember we're in a space with twenty people watching our every move. I'll be so glad when all of this is over and Luca and I can try to find some kind of normalcy.

"Okay, now I'm really worried." Ivy watches as Heath joins Luca, talking more about Emma and how they plan to market her. It's usually a conversation Ivy would never miss, but it's clear she's thinking about me. "Honey, are you sure about this?"

"I'm not sure of anything," I admit. "I just know I'm crazy about him. In the overused words of my fellow contestants, I'm falling for him. Or rather I've totally fallen for this guy."

"That would be great if he was an accountant or worked the counter of a deli on 42nd. Ani, he's a king. He will have to pick his job over you every time."

"That's a bit over the top." I argue with her even though I'm worried about it, too. "You're a workaholic. I hardly think you should judge."

"Less since Heath and I became a couple and we're working together," Ivy counters. "That's not what I'm talking about, and I'm not judging the guy. I told you I like him, but he has responsibilities we can't understand. Heath can chuck his career right out the window for me, and the only people it affects are me and him. That's not how Luca's world works."

"Well, I don't intend to make him pick between me and his crown," I reply.

"Yeah, well intentions are great, but the world has a way of forcing things on us," Ivy warns. "Just know that no matter what happens, we've got your back."

"She's right about that." Harper is suddenly beside us, her arms going around our shoulders, connecting us. "Come on. I want to show you something amazing."

"Is it original crown molding?" I ask because I've heard a lot about original crown molding.

"It is," she says with a grin. "I'm telling you this place is amazing. I could spend a year renovating it and not get bored even once. Come on."

I follow my friends, trying not to think about Ivy's words.