Dating : The Gameshow

Flash Fiction for your entertainment

“These aren’t tickets to see Oprah! They’re for some lame dating show!”

“What? Let me see!”

Sure enough, Los Angeles had ripped us off again.

“I’m still going. We’ve got nothing else planned” I said.

My room mate snorted and decided she’d sleep off her hangover.

I fished my one and only decent sundress out of my backpack and ventured out.

The line at the studio snaked sullenly in the heat — I closed my eyes, threw my head back and poured a bottle of water over my face and chest, gasping at the cold relief.

A male voice said “You’ll do!” and then I was dragged forward by a hand attached to broad shoulders and a muscled butt.

He rushed me past the line, through two sets of doors and finally turned to me. His front was even more attractive than his back.

“I need a third girl for ‘Date with Destiny’. You will be Crystal as she fell over and there’s no time to change the prompts. Are you single?”

I nodded, still gob-smacked, and slightly distracted by his dark eyes.

“Good” he said … and pushed me into a chair for hair and makeup and disappeared.

The producer explained that the show was in typical blind date format.

“It’s three Wannabees and a Desperate. You’re a Wannabe. The Desperate asks questions from behind a screen, chooses a girl and their prize is a seven course dinner at Spago.”

Spago! My heart beat faster. As a budding chef, Wolfgang Puck was my hero! His flagship LA restaurant was on my Bucket List but way beyond my budget.

I was charming, sweet, funny and flirty. The other Wannabees were dull in comparison — quartz to my diamond.

“You have 10 seconds” said the compere to the Desperate.

“Let’s all count him in …. Ten, nine, eight, seven…”

I knew I would be chosen.

“Six, five, four…”

My mouth was already watering at the thought of dinner.

“Three, two, one. Who will it be?”

“Number Three” said the Desperate.

I leapt up in delight… and promptly sat down, utterly confused.

I was Number Two.

I went through the motions, hiding my disappointment behind a fake smile.

It was all over. Time to drag my sorry self back to the hostel.

“You thought he was going to choose you, didn’t you?”

It was the handsome man who got me into this mess.

“Can I tell you a secret?” he asked.

At my weary nod he said “I have a confession — I told him you were very unattractive”.

My eyes flashed in shock and anger.

“Because I wanted you for myself…” he finished.

I laughed despite my annoyance at him getting between me and my dream dinner.

“Will you come out with me?”

I grinned. “Yes”.

“By the way, what’s your real name?”

I blushed. “Sera”, I said “It’s short for Serendipity”.

“Of course it is” he smiled. “Come on Sera, I’m taking you to Spago.”