It is said that every dog has his day. Hopefully, it applies to fairies, too. I can’t complain about my life, not really. I had a loving mother and father with me as an only child. There were times I wished I had a brother or sister, but it didn’t happen. We were quite comfortable, even somewhat privileged, but never what anyone would call filthy rich.
I had two awesome best friends growing up; Lenora Kelly and Christie Duncan. They were like the sisters I never had, and we did everything together. Times changed somewhat when Christie started dating Doug Harrison, who she later married. Then, Lenora got with Lincoln Atherton. Oh, I had dates but never became lovesick like my two besties.
I always loved how Lenora could do magic at the drop of a hat and wished I had some of that power. After a long talk with her and Mathilda Blankenship, who is probably the most powerful witch of all time, they turned me into a fairy. I was never so happy as the day I awoke (the potion knocked me flat on my back) and discovered my wings. Mathilda explained to me that I’d one day have to perform some kind of service for both her and Lenora as payment, and she told me it could be redeemable at any time. I knew whatever it was they’d want me to do whenever, it would be a huge thing, but Mathilda promised me it would never go against any morals I had. I’d never be asked to rob a bank or anything like that.
Years later, Lenora and Christie were married to their guys, and both had little boys. I decided to travel the world and try to make a name for myself as an artist. That happened for me, but it took a lot of hard work, tears, and many, many disappointments. I thought I had it all when I met and fell in love with Henri Deveraux in France. I believed I’d found forever with him only to discover he had a roving eye and ran off with some floozy he’d met at some bar. To cope with my broken heart, I upped my public appearances and gallery shows, but it took a toll on me. I learned the hard way that fairies aren’t exactly indestructible. I collapsed during a show due to exhaustion, too much weight loss, and not enough nourishment. The doctors told me that if I wanted to regain my health, even save my life, I’d have to take a long rest. With my tail between my legs, I returned home and did just that.
Times got very hard after that. Lenora’s husband and little son were killed in a plane crash, leaving Lenora in worse shape than I could ever have imagined. After Linc’s and Landon’s funeral, Lenora retreated and didn’t want to see anyone except Mathilda, who took her away from Hidden Springs. Sadly, I lost touch with Lenora but did what I could to help Christie. Doug and Linc were besties too, and he didn’t deal with Linc’s death very well. He turned to booze, and he and Christie nearly split up. They finally got it together after much therapy and a lot of money spent on said therapy.
I was absolutely shocked when Lenora called me sometime later. I couldn’t say she sounded happy, per se, but she sounded more peaceful. She apologized for being such an absentee friend and asked if we could try to pick things back up. Naturally, I agreed. I still loved Lenora, and I just wanted the very best for her. We got together and she told me she was appearing as a contestant on The One. She sheepishly told me how Mathilda had filled out the forms and how they’d accepted her because of her renown as a writer, musician, and singer. Christie and I watched every week, and we were so proud of her. She came in fourth but said she didn’t think of it as a loss. She’d gotten some amazing friends out of it and was glad she’d gone through with it.
Wonder of wonders, and I shouldn’t have been surprised since Mathilda was at the center of it, Lenora got her son, Landon back from the spirit realm. Then, Lenora was asked to be the first Bachelorette on a new show called Soulmates shortly thereafter, and she married Amadeus Landgraab’s son, Tyrone. Now, everyone knew what a big fan Lenora was of Amadeus, so it was so amazing for her to now be a part of his family.
I was thrilled for my two besties, but there was always a place in my heart that felt lonely. I so wanted to be in love, but I was scared after my disastrous relationship with Henri. I didn’t want to get hurt again, but I desperately wanted someone to share my life with.
I was saying this to Lenora one day, and she encouraged me to apply to Soulmates. Me, of all people! I thought about it for a while and finally said, “What the hell?” I didn’t think I’d ever be selected, and if I was, I’d just be a contestant. My jaw hit the floor when I got a registered letter that I, Ileah Forrester, Artist, would be the Bachelorette, not a contestant.
I got the shakes and called Lenora and Christie to tell them the news. They squealed in delight and told me I’d better do the show if I expected to remain friends with them. So, I agreed to do the show, and here I am.
I was over the moon when I found out we’d be filming in Sunlit Tides. I’d hoped for a tropical island setting, and I got my wish. I flitted around both excitedly and anxiously as I packed my bags. I hoped I wouldn’t regret what I was about to do but then admitted to myself that strange things do sometimes happen. Except for a few seasons where the couples didn’t last, many of the bachelors and bachelorettes found true lasting love, one of them being Lenora.
I was met at the airport by Jen, my personal advisor for this entire thing. The producers thought it was best that I have personal attention to direct me on my itinerary and to point me in the right direction on how the show was supposed to run. She told me that I’d have a day to settle in, get used to the house, and make my final phone calls. The next day, phone calls were off limits, and we’d have to get right down to business.
I whistled low when I saw the house. It was in a beautiful area overlooking the ocean. It had everything I’d need for this adventure. Downstairs was the living room, diving room and kitchen, gym, and game room.
Kitchen
Dining Room
Living Room
Game Room
Gym
Outside was a beautiful pool, and hot tub and sauna area.
Pool
Hot Tub and Sauna Area
All the bedrooms were located upstairs. There were enough rooms for all the guys to sleep in. I had a lovely bedroom with my own bath.
Ileah’s Bedroom and Bathroom
There was also a room to be used as the date room. This was where the cameras would be and where I’d be interviewed.
Jen gave me the binder that held all the bios for the guys and told me to study them today. Tomorrow would be Meet and Greet, and I should use that time to get to know the guys a bit. I had to laugh when she rubbed her temples and asked me to please adhere to FCC guidelines. “We have to watch our P’s and Q’s on regular prime time TV.”
“What about the public WooHoo bit?” I asked, feeling heat creep into my face.
Jen chuckled. “The viewers still eat that up.”
I giggled, remembering how Lenora and Tyrone handled it on their season. “Let’s hope the winner is someone I will want to take to bed without me wanting to get tanked first.”
Jen hooted with laughter, and I couldn’t help but join her. “Anyway, just relax and settle in this evening. Tomorrow is a big day,” she reminded me.
She left me then, and the first thing I did was make a beeline for the hot tub.
I sank down deep and sighed in ecstasy as the hot water and jets unknotted my tight muscles. I grinned and snickered, thinking about how it would be to have twelve guys in the hot tub with me at once. Ah yes! Now that could prove to be quite interesting. Oh, the things we could do for underwater activity.
I got rather overheated thinking about water exercise with twelve hunks, so I decided it was time for a tangible workout. I figured I’d better get my treadmill time in now because I’d be reluctant to get sweaty and stinky with twelve guys in the house.
After that, a refreshing shower was in order. Then, I headed to the arcade table and got some practice time in. I didn’t want to appear too inept if the guys wanted to play arcades with me. Of course, arcades weren’t the only kind of games I had in mind.
I swear I saw the windows fogging up, and I had to fan myself as my imagination started getting the better of me. It was time for a cold drink, so off to the bar I went.
I took a few sips of my drink, then carried it inside to finish while I studied the bios. I couldn’t believe where the time had gone. It was starting to get dark, and I thought it was probably best to call it an early night. Tomorrow was going to be a full day, and I’d need to be refreshed and ready for action.
Jen made sure to remind me that the only action allowed was talking and that my room was off limits to the guys until the winner was decided. I rolled my eyes and grinned when Jen groaned. “Behave yourself, Ileah,” she growled. I giggled, gave her a salute, and went to the kitchen to wash my glass.
I ended the evening by sending out a few e-mails and then calling Lenora and Christie to let them know I’d gotten settled in. It would be the last time I’d talk to them until friends and family were invited after I’d selected the winner.
Author’s Note: Unfortunately, I don’t have a download link for the house used in this challenge. I believe it came with Sunlit Tides but was renovated (not by me) to suit a challenge like this.
