The One With The Perfect Match
A/N: Happy Sunday! Please forgive any typos or major errors and send your best wishes to Arsto! She's been sick and traveling this week and wasn't able to give this one a final look over. Enjoy!
It was a quiet day off around the house with most of the group still discouraged from their poor result at the matchup last night. There was very little talking, and everyone seemed to be craving some time alone. The few couples that were still on good terms avoided everyone else, not wanting to stir up anymore drama.
Beca was relaxing in one of the smaller rooms with Theo, chatting quietly about how everything had gone down last night at the matchup. They were in agreement that things got out of hand with Jesse, both unsure how he would handle the backlash of choosing Emily.
"Hey, I'm gonna go grab a drink. Want anything?" Beca asked, standing up from the couch and stretching her arms over her head.
Theo shook his head, "Nah, I'm good. Thanks though."
Beca nodded, "Okay, I'll be back."
She left the room and set off down the hallway towards the stairs that led to the kitchen, slowing down as she heard Jesse's voice floating out of the open bedroom door.
"Hey, look… I'm really sorry about how that went down last night. That was really stupid of me to pick you, Em… I'm just so out of my depth here. I know you guys have connected and are probably a match, and I wouldn't do anything to try and mess that up for you."
Beca peeked into the room in time for Emily to answer him.
"It's okay, Jesse. I appreciate your apology, but I think things got blown way out of proportion last night," Emily said considerately. "You're a good guy. I know it wasn't malicious."
Jesse shook his head, "I'm just so out of my comfort zone here. I didn't know who to pick and we did have a good time not learning how to surf."
Emily laughed and that comment even drew a smile from Benji. "I did have a hard time picturing Emily actually standing up on a surf board," he joked, nudging her affectionately.
Jesse glanced at Benji, asking, "So, uh… are we good?"
Benji smiled and reached out his hand, Jesse returning the gesture and they shook on it. "Yeah, man. We're good. You had a point… we're here to find our matches and Emily and I picking each other every matchup only to find out we aren't one of the perfect matches at the end could be disastrous. We could lose it for the whole group."
Jesse shook his head, "I don't think so, but we should definitely get you two into the Truth Booth as soon as possible to find out. I have a feeling you'll be our first perfect match."
Emily smiled and wrapped her arms around Benji's waist. "I hope so. But Jesse, I want you to know that if it's not Benji… you're the one I would want it to be. I mean it… you're a good guy and any girl here would be lucky to be your match."
Jesse chuckled, "Thanks, Em. I just didn't want things to be awkward between the three of us for the whole rest of the time here. I really like both you guys, and Benji… you're my best friend here. I was really worried I messed that up."
Benji shrugged, "You didn't mess anything up. But I appreciate you wanting to talk to us and get it all out there and apologize."
"Who are you creeping on?"
A voice startled her from behind, turning away from the door to see Luke strolling towards her. Beca glanced back into the room to see the three now laughing about something, still oblivious to her presence.
Turning back to Luke she said, "I was just about to go grab a drink. Wanna come with?"
He got the hint, nodding and falling into step with her as they walked past the open bedroom door and downstairs to the kitchen. Beca quickly made them a pair of margaritas and they headed outside to a secluded spot near the pool.
"So why are you being all weird?" Luke asked, sipping his drink. "Damn that's good. I'd go to your bar any day."
"Thanks," Beca laughed, sipping hers as well. "You're not wrong, though. So, upstairs Jesse was apologizing to Emily and Benji for how last night went down. It was unexpected to me… he was pretty open and vulnerable. I think he really felt bad about it."
Luke scoffed, "Well he should have. He could have made us blackout with that stupid stunt."
"At least he owned up to his mistake," Beca said thoughtfully. "Not everyone around here would do that. And he didn't make a big show of it, which means he didn't want everyone to know what he said."
"Until you creeped on him and are now spilling all his secrets," Luke grinned, raising his glass like a proud parent. "Well done, Becs."
Beca rolled her eyes. "Keep it between us. What were you doing upstairs?"
"Sleeping… avoiding everyone in this house for a few hours," Luke sighed. "That seemed like the vibe for today, didn't it? I haven't seen groups of more than two or three all day."
"Yeah because we all know how badly we're fucking this up," Beca retorted, frowning into her cup. "We're really making a mess of things."
Luke nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but it's also not that easy. If it was, they wouldn't be offering up a million bucks for us to figure it out."
"True, they're probably banking on us being too drunk and stupid to solve the puzzle."
"And horny," Luke added, glancing across the yard at Tom and Stacie cuddled up on the swing.
Beca knew that part was true, suddenly remembering something. "Hey, why aren't you hanging out with Calamity? You guys looked pretty close the other night."
Luke's eyes narrowed as he replied, "She hooked up with Chicago last night, and I'm not getting involved in whatever their deal still is."
Beca's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?!"
"Yeah, they disappeared into the sex room not long after most people went to bed," Luke said, though not seeming overly upset at the turn of events. "Tom and Stacie were still in the hot tub, Emily and Benji might both be virgins as far as anyone has seen them go, and you don't seem particularly interested in banging it out with Theo, so…"
Beca winced at being named among the solidified couples in the house, despite knowing that's exactly how it looked to everyone else. Sure, she and Theo had connected and matched up at the first three ceremonies, but to be considered on the same level as the other two relationships just felt wrong to her.
"Yeah, that's definitely not gonna happen," Beca muttered, feeling the strong desire to make sure that rumor didn't get started.
Luke glanced at her, asking, "Why not? You guys are probably the strongest couple in the house besides Em and Ben."
Beca shook her head, "Do people really think that?"
"You haven't exactly given them a reason not to," Luke pointed out, sipping again from his cup.
"I guess not," Beca murmured absentmindedly, still unsure how she felt about being faced with that knowledge. "I feel like something is missing with him."
"Like what?"
Beca let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know… like I'm not overwhelmingly attracted to him, I guess. Sure he's good-looking and in shape and nice, but… Tom and Stacie can't keep their hands off each other and I don't feel that way about Theo. I feel like that should be a part of it."
Luke hummed thoughtfully, "I don't disagree with you. That's how it was with Chloe that first couple days. I wanted to be around her and touching her the whole time…"
"Dude… gross," Beca cut in, not wanting that visual at all.
"Not like that, perv," Luke rolled his eyes. "And the point was that so far those initial attractions aren't proving to be matches. Me and Chloe, Calamity and Chicago… and I don't think Tom and Stacie are a match either. I think we're going after the people we usually do, but they aren't our perfect match."
"Okay," Beca sighed, glancing at him. "So you're saying…"
"I'm saying that makes me even more convinced that you and Theo might be a match," Luke said simply. "You aren't going after the person you want to sleep with the most, you're connecting with someone you actually like to be around and talk to."
Beca didn't answer right away, letting his words sink in. It was the second person who'd voiced basically the same opinion about her and Theo, making her wonder if he really was her match… if one of those two beams last night represented them. She honestly wasn't sure if she was happy or sad about the thought.
"And me and Calamity," Luke continued, the disdain back in his tone, "That's not a thing. I don't know what her deal is, but I think she's fucking with Chicago and I don't play those games. I don't want to be with someone who's cool with fucking a different person every night."
Beca held back a laugh, finding the response too easy. "No? That's not what we're all doing here?"
Luke rolled his eyes, "Considering you haven't even been inside the STD Den, and my one experience was one that won't be repeated, I think not."
"I knew that name would catch on," Beca said proudly, finishing the last of her drink. "I'm empty, and I definitely left Theo alone upstairs thinking I was coming right back."
Luke stood up with her. "Ten bucks he's passed out and not missing you at all."
Beca shook her head, "I'm not touching that bet. I've never seen someone fall asleep as fast as he can. It's unnatural."
"You're just jealous," Luke teased as they walked back inside.
Beca sighed knowing she was caught, answering honestly, "So fucking jealous."
The morning of the challenge was similar to the last one, only this time breakfast was catered since no one felt like cooking. The house was in a bit of a funk, and Beca knew they needed to snap out of it quickly before they all got yelled at again. They were here to find love and win money and all that shit, but they were all well aware that just existing in the house was not enough. They needed to play it up, get emotional, make some questionable decisions, and consume as much alcohol as needed to make all those things happen. The producers had given them a pass for their day off since most of the episodes were comprised of the challenge, date, Truth Booth, and matchup ceremony, but that pass expired the minute it was time to shoot the challenge.
Beca settled onto the couch beside Theo, waiting for CR to explain whatever horrors were in store for them today. Most of the group was assembled, just waiting on a final few who were either getting ready for filming some type of reaction.
Jesse cleared his throat, saying awkwardly, "So, I wanted to say that I fucked up yesterday at the matchup. I already straightened things out with Benji and Emily, but I thought you guys should know."
Bumper nodded, "Good on you, dude. Don't fuck with our perfect match."
Aubrey chimed in, "Speaking of them, I think we need to do everything possible to get Benji and Emily into the Truth Booth tomorrow."
"Are you saying throw the challenge?" Donald asked, glancing nervously around at the few cameras trained on them. "Are we allowed to do that?"
A producer responded before anyone else could, "No, you aren't."
"At least not in an obvious way," another voice added, followed by a guiltier, "What?"
The producer shook his head, saying, "It's highly discouraged."
Beca sighed, looking around the room. The various reactions to that told her that there were plenty of people in the room who'd be up for rigging a challenge.
Theo spoke up, "Look, I don't care what the rest of you do, but I'm not wasting a chance to get the fuck outta this house. You guys who have been going on dates haven't been trapped here for almost three straight weeks."
"I agree," Kommissar said bluntly. "I'm not giving up a shot at an awesome date."
"You're all being selfish," Chicago grumbled. "We need to get a confirmed match as soon as possible."
Beca narrowed her eyes at him, retorting, "Says the guy who's been on two out of the three dates. How about you stay here in the house for the next three weeks and see how you feel?"
Chicago rolled his eyes, "Don't blame me for being good at the challenges."
"How about I blame you for being shitty at relationships," Beca shot back, feeling Theo's hand come to rest on her lower back.
"Fuck off," Chicago muttered, not willing to concede just yet. "We're all here because we're shitty at relationships."
Beca opened her mouth to reply, a warning look from Luke making her close it almost as quickly. Something in his gaze made her understand he didn't want the information he'd shared with her yesterday becoming public knowledge to the entire group. She realized he had a point, knowing that the last thing they needed before this challenge was a giant fight.
"This isn't helping," Luke said, standing up and changing the subject. "I'm with Aubrey. We're going to have another challenge at some point where we choose our partners or get to choose our dates. We need to make the most of those times where it's not random."
Chloe and Stacie wandered into the room, followed shortly by Unicycle and Flo. That completed their group, and it was only another minute or so before CR strode to the front of the room and waited for their attention.
"Hey guys, how're we doing today?" CR asked, glancing down at her phone before pocketing it and giving them her full attention.
At the positive nods and affirmative responses, she nodded she was satisfied.
"Great. Let's talk about your challenge today," she began, clapping her hands together once. "It's another one for the ladies, and it's simple. We've got quotes from the guys that we've gathered either from their interview process or footage shot while you've all been here in the house. The ladies will try to match the quote to the guy. It will go round by round, you'll have three guys to choose from for each quote. If you get it wrong, you're eliminated. Top three finishers win the date, but we will continue until we have an ultimate winner. Any questions?"
Beca shook her head along with the rest of the group, the challenge very self-explanatory. No one minded that the girls were up again considering the challenge wasn't physical.
"Great, that's a first," CR remarked sarcastically. "The winners will choose the guy they want to take on the date. Since it doesn't require a lot of space, we'll film it in the backyard. We're almost ready for you… probably another twenty or thirty minutes. Don't wander too far," she added, exiting through the back door.
Beca wondered where exactly would go, holding the snarky reply back instead of pissing off the executive producer so early in the day. There would be plenty of time for that later, and she couldn't blame her for not wanting to waste time having the crew search for them all over the house and yard.
Aubrey spoke up after a few minutes of low chatter, asking, "Can we at least figure out who should be matched up on the date?"
Bumper scratched his chin, answering, "Well Emily and Benji are the most obvious right now. We also need to get Beca and Theo into the Truth Booth, and Tom and Stacie…"
Donald chimed in, "And me and Lilly."
The entire group turned to look at him, the looks skeptical at best.
"What?" Chicago finally asked.
"Lilly and I really think we're a match," Donald replied, glancing at the Asian woman sitting across the room from him.
Chicago rolled his eyes, gesturing at how far apart they were. "Clearly."
Flo glanced at him, asking, "So now you can only be a perfect match if you're side by side all the time?"
"He's my match," Lilly said simply, not expanding any farther on her statement.
Bumper looked frustrated, saying, "That's great, but we have stronger options right now that we need to figure out. No one even knew you guys were a couple."
It was Donald's turn to get irritated, retorting, "We've sat together at the last two matchups."
Kommissar cut in, "And look how well we've done."
"I knew they were hitting it off," Beca voiced, not willing to let Donald fight the battle on his own. "I think they're as likely a match as probably any of us except for Em and Ben."
Chicago stepped back in, his tone patronizing, "Yeah, and I'm sure the fact you two are friends has nothing to do with that opinion at all."
"What's your problem?" Beca shot back, her patience with the man too thin to hold up in the moment.
"My problem is that he wants us to waste a fucking Truth Booth on a couple that literally no one in the house knew existed!" Chicago yelled back, like it was the stupidest suggestion he'd ever heard of. "Can you honestly say we should put them in over you and Theo?"
Beca glared at him, answering, "Sure, since Theo and I haven't come close to winning a single challenge and might never get into the Truth Booth anyways!"
"Okay, this is getting out of control," Jesse stepped in, trying to calm everyone down.
Calamity rolled her eyes, "You're part of the reason we're all feeling stressed. If you hadn't picked Emily at the last matchup we would have had more beams!"
"I already apologized for that!" Jesse looked slightly hurt that she brought it up again. "You gotta let it go."
"How about I let it go when we go ten for ten and until then I hold it over your fucking head," Calamity snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.
Zeke stood up and attempted to put a stop to the fighting once and for all. "Okay, we definitely have some shit to figure out, but arguing like this is not gonna solve any problems," he said calmly, his deep voice relaxing a bit of the tension in the room. "We don't have to all be best friends, but we do need to respect each other and the process."
Uni agreed with him, adding, "No one said we had to figure it out in three weeks. They give us ten Truth Booths and ten matchup ceremonies for a reason. Let's stop acting like we've got two days to figure everything out and set more realistic expectations."
The room fell silent as those words sunk in, remaining that way long enough for CR to walk back into the room.
"Oh good, you listened. Let's go… it's time for the challenge," she said, beckoning them all to get up. When no one moved, she glanced around the room and gathered a few clues from the crew who were still in full filming mode. "What the hell happened? I was gone for fifteen minutes?"
There was a little bit of random muttering as the cast got to their feet, Beca still feeling disgruntled at the entire exchange. They were bickering more than they were working together, and ultimately hadn't come close to figuring out who should actually pair with whom besides the obvious three… maybe four couples. Hopefully they would get lucky and Emily would win the challenge, but they were screwed if it ended up being someone not in an established relationship.
"Whatever, sort your shit out later," CR said dismissively. "Gather right outside here while I get these guys set up to film you walking over to the challenge area."
Beca watched her walk away with the crew from inside, pointing and directing them to set up over by the pool. The group remained silent, the tension still very apparent at the way they hadn't really resolved their issues. They needed to get their shit together sooner rather than later, or they might not be leaving Hawaii with love or money.
"Alright, we're ready!" CR shouted, striding back over to them. "We decided to set this one up by the pool. The guys will get to lounge around and sip drinks while the ladies try to figure out the quotes. Good gender reversal stuff… viewers will love it."
"So will we!" Bumper agreed with a grin, slapping Uni's offered palm.
"Since it's by the pool no running," CR added. "We'll get shots of the group walking over. Pay attention since Gail will be waiting to direct you where to go."
Beca looked over towards the pool, noticing the rearranged setup for the challenge. She waited patiently for CR to give them the cue to start walking, falling into step beside Theo as the group made their way over towards the blonde host.
"Hey guys! Come on over," Gail greeted them. "Girls over here, guys have a seat in the chairs on the other side of the pool."
Of course they didn't get it right, awkwardly bumping into each other as they tried to follow directions, CR shouting at them to come back and do it again. Beca ran her fingers through her hair as they made their way back towards the house, wondering now many times it would take to get this right.
"Okay, let's shoot it again!" CR called, the words making Beca automatically cringe.
They approached Gail and received the same greeting and instructions.
"Hey guys! Come on over… Ladies over here by me, guys have a seat in the chairs on the other side of the pool."
Thankfully this time they smoothly weaved around each other to reach their respective destinations, and Gail must have received some positive signal from CR because she continued speaking.
"How are we feeling after that last matchup?"
"Not great, Gail," Luke answered, looking around and getting nods from most of the cast.
"We don't want to be going backwards," Stacie added. "We have had several conversations about how to strategize better."
Gail nodded her approval, asking, "And how have those gone?"
Beca knew Gail got some sort of intel or briefing on the happenings in the house, not surprised by the question at all.
"They could go better," Aubrey answered, "But we're all committed to finding our perfect match."
"Yeah, we'll get there," Zeke finished positively, to claps from a few people.
"That's it, just keep making progress," Gail replied, smiling around at them. "So, are you ready for your next getaway challenge?"
The whole group cheered and clapped excitedly, everyone ready for a chance to get away and escape the tense atmosphere that had permeated the house.
"Alright, so today the ladies will be competing for a date with the guy of their choice. Ladies, it's time to find out how much you've been paying attention and getting to know these guys," Gail smirked, glancing over to where the boys were sitting "Guys, you get to sit back, relax, sip cocktails, and watch these ladies battle to win the chance to take one of you on the getaway date."
The guys cheered happily at her announcement, picking up the drinks that had been provided for them and raising the glasses in the air. Beca looked over at them, sitting in pairs with a small table between each pair that held a pitcher of something she wished she could be sipping right about now. They looked relaxed and comfortable and not at all as stressed as she currently felt.
"Ladies, this is how the challenge is going to work," Gail instructed, gesturing to the colored mats lining the other side of the pool that each held a small dry-erase board, marker, and small towel. "You will each choose a mat with your writing materials. I will read off a quote, and then three possible guys responsible for saying that quote. You will all write your answers down and reveal them at the same time. If you get it right, you move on to the next round. If you get it wrong, you're eliminated."
Gail paused as CR shouted out from behind the camera, "Sorry Gail! That was great, but we had some sound interference. Let's shoot those instructions again!"
Beca bit her lip to hold back the groan. A glance to her side at Kommissar and Aubrey told her they felt exactly the same way. All they could hope for was that the technical difficulty didn't start to pile up the way they had at the last matchup. Two hours of standing by the pool listening to Gail repeat the same rules over and over again should definitely be classified as torture.
It took two more attempts before CR approved the take and allowed Gail to move on, making Beca wonder how people didn't go insane in this industry. She had been a part of it for a few weeks and at times wanted to tear her hair out. CR had been working the show for like three years and had been an executive producer on numerous shows before this one. Beca didn't know whether to scoff at her stupidity, or be amazed at her patience and perseverance.
"The final three ladies will win the getaway date," Gail stated, her eyes making sure the ladies were paying attention. "However, we will continue playing until we have one overall winner who receives an extra bonus on the date."
The girls cheered at that news, Beca hoping that since this challenge wasn't physical, she actually could win an entire day away from the house.
"Okay ladies, step up to a mat, get your board and we'll get started!" Gail instructed enthusiastically, producing a stack of index cards that Beca assumed held the quotes and answers.
Beca ended up on the orange mat this time, grabbing her white board and dry-erase marker and focusing her attention on Gail. After everyone was ready to go, the host read out the first quote and answer choices.
"Okay ladies, first quote," Gail said, her gaze shifting over the line. "I love One Direction." She paused, a smile crossing her lips. "Which guy is a One D fan? Is it Jesse, Luke, or Donald?"
Beca grinned, feeling pretty confident about her answer as she scribbled LUKE onto her white board. Jesse was the obvious choice, but he was more broadway and less boy band. Donald had already confided in her that he wasn't really a music fan, and after getting over the disbelief that anyone could just not like music, Beca got him to admit if he had to pick something he'd want anything without words to play while he was in the kitchen.
Gail waited until all the girls had written down their answer, finally asking, "Okay everyone flip your board over!"
Beca turned hers around, glancing down the line to see most of the other women agreed with her. Damn. She thought that was a tricky one.
Gail looked at their answers, calling out, "So we've got a lot of women that think Luke is the One Direction fan. This challenge will be over really fast if you're all wrong! Lilly thinks it's Jesse and Calamity thinks it's Donald, so at least you're all represented up here guys. Well, the majority wins this one… the correct answer is Luke!"
Beca cheered at getting the first answer right, taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart. She hadn't even realized she was that nervous about the answer, but the pounding in her chest said otherwise. Deciding it was stupid to worry about taking a challenge too seriously, she refocused and erased her answer with the towel provided.
"Sorry Lilly and Calamity, you're eliminated from this challenge," Gail informed them, "go ahead and take a seat on the bench behind you."
When they had followed instructions, Gail turned back to the rest of the women. "Read for quote number two?" At their nods and a few shouts of "Yeah!" Gail looked down and flipped to the next note card.
"I cry when I watch Air Bud," she read aloud, looking over towards the guys. "That's so sweet! Ladies, there's a sensitive soul over there somewhere! Is it Unicycle, Chicago, or Tom?"
Beca frowned, having more difficulty with this one since she hadn't really spoken or gotten to know any of the three choices. She found it hard to picture Chicago crying at any movie, deciding to eliminate him. It was a blind choice between the other two, eventually shrugging and scribbling TOM onto her board.
"Please be right," Beca muttered, putting the cap back on her marker.
"Okay ladies, turn those boards around!"
Beca flipped her board over and leaned forward to look down the row, breathing a sigh of relief at seeing everyone else with the same answer.
"Wow, everyone but Chloe thinks it's Tom," Gail remarked, the surprise evident in her voice. "Chloe, what makes you think it's Chicago?"
Chloe replied tentatively, "Well I know he told me he did some work with dogs in the military, and I think he's softer than he wants people to think."
Beca bit her lip to keep from laughing at Chicago's slightly offended expression, still respectfully disagreeing with Chloe's assessment of the man.
"That's a great reason, but unfortunately the rest of the ladies are right. Sorry, Chloe, but you are eliminated from this challenge," Gail informed her with a sympathetic look. "Go have a seat with Lilly and Calamity."
Chloe looked dejected as she set her board down and joined the other two on the bench.
Gail looked back at the ladies still remaining in the challenge, asking, "Ready to move on? Alright, excellent. Quote number three is… I was in my high school show choir!" Another long pause to let it sink in, followed by, "And your choices for this one are Benji, Jesse, or Bumper!"
Beca sucked in a deep breath, knowing this one could also potentially be trying to fool them. Jesse was the obvious choice, singing constantly around the house, but Benji was also musical and Bumper was a total wild card. Deciding to go with her gut, she scribbled JESSE onto her board.
Gail waited patiently as it took the remaining girls longer than usual to decide on an answer, commenting, "Is this going to be the one that thins the crowd? We seem to have a lot of indecisiveness here."
Beca looked up at her to signal she had made her choice, feeling her heart start to race again. A glance towards the boys showed that they were greatly enjoying teasing each other at the revealed information, not giving anything away at who might be responsible for this quote.
Gail's voice broke through her thoughts, turning to look back at the host for the answer. "Okay ladies, let's see your answers for this one!"
Beca flipped her board around, looking over to see the answers were much more varied for this question.
"Let's see, we have four for Jesse, two for Benji, and one for Bumper," Gail announced, looking over at the boys. "This one was tricky because all three boys were in fact in their high school show choir! But only one of them admitted it on his audition tape!"
Beca sighed, knowing it was probably Bumper. Damn, she'd been so close.
"The correct answer is Jesse!" Gail revealed, only making the guys teasing and exclamations grow in volume, covering up the groans of the women who guessed wrong. "Looks like we lost Flo, Kommissar, and Fat Amy on that one. Sorry ladies, but please have a seat on the bench."
Beca grinned in relief at still being alive in the challenge, now realizing just how badly she wanted to win that getaway date. She desperately needed to get out of the house for the day, and she was so close she could almost taste that freedom.
Gail addressed the remaining girls, "We're down to the final four! Remember, the last three standing win the getaway date, but we will play until we have an ultimate winner!"
Beca nodded her understanding, not worrying about being the ultimate winner. All she cared about at this point was getting to go on that date.
"Okay, ladies, the next quote is… I have masturbated on an airplane," Gail's voice hinted at her amusement.
Beca glanced at the guys who were all looking around to see if they could figure out the guilty party before the choices were even announced.
"Who got handsy high in the sky?" Gail teased, making Beca chuckle. "Was it Theo, Bumper, or Zeke?"
Beca wasn't sure how she knew, but she immediately scribbled THEO onto her board. He wasn't the obvious choice, but for some reason she was completely confident in her answer. The other girls took a little longer with their answers, especially Aubrey frowning in concentration.
Finally, Gail instructed, "Alright ladies, turn those boards around and show us your answers!"
Beca flipped her board over revealing her answer, definitely surprised to see Emily and Aubrey agreeing with her. Stacie was the only one who thought it was Zeke, making Beca wonder what would happen if she was right and the three of them got eliminated together.
Gail was smirking at the boys, finally asking, "Does the guilty party want to come clean?"
Beca rolled her eyes at the terrible pun, though the boys seemed to appreciate the humor. After a moment, Theo shrugged and stood up to shouts and cheers from the guys. Beca laughed at the way he took a bow, not surprised to see his face slightly red when he stood up straight and sat back down, reaching over to give Donald a high five.
"Theo was the correct answer," Gail said, continuing, "Which means we have our three winners for the getaway date! Congratulations Emily, Beca, and Aubrey!"
Stacie looked disappointed as she joined the rest of the eliminated ladies on the bench, but most of the group cheered loudly when Emily and Beca's names were announced.
"We're getting that perfect match, bitches!" Chicago yelled, tapping his cup with Uni's and chugging the rest of his drink. "We can't choose wrong!"
That realization sunk in, making Beca's nerves break out all over again. Surely the group would vote Benji and Emily into the booth and not her and Theo. The thought of having to go to the Truth Booth had her anxiety spiking, unsure if she wanted to know if they were a match or not.
Gail waited for them to settle down, reminding them, "We still need an overall winner. Ladies, are you ready for the next quote?" At their nods, Gail read off the next card. "I've had sex with one of my teachers."
Beca's eyebrows rose, looking over at the guys to see if anyone reacted. Unfortunately, they were all either drinking or pouring more drinks or celebrating the winners of the challenge, and it didn't look like any of them even heard the question.
"Who do we think has gotten a little extra tutoring?" Gail teased, reading off, "Was it Unicycle, Zeke, or Donald?"
Beca hummed, not feeling any pressure on this one, but also had no clue who the right answer was. She thought for a minute before scribbling down DJ, figuring maybe things weren't as strict about that in culinary school. A glance told her Aubrey and Emily were having an equally difficult time with the quote, but Beca felt calm knowing she was guaranteed to be going on the date tomorrow.
Once all three had written down an answer, Gail directed, "Okay, let's see your answers!"
Beca turned her board around, looking over and laughing that they all had written down a different name.
Gail smiled at that fact as well, announcing, "Well, no matter what we will have a winner!" She turned to the girls on the eliminated bench, asking, "Stacie, who do you think it is?"
Stacie shrugged, answering, "Uni? He seems reckless enough to bang a teacher."
Gail looked impressed as she replied, "Correct!" Spinning back to the three remaining contestants, she continued, "Which makes Emily our overall winner! Congratulations!"
The cheers were loud and long, with lots of clapping and hugs exchanged. Beca was thrilled for the girl, knowing she was just as happy to get to take Benji on a date and leave the house. Once things settled down, CR got them all back into position to film the wrap up. Beca stood to one side of Gail next to Aubrey and Emily. The rest of the ladies were standing on their other side, with the guys standing on Gail's other side.
Gail waited for CR to get back in position, finally turning to the three winners who were still standing apart from the rest of the ladies.
"Okay, it's time to choose your perfect match for the getaway date," Gail said, her voice cheery. "Now remember, who you choose is directly related to who gets to go into the Truth Booth, so think about that when making your selections. Emily… since you were our overall winner, you get to choose first."
Emily grinned, not hesitating with her choice. "Benji!"
The group broke into loud cheers, Benji's grin covering his face as he walked over and stood behind Emily. Beca clapped along, knowing they were the group's best shot at a perfect match.
Gail moved right along, asking, "Beca, who is your choice for this getaway date?"
Beca looked over and met Theo's gaze, smiling at him. "Theo… wanna get outta here for a day with me?"
Theo grinned happily, walking over to stand behind her. "You have no idea how excited I am."
Gail nodded in approval, looking over at Aubrey. "And Aubrey, who would you like to take on this getaway date?"
Aubrey glanced over at the guys. "Jesse."
The rest of the group clapped and cheered as Jesse grinned and made his way over to stand behind Aubrey. Beca leaned back into Theo, feeling some combination of excited and relieved to finally have something besides the routine to look forward to tomorrow.
"Okay, we've got our three couples for the getaway date. Wanna know what you'll be doing?" Gail teased, drawing responses out of the group. "You're all going ziplining through the jungle…" she trailed off at the loud cheers and excited yells at that news, before continuing, "Followed by a private catered dinner on the beach."
Beca grinned happily as Theo's arms wrapped around her waist from behind, giving her a small squeeze. She knew how much the both needed to get out of the house and get some time away from the rest of the group.
Gail addressed Emily and Benji specifically, "And Emily, as the overall winner, after ziplining you and Benji will be treated to a couples massage, before your own private dinner on the beach."
That information was accompanied by a lot of "oohs" and teasing towards the couple, who both blushed red at the attention and insinuation.
After everyone settled down again, Gail reminded everyone else, "And while these three couples are out on their date, the rest of you get to decide which couple you're sending to the Truth Booth… the only way to find out if they're a perfect match or not. So, think about that, and I'll see you back at the house tomorrow for the results."
Beca nodded and clapped along with everyone else, knowing they were so close to being done filming for the day.
"Alright, have fun you guys!" Gail waved, letting them know they were done with her part.
Beca grinned and spun around, hugging Theo excitedly. "You're welcome for winning us this amazing getaway date."
Theo laughed, releasing her so they could begin walking back toward the house with the rest of the group. "You're the best. I cannot wait to leave this house."
Beca nodded, knowing the feeling. Now much more relaxed, she smirked at the memory of the challenge and one quote in particular.
"So… you jerked off on a plane?"
The scenery flying by the window of the large van was breathtaking, like something out of a movie. Beca grinned at Theo, his arm comfortably resting across the back of her seat as they were driven towards wherever they were going ziplining. Jesse and Aubrey were in the row behind them, and Emily and Benji were in front of them. Thankfully it wasn't awkward in the least, all three couples chatting and laughing easily together during the ride.
They had been ushered out of the house very early in the morning, which Beca hadn't minded at all. She knew the shit would definitely hit the fan at some point today and did not want to be around for it. There wasn't really anything for the rest of the group to fight about, but the time spent in the house was wearing on all of them and tempers were growing shorter by the day. It wouldn't take much to set someone off, as evidenced by their brief conversations yesterday morning before the challenge.
"You nervous?" Theo asked suddenly, breaking the silence between them.
Beca shook her head, "No, I'm fucking stoked. I've never been ziplining before. Are you?"
Theo hesitated, finally answering, "I'm not great with heights."
Beca held back a laugh, realizing he was being serious and that reaction was slightly inappropriate… and offensive. "Oh… well, I'm sure it's totally safe. It'd really mess up the show if one of us died, and we know where their priorities are."
"So comforting," Theo quipped, a wry smile crossing his lips. "You're really good at this."
"It's a gift," Beca shot back, knowing full well that positivity and warmth were not her gifts. "You want to be with me, you get sarcasm and witty repartee. Take it or leave it."
Theo made a show of thinking about it, like the decision was really weighing on him until Beca gave him a light shove in the chest.
"Asshole."
"Okay, okay, I'll take it!" Theo laughed, barely budging from the contact. "Settle down."
"You settle down," Beca retorted, her smile creeping back.
He raised an eyebrow at her, dropping a hand to her knee and she backed off.
"Fine, I'm settled down," Beca grumbled. "Buzzkill."
"That's not what you were saying last night," Theo smirked, laughing at the way her jaw dropped and how Benji and Emily whipped around to stare at the pair of them.
"CONTEXT!" Beca yelled, this time giving him a serious shove.
Theo shrugged, replying, "I mean… I'm just saying last night you said something about the best you'd ever had…"
Beca rolled her eyes, refusing to let him embarrass her. She turned to Emily and Benji and clarified, "He's an idiot… but he makes an amazing margarita."
Emily snickered at them, saying, "You guys are really adorable. You might get voted into the Truth Booth instead of us."
Aubrey was apparently eavesdropping from the row behind them, interrupting Beca's response. "That'd be the stupidest thing we've done yet. We need a confirmed match."
Theo's face looked slightly offended, answering, "Why couldn't Bec and I be a match? Look at how much we like each other."
Beca raised her eyebrows as Theo quickly wrapped both arms around her and crushed her to his chest awkwardly. "See?! Proof!"
Beca pulled away and smacked the back of his head, running her fingers through her hair trying to put it back into place. "You're an idiot," she said again, this time directed at him.
He just laughed, knowing better than to take her seriously.
Aubrey shook her head, "We are so fucked if they vote you guys in."
Theo got serious for a minute. "Relax, Bree… they're definitely going to vote Ben and Emily in. You're right, it's a no brainer."
Benji asked, "How do you do that?" At Theo's blank look, he clarified, "Joking one second to serious and sensible the next. It's unnerving sometimes."
Beca glanced at him, answering, "It's not like a superpower. I mean… I can do it too, I just pick my moments better than he does."
"You're so warm and uplifting… I'm so glad you're my match," Theo deadpanned, leaning back against the seat with his arms crossed over his chest.
A look at him told Beca he was back to joking around, wondering when it became so easy to read him. Maybe he had grown on her more than she thought over the past three weeks.
"What can I say… it comes naturally," Beca replied, her tone overly sweet.
Jesse spoke up, "I'm with Aubrey. I don't think you two are a match."
Theo's smile vanished, and Beca could tell they were on the brink of a massive argument if she didn't intervene. Placing a hand on Theo's knee and warning him to stay quiet with a look, she glanced evenly back at Jesse.
"What makes you say that?"
Jesse shrugged, "Well, you could be. You're so similar, don'tcha think? I'm fifty-fifty on it, to be honest. You're either the most perfect match, or you'd drive each other crazy if you were actually dating."
Beca pondered that for a minute, still feeling how tense Theo was beside her. If she was realistic, Jesse had a point.
"I'll give it to you," Beca declared, trying to infuse some humor back into the moment. "It's too soon to say whether you'd make a murderer out of me."
Theo couldn't help it, scoffing back, "I would LOVE to see you try. You're incredibly small."
"Keep underestimating me… I'll fight dirty," Beca warned, leaning in a little closer. "You wouldn't even see it coming," she whispered in his ear, pressing her body against his and felt him freeze at the contact.
The moment passed, and she twisted to lean her shoulder against him in a more natural position, his arm automatically moving to rest on the seat behind her head.
"That's not fair," he grumbled as she got more comfortable leaning against him.
Beca laughed, exchanging a wink with Emily. "Boys are so easy."
The laughing and joking in the van felt like a lifetime ago, and now Beca was legitimately worried that Theo was going to throw up or pass out or both. They were standing on top of the platform, all strapped up from head to toe ready to fly through the jungle and he was looking very green.
"I'm good, I promise," Theo said, glancing out over the edge of the platform. "I just watched four other people do this, I'm good."
Beca wasn't sure if that was actually true, but she was sure that she was more excited about flying through the Hawaiian jungle on this zipline than finding her perfect match in the house.
"Okay, well if you're sure," she said, moving to give him a hug. Squeezing her arms tight around his stomach, she whispered, "I'll see you at the bottom?"
He nodded, giving her a smile. "I'll be the one screaming like I'm getting murdered."
"Hot," Beca replied, leaning up to peck his lips. "Don't forget about the go-pro in your face. Try to open your eyes at least once so you don't look like this on television," she advised, closing her eyes and scrunching her face up.
Theo shuddered, "That was horrifying. Never do that again."
"My point exactly," Beca grinned, stepping away from him and letting the guys hook her harness up to the zipline. She looked to the side at Theo being hooked up to the other line, waiting a few extra seconds so they could go closer together.
Theo was finally ready to go, turning to meet her gaze. "Let's do this."
Beca laughed at how determined he sounded, nodding in agreement. "Let's do this."
She faced forward and at the go-ahead from the guy beside her launched herself off the platform. It was amazing. Beca felt like she was flying over this gorgeous jungle, the wind whipping past her face as she grinned gleefully. She vaguely heard Theo excitedly shouting behind her, glad he seemed to be enjoying himself. It was over far too quickly for her liking, wishing they could go again. A guy at the bottom platform unhooked her and helped her get out of the harness, gesturing over to where the other four were waiting.
"Dude, that was incredible!" Beca exclaimed, walking over to join them.
Jesse nodded, still a little pumped up on the adrenaline. "So amazing. I've never been before, but now I feel like I need to go on a ziplining world tour."
Beca agreed, "Count me in. It was like I was flying."
Emily chimed in, "I know! That was crazy! I didn't expect it to be so high up, but you could see for miles."
"It was beautiful," Benji added, somehow remaining the picture of calm. Beca wondered if he ever actually lost his temper.
Theo walked up beside her and wrapped her in an excited hug. "That was fucking incredible!"
"That's what I said!" Beca laughed as he let go, running his fingers through his hair. "Now I'm starving. Ready to eat?"
Beca nodded, looking around for the crew to intervene and take them to their private dinner or wherever they were headed next.
It wasn't long before a producer approached and led them all away towards the parking lot where their ride was waiting with the change of clothes they'd been instructed to bring along.
The van dropped them all at different spots, letting them know that they had a couple hours to eat and talk and enjoy the beach. Beca and Theo nodded, following directions and lacing their fingers together as they walked towards a small table set up on the beach just for them. It was set nicely with food already on plates, making Beca wonder how exactly this was going to go down.
A different producer met them just before they reached the table with a few last minute details.
"Okay, so here's how this is gonna work," he said, briefly glancing down at his watch. "You aren't actually going to eat the food on the table. There will be food to go after we finish filming. Eating really fucks with the sound, so everything on the table is just for show. Take small sips of the drinks if you want, make a short toast or whatever, but try to avoid eating and drinking as much as possible."
Theo's eyebrows rose, replying, "Dude, we're starving. We haven't eaten anything for hours."
The guy tossed them both a granola bar. "Here. That's it until we're done and you're back in the van. Got it? Any other questions?"
Beca sighed, unwrapping the snack and devoured it in no time. Theo did the same, both of them handing the producer back the empty wrappers knowing that was definitely not going to satisfy their appetites.
"Well isn't this romantic," Theo drawled, leading the way to the table.
Beca shook her head, muttering, "We should have known. All this date shit was too good to be true."
"We did get out of the house, so that's something," Theo pointed out, trying to find the silver lining.
The producer shouted at them from somewhere behind the scenes, "Hey, we're rolling! Start acting like you like each other and give us something we can use."
Beca bit her lip, taking a deep breath instead of the curse she wanted to hurl back at him. Beside her she could feel Theo tense, knowing he probably wanted to do the same thing. Instead, he composed himself in time for them to reach their table and pull out her chair for her.
"Thanks," Beca said, giving him her best flirty date smile for the camera.
Theo could tell, turning a snort of laughter into a small cough as he sat across from her. It took him another minute to recover, shaking his head at her antics.
"So, that was way more fun than I thought it was gonna be," he said, searching for a safe topic.
"Yeah, forsure," Beca said, eyeing the food in front of her desperately. It looked amazing.
"Do you think we'll get voted into the Truth Booth?" Theo asked suddenly, turning the conversation a little more serious.
Beca sighed, "I don't know. It's possible, but I think they will take the safe bet with Benji and Emily."
He nodded, replying, "Hopefully. Not that I don't want to know if you're my perfect match, but I'm kinda getting to the point where it matters less and less. You know?"
Beca understood what he was saying, realizing that this guy was developing some serious feelings for her that she couldn't exactly return. She liked him, sure, and enjoyed spending time with him, but something inside her knew that he was talking about more than that.
"Have you thought at all about after the show?"
And there it was. "Not really," Beca answered honestly. "I'm still drowning a little here… it's pretty insane."
Theo agreed with a smile, "You're not wrong. I just meant that like… if we are a match would you want to give it a real try? In real life?"
"That's a big if," Beca replied, not at all convinced they were a match and still unsure how she would feel if they were.
Theo hesitated a minute, finally coming to some sort of decision. "No, yeah… I know. I'm just saying that even if we aren't a match, I like you. I'd want to give it a shot. I think we're good together."
Beca raised an eyebrow at him, not expecting the conversation to go there. Sure they were connecting well, but they weren't even halfway through the show yet. There were still tons of question marks surrounding everything.
"Would you ever consider relocating?" Theo asked curiously.
"No," Beca replied immediately, adding, "San Francisco is my home. My job is there… I'm not interested in moving anywhere else."
"Yeah but like, you can bartend anywhere," Theo responded casually, taking a sip of water.
Beca hesitated at that statement, eyebrows narrowing slightly at the insinuation. Choosing to believe his words came out worse than he intended, she couldn't quite keep all of the frost out of her reply. "But my bar is in San Francisco."
Theo hummed, apparently sensing he was venturing into dangerous waters and changed the subject. "What about more… life-wise? Not relationship goals, just life goals?"
Beca couldn't hold back her smile at how smoothly he pivoted away from that conversation that was definitely headed south. "I like to keep things simple. I love my job and that's where my focus is right now. After the show I'll go back to work… Won't you?"
"Yeah, of course," he agreed, reaching for his glass of wine and sipping it carefully. "I just mean like… what are your goals for your life? What are your hopes and dreams?" Theo smiled, his tone turning more playful.
Beca shot him a real smile at that, finding she liked that he wanted to know what she envisioned for her life. It definitely made things feel more real, but as crazy as it seemed she was starting to see some version of her life where he was in it longer than the six week in the house. She must have misinterpreted his earlier tone, reminding herself to give him the benefit of the doubt like Luke and Donald had advised. Technically she could be a bartender anywhere, realizing she hadn't told him the whole truth about her real life back home yet.
"Honestly?" Beca asked, unsure if he was being serious or just making small talk.
Theo chuckled, "Yeah, seriously. I want to know whatever you'll share with me."
"I'm really lucky," Beca confessed. "I'm kinda living my dream right now. It wasn't what I planned when I was a kid or anything, but it feels right."
Theo's smile faded slightly, asking, "Working at a bar?"
Beca froze at his tone, hearing the judgement loud and clear. "Yeah," she answered tentatively, eyes narrowing slightly. "Is there something wrong with that?"
"Nothing," Theo backtracked, again sensing danger. "It's just… it's not a career, you know? Bartending is what college students do for free drinks or beer money. At some point you move on and get a real job."
Beca felt like she'd been slapped in the face with how dismissive his words were, of both her choices and the profession in general. It took her a minute to gather herself, the anger starting to boil in her stomach.
"What the fuck does that mean? How is bartending any less of a… how did you put it… "real job" than whatever you do?" Beca snapped, eyes blazing. "What do you do, anyways?"
"I'm a pharmaceutical sales rep," Theo answered stiffly, his guard up based on her response.
Beca rolled her eyes, "That sounds fucking terrible to me."
"It's very lucrative," Theo defended, an air of superiority in his tone that Beca decided not to care if she imagined or not.
"What the fuck is it with all you people and money?!" Beca exclaimed, wondering seriously for the first time why she agreed to do the show.
Theo rolled his eyes, "Don't lump me in with those gold diggers. You think I give a shit about fifty grand before taxes?"
"You're fucking worse!" Beca yelled at him, throwing her hands up. "You think that because you make more money than me… that makes you better or something? More successful?"
"Explain to me how it doesn't?" Theo retorted, having decided this was his hill and he was dying on it. "Not better than you," he quickly clarified, adding, "But definitely more successful."
Beca couldn't believe it, feeling more furious by the second. "Success is not only measure by your net worth, asshole," she snapped. "I'm not less than you or inferior to you because of my chosen profession! You probably look down on janitors and maids and sanitation workers but where would we all be without them! Living in our own shit! No one is inferior based on what they do!"
Theo realized he'd gone to far, holding his hands up defensively. "Okay, I see your point. I'm sorry, I went too far," he admitted, apologizing "But come on, Bec… there are bars everywhere. You're just a bartender…"
"I own the fucking bar, jackass!" Beca's voice was deadly serious, her arms crossed over her chest to keep from punching him.
Theo froze, studying her as if to see if she was lying. "What?"
"You heard me, Theo," Beca answered, her tone dropping so it was more even. "I don't just work at the bar, I own it. It's mine. My uncle left it to me after he fucking died of a brain aneurysm one night out of nowhere. So sorry, not sorry that I'm serious about wanting to stay in San Francisco at the bar that I OWN that is all I have left of my favorite family member."
"Well fuck," Theo sighed, hiding his face in his hands. Suddenly dropping them so Beca could see his obvious guilt and shame, he asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I wasn't going to tell anyone," Beca replied, glad for some reason that they were no longer shouting at each other, but still completely furious at him. "I didn't want people to make assumptions about me from day one because I owned my own business. Being a simple bartender is far less noteworthy… clearly."
Theo processed that for a minute, finally apologizing again, "I'm sorry."
Beca wasn't going to forgive him so easily. For her, the damage was done.
"Fuck you."
Theo nodded, running his fingers through his hair. "I deserved that."
"Yeah, now you respect me and what I do because I'm a business owner, but you didn't when I was just a lowly bartender who wouldn't uproot my life to move to Atlanta for this guy I met less than a month ago," Beca retorted, letting him have the brunt of her anger.
"When you put it that way it sounds really bad," Theo said, shaking his head.
Beca rolled her eyes, "It doesn't sound bad, it sounds chauvinistic and manipulative and fucking terrible."
He didn't answer, simply nodding in agreement. "I shouldn't have said those things."
"No, but here we are," Beca sighed, closing her eyes briefly. "Some date."
Theo was quiet again, thinking over something before sitting forward in his chair. "When you said you weren't going to tell anyone… am I the only one who knows?"
Beca hesitated, giving him the answer to his question.
"You told someone else before me?" Theo's tone held the hurt that Beca didn't think he deserved to feel.
Shaking her head, she pointed a finger at him. "No, you don't get to do that. You don't get to fucking turn this around on me like I fucked up."
"Who else knows?"
Beca pursed her lips deciding in the moment to tell him the truth. "Chloe."
He nodded, not too surprised by her answer. "Your uncle… your favorite family member… how close were you two?"
Beca shook her head at that, not willing to discuss Charlie with him after the way he found out about his existence in her life.
"I can tell he and the bar mean a lot to you," Theo mused, studying her face. "You tell Chloe about him? And the bar?"
She didn't answer those questions either, but at this point it didn't matter. He would assume she had and he would know he was right.
"I should have been the one you opened up to," Theo said quietly, eyes trained down at his hands in his lap, the slight hurt back in his tone. "That's how I felt about you. I told you things that I would never tell anyone else in this house, but I wasn't that person for you."
Beca remained silent, realizing the truth his words held. There had always been something holding her back with him, otherwise he would have been the one she told about Charlie and the bar and the truth about her life. He had seriously fucked up tonight, but she realized he was a little justified to feel hurt at the fact she opened up to someone else instead of him.
Theo looked up and met her gaze, asking softly, "Is there any way…"
"No," Beca cut him off, knowing what he was going to ask. "No, we are so done," she said firmly.
He nodded, accepting the decision knowing she was serious.
"What if we get voted into the Truth Booth?"
Beca took a deep breath, letting the scenario play out in her mind. "I think after tonight… I don't think we're a match. So, I'm not gonna worry about that until it happens."
They sat in silence looking at each other across the table, both unsure if there was anything left to say. After about five minutes, the producer hesitantly approached the them.
"So… it's time to head back to the house," he said awkwardly, obviously having witnessed the entire fight. "The van is waiting over there for you with your dinner."
Beca met his gaze as she stood up from the table. "I'm not hungry."
She heard Theo say something along those lines behind her, not waiting for him as she walked toward the van. The ride back was going to be terrible, followed by shooting the Truth Booth sequence which she just knew would involve Gail questioning the pair of them about their date and subsequent fight. Beca wondered if there was any way fast forward her life until tomorrow, knowing that wasn't possible.
Beca reached the van, climbing in to see the other two couples already seated with happy smiles as they dug into their dinners. She nodded at them and slid all the way across the bench seat to the window, shooting a steady gaze at Theo to stay on the far side of the seat when he climbed in behind her. The tension was evident, and she saw Emily and Benji exchange a glance out of the corner of her eye at their complete change in behavior from that morning.
Jesse finally asked what everyone else was thinking.
"Okay, what the fuck happened?"
After what felt like hours, the van finally pulled up to the front of the house and put all of it's occupants out of misery. Benji and Emily quickly slid out of the first row, Theo following them and only took a few steps away before turning to look back at her. Beca hopped out onto the driveway, moving away to give Jesse and Aubrey room to exit behind her.
"Bec," Theo said hesitantly, "I don't want to leave things like that."
Beca rolled her eyes, still absolutely furious with him. "You should have thought of that before you started spewing that bullshit."
Jesse stopped beside Beca, asking Theo, "Bro, leave her alone. Whatever you did isn't going to be resolved right now."
Beca had ignored Jesse's earlier question about what went down between them, Theo following her lead and remaining silent on the way back to the house. It resulted in an extremely awkward and quiet ride back, the other two couples only murmuring amongst each other a handful of times.
"Stay the fuck out of it," Theo snapped, unleashing his frustration at the first target and opportunity.
Aubrey stepped in, linking her arm through Beca's and led her towards the house before things could really get out of control. "Come on, if they want to fight it out, let them," she said calmly.
Beca nodded, though after a few steps she gently removed her arm from Aubrey's.
"Thanks, I appreciate it, but I'm okay," Beca said as they reached the door. "I mean, I'm not, but thanks for that," she clarified, gesturing back at the way Aubrey helped her put some distance between herself and the boys.
Aubrey nodded her understanding and Beca walked through the open door, Benji and Emily not bothering to close it behind them. She knew it was going to be a terrible night and wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. Beca remembered back to the last drama on a group date and knew the group and cameras would be waiting for them in the living room, bracing herself for whatever happened.
The group was all seated on or around the sectional as expected, and the gentle hum and chatter fell silent when she and Aubrey entered the room.
"Where are Jesse and Theo?" Luke asked, studying the pair of them closely.
Beca shrugged, "Outside still? Who knows."
She heard the door close, knowing they would be behind them in a moment and moved to the far side of the room to stand by the back door. All three pairs would end up there anyways to hear the results of the vote, so she told herself she was just expediting the process.
Theo walked in first with Jesse right behind him, both still looking irritated. It didn't take much for everyone to see something was very wrong.
"Okay what the fuck happened?" Donald finally asked, looking between the couples.
Chicago nodded, looking confused. "You guys were all over each other and now the room is in danger of freezing over."
Beca clenched her teeth together, still refusing to be the one who explained why she and Theo were no longer on such friendly terms.
Theo finally said, "I said some stupid things."
Luke met Beca's eyes, as if checking he was telling the truth. Beca gave a subtle nod, keeping her lips firmly pressed together.
Gail swooped into the room to stand beside the large screen with the pictures of the three couples, shooting them all a wide smile. Beca's eyes were drawn to the pictures of her and Theo side by side, suddenly feeling nervous that the house might have actually voted them into the Truth Booth.
"How are we doing, guys?" Gail asked casually, still waiting for the crew to finish getting set up.
The response was minimal, making her take a closer look around. Beca was confused, sure that the woman had been briefed long ago about what happened on her date. CR moved to stand beside her, whispering hurriedly into her ear for a long minute. Beca gave the woman a lot of credit, her expression turning focused but not changing beyond that. When CR stepped back, Gail gave her a quick nod and that was the end of it.
CR faced the rest of the room, instructing, "Okay, give me the three couples who are up for the booth over there standing behind the couch. Girls in front, boys behind."
Beca sighed as Theo hesitated, knowing he didn't want to upset her anymore than he already had but also knowing they had no choice. It was how every Truth Booth sequence went so that the chosen couple had easy access to leave through the back door. She crossed her arms over her chest as he reached his place, standing close enough for the shot but definitely not touching her.
"Beca!" CR barked, shooting her a look. "Arms down."
Beca rolled her eyes but obeyed, knowing that anything else would only draw the moment out longer. She looked away in search of a distraction, only vaguely registering the concerned look Chloe was sending her way because the way Chicago's arm was draped around the redhead's shoulders sent a new wave of irritation through her.
"Bec," Theo murmured, briefly gaining her attention.
"Dude, let it go," Jesse hissed at him before she could respond. "If you drag this shit out for all of us I might actually kill you."
Theo shut up at that, but Beca could only imagine the death glare he was shooting at Jesse.
"Okay, is everyone ready!" CR shouted, her gaze piercing around the room at both the cast and crew. "Good, let's get started."
Gail waited for her cue, finally turning and beaming a smile around the room.
"Good evening, guys! How're we doing?" Her voice took on that extra quality and Beca found herself holding back a chuckle out of nowhere.
The room responded slightly less cheerfully, making Gail pretend to notice something was off.
"What's going on?" Gail asked curiously. "Beca?"
Beca decided the woman was an underrated actress since she was always so over the top, but her current performance could win an Oscar. She realized what the entire crew was hoping for, shifting the idea around in her mind before deciding to give them the scene they were so desperate for.
Beca shrugged, replying, "Theo and I had a disagreement on our date."
Gail tilted her head, answering, "Well that doesn't sound like a big deal. Maybe we can clear it up now."
Theo sighed, admitting, "It was a little more than that, but I'm still hopeful we can work it out."
Beca laughed, giving into the temptation. "Fuck you. You can literally go fuck yourself."
She heard the gasps around the room, glancing around to see the stunned looks on most everyone's faces.
"Bec, come on, I apologized," Theo said, his tone exasperated.
"No, Theo," Beca replied stubbornly. "You told me that my job and my life was meaningless compared to yours."
"You did what?!" Luke exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
"That's not what I said!" Theo exclaimed.
"Bro, that's so fucked up," Chicago shook his head, incredibly siding with Beca.
Beca turned around and glared at him, accusing, "So you didn't tell me that I was just a bartender and that it shouldn't stop me from moving across the country if we were a match?"
"We were having a conversation about the future!" Theo argued, getting riled up the way Beca wanted him to. "It was just a conversation!"
"How about you pick up your life and move to California then if it's so fucking easy," Beca retorted.
"I would!" Theo shouted, the room suddenly silent.
Beca froze, staring at him. "What?"
"I would," he repeated, still looking impossibly frustrated with her. "If you asked me to, I would."
Beca looked at him in disbelief before regaining her senses. "Well I'm not asking you to. In fact, I'm asking you not to."
She spun back around to face the room, Gail's expression stunned. Despite knowing that little blow up would be great for the show, she suddenly regretted drawing so much attention to the pair of them. God she hoped they weren't a match. It would be hard to some back from that.
"Okay, let's take a breath for a minute," Gail intervened, probably receiving some signal from CR to get the group back on track.
"Beca, what if you guys are sent to the Truth Booth? Do you think you're a match?" Gail asked, giving her a way to wrap up this discussion.
"I don't think we're a match," Beca said confidently.
"Theo?" Gail looked towards the man standing behind her.
Theo hesitated, finally answering, "I think that we are a match. If the Truth Booth confirms it, I'll have a lot of groveling to do in the honeymoon suite for the next month."
Gail turned to the rest of the group, asking, "What was the vibe around the house today?"
Stacie answered, "It was actually really tense. We were split down the middle on who to vote into the booth tonight."
Uni chimed in, "Yeah, some of us wanted to put Ben and Emily in because we're so confident they are a match. But… some of us wanted to put Beca and Theo in because we aren't sure if they are and it's better to know sooner rather than later."
"That makes sense," Gail nodded sensibly. "Do these recent events make anyone wish they voted differently?"
Bumper nodded, "Yeah, definitely. I think we now need to know more than ever if Beca and Theo are a match. I voted for Ben and Emily, but I'd change it if I could."
Beca felt her stomach drop, wondering if these idiots had actually voted for them over Benji and Emily. The thought of standing beside Theo in the Truth Booth right now was terrifying, unable to think of anything she wanted to do less. A glance towards Emily told her the girl was as nervous as she was.
"Wow, okay that's a lot to digest here," Gail said, glancing around the room. "If the couple that goes to the Truth Booth is a validated match, then they're moving out of the house to spend a little more private time together in the honeymoon suite. If they aren't a match, they're back in the house and you guys are back to square one."
The room was silent, Beca's heart hammering in her chest so loudly she wondered if everyone could hear it.
"Alright, here we go," Gail said, turning to look at the screen. "The couple you voted for is…" she trailed off, pointing at the screen expectantly.
Beca held her breath as the screen flashed, breathing a sigh of relief as Benji and Emily appeared side by side to claps and cheers from the group.
"Thank God," she muttered, bracing her arms against the couch and resting her forehead on them. After a second she straightened up, glancing behind her to see Theo looking equally relieved.
At her look, he murmured, "I wouldn't have wanted to find out right now. Not after tonight."
Beca shook her head. "Yeah, that double rejection would sting," she replied, moving away from him as Luke made room for her beside him on the couch.
"You okay?" He whispered in her ear.
"Yeah, I'm good."
"Benji and Emily," Gail announced, turning her attention to the couple. "How are you guys feeling?"
Emily answered, "I feel good. I think we're a match."
"I think so too," Benji agreed. "I'm ready for that honeymoon suite."
The group cheered at their responses, eventually quieting down for Gail to speak again.
"Alright, it's time to find out. Benji, Emily, it's time to head to the Truth Booth," she said, gesturing towards the door. "Good luck!"
Beca clapped along with the rest of the group as they left, knowing they now had some down time before the results came in.
Gail finished her little speech, "As you all know by now, when they see the results inside the Truth Booth you will also see them here on the screen. Good luck, and I'll see you all tomorrow night for the match up."
Beca watched her exit the room, feeling the anxiety settle in as they waited for the results.
"What if they aren't a match?" Flo asked hesitantly. "What will we do?"
"If they aren't a match, we are so lost at this game we might as well give up," Bumper said, leaning back into the couch.
Beca knew they would both be crushed if they weren't a match. "They're a match," she said, feeling confident. "They have to be."
"I think so, too," Chicago said, voicing his opinion. "We have to get it right one of these times."
The room dissolved into smaller conversations as they waited for the results, Luke distracting Beca from her terrible date by telling her all the random stuff that happened around the house that day. None of it was very interesting, though she was surprised that there were no major arguments despite the disagreement on who to vote into the Truth Booth.
"Who wanted to vote me and Theo in?" Beca asked curiously.
Luke scratched his chin, thinking for a second. "Chicago mentioned it, but I'm pretty sure he ended up voting for Ben and Em. Uni and Donald and Chloe and Stacie were the major ones, but I think Tom might have convinced Stacie to switch at the last minute… I'm not sure."
"Chloe wanted to vote us in?" Beca asked quietly, unsure why the knowledge bothered her so much.
"Yeah, she felt like it was more important to know if you two were a match than to confirm Benji and Emily," Luke shrugged. "We all saw their point, just most of us felt like we needed the boost of a confirmed match. Also you could make the same argument for Ben and Em… if they aren't a match we need to know."
Beca nodded, her mind still going a mile a minute. It was hard to process the fact that Chloe pushed for her to go to the Truth Booth. Beca wasn't sure how to feel about the knowledge, but a strange twisting in her stomach let her know it wasn't a happy reaction.
CR interrupted the smaller conversations, announcing, "Okay, the results are coming through!"
Beca felt Luke wrap his arm around her shoulders comfortingly, leaning into his embrace as they waited for the results. The screen flashed and the black box covered Benji and Emily's photos, reading the words they had waited so long to see.
"PERFECT MATCH!"
The room erupted in cheers, yells and applause. The tension, frustration and confusion of the first three mini-weeks replaced by the elation of discovering their first perfect match.
"Hell yes!" Bumper shouted, raising his fist in celebration.
Beca laughed and hugged Luke, equally thankful that the pair was a match and to not have gone into the booth that night with Theo. The group exchanged hugs and high-fives as they waited for Benji and Emily to return. Beca glanced around, seeing a strange look on Chicago's face as Chloe whispered something in his ear. It wasn't a happy look, making her wonder if the result reminded the man of his own Truth Booth experience with Calamity. She shifted her gaze to the other woman, but she didn't look upset at all and was instead raising a shot with Stacie to toast their first perfect match.
Emily was the first back through the door and was greeted with shrieks of happiness by the entire room. Benji was right behind her, beaming the biggest smile Beca had seen from him.
"We did it!" Benji yelled, raising his arms triumphantly.
Emily was equally happy, shouting, "We're a match!"
Bumper's voice was heard above the clamor, announcing, "We're celebrating tonight, bitches!"
Beca took full advantage of the celebration for their first perfect match to get drunk off her ass and forget all about her date with Theo. It was a prime opportunity that she was not going to let slip through her fingers and was currently six shots in and working on her fourth drink, wandering up the stairs for no reason at all.
"Hey… I've barely seen you all night."
Beca paused as she reached the top of the stairs, frowning intro her drink at the familiar voice coming from the hallway ahead of her. Looking up she spotted Jesse walking slowly towards her, shooting him a smile.
"I know," Beca drawled slowly. "I've been drinking."
Jesse laughed, "I can see that. Are you okay?"
Beca nodded, "I wish people would stop asking me that. I mean yeah, we fought, but it's not like I was in love with him."
"I hope not," Jesse replied, coming to a stop in front of her. He leaned casually against the wall, giving her a grin. "Because then you wouldn't be in love with me."
"Mmm not in love with you either," Beca answered, stumbling slightly over the words.
Jesse shook his head, "Yet. You aren't in love with me yet."
Beca didn't answer that, sipping her drink instead. What is it with these guys? She'd never experienced anything like this out in the real world, but here she's got multiple guys who are super into her and want her to move across the country and shit.
"That's kinda weird," she finally said out loud, finishing her own thoughts more than responding to his declaration.
"I just mean now that you and Theo aren't a thing," Jesse began, stepping a little closer into her space. "Maybe you and I could be a thing."
He pushed off the wall fully, swaying a bit making her suddenly realize she wasn't the only drunk one in this conversation. His hand landed on her hip, probably more for balance than actually making a move, but Beca's drunken brain wasn't processing things appropriately in the moment.
Giving him a hard shove in the chest, she snapped, "Are you fucking serious? Are you trying to get with me after all that shit today?"
Jesse's eyes went wide, jerking his hand back as if he'd been burned. He stumbled a few steps away from her shove, shaking his head slowly. "No… I wasn't… I mean, I just want to talk…"
"What the fuck is wrong with you guys?" Beca complained, eyes closing in annoyance and disbelief.
"What's going on up here?"
A new voice joined the conversation, one that filled Beca with equal parts joy and dread.
"Oh, hey Chloe," Jesse smiled tentatively. "We were just talking."
Beca rolled her eyes, adding, "You were trying to do more than talk."
Jesse drunkenly shook his head, denying it. "No, I swear I wasn't…"
"I think you're done talking," Chloe said firmly, clearly way more sober than both of them. "Bec, let's go talk somewhere else."
Beca sighed, mumbling, "Fine, as long as Chicago isn't there."
Chloe escorted her past Jesse and into a room. The lock on the door clicking behind Beca clued her in as to where they were and she was not pleased.
"You brought me to the STD Den?" Beca's eyes were wide and her tone exaggerated and incredulous.
Chloe chuckled, "Yeah, sorry but it's the only place with a lock. And why would Chicago be here?"
"You two are all…" Beca trailed off, pointing a finger at Chloe and waving it around a little. "But he's a tool. You can do better."
"Apparently, so can you," Chloe replied gently. "Here, sit down."
"I'm not fucking sitting on that bed," Beca retorted, instead crouching down and slowly tipping over onto the floor, careful not to spill what was left of her drink.
Chloe laughed outright at that, eventually finding a spot beside her. "I know you're totes blitzed right now, but are you okay Bec? I know how much your job and the bar means to you."
The mention of the bar and her uncle by association had a sobering effect, making her sit up and force her brain to think for a minute.
"He… he was such a jackass," Beca finally muttered, feeling the emotions hit her. "He… Charlie was the best and he wasn't rich or anything but he was happy and I'm happy…"
Beca knew she probably wasn't making sense but Chloe didn't seem to mind, moving to wrap her in a hug when the first tear trailed down her cheek.
"I miss him," Beca mumbled, the alcohol and emotions combining in a truly unattractive way as she couldn't stop the tears. "I'm sorry I'm such a fucking mess…"
Chloe only hugged her tighter. "You're not a mess, Theo is an asshole."
"I'm a huge mess," Beca disagreed, leaning back and wiping at her eyes. "The biggest."
She met Chloe's gaze after a moment, something about the way the redhead was looking back at her had her stomach twisting again, making her nervous. Beca realized how close they were, eyes narrowing a bit in thought as she focused through the haze of alcohol to figure out exactly these feelings were. Chloe's eyes briefly glanced down at her lips, locking the final piece of the puzzle into place and making the anxious feeling in her stomach multiply by about a thousand.
"You're no more of a mess than anyone else here," Chloe finally said, breaking the moment and forcing Beca to look away. "I'm gonna go get you some water and then we can talk about something happier, like how Benji and Emily get to go to the honeymoon suite tomorrow and it couldn't happen to a better couple."
Beca nodded dumbly and watched her leave the room, sitting there on the floor wondering how she was supposed to go on normally after tonight. Maybe she was drunk enough to not remember in the morning, but at least until then she was sure of one thing.
"Fuck… I like Chloe."
It turned out that Beca was not drunk enough to forget her revelation the following afternoon, resulting in her interacting with Chloe as little as possible while she tried to figure out how to handle the new development. She was trying and failing to convince herself it was just an attraction, one that she could ignore or avoid for the remaining weeks while they were all in the house.
The problem was that she knew it wasn't just a physical attraction. Beca genuinely liked Chloe as a person and considered her the person she was closest to on the show and felt the most comfortable around. Chloe also happened to be the sweetest person who so far hadn't had a bad word to say about a single person on the show, which Beca was confident no one else could even attempt to say without lying their ass off, herself included.
Another problem was that Beca knew that these feelings were not reciprocated from Chloe's end. The redhead was nice and kind and smart and here to meet her dream guy the way Beca was supposed to be, not to get crushed on by another girl in the house. The idea of Chloe finding out was completely mortifying, and Beca had already decided to shove her feelings way down where they hopefully would remain until she got home and could let them out in a way that didn't end up broadcasted to the world. Burying her feelings was one thing she was truly good at, and the only thing she felt confident of in dealing with Chloe moving forward.
She was fairly successful in avoiding the idle conversation as they all got ready for the matchup, the rest of the women musing over who they would pick tonight. Beca had absolutely no idea who she was going to pick, almost hoping she ended up going last so that she wouldn't have to choose. Fat Amy had tried to bring her into the discussion, but she'd simply shrugged and declined to answer. The girls assumed she was still getting over being pissed at Theo, which was fine by her.
Beca finished getting ready for the matchup ceremony before the rest of the ladies, slipping out of the room and heading for the kitchen. She needed a pre-drink before the pre-ceremony shot tonight. To her displeasure, Jesse was standing awkwardly in the hallway alone and caught her eye as she approached the staircase.
"Bec, hey... uh, can we talk for a second?"
Beca bit back a retort, simply nodding. "Sure, but I'm going to get a drink."
Jesse let her pass, following along. "Sounds good. The rest of the guys are almost ready."
Beca hummed, "Same with the girls. Maybe we can finish before almost sunrise."
"Doubtful," Jesse scoffed, his irritation for the long night shoots coming through loud and clear.
Beca sighed as they entered the kitchen. "Yeah, I know. Want one too?"
"What are you making?"
Beca glanced around at what was readily available. "Gin and tonic."
"Yeah, I'll have one. Thanks," Jesse answered, circling the island so he was across from where she was working.
Beca made quick work of the drinks, grabbing a lime from the fridge and chopping a couple of wedges to finish them off. She handed Jesse the glass and gave him a small smile, clinking her glass with his to signal some sort of peace offering.
Jesse smiled back, though he still had a look of regret on his face. "Look, I was an asshole last night. I'm sorry. I'm not usually this bad at dating and relationships or whatever, but there's something about this house and this process that is really messing with me. I like you, but I've gone about it all wrong and I'm sorry."
Beca slowly sipped her drink, savoring it for a minute while she thought about her answer.
"Jesse, I know you're a good guy, okay? Your timing sucks, but I was really drunk last night and overreacted," Beca admitted, knowing she was definitely not at her best during their brief conversation. "I like you too, but I don't see us working as a couple. You're a cool guy and I think we could be awesome friends, but I'm sorry... that's it for me."
Jesse's expression morphed into disappointment, but he recovered with a brave smile. "Not gonna lie, that hurts a bit. Mainly because I don't feel like you gave me a shot..." he trailed off, rubbing the back of his head. "But, I respect that you feel that way and I'll back off. I'd still like to get to know you as friends, if that's alright?"
Beca could tell he was being honest and it was both refreshing and a huge relief. "Yeah, of course," she answered. "Friends."
Jesse nodded, his smile already becoming more of his natural grin. "Cool, okay... friends. So, friend," he emphasized, shooting her a conspiratorial look. "Who are you picking tonight?"
"God... I have no fucking idea. Not Theo," Beca replied, feeling defeated. "I actually kinda want to be last so I don't have to pick."
"Well, it is random," Jesse supplied helpfully, as if she wasn't well aware of the process. "Maybe you will be."
Beca paused as they heard voices nearby getting louder and louder, knowing the group was making their way down for the ceremony.
"Somehow I don't think I'll be that lucky," she finally said, a wry smile on her face. "Sounds like it's time for a shot."
"Okay, I think we've got everything fixed and ready to go," CR announced, pointing out a few last cues and instructions for the crew. "Everyone is in place. Let's get this thing started."
Beca stayed rooted to her spot on the little platform along with the other nine women, scared to even breathe in case it set off another issue. It had taken an hour just to film them all getting into place, starting off the night in a way that immediately put everyone on edge.
CR turned to the group for a few final words. "Okay, the beginning will be slightly different since you guys had a confirmed perfect match in the Truth Booth. Emily will start here with the rest of the ladies, but before the matchup begins, Gail will have her leave and take a seat with Benji. Everything else is business as usual. Any questions before we start?"
They all shook their heads, the instructions being simple and basically what they were used to by now. Gail was in position, turning towards the group when she received the go-ahead from CR.
"Hey guys, welcome to your fourth matchup! How are we feeling tonight?"
The group cheered, still feeling the happy effects of finding their first perfect match.
"Awesome, glad to hear it," Gail said, beaming a smile at them. "You guys made some serious progress this week! Congrats on finding your first confirmed perfect match this week! Emily, why don't you go ahead and join Benji!"
Beca clapped as Emily excitedly stepped off the platform and joined Benji in his chair. They looked really good together, and Beca was genuinely happy for both of them that they were a confirmed match.
Gail addressed the pair directly, informing them, "After the matchup tonight... you two are moving out of the mad house over here and into the honeymoon suite to spend the rest of your time here as a couple."
There were a few "Awws" around the area as they'd really enjoyed getting to know Benji and Emily, making Gail reassure the rest of them that this wasn't the last time they'd all be together.
"Don't worry you guys, Benji and Emily will still return each week to join us for the matchup."
There was more clapping after that statement, with Emily looking at the girls and saying, "I'll miss you guys!"
Stacie answered her, "Have fun! You deserve it!"
Gail smiled, saying, "Maybe you guys should give them some parting wisdom before you go."
Benji shrugged, "Gail, we just went with what felt right and it worked out for us. Other people have done the same thing and it wasn't a match."
Emily nodded, adding, "We have complete faith that they will figure it out and find all the matches."
"That's great, I think you're right," Gail answered, smiling at them. "Congratulations to both of you," she began, before extending it to the rest of the group, "And to all of you for finding your first perfect match and taking one massive step closer to that one million dollars."
Beca smiled and clapped along with everyone else, biting back a chuckle at the few exclamations shouted out when Gail mentioned the money.
"Now, if the rest of you ladies choose correctly tonight, you'll be leaving here with love and money," Gail stated, falling back into her easy matchup speech. "But, if even just one of you gets it wrong... then you're not ten for ten and you're heading back to the house empty handed."
That was met with quiet murmurs, everyone knowing that going ten for ten tonight was extremely unlikely. Beca glanced around at the skeptical looks, knowing she was not alone in lacking confidence.
"And, if you fail to get any new matches... that is a match that's not your confirmed perfect match, that still counts as a blackout and your prize will instantly drop by two hundred and fifty thousand dollars," Gail finished, her tone serious.
Beca sighed, knowing their task was only getting harder. Sure, getting Benji and Emily as a confirmed match was great, but now they no longer counted towards the blackout. They were the one match everyone was sure of, and everyone else was basically shooting in the dark. Beca looked over and the guys and held a second longer on Donald, wondering how confident he was in Lilly. The thought that their hopes of not blacking out rested on that relationship was not a comforting one at all.
Moving on, Gail continued with the instructions for the matchup.
"So ladies, when I call your name you'll come up here, choose your perfect match, and the two of you will place your palms on the handprint touchpad locking you in as a couple."
Beca held her breath as Gail prepared to call the first name.
"First up tonight for the ladies... is Lilly."
Beca exhaled slowly in relief as Lilly walked up to the podium, greeting Gail with a nod. She tuned out the brief conversation the two women exchanged, paying closer attention when Gail asked the all-important question.
"Lilly, who is your perfect match?"
Lilly turned and faced the guys, answering, "My perfect match is DJ."
Beca couldn't help but smile at Donald's grin when she said his name, recognizing his obvious crush on the woman. She was happy for him, glad that he seemed to find someone he connected with so strongly.
"Lilly, Donald, it's time to lock in as a couple."
The pair placed their hands on the touchpad and locked in, returning to the chairs hand in hand.
Beca's anxiety was back as Gail turned back to the ladies to call the next name.
"Kommissar!"
Kommissar nodded and walked up to the podium, saying, "Hey Gail."
Gail smiled, answering, "How are you tonight?"
"Good, I think we're all feeling more positive tonight after finding our first perfect match," Kommissar replied.
"And do you know who you're picking tonight?"
The blonde nodded, answering, "I do, yes, but it will surprise people."
"Why is that?" Gail asked curiously, wanting her to expand.
Kommissar shrugged, "This person and I are very different, but I think we might be a match."
Gail nodded, surmising, "Sometimes opposites do attract. Well, Kommissar, who is your perfect match?"
"Tonight, my perfect match is Bumper."
Beca's eyebrows went sky high, immediately turning to look at Bumper. He was definitely not expecting to be chosen, a little slow rising from his chair to join Kommissar at the podium.
"Bumper, you don't seem like you were expecting to be standing here with Kommissar," Gail stated, though her intentended question was clear.
"Well, I wasn't expecting it," Bumper answered with a laugh, "At all. But, I can see the reason behind it. We're complete opposites, but maybe you guys are trying to show us what we need is not what we want."
"So there's no relationship here?" Gail asked, gesturing between the pair.
"No."
"None."
"Alright, well good luck! Kommissar, Bumper, it's time to lock in."
Beca slowly shook her head as they locked in as a couple and took a seat, wondering if it was really so insane to think they were a perfect match. Maybe Bumper needed someone more rigid to tone him down and Kommissar needed someone to help loosen her up. It wouldn't be the strangest couple she'd ever seen, knowing their unfamiliarity with each other was a big part of why it looked so off.
CR stepped in to inform everyone they would be taking the regular break to get some reaction footage. Beca wasn't interested in taking part in those shoots, wandering off to the edge of the area near where the lights were set up to look at the sky. It was a clear night, and she was grateful for the moment of peace even if it was far too brief.
"Hey, whatcha looking at?"
Beca stiffened slightly at Chloe's voice, forcing herself to relax as the redhead came to a stop beside her.
"Nothing."
Chloe raised an eyebrow, looking up into the sky for herself as if to prove Beca was lying. She didn't look at Beca when she spoke her next words.
"Are we okay? I feel like you've been avoiding me today."
Beca cursed herself for being so obvious. She couldn't help it, not knowing what else to do but remove herself from the interactions before she did something she'd regret.
"Yeah, we're good. Why do you ask?" Beca answered, willing her voice to remain calm.
Chloe shrugged, "I tried to talk to you a couple times earlier when we were getting ready and you just ignored me. I wondered if I'd done something..."
Beca shook her head, "No, you're perfect. I mean... fuck, I'm just out of it after yesterday. It was a lot with Theo and then Jesse."
Chloe's expression morphed immediately into one of understanding. "That's probably completely normal after the roller coaster you were on yesterday. I guess I was just worried I was a part of it."
Beca chuckled, shaking her head no. "Don't worry about that. I wish I felt as comfortable with any of the guys as I do with you."
That brought a smile to Chloe's lips, forcing Beca to look back up at the sky to keep from staring at how beautiful she was. Fuck, she was so screwed. Needing to get out of the moment, she turned away.
"We should probably get back. Wouldn't want to hold up the shoot longer than necessary."
Chloe agreed, falling into step with her, "Got that right."
Turns out they were not holding up anything as they walked the short distance back to the stage, ending up at least ten minutes early and were forced to wait for the final reactions to be filmed. Beca was thankful to at least put a little bit of space between her and Chloe, unable to think clearly when she was so close. She needed to get a hold on this stupid crush.
CR finally appeared, directing everyone back into place so they could resume. Gail returned to her spot, waiting until the couples were seated again before calling the next name.
"Next up is Aubrey."
Aubrey strode in her usual confident manor to the podium, greeting Gail with a friendly smile. They exchanged a few pleasantries before Gail got down to business.
"So, Aubrey, who is your perfect match?"
Aubrey did the half-turn toward the guys, answering, "My perfect match is Jesse."
Jesse seemed happy enough about that pick, and Beca hoped they'd had a good time on the private portion of their date. She'd never gotten the details as the ride back was silent once she and Theo entered the car.
"Jesse, how do you feel about standing up here with Aubrey?" Gail asked him once he arrived.
"I feel great about it," Jesse answered. "We were both in choir in high school and love to sing. We had a great time on our date and actually discovered we have a lot in common."
Gail smiled at his answer, "So are we thinking this could be a match?"
Aubrey was a little more diplomatic, saying, "I think right now we both feel a connection and are interested in seeing where it leads."
"Yeah, that sums it up nicely," Jesse added, smiling at Aubrey.
"Sounds promising," Gail wrapped up, "Aubrey, Jesse, please lock in as a couple."
They pressed their palms to the touchpad and locked in, returning to the chairs with their fingers laced together. Beca turned her attention back to their host as she called the next name.
"Stacie!"
Stacie's journey to the podium and subsequent choice was of no surprise to anyone, the brunette confident calling out Tom's name to join her after barely a word spoken to Gail.
"My perfect match is Tom," Stacie said confidently, smiling at the man as he reached her side and wrapped his arm comfortably around her waist.
"Tom, you seem happy to be standing here with Stacie," Gail noticed.
Tom nodded, "Stacie's great. We get along and we're having a good time together."
At Stacie's agreement, Gail instructed them, "Stacie, Tom, it's time to lock in."
Beca watched them complete the process and return to the seats, wondering if they were going to stop or keep going. She got her answer when CR strode out onto the set and called for another short break.
This one passed by quickly, with Beca lingering around trying to decide who she was going to choose for her matchup. Her options were growing thin, and she really had no idea what she was going to do.
In no time at all Gail was back and the podium and they were all gathered into place, ready to start shooting.
"Next up for the ladies is... Beca."
Fuck. Beca took a deep breath and tried to look confident as she walked to the podium. Gail greeted her with a smile, but Beca knew she was about to get grilled about her date and the subsequent fallout.
"Beca, is it fair to say it's been an interesting couple of days for you?" Gail asked, seemingly sympathetic but also evil and knew exactly what she was doing.
Beca forced a short laugh, answering, "Yeah, it's fair to say that. I had a thing with Theo, but It's over now."
Gail wasn't going to let her off the hook so easily, asking, "What happened? You guys seemed like a perfect match?"
Beca thought for a second, replying, "You know, I think this journey forces you to push a relationship faster than you normally might. It's hard, but we had a conversation that led us to realize we probably aren't a match and should start exploring other relationships."
Gail nodded supportively, saying, "Well on that note, you've sat next to Theo for the first three matchups, so you're about to explore something new tonight. Beca, who is your perfect match."
It had arrived, the moment she'd been dreading. Taking a deep breath, she turned and looked at the guys who were still sitting alone. There was only one person left that she really wanted to pick, despite not feeling anything romantic towards him. Coming to a decision that she knew wouldn't be popular, she steadied her voice, determined to sound confident.
"My perfect match is Luke."
There were some surprised looks and a few quiet reactions, but Beca was pleased that Luke looked delighted at being chosen. He grinned the entire way up to the podium, wrapping his arm around Beca's waist when he finally arrived.
"Luke, you seem thrilled," Gail observed with a wide smile. "Is this expected?"
Luke shook his head, "Not expected, but I'm definitely thrilled. Beca is one of my best friends here in the house."
Gail seemed to approve of his answer, saying, "Great! Beca, Luke, it's time to lock in as a couple.."
Beca placed her left hand on the touchpad as Luke settled his right palm on the one beside hers, watching the little green bar scan up and down before officially locking them in. They walked back to the chairs and took a seat, Beca feeling less anxious for the first time that evening.
"I was hoping you'd pick me," Luke whispered to her, giving her shoulder a small squeeze.
"Yeah?" Beca asked curiously, turning to look at him.
Luke nodded, "I thought you could use a friend tonight."
Beca leaned comfortably into him at those words, grateful for his true friendship. They'd only known each other a short while, but Beca was sure they'd be friends for life after this experience.
"You have no idea."
Luke chuckled softly at that, deciding not to respond. They watched as Fat Amy was the next one to be called, eventually announcing her perfect match was Zeke who looked as happy about it as Luke when Beca called his name.
"I don't get it," Beca said softly as the pair locked in.
Luke studied them, replying, "I get it."
"Don't get me wrong, Fat Amy is great," Beca said with a small shake of her head, "But I don't get it."
"Confidence is sexy," Luke replied. "Sure she's not for everyone, but she's unapologetically herself at all times. How many other women here can honestly say that?"
Beca's first thought was Chloe, wondering if this was how the rest of her journey on the show would be. She didn't respond to Luke's question, figuring it was a least half rhetorical anyways.
CR announced it was time for their longer break to give the crew time to get coffee and rest and refocus for the end of the matchup. Luke got up and offered Beca a hand.
"Come on, let's go pretend to be madly in love with each other out of nowhere," Luke laughed.
"Yeah because that won't get us in trouble at all," Beca shook her head.
Luke brushed her off, replying, "They can add it to the pile of hours of footage that gets thrown out. We're not a match so nothing we say will make it on an actual episode anyways."
Beca sighed, giving in to temptation. "Fine, but CR gets pissed it's on you."
Luke fist pumped at the victory. "Deal!"
The longer break had everyone feeling refreshed and re-energized to finish the shoot. Beca was back in the chair with Luke as they prepared to film the final three choices and then the magical beams of light.
"Maybe we'll get lucky and actually have picked all the matches," Beca mused as Gail got ready to resume the matchup.
Luke shook his head, "That would mean we are a match."
Beca shrugged, "I mean, I guess it's possible. On paper we could be perfect for each other, you know?"
"Yeah, except I like blondes," Luke pointed out with a smirk.
Beca rolled her eyes, "And look how well that's worked out for you."
"Ouch, dude."
"I mean, you ended up here," Beca chuckled. "Maybe the whole point of this is that we don't know what's good for us."
Luke hummed, "I would tend to agree with you, but Benji and Emily vibed from day one and were a perfect match, so..."
Beca sighed at the massive hole blown into what she felt was a pretty decent theory. "True."
The rest of the crew disappeared off set and Beca prepared herself for the matchup to resume.
"Next up for the ladies is... Chloe!"
Beca watched Chloe walk up to the podium, her heart catching a little in her chest and how good she looked. The thoughts came unbidden into her brain, finding it increasingly more difficult to shut them out.
Luke's muttering beside her helped. "She's going to pick that fucker Chicago."
That sentence made Beca's eyebrows narrow and her heart plummet into her stomach. Somehow in the past twentyfour hours or so she'd forgotten all about that budding romance.
"Maybe she won't," Beca whispered, knowing odds were slim.
"I can't stand him," Luke continued, ignoring Beca's attempt at optimism.
"Me either."
"Chloe, who is your perfect match?" Gail asked, making Beca hold her breath in anticipation.
"My perfect match is Chicago."
Beca let out a disappointed sigh at the name. There had been no hesitation on Chloe's part, no stutter or moment to think about it, just a smooth answer followed by turning and smiling as he walked up to join her. Beca cursed herself for being stupid and developing feelings for the wrong person and getting herself into this nightmare of a situation.
"You okay?" Luke asked, sounding slightly concerned as they watched the pair take the empty seat in front of them and to the right.
Beca nodded, knowing that even if she wanted to share the thoughts in her head with Luke, now was not the time or place to do so.
"Chloe's too good for him."
Luke nodded, "Right? What does she see in that tool? You know he's still banging Calamity right?"
Beca's jaw dropped as Gail called up Flo next. "Wait, seriously?"
"Yeah, it's crazy," Luke shook his head. "And I spoke with Chloe about him while you were off on your date and she said he told her that was over. So shady."
"Why didn't you tell Chloe?" Beca asked, shocked Luke wouldn't have said something.
Luke sighed, watching Flo and Theo lock in as a couple. Changing the subject, he gestured at the new pair, "What do you think of that?"
Beca shook her head, "No way. Never in a million years. Now why didn't you tell her the truth?"
"Beca, think about how bad that looks," Luke whispered, sounding frustrated. "People already think I'm still pining over her like she's my long lost love. Then I go and try to sabotage the next connection she makes? It can't come from me."
Beca saw his point, but still felt like he should have said something. "If you won't, I will."
Luke hesitated, finally saying, "Just be careful how you go about it. She seems to really like him."
Beca didn't answer right away as Calamity and Unicycle were the default matchup that evening. "She seemed to really like you too until the Truth Booth said you weren't a match."
Luke didn't answer, making Beca feel like there was more he wasn't telling her. The thought that somehow a relationship had developed basically overnight between Chloe and Chicago felt like a giant rock in the pit of her stomach. It didn't sit well and if it was true, there was nothing she could do about it.
"Okay, good job guys! We've got ten couples," Gail announced, looking at them all seated in front of her. After the clapping and cheering settled down, she continued explaining the matchup process.
"Behind me are ten beams of light."
Beca briefly closed her eyes as the beams turned on and pointed directly at them before raising up into the night sky.
"Each beam represents a perfect match. One beam is one perfect match, ten beams are ten perfect matches and one million dollars!" Gail said enthusiastically to more cheers from the group.
"Now tonight, for the first time you begin with one beam already lit," Gail explained, holding one finger up as the lights all went dark except for the first one in the row. "That beam represents Emily and Benji, your first confirmed perfect match."
Beca grinned and clapped loudly for the pair, knowing that it also put them one step closer to winning the money.
"Add nine more beams to that, you guys, and you're walking away with one million dollars," Gail said, keeping her tone even. "However, if you fail to add another beam to that one, you have blacked out... and your prize will instantly drop by two hundred and fifty thousand dollars."
The low hums and shouts of "No" permeated the small area, making Beca nervous grab Luke's hand.
"This part always freaks me out," she mumbled, feeling him flinch a little.
"Yeah, it's all the drama and suspense," he replied. "They make it much worse on the show after all the editing and sound gets added."
Gail circled the podium and placed both hands on the touchpad. "The number of perfect matches is..."
Beca sucked in a breath as the lights went down, watching the single beam shining up into the sky. Almost immediately the second beam lit up, making them all clap and shout their approval loudly.
"That's two," Luke said, giving her hand a squeeze.
"Keep going!" Bumper called out, as if he could will the beams to start lighting up.
They didn't have to wait long for a third beam to shine high into the night sky, the group cheering even louder for that one.
"That's three baby!" Donald yelled excitedly.
"Let's see four!"
"We want four, Gail!"
Beca held her breath, wondering if they were going to get another. The silence stretched on, but they still hadn't heard that sound that signaled the end of the matchup. Suddenly, they all heard a click and a fourth beam lit up.
"Four!"
"That's four," Stacie's voice sounded above the clapping and cheering.
"Five, Five Five," someone chanted from the back row.
Beca couldn't help but notice the way Chloe was happily clinging onto Chicago in front of her, dampening the mood just a little. They waited for a few more agonizing seconds before the stage lights lit back up and the sound went off signaling the end of the matchup.
Gail turned around to address them, a wide smile on her face. "Four perfect matches! That's double last time, and the most you've ever gotten. Congrats!"
They all cheered and clapped at their progress, feeling like they were finally getting somewhere in this game.
"You still have six more shots to go ten for ten," Gail reminded them. "Plenty of time to figure it out and get it right."
"We can do it, Gail!" Bumper cheered, the rest of the group echoing his encouragement.
Gail continued her speech after they settled down, "Tonight, we say goodbye to Benji and Emily as they leave for the honeymoon suite. Take some time, give them your love, and I'll see the rest of you guys back here for the Challenge."
Beca slowly got up from her chair as the group swarmed around Benji and Emily, telling them goodbye and to have fun in the honeymoon suite and not to miss them too much and not to worry about them figuring it out. It took a while but eventually the pair made their escape, the rest of the group waving at them until they turned a corner and were out of sight.
"Okay, that's one down. We can fucking do this," Chicago said, a wide smile on his face.
"Hell yeah we can!" Stacie shouted, her arm slung over Calamity's shoulders.
Beca fell behind the rest of the group as they excitedly made the walk back to the house. She had a feeling at least some of them were too keyed up to go to sleep, knowing that meant the alcohol would be flowing shortly after their arrival.
Lukle fell into step beside her. "You ready for this party that's about to happen at four in the fucking morning?"
"Not even a little bit."
A/N: Feel better Arsto! You're the best beta ever!
We are still loving the enthusiasm for this one and LOVING all your guesses! Keep 'em coming :-)
