Reality Love Bites

Chapter 17


Tamsin imagined that this was how Lauren was feeling during their date the day before. Well, until Bo arrived, she thought to herself. The feeling of intimacy and expectation hung in the air. Of course Tamsin had known that there was no possibility of anything intimate happening with Lauren last night, she had planned the surprise Bo visit after all, but Lauren hadn't known and she had felt the blondes anxiety and confusion as to why she was even there on the date in the first place after declaring her love for her buxom fellow contestant. Tamsin sincerely hoped that they had had a wonderful night together and that Bo had reacted well to the double proposal idea.

And now here I am confused and anxious about what is going to happen tonight with Evony, she thought. Tamsin had enjoyed her day with Evony. They had gone hot air ballooning followed by a very romantic picnic and it had been magical except for one thing. Ciara. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about her throughout the entire day and she had a feeling that Evony knew that she didn't have her complete, undivided attention.

It was now time to move on with the rest of their evening. Dinner was finished and the wine was almost gone as they sat together, the sound of ZZ Ward playing softly on the stereo. They had talked about a hundred different things over the course of the day and Tamsin was impressed by the worldliness and intelligence displayed by the stunning dark haired beauty beside her. Beneath all the attitude and sass there was a genuine, deep and enigmatic soul.

Evony was accomplished, wealthy and business savvy and owned several large vineyards in both Spain and France, but spent most of her time in her multi-million dollar chateau in the south of France. She had confessed that she had longed to find someone to spend her long, lonely nights with and had decided to apply for the reality show as a way to cut out all the bullshit of figuring out whether the woman she was wooing was in it for her or her money and lifestyle. She had confessed to dalliances with numerous women who were equal to her in beauty, but not in brains or stature. They were bimbo's basically, she had said, someone to keep her bed warm. Evony had opened up to Tamsin, admitting that the parade of mindless sponges that spent her money and answered to her every whim, never challenging or questioning her, had become tiresome and unfulfilling.

"I want and need more. I want a woman to challenge me and call me out on my bullshit as well as love and support me for myself and not my money. I like you Tamsin, very much. I feel that we have had a wonderful time on our dates and that you know that I'm not a complete bitch... That I was just playing the game. I don't like to lose and you are worth fighting for." Evony poured the remaining wine into her glass. "This is one of mine, you know?"

Tamsin frowned as she came out of her spinning confusion at being attracted to two very different women at the same time. "One of yours?"

What is she talking about? How did I get myself into this mess? What am I going to do when Evony tries to kiss me again, knowing that it could lead to something else? Oh, God! I feel sick. Ciara told me that I needed to follow my heart and explore the attraction that I felt towards Evony. Why couldn't she have just told me that if I slept with Evony she would never speak to me again!

Evony waved the empty bottle in front of Tamsin's face. "This wine is from one of my vineyards." Her words slurred a little as she continued, "actually all the wine that you have consumed during the show has been mine. I signed a deal with the producers when I came in for the live interview. Did everyone have to do live interviews because Crystal told me she just had to answer some questions over the phone.

Just how much wine have we drunk today? Five, six bottles. No wonder my brain is fuzzy. "I.. I'm not sure. Vex was very secretive about how he vetted all the contestants," Tamsin responded offhandedly. "The wine is really delicious. Is the alcohol content really high on the ones we have drunk today, because my head is really swimming right now."

"Mine is too. I haven't felt so free and comfortable in a while. You really are a remarkable and sexy woman and I really want you to choose me."

Before Tamsin was able to respond, Evony's mouth was upon hers, warm and inviting, tasting of sweet red wine. The small fire that had been crackling for this fiery, exotic winemaker suddenly roared to life as Tamsin responded to the embrace. The kiss matched the personality of Evony to a tee. It was sure, confident and passionate. Arousal shivered from Tamsin's mouth and cascaded down her body and she moaned as Evony pressed closer encouraging Tamsin to lay back on the couch and laying atop of her. Tamsin had craved being dominated since losing Jess. She liked relinquishing control to someone else and just taking the pleasure and release that they offered, but it never went any deeper than that.

Tamsin had pretty much checked out for the duration of those encounters without putting anything meaningful into them and while this was different, she did like Evony for more than just her beauty and body, it still didn't feel right. It didn't feel like the encounter she had shared with Ciara in the limo. That had been soul filling and intensely heart wrenching at the very same time. Tamsin had gone over that moment between her and Ciara over and over since it had happened. She had thought about Jess and whether she would consider it a betrayal if she got together with Ciara and made a new life with her. She thought about if she chose Ciara and then the possibility that it wouldn't work out and losing her best friend forever as a consequence, equally heart wrenching.

Evony's hand found Tamsin's breasts beneath her sweater and brought her fuzzy, conflicted brain straight back to reality as she felt another hand drifting down between her legs. Tamsin ripped her mouth away and stopped Evony's exploring hand, "Wait. I need to think."

"No you don't. In this instance thinking is very overrated, believe me. We have something Tamsin and I want to connect with you. Come upstairs with me, right now, away from the camera's. Just us."

THE CAMERAS! Screamed Tamsin's brain and her heart hammered in her chest. I forget all about the fucking cameras! "No. Stop. I can't do this." Tamsin pushed at Evony's shoulders as she tried to wiggle free from the clutches of the temptress on top of her. She couldn't think. She needed to THINK! "Get off me please, Evony," Tamsin pleaded. So many emotions were crashing into her all at once. Guilt. Jess. Guilt. Ciara. She felt like she had just cheated on both of them and that was when clarity overcame her. "I'm in love with Ciara."

The words had slipped out before Tamsin could reel them in and Evony's face transformed from shock to fury within seconds. Oh, shit! The blonde winced, "Evony, I'm..."

"Oh No! Don't you fucking dare apologise!" Evony moved away from Tamsin and gave her a scathing look that could melt flesh, it seemed to burn into her. "This has been a set up from the start! I suspected it as soon as the British princess arrived and declared her intentions. I wasn't watching her when that little surprise was announced, I was watching you, and you were so damned happy to see her, there was so much love in your eyes." Tamsin opened her mouth to object, but Evony cut her off and continued her tirade. "You were shocked too, of course, by Vex's revelation and you hadn't realised that your love went deeper than just friendship, but I saw it." Eveny's voice had become softer by the time she finished that last part.

"Then why..."

"Why did I continue to pursue you even after seeing you give Ciara googily eyes and hearing Ciara's sappy ass story about how she's been in love with you since college?"

Tamsin just nodded this time, afraid that Evony would just cut her off again.

Evony sighed, "because there was something there. I felt it and I don't stop fighting for something that I want, no matter how badly the odds are stacked against me. I knew it was a long shot and for a moment there when you returned my kiss with equal desire, I, well, I thought that maybe you felt the same. That you felt something for me as well."

"I do. There is an attraction and you are a great catch Evony."

"But," Evony prompted with a sad resigned smile.

"I'm in love with Ciara and I can't keep letting my guilt over Jess stop me from living the rest of my life. I need to move forward and Ciara, I think, is the one I'm supposed to move on with."

"Are you sure?"

"How can anyone ever truly be sure of anything, especially love?"

Evony didn't respond. She stood and moved in front of Tamsin and gazed down at her as she quizzically looked up. "What?"

"You need to be sure," Evony said, her voice rough but determined. In one fluid, practiced motion she unzipped the side of her dress and allowed it to fall to the floor, giving Tamsin a spectacular view of her trim, taut and bronzed body with no tan lines.

Tamsin almost swallowed her tongue and she was pretty sure she heard the camera man let out a moan. "Evony, the camera's..."

"I don't give a damn about the camera's, Tamsin. I give a damn about you and I want you to know exactly what you are giving up to be with Ciara. We could be happy. I could make you very happy."

"Evony, please don't do this. This is already hard enough. I am very attracted to you." She stood up and tried to shield Evony's nudity from the cameraman. The cameraman, of course, just moved to get a better position. "God, I hate this. Can you just fuck off?" This last part she directed straight at the cameraman.

"Just doing my job," he muttered, but Tamsin could tell he was enjoying the spectacle that he was filming.

"And we are REAL people with REAL feelings!"

"Tamsin, forget about him. I'm not ashamed of my body or my feelings. This is me, laying everything on the line, right here, right now. Come upstairs with me and give me the chance, no, give us the chance at being something. I deserve the chance to win your heart, just like every other woman competing in this show."

Tamsin's mouth was dry and her heart ached for the woman in front of her, baring her soul and not holding anything back about the genuine feelings she felt. She didn't want to break Evony's heart, but she couldn't go upstairs with her, even though Ciara had given her the go ahead. Well, that's the point, right there, isn't it? Her internal voice spoke up. The fact that Ciara felt the need to give you permission and the fact that you think that you need her permission proves that you are more than just friends and are already in a relationship with or without the sex. Either way someone is going to get hurt. There can only be one, Ciara or Evony.

"I'm sorry, Evony. I can't. As tempting as it is, I just can't."

"So, you choose her?" The first signs of Evony's bravado and confidence begun to slip away and hurt filled her eyes moments before several tears slipped free and trailed down her face. "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

Evony let out a hiccuping sort of snort, "Well, someone was always going to get hurt, Tamsin. It was inevitable. I was stupid for thinking that I ever had a chance in this farce of a show that was so obviously set up for one sole purpose." Anger and embarrassment overrode her disappointment and heartbreak and Evony was back to trying to melt Tamsin with her penetrating gaze. "This was set up to get your cowardly best friend to get the courage to declare her feelings for you with the help of your mutual emphatic and outrageous gay friend and producer who just wants to see his friends blissfully, realize that they belong together while making himself a name in the process. Neither of them spared a thought for the rest of us that may develop feelings for you in the process. I should fucking sue the lot of YOU! So FUCK you for breaking my heart and FUCK Ciara and Vex for putting you in the position to do so. I'm going upstairs now because I refuse to go back to the mansion tonight and give the British princess the satisfaction of knowing that she won, though I'm sure you'll tell her bright and early tomorrow on your date."

"Actually, I'm not allowed to talk about the dates I have with the other contestants," Tamsin responded softly.

"Hah! Well, I guess that means I get to pull her leg tomorrow morning and embellish a little on what went down tonight then, can't I. There is a little sugar coating on this whole entire fiasco after all! Good night, Tamsin. Enjoy the couch." Evony stepped out of her dress, her countenance back to being strong and confident, and walked away with her head held high and ascended the stairs, slamming the bedroom door behind her...


Author's note: I know this chapter is shorter than usual. I was going to add a little Bo/Lo scene at the end, but after writing the scene you have just read I decided to give Evony her moment. This scene impacted me a lot and I cried a little as I wrote it and the raw emotion that Evony laid out to Tamsin and baring her heart only to have it crushed, but we all know that love can hurt as well as heal. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it despite it's length and I will be back again as soon as I can manage. Take Care and Bless Each and Every One of You.

Doccubus21

xoxo