The Following Morning…

Elle walked backwards in her heels, pulling her heavy suitcase up the long driveway. One of the wheels was not cooperating and she was tempted to let it go flying back down the hill but she'd already gotten this far. And she was being filmed, of course. She was the first girl to arrive at the house. It was a beautiful place, bigger than she expected. It was in a gated neighborhood that seemed very quiet. Daisy told her it had been a bitch getting this particular house but the WWE was insistent on the house being more secure than ones they would normally use for this type of show, something about fans being able to figure out where it was. Most shows of this type were filmed months in advance but they were doing this a little differently. Each week's worth of filming would air the following week after Monday Night Raw so the fans were getting to see things as they happened. Also, each eliminated girl would be responsible for doing a Facebook live interview after they were cut. Once she finally reached the top of the drive, she was disappointed to see a set of stairs that led to the front door. She shouldn't have packed so much. Daisy told her to make sure it looked like she was planning on staying for the long haul so she shoved as much into her 2 suitcases as she could, thinking she wouldn't really have to deal with them. When she arrived at the house, Amy explained to her that each girl had to be filmed carrying one of their bags inside. She couldn't imagine why but she had to go with it. She heaved the bag up one step at a time, stopping once to stare at the 2 camera men documenting her every move, one behind her and one in front.

"Seriously, one of you can't help with this?" she huffed.

"Don't talk to the cameramen Elle," Jim spoke from inside the house.

She rolled her eyes at the sound of his voice. There was something so smug about him and it really bugged her.

"They're here to document you, not interact with you," he said.

"I can't just not speak to them, that's weird," Elle grunted, yanking the bag up the last step. "They're human beings."

"Just pretend they're not," Jim smiled at her. "You'll get used to it."

She turned to one of the cameramen, making a face that Jim couldn't see. She noticed his shoulders shake with a chuckle. Jim made her wait at the door while they checked the lighting before coming in and getting her reaction shot filmed. She walked around the house ooh'ing and ah'ing. There was a huge kitchen that made her wish she was a more talented cook. She looked through all the bedrooms, some were set up with three beds and a few had two. Then she found the master suite. It was huge with two queen size beds, floor to ceiling windows, a walk in closet the size of Elle's bedroom, and a private bathroom.

"Well I'm staying here," she announced to no one in particular. "Like, I'm not leaving this room. Ever, ever again. I hope you guys have a long rental agreement because I live here now."

If there was one thing she knew, it was that she had to stake her claim or else someone else was going to try to take it and she wasn't having that. Unsure of what else to do since her bag was downstairs, she kicked off her heels and dropped them on the bed. She was about to plop down herself but then she heard voices downstairs. Lots of giggles and squealing. Wanting to keep her new oasis peaceful, she quickly scurried out of the room, locking the door behind her and pulling it shut. If people couldn't get into the room, they couldn't take it. The doorknob looked just like the ones in the house she grew up in, she knew exactly how to pop them open. Her new friends Cameraman A and Cameraman B didn't stop her so it must not have been against any rules. Walking down the stairs was like swimming against the tide. There were women coming up on both sides, some carrying luggage. She noticed a blonde turning the knob on her bedroom door. When it didn't turn, the blonde looked down at her, "What's in here?"

"I don't know," Elle lied through her teeth. "It wouldn't open. I guess we're not supposed to go in there."

She continued down the stairs and saw a group of girls giggling in the kitchen. There were more of them milling about. Everyone seemed to be in a pair or a group except one person.

Elle immediately recognized the pretty redhead who was standing alone in the foyer, looking somewhat overwhelmed, like things were moving too fast around her. Elle could understand the feeling. This was a lot to take in. She knew she was supposed to be positioning herself to be unlikeable but she couldn't help herself. She walked quickly around the kitchen, losing the cameramen in the gaggle of girls there. Once she was clear of them, she headed back toward the foyer, "Kentucky?"

The redhead still seemed to be in a daze.

"Harper?" Elle tried her real name.

She jumped, looking up. She smiled when she seemed to recognize Elle, "Illinois, right?"

"Elle," she smiled, holding out her hand. "Are you okay? You looked a little out of it there."

"I'm just wondering if I'm crazy for doing this," Harper admitted.

"You're just now wondering that?" Elle smirked.

Harper laughed, "I just…I've never even traveled outside the Midwest before. And I've only ever had 2 boyfriends. And now I'm all the way out in California, trying to compete with all these gorgeous girls for a guy that I've only ever seen on TV. I'm crazy right? You can tell me I'm crazy."

"You are probably crazy," Elle laughed, gripping the other girl's shoulders. "Everyone's a little crazy. And you are just as pretty as any other girl in this house. And yes, you're trying to win the affections of a stranger that you've seen on TV but...I don't have a great explanation for that part but it is what it is. We're here now. Let's just try to have fun."

"You're the only person who's even spoken to me today," Harper said. "I rode over here in a van with 5 other girls and they didn't speak to me at all."

"Well that's their loss, fuck 'em," Elle shrugged. Harper looked surprised at her language and Elle shook her head, offering her arm, "They're just jealous because you got called first yesterday. Come on. I'll show you the best room in the house."

"You were not this nice to me yesterday," Harper reminded her.

"I know," Elle said. "Don't tell anybody. You'll ruin my reputation."

She led Harper up to the master suite and they procured a bobby pin from one of the bathrooms so that Elle could pick the lock. The Kentucky native couldn't have been more thrilled with the suite. Harper grabbed clothes from her bag and put some on her bed and some on Elle's so the room was effectively claimed. Then they headed back downstairs. Elle still needed to bring up her bag and Harper wanted water. Elle was grabbing bottles of water for both of them when the squealing started up again. That was definitely going to get old quickly. She hadn't dealt with this many squealing girls since high school. She turned to see what the commotion was about and she saw the cameramen backing into the house, followed by Seth and several of the girls. How the hell did they know he'd arrived? Were they just sitting at the door waiting for him?

Elle actually felt bad for Seth. He was being absolutely swarmed. She sat on the kitchen island, watching the spectacle before her. Harper came over, taking one of the bottles of water, "Do you think we should go over there?"

"You can if you want to," Elle shrugged. "I'm staying over here so I don't get my eyes clawed out."

"They wouldn't claw our eyes out," Harper scoffed. Then her eyes went wide, "They wouldn't. Right?"

Elle laughed, looking over at the young woman, "Not if you don't let them."

They talked for a few minutes about how to keep their eyes safe until Harper started smoothing her hair and clearing her throat, her eyes darting off to the side. Elle turned to see Seth heading their way. He'd shed most of his followers.

"Ladies," he smiled at them.

"Hi," Harper smiled, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Hey," Elle waved. "Long time, no see."

"Are you two all moved in?" he asked.

"God no," Elle chuckled. "I haven't even taken my other suitcase upstairs."

"But she did manage to get us the best room in the house," Harper laughed.

"Priorities," Seth pointed at Elle. "I like that."

"Good to hear," Elle smirked. They made eye contact and Seth's teeth caught his bottom lip for half a second and the temperature in the room seemed to creep up a few degrees. She cleared her throat, leaning back on her hands to create more space.

"Where's the rest of your stuff?" he asked. "I'll take it upstairs for you. You can show me the best room in the house."

She got down from the island and it wasn't lost on her that he was checking her out. She pointed out where her bag was and he walked over, lifting it with ease, "Lead the way."

Elle was surprised that Harper wasn't coming with them but she didn't think too much about it. She led him up the stairs with a cameraman following closely behind them.

"What do you have in this thing?" he laughed.

"Only absolute necessities," she joked. "I'm a stranger to the whole concept of packing light."

"I can tell," he laughed when they reached the room. She pushed the door open, "And this is where all of the magic happens."

"Are you and Kentucky that close already?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes, grabbing the handle on the side of her bag. She tried to lift it as easily as he had and failed miserably.

"I got it," he stood close behind her, lifting it up onto her bed. She looked over her shoulder at him, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. Where the hell was Kentucky and why wasn't she in here taking attention away from Elle?

She took a step away, taking a look at him. He was in incredibly tight jeans and the same shirt all the girls had worn the day before.

"Are you ever not wearing a shirt with your name or face on it?" she asked.

"You got a shirt you want me to wear instead?" he returned.

"Sure," she said, not afraid of a challenge. She unzipped her bag, rifling through until she found a sleeveless shirt that she often slept in. She held it out for him and he shrugged, pulling his shirt off over his head. She tried her best not to notice his muscles flexing as he took the shirt from her and, with a slight struggle, pulled it on. There was a mermaid on the front and he looked absolutely ridiculous. It stopped just above his belly button and dipped low in the back. She doubled over with laughter when he did a spin in front of her.

"What?" he asked. "Is this not turning you on?"

She nodded, "Oh this is definitely doing it for me."

"I think I look pretty hot," he grinned.

"I don't disagree," she crossed her arms, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I can tell that you're getting some ideas here and I need you to know that it's not gonna be that easy," he pointed. "I'm not that kind of guy."

"Oh I have a feeling you're totally that kind of guy," she smirked.

"Seth, we need you to keep making the rounds with the girls."

Elle looked over Seth's shoulder to see Amy leaning into the room.

"Duty calls," he shrugged. "I'll see you later?"

"You know where I live," she shrugged, putting her hands in her pockets. She expected him to take off her shirt but instead he just walked out of the room without a care in the world. She chuckled, watching him go.

Seth wasn't sure what to do next. He'd carried a bunch of bags upstairs for the girls. He'd hung out with some of them in the kitchen and in their rooms. Now he was just sort of standing in the hallway, enjoying a moment of silence. He had a feeling he wasn't going to get many of those with this group. He still couldn't believe he was doing this. It wasn't all bad though. The girls were hot. There wasn't a bad one in the bunch.

One of the production assistants was going down the hallway putting a dry erase board on the wall next to each room and writing the names of its inhabitants. The door in front of Seth opened and he recognized one of the girls as the one from Nevada. He couldn't remember where the other was from.

"I didn't know you were still up here," Nevada, a gorgeous blonde, smiled at him. "What are you wearing?"

"This is how Seth Rollins responds to a challenge," he pointed down at the shirt.

"I'm not sure if it's a good look," she laughed. "Did you get the full house tour? This place is beautiful."

"I think I've seen just about everything," he nodded.

"Well you haven't seen my room yet," she smiled, reaching out for his hand. "It's got an awesome view."

He followed her in, more than willing to see whatever view she wanted to show him. She was wearing a white sundress that barely touched her thighs. She looked over her shoulder, smiling when she caught him checking her out.

"See? I told you the view was good," she purred, turning to face him.

The camera man behind Seth tripped over his cord and Seth turned, "You okay man?"

"Don't talk to the cameramen Seth," Producer Jim walked into the room behind him.

"Sorry, just making sure he's okay," Seth put his hands up.

"Okay, just pretend we're not here, go back to your conversation," Jim gestured for him to turn back to the blonde. He turned to find her unzipping her suitcase.

"I don't know where to put all of this stuff," she laughed. "I packed a lot. I plan to be here for a long time."

"That's good to hear," he smiled, trying to remember what she'd told him her name was. Something with an 'N'…Nina? No, that wasn't it.

There was shuffling behind them and then a tapping sound, like someone knocking on the wall. Nevada looked annoyed and Seth turned, smiling when he saw that Jim had walked out into the hall and Elle was leaning against the doorjamb.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said, looking unapologetic. "I was just wondering if you were planning on giving me my shirt back."

"I don't know, it's pretty comfortable," he shrugged.

She laughed, holding out her hand.

He grabbed the hem of the shirt and pulled it off over his head, watching her face for a reaction. He got the sense that she liked to play it cool but he saw her eyebrows lift before she cleared her throat. He tossed the shirt and she caught it easily, "Thank you."

She turned to leave but he moved to follow her.

The young woman behind him made a displeased noise and he turned, "I'll be right back."

Elle shot him a puzzled look when he followed after her, "And where are you going?"

"To get my shirt," he answered when they reached her doorway.

"That does make sense," she nodded, gesturing for him to go in first. She remained close to the door and he looked for his shirt where he'd left it on her bed. It wasn't there.

He turned, smiling, "If you wanted a keepsake, all you had to do was ask."

She frowned, "Wait, it's not there?"

He shook his head, stepping aside when she came over to look for herself.

She looked up at him, laughing, "I swear it was here when I left."

"You think your roommate took it?" he asked, amused.

"No. She's not creepy enough to do that," Elle shook her head. "Sorry. I guess you're gonna have to go it shirtless now. Or you can have my mermaid shirt back if you're feeling overexposed."

He was about to make a joke about her taking her top off but Jim leaned into the room, clapping his hands, "We need everyone downstairs for an announcement. Chop, chop."

He was gone as quickly as he'd appeared and he could be heard making the announcement to the next room over.

"You heard the man," she looked over at him, clapping her hands. "Chop, chop."

"Ladies first," he swept his arm out to the side, waiting for her to exit. He followed her downstairs, making sure to keep his eyes up. He was becoming aware of the constant cameras and he remembered Sasha warning him that he would come off like a creep if he was constantly staring at the girls.

When they got downstairs, Seth was relieved to see Corey Graves had arrived. It was nice to have a familiar face around. He and Corey weren't close friends but they'd always gotten along and he needed someone to talk to who thought this situation was as crazy as he did.

"And here's the man of the hour," Corey held his arms out wide.

"How do you get to show up so much later than I do?" Seth laughed.

"Perks of being the host," Corey grinned. "Plus my hair takes a lot longer than yours does. How's it going so far today?"

Seth looked over to see Jim, Amy, and Daisy lining the girls up and checking lighting.

"It's weird, man," he shook his head. "Some of the girls are cool though."

"Any one in particular?"

Seth shrugged, "I haven't even gotten to talk to them all yet."

"Okay, ladies, just keep quiet for a few minutes please," Daisy instructed the group. "When we say action, Corey is going to explain the plan for the rest of the day and tomorrow. You're allowed to react but please no yelling and stay where you are. Once that's done, Seth and Corey will exit and we will get footage of you going upstairs to get ready. Understood?"

Everyone agreed, Amy very carefully placed Corey and Seth so that they were, in her words, framed perfectly. Once they were rolling, Corey began, "Ladies, I hope you're all enjoying the beginning of your stay here at the mansion. To help all of you get to know each other and, of course, get to know Seth, we're going to have ourselves a pool party. We'll give you some time to go get changed and then you can meet us outside. Afterward, Seth has to go get some work done so you'll have some free time here at the house tonight. Tomorrow, Seth will return and there will be a cocktail hour before our first elimination ceremony. 3 of you will be leaving us tomorrow. So make sure to make the most of the time you have today, as you may not have an opportunity before elimination tomorrow. Good luck to everyone and let's have a great time!"

"And bikinis are totally optional at the pool party," Seth joked.

"That is not true, bikinis are not optional," Daisy stepped in. She put a hand over her headset microphone and looked over at Seth, "Please don't tell them things like that. Some of these girls will believe you."

"Just the tops?" he teased her.

Daisy sighed, "OK girls, start heading upstairs!"

Elle sat at the edge of the pool, squeezing out her soaking wet hair before twisting it up into a bun. She was having a great time despite the fact that she and Harper were two of only five girls that had actually gotten in the gorgeous infinity pool. Texas, Connecticut, and New York had come in as well. The rest of the girls were walking around in heels and barely there bikinis, obviously hoping that their makeup didn't melt off in the hot midday sun while they waited for Seth to make his way over to them. She was no dummy, she'd worn her favorite bikini and waterproof eyeliner and mascara but she could not, for the life of her, understand the girls who'd put on a full beat; contour, fake lashes, the works. It was too damn hot and the pool was far too inviting for that nonsense. She hadn't gone swimming in ages and she was going to enjoy herself.

She heard her name and looked up to see Daisy standing off to the side behind the cameramen. She grabbed a towel and dried off her feet so she wouldn't fall before walking over to her friend.

"What's up?" she smiled.

"You're being too passive," Daisy said, handing her a drink.

"Sorry?" Elle laughed, gratefully accepting the cocktail. She had been sticking to water because of the heat but the drinks looked delicious.

"Seth has been out here for a half hour and you haven't even attempted to talk to him," Daisy explained herself. She knew Seth was there. Last time she saw him he was sitting on a lounge chair talking to Nevada and Florida. She was really going to have to learn some more names. She looked over her shoulder and found him in the same place. He was wearing sunglasses but she could tell that he wasn't actually looking at either woman next to him. He was looking into the pool which was empty after Elle got out.

"Well what do you want me to do?" Elle questioned.

"Get over there and steal him away, piss someone off," Daisy shrugged.

"Really, D?" Elle stared at her.

"Look, you know me, in my personal life, I'm all for empowerment and sisterhood and all that but I'm at work right now and I need things to get a little turned up so we don't hand in a boring first episode."

"Isn't the objective here to make sure he doesn't like me?" Elle asked.

"We want him to like you," Daisy corrected. "Just not enough to keep you for very long. Now go be charming but not too charming."

"Work Daisy scares me," Elle whispered, faking a shiver.

"Good, now go do what I said," Daisy turned her around and smacked her on the ass.

Elle downed half of her drink and then squared her shoulders, walking over to Seth. She stepped right up to him, smiling, "You look bored. Why don't you come talk to me?"

She held out her hand and he looked a little surprised but he took it.

"We were in the middle of a conversation," Nevada snipped.

"Were you?" Elle asked, her voice dripping with condescension. "It didn't seem like he was that interested."

The blonde looked pissed and for a moment, Elle thought she was about to get hit. Seth must have seen it too because he stood up, standing between them, assuring the other woman he would talk to her later. Elle smiled sweetly at her and kept a hold of Seth's hand as she led him away. She could feel a set of eyes shooting daggers at her back.

Seth walked behind Elle, enjoying the view as she led him away from the group. She'd caught him off guard when she interrupted his conversation but it wasn't unwelcome. He didn't actually remember what they were talking about. They walked around the side of the house where there was another set of chairs but they were out of sight of the rest of the girls. Not the cameramen though. Those were never far away.

"That was surprisingly aggressive," he noted when he took a seat.

"You really did look bored," she shrugged, sitting on her heels in the other chair. She was in a dark red bikini and her body was incredible. Her stomach was flat and toned, her legs were long and sexy. The sun was beating down right at her face and she held up her hand to block it out. He took off his Ray Bans handing them to her and she smiled, putting them on, "That's much better. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he leaned back in his chair. "So..tell me about yourself."

"What do you want to know?"

He shrugged, "Anything. Where in Illinois are you from?"

"I doubt you've heard of it," she laughed.

"I probably have, trust me," he said.

"It's in the suburbs of Chicago," she answered. "Plainfield."

"I've heard of it," he nodded. "I think I've actually been there once or twice."

If he remembered correctly it was a pretty nice town, a lot like other Chicago suburbs. Lots of strip malls and big subdivisions.

"Oh yeah?" she looked surprised. "I never meet anyone who's heard of it."

"I'm from Iowa," he explained, figuring she might not know. She didn't seem to be a fan like some of the other girls. He wasn't sure if that gave him an advantage with her or not.

"I have some family in Iowa," she said. She tipped up his sunglasses, given him a wary look, "Oh God, I hope we're not cousins."

He laughed, "I think I would remember seeing you at the family reunions."

"My family doesn't do reunions so I think we're in the clear," she wiped fake sweat from her brow. He liked her, she was funny. It was nice to feel like someone else was amused by everything going on around them.

"So I have to ask…Cubs or Sox? Or do you not care about baseball?"

"Are you stupid? I am a born and bred Cubs fan," she perked up.

"Is this a bad time to tell you that I'm a Cardinals fan?" he scratched his chin.

"Jesus Christ," she threw her head back. "I should just leave now. You obviously have terrible taste."

"I picked you to stay," he said when she brought her head back up and met his eyes again. "Don't I get points for that?"

"That only makes your taste slightly less questionable."

Elle tossed her still damp hair over her shoulder, looking down at her phone. She'd sent a text checking in with Ethan but he hadn't gotten back to her yet. He'd miraculously booked a job shooting an eyewear campaign and the shoot was taking place over the next two days in the mountains. She assumed he would get back to her when he got a chance.

The door to her room flew open and she jumped, shoving her phone under her pillow. Everyone had to surrender their phones upon moving into the house but Daisy had gotten Elle's back to her before the pool party. Harper stormed into the room looking red in the face. She was wrapped tightly in a towel, her red tresses twisted up into another.

"What's wrong?" Elle questioned.

"Nothing," Harper sighed, dropping her hairbrush onto her bed. She plopped down onto the foot of her bed, staring at the wall.

"Well that's obviously a lie," Elle sighed. Try as she might, she couldn't help liking Harper. She seemed so sweet and she was a lot of fun. "Come on. Tell me what's wrong."

"After I took a shower I went to the glam room," Harper began. There was a large area with a bunch of vanity stations where the women were told to put their makeup and whatever they needed for their hair. "And Mia was using my blow dryer."

"Wait-Mia?" Elle stopped her for clarification.

"Nevada," Harper explained. "Anyway, I asked if I could have it and she told me to wait. I told her it was mine and she said 'that doesn't change the fact that you'll have to wait'. Who acts like that?"

"Have you never met a bitch before?" Elle leaned back against her pillows. "Because that's just a classic bitch move."

"Of course I have," Harper said. "I just…I don't deal well with conflict. I freeze up."

"Hence you being here with wet hair while some bitch uses your blow dryer," Elle said. She sat up, "You know where you went wrong, right?"

Harper shrugged.

Elle sighed, "You asked to use your own property. That doesn't make any sense."

"So what was I supposed to do?"

"Unplug it," Elle made a pulling gesture. "Yank it right out of the wall and walk out like a boss."

"Like Sasha Banks?" Harper laughed.

"Sure," Elle shrugged, not knowing who the hell Harper was talking about. Whoever Harper equated with a boss was fine, as long as she got the message. "You can't let a girl like that walk all over you. They sense weakness and they pounce. Trust me, I grew up with 3 sisters in a two bathroom house. It's like living in the jungle. Kill or be killed."

Elle loved her sisters but she'd once been burned with a curling iron because she didn't get out of the bathroom fast enough. It was her parents' fault for having all of them so close together. They were always vying for the same space. Elle was the second youngest. She learned to assert herself at an early age. She got up, walking over to one of her bags and digging out her blow dryer. She had decided to let her hair air dry so she hadn't used it yet. She held it out, "You can use this. Or…you can go and get yours back."

Harper cast a nervous glance at the door before taking the blow dryer from Elle's hand, "I'll be a boss next time. I promise."

Elle smiled, "Whatever you say Kentucky."

"You have to tell me everything about the first day in the house," Renee looked at Seth expectantly. Seth had to be at the Smackdown taping since he was appearing in a dark match teaming with Dean against AJ Styles and Baron Corbin. He arrived late but Renee found him as soon as he was finished putting his gear on. He'd barely set one foot into the catering area before she was on him.

"Who did you keep? Were there any more poems?" the questions were just streaming from her. She barely took a breath, "Is Illinois as pretty up close as she was from far away? Does Corey hate any of the girls yet? If he does, you have to tell me who so they can immediately become my favorite."

"You are obsessed," he laughed at his friend.

"Maybe a little," Renee admitted shamelessly. "But I would like answers to my questions please."

"I kept 20 girls," he started. "I go back tomorrow and cut three more. There haven't been any more poems yet but that doesn't mean there never will be. Corey hates Florida. He says she gives off a bad vibe. And Elle is gorgeous up close."

"Ooh, she has a name," Renee smirked. "What's Elle short for?"

"I don't know, I didn't ask," Seth shrugged. "I haven't asked a lot of questions about any of them. It's weird, it takes forever just to set things up and then I have to try and have a conversation with each one of them while I also have the producers tugging me around every five seconds. They say it'll be easier when there's less girls."

"So do you like any of them?"

Seth shrugged, "I don't know yet…There's a few that I think are interesting."