sorry I forgot I had actually written this out. I needed to re work it though...

Chapter 6

In the editing suite, Alex leaned back in her chair, grinning as she watched the footage of Tori laughing and talking her way through four days of speed dates. It was clear there was only one person Tori was truly focused on—Gigi. She leaned over to Tori's producer, Mike, and nudged him with her elbow. "I need every clip you have of her mentioning Gigi. Which, from what I can tell, is most of them," she chuckled.

Mike rolled his eyes but smirked, already scrolling through Tori's footage. "Alright, Alex, I'll admit there's some serious heart eyes happening here. But let's not start planning that steak dinner yet. These two have to get married and stay that way if you want me to pay up."

"Oh, they will," Alex grinned, firing up her timeline to start piecing together the beginnings of Tori and Jade's story. She knew exactly how she'd build it—chronologically, tracing the spark that turned into something much more. They'd start with the speed dates, and by the end, viewers would see the evolution of four days packed with deepening connection, late-night laughs, and unexpectedly sweet moments of vulnerability.

The first package was a whirlwind, capturing Day One and Day Two like scenes from a budding romance film—except here, the connection was all voice, all words. The montage began with Day One, Tori and Jade (as "Gigi") trading quips through the sleek interface of the game's dating system.

"Nice voice, by the way," Tori's voice playfully echoed from her end, a hint of intrigue underlying the compliment.

"Likewise," Jade responded, cool and measured, though the subtle laugh in her tone betrayed her interest. "Though I should warn you, I've been known to make people fall in love just by talking to them."

"Oh really?" Tori laughed, her voice rich with amusement. "That's a pretty big claim."

"Guess you'll just have to try me."

The two played off each other effortlessly, volleying jokes back and forth, skirting around the idea of real attraction without ever naming it. The production team captured each bit of laughter, each well-timed pause, showing how they circled each other with that cautious, electric energy of two people not quite ready to admit how curious they really were.

Then came Day Two, where the conversation between Tori and Inez. The camera focused in on the quiet date room as Tori and Inez whispered about their matches.

"So, you've got a connection with this… Gigi?" Inez asked, her eyebrows lifting in genuine curiosity.

Tori sighed, her smile breaking into a slightly bashful grin as she answered, "Yeah, and not just a small one, either. I think—I think I'm all in, Inez. I mean, I'm going to marry that girl."

Inez's eyes widened in amused disbelief as she threw her hands up. "Wait, what? How could you possibly know that after, what… two days? You haven't even seen her face!"

"I just do," Tori replied, her voice soft but filled with unmistakable certainty. Besides, I haven't seen your face and I know I am going to stay your friend for a long time."

The camera lingered on Inez's expression, capturing her exaggerated eye-roll "Okay, well, wait till I am out of here to pop the question because I'm calling maid of honor privileges."

"I think your goading kind of got to her so... you might be the responsible party.

"You bet your ass I am, Chica. and don't you forget it neither." The sigh on the other end gave Inez pause, "What was that?"

"In don't know how long I can wait…."

Alex couldn't help but smirk, splicing in quick shots of Jade's other dates, where her usual energy was warm but measured, her tone super guarded. The difference was striking. With the others, Jade was attentive and pleasant, but with Shelby, the words between them crackled with excitement. She was undeniably invested, a magnetic pull so clear it radiated through the screen, even if they had never met in person.

Alex and Mike exchanged a knowing look as they added this to the package.

The next package was everything Alex had hoped for, simmering with just the right touch of jealousy she'd been dying to catch on tape. In the dimly lit date room, Jade's voice was warm but restrained as she bantered with Inez, the two isolated by walls and screens, their only connection the voices transmitted through speakers.

"So… Gigi," Inez began, her voice full of casual mischief, "my match with Shelby? Oh, we're definitely vibing." Her words carried just the right hint of challenge, calculated to provoke. The pause that followed was subtle, but enough to make Alex's pulse quicken behind the monitor, her eyes fixed on Jade's face for any hint of reaction.

Jade laughed, a light sound that might've seemed breezy if it weren't for the tension layering her tone. "Good for you, Inez," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "Shelby's clearly got good taste, then. I'll just be over here, working my charms on… someone else."

The game's no-visual-contact rule made every tone and word hold weight, and Alex leaned forward as Inez pushed a little further, slyly fanning the flames. "Uh-huh. 'Someone else,' you say?" she teased. "So… this someone wouldn't happen to be Shelby, would it?"

Jade's chuckle was low, a touch guarded but unmistakably tinged with something sharper. "You think Shelby has time for that with you all in her ear?" She quipped back, voice a tad sharper than before. "But hey, all's fair in this little game of ours, right? Who knows, maybe I'll surprise you."

The tension between them was palpable even without sight, a rivalry coated in humor but rich with Jade's hidden possessiveness. Alex caught her own breath as the conversation unfolded, watching as Jade's competitive streak came to life in each well-placed quip and laughter hiding something far deeper.

The final package centered on Jade's attempt to gently end things with Lana, a task easier said than done in the confined, voice-only date room. The mood was awkward, with Jade sitting tensely, knowing she had to be honest without revealing too much.

"Hey, Lana," Jade began, her tone more reserved than usual.

"Gigi!" Lana's voice came through the speaker, cheerful and warm as ever. "I've been waiting for this chat all day. I know we have that weird connection, you know?"

Jade chuckled nervously. "Yeah, we do. I mean, we both like the same kind of… morbid stuff. That's rare." She paused, trying to find the right words. "But, uh… look, I'm gonna be real with you."

A silence lingered before Jade took a breath and continued. "I feel like I'm really… connecting with one of the other matches." She spoke carefully, hoping to convey her intent without hurting Lana's feelings. "I'm kinda falling for her. It's a new feeling, but I think I need to explore it fully."

Lana's voice dropped, her tone going icy. "So, that's it? We just had a couple of fun dates, and now you're onto someone else?"

"It's not like that," Jade said softly, feeling the weight of the words. "It's not like you're not amazing, Lana. You're smart, and I don't meet a lot of people who, I don't know, get the darker side of life like you do. But… this girl is someone I feel really pulled toward."

"Then who is she?" Lana's voice was sharp, pressing for an answer. "If you're so sure about her, why not tell me her name?"

Jade hesitated, feeling a pang of guilt. "I think I'd rather keep that part private," she said carefully, trying not to give too much away. "I owe her that respect, you know?"

A pause filled the air between them, heavy and uncomfortable. Finally, Lana exhaled, her tone deflated. "Well… I guess there's nothing I can say to change your mind."

"Lana, I—"

"Save it," Lana cut in, voice brittle but holding a touch of resignation. "I hope you know what you're doing, Gigi."

Jade sighed as the connection cut, feeling a mix of relief and regret. As she sat in the silence, she couldn't shake the thought that maybe, just maybe, this risk for someone like Shelby was worth it.

Hours later, the montage finally pieced together, Alex leaned back, stretching her arms. She smirked at Mike. "Get that steak knife ready."

Mike raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You're so sure?"

"Absolutely," Alex said confidently. "We've got four days of these two practically glued to each other, saying they'd marry each other. By the end of the show, you'll be footing the bill. Trust me."

Just then Cat the Wardrobe and make up girl walked into the room. They had to discuss the wardrobe choices for each of the contestants. and Cat let out a sharp squeal when she saw the monitors. She stopped and covered her mouth as she watched the scene Alex had been working on.

The dim glow of the date room bathed Tori in a warm, muted light as she settled into her seat, her heart pounding with an intensity that nearly drowned out the soft chime that signaled Gigi's presence on the other end. Cat squealed again when she saw that Jade was the person that Tori was about to talk to. Cat didn't know Tori was going to be on the show. and the fact that she had matched with Jade was too perfect. "Do you know them?" Alex asked the diminutive woman.

"Uh... what makes you say that?" Cat said nervously.

"You reacted to both of them. Do you know something?"

"I went to...s-school with them..." Cat answered.

"So they are friends?" Alex and Mike both asked at the same time.

"No..." Was Cat's only answer as she got closer to watch her friends fall in love right in front of her eyes.

On Screen... Tori took a deep breath, steeling herself before she spoke.

"Hey, Gigi," she said, her voice a little unsteady but filled with warmth.

Meanwhile, across the apartments, Jade felt a smile creep onto her face at the sound of "Shelby's" greeting. She settled into her own chair, crossing her legs and leaning back, letting her voice come through smooth, like velvet.

"Hey you," she teased. "Didn't think I'd be this excited to hear your voice again. But here we are."

"Oh, yeah?" Tori shot back, catching the playful tone, her smile widening. "I mean, I am kind of fantastic, Gigi. I don't blame you one bit."

Jade chuckled, the warmth in her laugh filling her side of the room. "That confidence! It's so hot." She paused, the playful edge dropping a bit as her voice softened. "What do you want to do today? I've got aboard game here we can play."

Tori took a deep breath, her heart racing with what she was about to say. She knew her next words were a leap, and felt extreme to say to someone she had only known for four days. but the past days of constant conversations, of the intimacy they'd built from nothing but voices in the dark, had made it feel like the most natural thing in the world.

"Gigi… there's so much I want to say. But… I don't think I can do it justice like this, without seeing you. Without being with you." Her voice cracked slightly, the vulnerability seeping through. "So… to make that happen, I need to ask you a question."

Jade's breath caught, and her fingers trembled, a mixture of surprise and anticipation washing over her. "Alright," she murmured. "What's the question?"

In her own room, Tori closed her eyes, feeling every inch of her emotions rise to the surface as she got down on her knees, imagining Gigi right in front of her.

"Gigi," she whispered, her voice brimming with sincerity, "will you marry me?"

Jade's heart wrenched, the weight of it crashing over her in an instant. She'd wanted Tori, the real Tori, for so long. But here was Shelby, sweet, strange, captivating Shelby, asking her for everything. It was exhilarating and painful all at once. Her voice trembled as she spoke.

"Shelby," she began, fighting the tears that prickled in her eyes, "do you remember when I told you I've felt… unlovable?"

Tori's voice came through, so full of conviction, that Jade nearly buckled. "I remember. Gigi, I love you. It's strange, it feels insane, but it's like I already know you."

Jade's eyes welled up, a tear slipping free as she nodded to herself. "I know exactly what you mean. I… I'll marry you, Shelby."

Tori let out a joyful, breathless laugh, and they both sat in silence, letting the weight of their promises settle between them. But before either could say anything else, the screens on their monitors went dark, the communication line abruptly ending.

"What the…?" Tori muttered, looking around. Her monitor blinked to life, showing a single message: Please go to the door.

On the other side, Jade saw the same message. She frowned, feeling a surge of anxiety, her hand lingering over the darkened screen. "Shelby?" she called out softly, even though she knew there was no answer coming.

In the Apartments. The two women were freaking out. They weren't able to communicate with each other through text either. then about Twenty minutes later, Another message came to their screen. To walk toward the door. Both women rose, hesitant but curious, moving towards their respective doors. They each opened them to find packages waiting outside.

Pulling them back inside, they read the note. "Put me on." and they opened the boxes. These boxes were filled with wedding attire. Tori's hands trembled as she held her box, realizing it was all happening, all real.

She pulled out a pure white gown, Mermaid style with a low cut back. Something she would have picked herself. Sexy yet sophisticated. And she couldn't wait for Gigi to see her like that. She smiled and headed to her room to get ready.

Meanwhile, Jade's fingers traced over the black and red fabric inside her own box, feeling her heart race as she imagined what the night would hold, her emotions a tangled mess of excitement and yearning. "I'm so sorry, Tori. Shelby, please forgive me for lying to you about my name."