The Search For My One And Only

Episode4

In the middle of the night, Hunter crept into the dark bedroom where Julia and Daniela lay sleeping.

"Shh," he whispered. "Hey. Julia."

She didn't stir.

"Hey," he tried again, a little closer. "Julia. Here."

She finally turned toward the sound, eyes still half closed. "Hey," she mumbled. "I can hear you. Are you a ghost? I'm not afraid of you. Not at all. Stay away from me."

Hunter stifled a laugh. "I'm not a ghost. It's me, Hunter."

"Hunter?"

"Yes. Hunter. Here."

Her eyes flew open. "Hunter?"

"Shh," he said quickly. "Be quiet. You don't want to wake Daniela."

"What are you up to?" Julia whispered, sitting up.

"It's our solo date," he said. "Remember?"

"In the middle of the night?"

She stood in the dressing room a few minutes later, staring at her options with something close to panic. What should she wear, at this hour, for a date she hadn't even known she was having until a minute ago? Sexy, she thought, might make the night more than it already was. Classy would suit whatever he had planned better than she could guess at this hour. Or she could simply be comfortable and stop overthinking it entirely. In the end she settled on something that felt like her, something she wouldn't have to think about twice once she was out the door, and told herself it would be enough.

In the car, she turned to him. "How did you even think of a date like this?"

"Well," Hunter said, "you were the first girl to make me feel special. Remember the cookie rose you made for me?"

"Oh," Julia said, surprised. "You remember that?"

"Of course," he said. "I'll never forget it. That's why I wanted to make tonight a little more special too."

She reached up self-consciously to fix her hair, and said nothing at all, because there was nothing clever enough left to say.

The restaurant was lit low and gold, a single table set in the middle of an otherwise empty room, candles burning down the length of it, and Julia's breath caught the moment she saw it.

"Wow," she said. "This dinner setup is so romantic."

"Of course," Hunter said. "Anything for you, Julia."

She turned away for a moment, and when she turned back her eyes were bright with tears. "Thank you so much for this," she said. "I truly appreciate it."

"Hey, don't cry," Hunter said gently. "You deserve to feel special. You made me feel that way first, remember? So stop crying."

"Sorry," she said, laughing through it. "Tears of joy. I'm just really happy right now."

"Well, I'm glad," he said. "Shall we have our unique, romantic dinner?"

"Sure," she said.

Over the long, slow meal that followed, she kept shaking her head in disbelief, as if she expected the room to disappear if she looked away from it too long. "This is insane," she said. "I've never been on a date like this before. You really surprised me in the most amazing way. Thank you so much."

"Of course," Hunter said. "I wanted to do my best to make you feel special, because you are. I wanted this to be a moment to remember."

"Honestly," Julia said, "the moment you sneaked into our room and woke me up for this secret date, you'd already made it memorable."

"Mission accomplished, then," he said, and they both laughed.

"What do you think of our relationship so far?" he asked, once the laughter had settled.

Julia considered the question carefully. "This date took it to another level," she said. "I think I have this feeling. I can see myself falling for you."

That night marked the start of something real between them, something that would follow Julia back to the villa the next morning whether she was ready for it or not.

She came down late, well past breakfast, and found four of the women waiting in the meeting room with varying degrees of patience.

"Really, where is that girl?" Daniela said.

"It's already ten in the morning," Anya said. "Did she get eliminated?"

"No," Ali said quickly. "Let's hope not."

"Let's just wait for her," Eliza suggested.

"Oh," Jodilly said, glancing toward the door. "I think she's here."

Julia came in smiling and waved. "Hi."

"Hey, girl, where did you go?" Eliza asked. "It's so early and you were nowhere to be found."

"Wait, how do I even tell you guys about this?" Julia said, still glowing.

"Just tell us where you've been," Jodilly pressed.

"Wait," Julia said. "I'm just so happy, let me think clearly for a second."

"Just tell us," Daniela snapped. "And what's with that dress?"

Julia's good mood curdled instantly. "Trying to g**g up on me now?" she said. "This is so annoying. And for the record, I'm not obligated to tell you anything at all." She rolled her eyes and walked off. "If you'll excuse me."

Alone a moment later, out of earshot, she muttered to herself. "They're so annoying, honestly."

Anya and Ali followed her, more gently than the others had.

"Hey, Jules," Anya said.

"What now?" Julia snapped, turning. "Also planning to g**g up on me? Not now. I'm too tired already."

"Of course not," Ali said. "We just wanted to check on you."

Julia softened, a little ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry. I know you're different from them. I'm just pissed off right now."

"No worries," Anya said. "No judgment. At all."

"If you need someone to talk to, we're here," Ali added. "Don't hesitate to call us."

"I know we're not that close," Julia said, softer now, "so thank you. Truly, I appreciate you two, more than you know."

That afternoon, Hunter sat in a quiet park with Ali, Daniela, and Eliza, the four of them settled comfortably on the grass beneath a wide, unhurried sky.

"Now, we'll each say one truth about ourselves," Hunter said. "Let's start with you, Daniela."

"Truth is, I'm a very passionate woman," Daniela said, with a wink. "If I want something, or someone, I get it."

"Thank you for your honesty," Hunter said, nodding slowly. "I like your answer. Ali, your turn."

"I believe in fairy-tale endings," Ali said. "I want to find my prince charming. He'll marry me, and we'll live happily ever after."

"I love that," Hunter said warmly. "Eliza, what about you?"

"I'm so happy right now," Eliza said simply. "It's my first date with you, Hunter."

"I'm happy too," Hunter said. "To get to spend even more time with you."

He thought a moment before offering his own truth. "I'm so excited to find my one and only," he said finally. "That's the very reason I'm here. It would be a shame not to find her after all this."

That night, in the meeting room, the women who hadn't yet had solo dates of their own sat together in a loose circle, their voices low, each of them turning the same worry over in her head.

"I'm feeling so sad and nervous right now," Eliza admitted.

"Really?" Daniela asked. "What for?"

"I haven't had any solo dates with Hunter," Eliza said.

"I haven't either," Daniela said. "But I'm not worried."

"You've had multiple company dates," Eliza pointed out. "I've only had one this week."

"A company date is still a company date," Daniela said. "You know who should really be worried?"

"Who?"

Daniela nodded toward the corner, where Jodilly sat quietly. "Her. She hasn't had any dates. Not even a company one."

Daniela and Eliza laughed, not unkindly, but not quite kindly either.

The next selection took place beneath the theater lights, six women standing in a row in the amber glow, and Tyler's voice carried a weight it hadn't held before, heavier than any night so far.

"Ladies, welcome to another selection process," he said. "You all look gorgeous tonight. Six of you remain. Unfortunately, after tonight, one of your journeys will end, because Hunter has to choose his final five, the five women he has the strongest connection with." He turned toward the wings. "Let's welcome your searcher, Hunter."

Hunter stepped forward, his expression unusually serious. "Thank you for another wonderful week with you," he said. "Tonight is a special night. I have to choose the five women I can see the most potential with. It's going to be a hard decision, but it's one step closer to finding the one."

He lifted the first rose. "Daniela."

"I knew it," Daniela said, stepping forward with a confident smile, though it didn't last. "I'll accept the rose," she said. "I deserve it. But I didn't like what you did on your date with Julia. Not at all. So you'd better prepare something extravagant for me."

She walked off before anyone could respond, and Hunter stood there, visibly caught off guard. Julia and Jodilly exchanged a startled look. Eliza leaned toward Jodilly, baffled. "What the heck is happening? Why would she act like that when she had the first rose?"

Hunter recovered and called the next name. "Ali."

"Thank goodness," Ali said, stepping forward with relief plain on her face.

"Will you be one of the best five?" Hunter asked her.

"It's an honor, Hunter," she said.

"Anya," he called next, and she threw her hands up with a cheer before walking forward, beaming.

"Julia," he said, and she crossed the stage glowing, thinking of the dinner still fresh in her memory.

That left Eliza and Jodilly standing without roses, and the tension between them was almost its own presence on the stage, thick enough that neither of them dared look directly at the other.

"Today," Hunter said, "I don't need to talk to either of you. I'm a hundred percent sure who I want to send home."

Eliza and Jodilly exchanged a worried glance.

"What's happening right now?" Eliza whispered.

"I don't know either," Jodilly whispered back. "But I'm so worried."

"Eliza," Hunter said.

Eliza startled, glancing at Jodilly with something like guilt. "It's me. I'm sorry, Jojo."

"It's okay," Jodilly said quietly. "Go join the others."

"Thank you," Eliza said, and crossed the stage to join Ali, Anya, and Julia.

Jodilly stood alone a moment. "Truly, it's okay," she said, mostly to herself. "I'm okay."

"It's not okay at all," Hunter said.

Jodilly looked up, startled.

Hunter turned instead toward the far side of the stage. "Daniela. Please, come up here."

"Me?" Daniela said.

"What is it?" she asked, stepping forward uncertainly.

"You don't get to tell me what to do," Hunter said, his voice even but firm. "Not on my date with you. Not on my date with anyone else. Please hand me back the first rose."

"Okay," Daniela said, handing it over, stunned.

"I'm sorry," Hunter said, "but you don't deserve the first rose tonight."

He turned toward Jodilly instead, and his expression softened. "Jojo, this is the first white rose. Giving it to you means I'm inviting you for a solo date. Will you accept it?"

Jodilly blushed. "Of course I will. If I deserve it."

"You certainly do," Hunter said.

"Thank you," she whispered, and walked to join the others, leaving Daniela standing alone on the stage with the weight of what she'd done settling over her.

Hunter turned back to her, his voice quieter now, some of the sharpness gone out of it. "I don't have anything else to tell you," he said. "You may go now."

"Okay," Daniela said. She hesitated, turning back once. "I'm sorry."

She left the stage alone, and the mansion that night felt smaller than it had the morning before.

"I was so embarrassed by what happened," she admitted later, alone in the quiet of her room. "I was so immature to act that way. It was my own jealousy that caused all of it. I should have been the one with the most anticipated solo date. I should have built something real with Hunter instead." She wiped at her face, angry mostly at herself. "But I was crazy."