“And you have a private bathroom,” Josh adds.
“And I feel like I’m far enough removed that I won’t hear you two having a little fun at night.”
“Mother,” I chide and slyly motion over my shoulder at the camera.
She shrugs. “It’s not like I don’t know you guys have sex … you were at my house for God’s sake.”
I’m officially mortified. Not only were Josh and I not discreet enough when we were at their house, but she’s now blasted it all over the airwaves because you know they won’t edit this part out.
My husband is no help as he stands here, laughing. “Come on, Ava, let me show you the rest of the house.”
She follows Josh down the hall, stopping in each of the rooms.
When we get to the second to the last room, he refers to it as the nursery. Her eyes go wide and her smile falls as I shake my head.
“Not yet,” he says, “but we’re working on it.” I know her and my father will make amazing grandparents and I’m willing to bet they move here, although I’d want to visit them often. I’d rather my children be able to grow up with land around them and a place to play instead of the concrete yard. We both know playing out front where we have a tiny bit of grass will never fly.
The last stop on the tour is our bedroom and the cameras aren’t allowed in there. After shutting the door, I lean up against it. “Finally, some privacy,” I say to both of them.
“Does it get annoying?”
“Yes,” I tell her. “It’s different from when we were in the house, though. Those cameras were all around us, but suspended. Never up in your face, but still there and you were never able escape to them unless you won a competition and you were given access to the master suite.”
“You’ll get used to them, Ava.” Josh stands, leaning up against the wall that opens to the outside.
“Do you ever fall asleep with that wall missing?”
“Often. Sometimes we get a nice breeze and if I don’t fall asleep outside, I definitely do on that bed. It’s the most comfortable thing I’ve ever slept in.”
Mom continues to survey the room, including the bathroom, closets, and exercise room that only has a treadmill.
“Well, Josh, I have to say, I’m thoroughly impressed with your house.”
“Our house,” he corrects. “Joey and I bought it together. It may have been my money that paid for it, but with what she’s earning from the show, it more than covers her half. Not that I’m asking her to pay. Everything I have is hers.”
I go to him and easily fall into his arms.
“Joey, I don’t know how you keep any clothes on with him around. I’d be walking around naked and falling at his feet every time he opened his mouth.”
Josh blushes and so do I but not in the way that counts.
“Mother!”
“Eh.” She shrugs and walks out of the room, running right into the cameraman before I can stop her.
I’m left with no choice but to follow her out. We have an appointment with my designer and I need to warn her about Nina … although, considering my mom’s penchant for embarrassing me in front of the cameras maybe I’ll let Nina introduce herself.
Right now my favorite time of the day is at night, or any time I can escape behind my closed bedroom door. It’s the only time when the cameras aren’t watching mine, or our, every move. The producers have even started asking us questions to incite a conversation or induce drama when we don’t need it. I’m starting to think this was a bad idea, but then I remember the bigger picture and the pay out at the end.
If Joey were to use a wedding planner or plan our wedding herself, she’d be stressed. Not that she isn’t now, but it would be more amplified because she’d worry about money. She doesn’t understand that I’d move Heaven and Earth to give her the wedding of her dreams.
It’s been almost two weeks since production started and, quite frankly, that’s nine days too long. I’ve heard them complain that we’re boring, mundane, and lacking the drama needed to bring in the viewers. On the inside I was smiling because that is the best way to be in my opinion. If they wanted the drama maybe they should’ve started when Jules was hanging around. There was plenty of it to go around.
Joey stirs in her sleep. Her head is rested on my chest with her arm draped across my stomach and I’m wide-awake, wondering how I got here. I’m not having cold feet or even second-guessing anything, I’m only having a hard time coming to grips with how everything changed. One drunken night and I signed my name on a contract that’s changing my life.
I used to think my life made sense until I met Joey, then what I thought I wanted went out the door. She makes everything seem so simple when my life was nothing but a complicated mess.
The house phone rings, jolting Joey in my arms. My hand runs smoothly down her arm, trying to lull her back to sleep. It’s too late for guests and honestly I’m surprised that security would call this late. I close my eyes once the ringing stops and try to get some shut-eye. Tomorrow … well, actually today, is going to be a long but fun day. We’re getting fitted for our tuxedos and Joey’s dad is arriving. I’m excited that he’ll be here before we leave for Hawaii even if he’ll be bored.