Authors: Leah Banicki
The plane leaving Brazil was crowded with all the show staff and it landed several times for some unknown
reason. It was early in the morning and everyone appeared grumpy. We had very little time to get ready this
morning; most of us boarded the plane with a come-as-you-are look. We also went without breakfast and some of
the contestants pushed the flight attendant’s buttons by being shrewish and demanding. Since I could not see
Anthony anywhere in the area, I discussed quietly with Janette that he might have boarded a different flight or
perhaps a private jet. It wasn't pleasant to think about so we stopped the conversation when we realized that it
was making us grumpy, too. First class peace and quiet sounded pretty good right now. I had an amusing thought
that perhaps all of us ladies were synchronizing our cycles or something. It wouldn't surprise me one bit. This
airplane was full to the brim with grumpy gals.
I tried to sleep but the turbulence found that one split moment when I started to drift off into slumber,
then the plane would drop a few feet and scare the crap out of me!
"I think I am going to get dumped soon." Janette whispered to me after another turbulent jolt.
"Oh? What makes you feel that way?" I tried to be sympathetic in my current state of tired and bothered.
"Well, I got a single date card." She stated and looked thoughtful. The freckles on her nose stood out
more when she wasn't wearing makeup. I thought again how cute she was and hoped she would get to stay on the
show longer. I liked her a lot. She was the one person, besides Anthony, who I could be myself with and talk about
my faith. Janette had a great sense of humor and a spark of independence, but she also has a great sense of morals
and a loving heart. I was looking forward to watching her journalism career grow. I already had a few ideas in the
works to start a project with her. Maybe give her local stories a broader audience with some of my contacts. I
didn’t want to tell her about that yet. No need to get her hopes up. That would be a happy surprise.
I knew she was nervous about her date and I didn’t know quite what to say to help her feel more relieved.
"Well that actually means you get to spend time with him. It’s what you have been wanting, well more than
the sand spitting incident, I mean." I smiled and tried to joke but it fell a little flat. My delivery was pretty weak.
"I know, but I have watched the show too, this is the time when he starts dumping people on dates to not
lead anyone on. It's a common practice on the show. We are down to seventeen girls, this week and at least five
will go. That way he can focus on the girls he is really interested in." She pointed at me as she said it.
"Janette, you are paranoid, and my mother would lecture you to not put that kind of stuff out there. You
get results when you go with the flow and trust, fearing getting dumped will make you jumpy and quiet on a date." I
said, hoping I sounded less preachy to her than I just did to myself.
Darn... how to keep my mouth shut when I needed to be a friend.
"You are right, Hannah, I just don't feel any connection to Anthony. I am actually starting to get homesick."
She got a bit misty for a second and I felt her pain. "I am starting to miss my brothers." She smiled and then wiped
an escaping tear.
I reached over and grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.
"If it is meant to be, it will be." I shrugged after my cliche. Not sure what else needed to be said.
Janette squeezed my hand and we both tried to take another nap. The dark window next to Janette
showed only clouds, nothing to keep our interest. The sound of grumpy girls had died down and more girls were
trying to catch a few winks. A few of the crew were snoring. I found it slightly soothing. This part was never aired
on the show.
* * * * *
The landing went smoothly and everyone stood up for a stretch and the gathering-the luggage game. I
looked for the rubber band that had fallen out of my hair as I slept.
Janette had eye makeup on before she came on the plane and now it was where it shouldn’t be, smudged
under her eyes. I wanted to tell her about the black smudges when a bell dinged. I was expecting it to be the flight
crew jargon about 'leaving in an orderly fashion and be sure to have all your belongings before leaving the plane'. It
wasn't.
* * * * *
The voice over the speaker was Randall and he was announcing another contest. Instantly the place
became a gasping frantic zone with hair flying, tripping and yelling, I couldn’t hear a word of what he was saying.
Half the girls were yelling and the other half were shushing them. It was nifty...
A bit of the speech was heard after the chaos died down.
"Everyone will get their envelope once they are off the loading dock." Randall said. The overhead bell rang
again to end the broadcast. Everyone scurried and started grabbing everything at once.
Janette and I were shoved a few times before we were able to get our carry-ons off the plane. I was
wondering when we would get our larger bags but just followed the others off the loading ramp.
"Your envelope is on the table. You are responsible for your carryon but your larger luggage will be at the
hotel waiting for you. Please read the entire document before moving forward with the contest.” The flight
attendant announced again as the women exited.
I dragged my carryon and two bags over to the large table and gave it a glance. There were ten envelopes
with the contestant’s names on the labels. I grabbed my envelope and headed over to an area with chairs. I saw the
cameras had been set up and I suddenly felt panicked about my appearance. My hair had fallen out of a ponytail at
some point during my few nap attempts.
I now wondered where Janette was so I could warn her about her makeup malfunction. I would have to
find a mirror soon to do damage control, if possible. I sat in a hard airport chair and ripped open my letter.
You will have £200 spending cash, to eat and use for travel expenses but you will not at any point need to
leave London. Your other luggage will be waiting for you at the River hotel when you finish the contest or forfeit.
There is a phone number at the bottom for an escort to the hotel if at any point you want to leave the
contest. A bodyguard will go with every contestant but will not communicate with you in any way about the
contest.
I looked up and searched the area for a clock. I thought I had traveled east from Brazil. I took a moment
and tried to get my bearings of where I had been to where I am now. Globetrotting has its fun mind games.
It was 10 a.m., Saturday I think. My stomach growled and I realized that I was about to go on a wild goose
chase after the worst morning, on an empty stomach and all on camera for millions of people to watch – Weeeee!
I found Janette and told her we needed a plan. I saw my shadow join us and wordless, stood guard. I was
trying to think smart. Trotting myself across the city carrying all these bags would not work. I took a look around
the busy airport terminal. I brainstormed a second and thought up a plan. Janette and I talked it over.
"I need to get my coat from my bag before we go." Janette said. Her voice sounding frazzled. This process
was not a simple one; it was not the first time I thought the show took a peculiar delight in torturing us.
"No problem, I will go on ahead to find a locker to rent.
You do not need to feel pressured to stay with me. I just wanted to brainstorm and see how we can make
this easier." I said. I saw her face relax.
"Hannah, thanks. I will gladly use your help to find a locker. But I may take a few minutes to put myself
together. I need to wash my face and grab a coffee or something. I will not kill myself to get a date since I already
have one in two days. It would be a bit unfair. I am not sure. I haven't decided yet." Her face was a wash of
confusion.
I nodded and gave her a hug. I grabbed my bags and heaved my winter coat on top on the precarious
luggage pile and gave the handle a pull to drag the wheeled mess behind me. My kitten heel boots clicked on the
linoleum floor. At least I didn't wear high heels today.
What Janette said made me think, I also have a single date card with Anthony this week, in three days. But
the opportunity to have another dinner with him was hard to pass up, especially, when the prize included an
automatic date card for the next round. I felt the need to pray about it. I got distracted and forgot to pray when I
almost tripped as my coat fell off the luggage pile and got wrapped up in the wheels of my carryon.
I had a feeling, nothing was going to be easy today.
* * * * *
I found the locker rental area and it was huge. By this time, my patience was lacking. I finally got my locker
picked out and paid for with the funds from the envelope. I double checked that my body guard was still hovering
nearby and had not lost me.
"I am going to get a taxi if that is ok with you." I said, with a half-hearted grin. I was not sure why I felt a
little malice toward the body guard. Perhaps the lack of privacy was getting to me.
"Just make sure I can tag along in the cab." He said, with a friendly smile that lit up his face. He was over
forty and fit. He looked like someone’s dad. I gave myself an attitude adjustment and pep talk then smiled at him
with my manners back in the game.
There was nothing worse than a grumpy reality TV show contestant.
I laughed at my own thoughts and headed
toward the exit.
I hailed a black cab and we both jumped in. I gave directions to the first clue location and we were off.
I said a prayer after the car was in motion. I took a few breaths and tried to remind myself to keep
everything in perspective. It was a contest with a prize, it had nothing to do with Anthony’s actual feelings for me,
it was just a game. If I won or lost it wasn’t a big deal.
My pep talk worked and my impatience and grumpy feelings leveled out to a more peaceful state. Who
knew what a simple minute could do to gain some perspective?
The cab got caught in traffic several times on the way to the clue location. I was forced to sit back and
enjoy the view of London's streets from the dirty cab window. The black car was so different from the cabs in
New York, I definitely felt like a tourist.
We finally got to the dark lounge after an hour in traffic from the airport. I was worried that somehow this
had taken too long and I had already lost. I mentioned as much to my body guard and he calmed my fears.
“I have a cell phone, dearie. I will get a call when someone wins and the contest is finished. If that happens,
we can head over to the hotel." His fatherly grin cheered me as he spoke.
“It sounds good to me, I would hate to wander through the city just to finish and realize I had wasted my
time. I am hungry, tired and longing for shower. But the chance of a dinner date is too much to pass up. May I ask
your name?” I asked, hoping I had not crossed any boundaries.
“Just call me Joe.” He said, with that fatherly grin of his. He reached out and shook my hand politely. I
shook his hand, hoping he had forgiven my earlier gruffness.
The Dark Lounge was indeed dark. The inside was painted black with a moon and stars motif. To me it
seemed rather unprofessional and I wondered if it had been in business long. I asked someone at the counter and
they said the place was new, only open a few months and had open-mic nights for poetry about space or alien
abduction stories. I nodded, as politely as I could, in the semi-freaked out way I did so well. I definitely wanted to
put this cafe in my memory so I could tell Allison about it. I heard someone whispering in a back corner and saw
the outline of a show video camera and a boom microphone. Sometimes I simply forgot about the cameras, I
guessed the world would know all about the Dark Lounge and its unique open-mic night.
I got my clue and headed outdoors to curb my intentions of laughing at the absurdity of their art choices. I
read through my next clue and got my instructions. I had to walk two blocks over and catch a double-decker bus
to Borough Market. I was to find a specific vendor that makes the best grilled cheese in the world. They did not
give a vendor name so I would need to ask around and get directions.
I made sure Joe was with me. We walked together over two blocks and waited at the bus stop with
several other people. The wind was chilly and the sky was beginning to get dark, a dull gray. I had a feeling the day
was going to get worse before it got better.
The double-decker bus was interesting. I rode on the top just to say I did. I did feel it sway a little jig jag
when it went around a sharp curve. I had never heard of the red busses being dangerous so I lowered my paranoia
meter down and enjoyed the ride. It was a lovely way to tour the city. I had been here before, shooting pictures
for a tourism guide for a cruise line that visited London. On a rare occasion, we were given access to Buckingham
palace for the day. That was truly a day to remember. I had not been to the Tower of London for a tour yet but
hoped to. I had seen it from the outside but that wasn’t enough for me. I loved to delve into the history and see it
for myself and of course, capture it with my camera.
The marketplace was enormous, actually beyond my scope of reality. It was nearly lunch time and packed
with people. I got off the bus and realized the challenge of this contest. It seemed impossible. To find an unnamed
vendor in this monstrosity could take days. The entrance was quaint, even though crowded.
I stood there for a few minutes and asked around about a grilled cheese sandwich vendor. There were
several people who were very helpful and send me toward the back section.
One shopper, a lady, said, “It’s in the back corner.”
“That guy went out of business three years ago,” A woman said in a very thick accent.
Two gentlemen at a vegetable booth nearly came to fisticuffs over the exact location. After a minute of
heated argument, I told them to forget about it. They ignored me completely and kept on bickering. I moved on.
If I had been on vacation I would have had a blast at this foodie paradise. I searched through the exotic
mushrooms and interesting vegetables. It was obvious that they had suppliers from around the globe.
There was crusty bread that won me over and I had to, not only, sample but buy some for several days of
snacking while in the UK. The next area was cheese and I figured the logical thing was to have some of that on
hand in my hotel room, as well. I thought, maybe we could have a little brunch in my room with some of the ‘nicer’
girls.
It was with that thought about the nicer girls remaining on the show, that I caught a glimpse of Danielle,
she was looking a bit flustered and she was lugging around her carryon. Her hair was flying everywhere. I fought
off the urge to feel smug. It did not make me a better person because I thought to store my luggage at the airport.
Her hazel eyes met mine with a grimace. She got closer and gave me a sneer.
“I see you are focused on the contest.” She said, snidely.
Seriously, I wondered why she cared. Not her problem.
“Yes, well I have been asking around, but it seems that most people here just pay attention to the vendors
near them. It’s a big place to memorize. Since we don’t know the name of the place, I suppose we will have to
keep searching.” I said, trying to keep my voice as neutral as I could.
The cheese vendor seemed to be eavesdropping and interested in our conversation, especially since the
cameras showed up. Two show contestants standing together, might make for good television, that was my guess,
or we were getting close.
“Well ladies, if you are looking for a certain vendor, I may be able to help.” Danielle and I turned
simultaneously and saw a young clerk. He looked to be in his thirties and kind of attractive.
“Yes, thank you. We need to find the best grilled cheese in the world?” Danielle said using her ‘nice girl
next door’ voice. It made me a little sick. I am certain she talked to Anthony that way. He probably had no idea
about her bad attitude the rest of the time.
“Actually it’s about a 100 yards in that direction.” He pointed off behind me and before I could mutter a
‘thank you,’ Danielle shoved her elbow into my back. I yelled out in pain. She stepped on my foot then swung her
carryon around and it lifted off the ground and caught me on the hip. I fell down like a house of cards and scraped
my arm on the side of the cheese vendor cart, taking a few layers of skin with it. My knee and back made contact
with the cement first. My head hit a display basket on the way down and tossed a nice variety of wrapped cheeses
into the air. They pelted me like an odd spray of confetti, as I lay bleeding on the ground. I glanced up in time to
see a camera zoom in on me and a concerned cheese vendor at my side. Danielle was long gone. My bodyguard
was next to me saying soothing words. He had his cell phone on his ear. He ordered an ambulance and I felt like
an idiot.
Nothing like a day at the market.
While feeling stupid and self-conscious on an ambulance gurney, I heard my bodyguard’s phone ring, after
he hung up with the emergency crew.
“Well, the good news is nothing is broken. The bad news is the contest is over.” He patted me on the
shoulder while the emergency technician was wrapping up my arm.
“Please tell me Danielle didn’t win.” I said, my good natured-ness had lost the battle and I felt bitter at the
moment.
“No she didn’t, Desiree won the contest.” He said. I was not sure that made me feel any better.
“I will be reporting Danielle to the show for inappropriate behavior. You are lucky that the cameras where
there. They caught it all on film.” He stated.
Yay, they caught it all on film. I imagined they would play that scene as a commercial, a highlight and it
might even make the news. I would enjoy watching myself repeatedly get thrown to the ground.
Joe volunteered to drop me off at the hotel and he retrieved my luggage from the airport . I thanked him
profusely. I just wanted to lie in bed and eat my bread and cheese than sleep away the rest of the day. Perhaps
tomorrow would be better.
Chapter 8