Levi felt a flicker of annoyance as the makeup artist forcefully shoved a brush against his cheek to even out the foundation she’d applied moments ago. His eyes widened as he glanced at his heavy makeup in the LED vanity mirror and he reached for his phone on the table. He envisioned the screams and cries that would erupt once he stepped out on set. Rachel and Oscar had not hesitated to share the positive response from Love Raffle fans and the public alike after the announcement of his guest appearance. Apparently they had to rent a bigger studio for this episode.
It usually boosted his self-esteem to know that so many adored him but these days, he didn’t have the energy to react. Except for that ridiculous club outing with Nick, he had been a couch potato for the past three months. Was he ready to step back into the spotlight? This wasn’t even acting. He’d have to march onto that stage as himself: the bright charming version of him was what people knew from interviews.Right. No one wants to see what I’m actually like.
As his hairstylist combed through his locks, he closed his eyes and pictured his living room, not sure of what was right. Was this good for him? Was getting back out there what he needed or was it in his best interest to keep hiding?Hiding.Was that what he’d been doing?
“Okay, so you’re a bit more prepared, I’ve brought you some photos.” Rachel’s heels clicked on the floor as she waltzed into his dressing room. Oscar had opened the door for her. He stepped in once she was inside.
Levi thanked the stylists when they were done then turned in his chair. “Oh, photos of the girls?” He needed to find a way to bail out of this date. Putting on an act for hundreds was one thing but doing so in an intimate setting with a stranger was something else entirely.
“Yes,” Rachel said quickly. She wore an earpiece for calls and looked as polished as ever. Her black hair was always done in a neat bun and her suits never failed to be ironed. Today she was decked out in white for some reason.
Levi was handed four pictures. He looked at the first blonde girl. He knew it was wrong to judge based on looks but this girl had something superficial about her.Can’t say that out loud though.He didn’t know these people.They probably think I’m superficial too.Or they were fans who saw no flaws in him. He didn’t know which was worse.
Rachel tapped her finger on the picture. “That’s Patricia Punting. She’s the one everyone’s rooting for. They like that she’s a model and blonde like you. And by ‘everyone’ I mean the fans whoare notoverly possessive of you.”
Oscar nodded. “Yeah, according to our research, it’s looking like a lot of your female fans are mad about this. They don’t want to give you up, I guess.” He snickered. “You’re like the lead in a pop boy group or something.”
Levi rolled his eyes at his teasing. “That doesn’t matter since I don’t intend on getting into anything serious with any of these people.” He switched to the next picture.
“Diane’s a musician. She’s kind of an underdog in this game but I think she’d look nice on your arm.” Rachel was suddenly swiping her thumb on her phone screen. The makeup artist andhair stylist were packing up their things. Soon, a crew member would come in to request Levi’s presence on set. Filming began at seven p.m. It was already six thirty.
Oscar shook his head and took a seat on the couch against the wall. He crossed his legs. “Your fanboys don’t like her. She’s some kind of ultra-feminist on Bluesky.”
Levi raised an eyebrow. “And there’s something wrong with that?”
Rachel snapped her fingers. “Perfect response, Levi. The ladies like a feminist.” She patted his cheek. “Just don’t say that when they’re rolling.” She pulled out the next picture for him. “Oh, that girl’s name is Amber, but I don’t know much about her. I think she’s a waitress. A nobody, essentially.” She hummed. “If she won, I guess the relationship might be endearing. Small-town girl and hotshot celebrity. You might score humility points. I like it.”
Levi’s eyes widened in recognition. It was the girl from the other night. The same Amber he didn’t dare think about. Why did she agree to be on this show? Would she acknowledge that she knew him?
When his thoughts had finally calmed down, he opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself.Rachel doesn’t know about Amber’s second job. She doesn’t know that I know Amber.
Rachel was oblivious to Levi’s inner turmoil and already onto the next girl.
“…she seems air-headed but sweet. Your male fans like that she doesn’t seem too opinionated.” Rachel laughed briefly. “Dating any of them for a while can get people talking but there are expected negatives to doing such a thing as well.” She put her phone on the table and folded her arms.
Levi perked up. “Negatives? If the bad outweighs the good, then I think it’d be wise to…” He darted his eyes to Oscar. “Notdate these random girls who’ll probably only like me for my money?”
Rachel waved at him dismissively. “A negative is that your female fans will be enraged and plot her demise.” She tapped her chin. “There’s also the risk of ridicule for dating someone from a game show, but eh. Oh, and Oscar mentioned some sort of power imbalance that liberals on Bluesky were talking about?”
Levi’s eyes followed the stylists as they left the room. “Liberals?” All these demographics and opinions were throwing him for a loop.
Oscar sat closer to the edge of his seat. “Yeah.” He whipped out his phone and pointed at the screen. “Y’all remember what happened with the winner of season one, episode eight?”
Levi did not. He was not a fan of this show. “Who did she win a date with?”
“Musician Kenny Karter.” Oscar scrolled down to a picture of the guy in question. “This is an article on what the winner had to say about her date with Kenny. They went out for a couple of months before she left him.” He stretched to hand the phone over.
Levi took it to see for himself. He read a few paragraphs with quotes from the winner. She seemed to believe that being a fan of Kenny had created a power imbalance in their relationship. She described how controlling he could be and how he’d only enjoyed dating her because she practically worshipped him and didn’t call out his flaws at first. He was a douchebag. “Huh…” Levi scratched his jaw.
Rachel snatched the phone from him. “Well, that was one girl with a bad experience.” She skimmed the article quietly then handed the phone back to Oscar. “We already mapped out our pros and cons list and the pros outweigh the cons. Hence,” she tapped Levi’s arm, “you’re here. My little superstar. Or bigsuperstar. It’s been a while since you were little.” She smiled with her red lips.
Her last sentence brought back a wave of memories, memories that transported Levi to the early days of his acting career. It was Rachel who had been there from the beginning, his loyal and dedicated agent since he was a wide-eyed kid. He vividly recalled the first time he walked into her office with his mother by his side. His father was absent as usual. Her supportive presence filled him with a sense of comfort and anticipation.
As they approached Rachel’s desk, Levi remembered the firm handshake they exchanged, a gesture that sealed their professional partnership. In that moment, he had caught a glimpse of something in Rachel’s eyes, a glimmer of ambition and determination that was impossible to ignore. It was as if she held all his dreams and aspirations in the palm of her hand, ready to sculpt his future and make him someone to be remembered.
Levi couldn’t help but recall the exact words that had emanated from Rachel’s lips, words that had resonated deeply within him. “I’m going to make you someone people remember,” she had said with unwavering conviction. And he believed her. From that day forward, he knew he was in capable hands, guided by a force that believed in his talent and potential.
He turned his seat back to the mirror and looked at his reflection.
