Read Online A First Date with Death by Diana Orgain - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Diana Orgain
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entered the room and spoke with Cheryl in hushed tones; the rest of us were quiet, watching their interaction. Nathan’s hand fell away from my shoulder and finally Cheryl turned to the cast. “Listen, we had an unfortunate incident today on the set. Pietro committed suicide—”
I jumped up. “What? Wait a minute!”
Cheryl put a hand up. “Hold on, Georgia. Let me finish—”
“No!” I said. “We don’t know that he committed suicide! He was—”
“The police are investigating. Certainly,” Cheryl said. “But right now the main thing they’re looking into is suicide.” She flashed me a strange look, a cross between pity and something else, as if she thought I came from another world and she wasn’t sure what to do with me. “Given that this is the second incident on our show, I’ve spoken with our attorneys and they’ve instructed me to give you all the option of resigning.”
The cast stood frozen. It felt like a cold gust of air had hit us; my skin pebbled and I shivered involuntarily.
“What do you mean, resign?” Derek, the Afghanistan vet, asked.
At that moment, Paul stepped into the room and crossed to where the cast was seated. He said, “The production staff is giving us an opportunity to get off the show.”
Yes! What a relief!
I would get to go back home to Cottonwood, or even San Francisco if I wanted, but mercifully I would be off the show.
I jumped off the couch. “Thank you!”
All eyes in the room traveled to me. I nervously smoothed down my jeans, staring back at the cast. “What?” I asked.
“You can’t just bail out!” Nathan said.
“I’m not bailing out. Two guys are . . . this is wrong. We can’t keep going with the show!” I said.
“Why not?” Richard, the attorney, asked. “Obviously, Aaron had an accident and Pietro was severely depressed. All that is sad and all, but what really does it have to do with us?”
“No! I’m not staying on the show. This is totally morbid and I don’t buy that suicide thing someone is—”
Paul stepped toward me. “G, can we talk?”
I felt more uncomfortable now than before. Not only were all eyes on me, but it felt like they were boring holes right through me.
Can I say no?
“Uh . . .”
Paul wasn’t actually waiting for an answer, though; he’d already crossed the room and had a hand on my elbow.
Scott stood up. “Hey, no private one-on-ones! It’s a rule. I mean, if we’re going to continue with the show, then we should be following the rules!”
Edward nodded in agreement. “Yes! Why does he get one-on-one time? That’s not right!”
Paul held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. No problem.” He smiled conspiratorially at the other men on the cast. As if he wanted them to think he was just like them. I figured he’d probably been about to pressure me to stay on the show, perhaps so he could continue to investigate, but now he’d struck a nerve with the other contestants. He must have thought I’d feel the peer pressure and stay.
I glanced around at the men’s faces. “You all want to stay on? I mean, seriously? Every single one of you?”
“I do,” Scott said.
“Me, too,” Richard chimed in.
There were various nods and agreements, but I noticed that Bruce, the techie, and Mitch, the real estate investor, were both silent.
“You two don’t want to stay on?” I asked hopefully, reaching for a lifeline.
“Well,” Mitch said, “it’s definitely been an adventure, but I have to be honest, I really would like to be off the show.”
“Me, too,” Bruce said. “No offense to you, Georgia. You’d be any man’s dream, but I don’t think I’m the reality show type of guy.”
“Especially when the reality is that people are getting hurt or worse,” I said, flashing an angry look at Cheryl.
She studied her hands for a moment, as if searching out an answer from her nails. Suddenly she looked up. “You both don’t have to stay on the show. We’ll have a champagne
I jumped up. “What? Wait a minute!”
Cheryl put a hand up. “Hold on, Georgia. Let me finish—”
“No!” I said. “We don’t know that he committed suicide! He was—”
“The police are investigating. Certainly,” Cheryl said. “But right now the main thing they’re looking into is suicide.” She flashed me a strange look, a cross between pity and something else, as if she thought I came from another world and she wasn’t sure what to do with me. “Given that this is the second incident on our show, I’ve spoken with our attorneys and they’ve instructed me to give you all the option of resigning.”
The cast stood frozen. It felt like a cold gust of air had hit us; my skin pebbled and I shivered involuntarily.
“What do you mean, resign?” Derek, the Afghanistan vet, asked.
At that moment, Paul stepped into the room and crossed to where the cast was seated. He said, “The production staff is giving us an opportunity to get off the show.”
Yes! What a relief!
I would get to go back home to Cottonwood, or even San Francisco if I wanted, but mercifully I would be off the show.
I jumped off the couch. “Thank you!”
All eyes in the room traveled to me. I nervously smoothed down my jeans, staring back at the cast. “What?” I asked.
“You can’t just bail out!” Nathan said.
“I’m not bailing out. Two guys are . . . this is wrong. We can’t keep going with the show!” I said.
“Why not?” Richard, the attorney, asked. “Obviously, Aaron had an accident and Pietro was severely depressed. All that is sad and all, but what really does it have to do with us?”
“No! I’m not staying on the show. This is totally morbid and I don’t buy that suicide thing someone is—”
Paul stepped toward me. “G, can we talk?”
I felt more uncomfortable now than before. Not only were all eyes on me, but it felt like they were boring holes right through me.
Can I say no?
“Uh . . .”
Paul wasn’t actually waiting for an answer, though; he’d already crossed the room and had a hand on my elbow.
Scott stood up. “Hey, no private one-on-ones! It’s a rule. I mean, if we’re going to continue with the show, then we should be following the rules!”
Edward nodded in agreement. “Yes! Why does he get one-on-one time? That’s not right!”
Paul held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. No problem.” He smiled conspiratorially at the other men on the cast. As if he wanted them to think he was just like them. I figured he’d probably been about to pressure me to stay on the show, perhaps so he could continue to investigate, but now he’d struck a nerve with the other contestants. He must have thought I’d feel the peer pressure and stay.
I glanced around at the men’s faces. “You all want to stay on? I mean, seriously? Every single one of you?”
“I do,” Scott said.
“Me, too,” Richard chimed in.
There were various nods and agreements, but I noticed that Bruce, the techie, and Mitch, the real estate investor, were both silent.
“You two don’t want to stay on?” I asked hopefully, reaching for a lifeline.
“Well,” Mitch said, “it’s definitely been an adventure, but I have to be honest, I really would like to be off the show.”
“Me, too,” Bruce said. “No offense to you, Georgia. You’d be any man’s dream, but I don’t think I’m the reality show type of guy.”
“Especially when the reality is that people are getting hurt or worse,” I said, flashing an angry look at Cheryl.
She studied her hands for a moment, as if searching out an answer from her nails. Suddenly she looked up. “You both don’t have to stay on the show. We’ll have a champagne
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