Alex had never met a gay guy before.

This was to be expected, of course, seeing as she stayed away from guys altogether, so this lessened her chances of finding a gay one.

So it was a little overwhelming when she met Armando, her hair and make up stylist. Armando was gay in both senses of the word; he was so bubbly all the time that it was hard not to smile around him. He looked at her and smiled, noting her natural beauty and how she would need very little make up, which was apprentally good, seeing as not lot of guys liked the slutty faced girls!

"Your hair is beautiful," he noted, looking at her with a frown in his face. "But you mistreat it like hell!"

Alex blushed. She never really cared how she looked, seeing as she tried to stay away from guys, so though she did shower every day, her hair was never cut or styled; she didn't use any type of special shampoo for her type of hair and whatnot. She just let her hair be.

But Armando said her split ends outraged him, and he was going to cut her hair (Alex assumed this meant her split ends) and do the best he could with her. He told his whole team to stop what they were doing and help him with the hair of the poor tragic girl. Alex giggled.

"So tell me," Armando told her while dozens of hands were on her hair. "What made you decide to compete?" he raised an eyebrow. "Not much luck with love?"

Alex grimaced. "More like I don't believe in it." She said.

Armando gasped. "That's terrible! Not believing in love." He took a deep breath. "Love in general doesn't only belong to your significant other, you know," he told her, studying her hair once again.

Alex looked up at him, only to be scolded and receive many hisses. Understanding the message, Alex stayed still. "I don't get it."

"If you don't believe in love," Armando continued, hidden behind her hair. "It not only means you don't believe in the love a lot of people think is the greatest (your significant other, like I said) but love also exists in friends and family," he explained. "So what you're pretty much saying, dear, is that you don't love your friends and family."

Alex blinked. "I didn't mean it that way…"

"Then never say you don't believe in love." Armando scolded. "After all, after life, the most important thing we need to experience is love."

Alex never thought of it this way. Then again, she might've had a chance if she wasn't wretching every time something mushy came on TV or right in front of her.

She felt shameful, like she didn't deserve this talk. Especially not after how she had acted towards her parents.

"Jesus," Alex breathed. "You seem to be an expert on these things," Alex teased.

Armando smirked. "I've worked on this show long enough to know what I'm telling you."

For some reason, Alex truly belived him.

After that, all of them fell into a comfortable silence. They all looked so concentrated on her hair that Alex didn't dare speak. Instead, she started thinking of what had just happened…

That kiss—her first kiss—had been so exhilirating, so heart wrenching, so gut whirling that she loved every second of it. She loved how Nate's lips seemed to be in perfect tune with her own, how their lips making contact set off a fire through her veins, how his hands tangled in her hair as he pulled her closer, as if he never wanted to let her go…how her heart raced ten thousand times faster than usual, how her head was spinning and spinning and every part of her finally came to life, every single sense was doubled, how she could feel every detail of Nate's body only by kissing him, how every ounce of passion was put into that kiss, all that tension of the moment before…

And how empty she had felt when their lips were no longer in contacts, the distance she insisted on putting between them was excruatiating, how she felt as if she needed him closer than ever…

And now she really felt like wretching.

She was becoming one of those love sick girls she loved making fun of! She was becoming what she swore to herself never to become! How long had she really known Nate, anyway? Wasn't it only natural that since she was the first boy she had had contact with, she would think he was the one? (or…whatever). That is what was happening, Alex tried to convince herself. It was no big deal. Nate could obviously not date, she was in an effing dating show, for crying out loud…it wouldn't work out.

Alex had to get that through her head. One way or the other, she would make sure Nate Gray did not win her heart.

That was if, Alex thought defeatedly, he didn't already have it.

"You're all done!"

These were the words that brought Alex back from her nap. "Huh?" she asked, confused. She looked up and saw Armando grinning ear to ear.

"I—we—did our best and I personally believe you look stunning!" he paused. "Not that you didn't look stunning before, sweetie, but that hair—"

Alex's laugh cut him off. "I know, I know, I'll take better care of it now, I promise." She smiled at Armando, and he just kept grinning.

"Well?" he said excitedly. "Don't you want to see yourself?"

Alex's smile faltered. "I…well…"

Armando frowned. "You don't?" he blinked, then shrugged. "Suit yourself. But let me tell you, don't be wondering why those guys will be falling head over heels for you, mkay?" Alex sighed and then giggled once more. She stood up and hugged Armando.

"Thank you," she said. "I hope you'll be the one working on me every Monday through Friday," Alex said. Armando laughed.

"They'd be lost without me, sweetheart." He looked at her. "I think you're my favorite from every girl that has sat in this chair." Armando told her.

Alex rolled her eyes. "I bet you say that to every girl that comes here."

Armando snorted. "You have no idea how much I wish that were true." He laughed. "Good luck out there tonight."

Alex took a deep breath. "Thanks," she said. "I know I'll need it."

And boy, did she know this.

Five o' clock. An hour to the show.

All Alex could do was sit back stage while everyone was going back and forth, some yelling, other panicking, other seemed close to tears.

She didn't need the backstage drama. The real life one was enough for her, thank you very much. She would just wait for someone to give her instructions.

"Well well well," Alex's heart almost stopped. "Look who's not doing anything."

"Avoiding the line of fire, thank you very much," Alex loved the way she could keep her voice steady. "I don't need to be hurt before we start."

Nate frowned and sat next to her. "Aren't you a little nervous?"

Alex looked up at him and glared. Then she put up her hands. "Sweaty palms tell you enough?"

Nate made a disgusted face. He took out a hanky from his coat and handed it to her. "Hair and make up isn't the only thing you needed to—" Nate frowned and contemplated her for a moment. Alex avoided his gaze and concentrated on wiping her palms.

"They…cut your hair," Nate sounded strained. Alex shrieked.

"They what?" Alex ran a hand through her hair, but the path ended much sooner than it usually did. How could she have missed this? I mean, it was her hair for crying out loud! True, she hadn't seen a mirror since she left hair and make up, but…but to not notice her hair being considerably shorter…

Nate looked confused. "You didn't know?"

"No…well, I told them to go ahead and do whatever they please with it, but I fell asleep so I didn't know…didn't feel…" she had mixed feeling about this. On one hand, her hair would be much easier to manage now for the hair people, so that meant less time spent there. On the other hand…she had no idea how she looked. Did she look alright? Or horrifying? Maybe she could ask for extensions…

Nate stood up as if on cue, and Alex stiffened as he ran a hand through her short hair. "You look…really good," he smirked at her. "Beautiful, if I do say so myself."

Alex slapped his hand away, and Nate looked surprised. "Try keeping your hands to yourself," she snapped. She looked away to hide her blush, and was surprised to see Armando talking to a very attractive guy. He seemed to be flirting, actually.

She scowled and went over to him. "Hey," she said.

Armando looked startled to see her. The other guy looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Alex, dear!" Armando broke out into a friendly grin. "How are you?"

"A little confused, actually," she felt rude for not acknowledging the man standing there, but she had no time. "Why did you cut my hair?"

Armando blinked, then he laughed. "You don't like it? Why I think you look stunning!" he said.

"I agree," Alex turned to the guy Armando was flirting with a second ago. "It looks really good on you." He shot a crooked smile at her, and Alex's stomach flipped once. "Jeremy Miles," he put out a hand. "Nice to meet you."

Jeremy had intense green eyes and shaggy blonde hair. The usual cute jock look, she noted. Not that he wasn't extremely attractive…because that would be lying. Alex could be many things, but she wasn't a liar.

And yet…this guy looked familiar to him. Hadn't she seen him before? Somewhere? Alex couldn't pin point where, exactly, but she knew that somewhere…

Alex shook his hand. "Alex Russo," she introduced herself with a smile. "And thank you." She turned back to Armando, who now had a slight frown on his face. "It's not that I don't like it, Armando," she explained. "It's just—it caught me off guard."

"Well," Armando said, waving his hand. "It doesn't matter, sweetheart. I asked you if you wanted to look and you refused." He raised an eyebrow. "Now go. I was talking to Mr. Miles here and—"

"Actually," Jeremy said, glancing at his watch. "I have an important meeting right now. I just wanted to check out the set." He smiled at Alex. "Armando here was kind enough to let me in and give me a tour. My sister is a huge fan and I wanted to see what all the buzz was about. But then again," he winked at Alex. "If all the girls are as cute as you…"

Alex blushed and looked down. "Goodbye," she muttered, and she heard Jeremy chuckle and say goodbye to the both of them.

"Well," Armando sighed. "That was a bummer."

"Not your type, huh?" Alex knew Armando understood what she meant by that.

Armando sighed once again. "You win some, you lose some."

Alex was giggling when Nate came up to her. She tensed right away. He nodded at Armando, who snorted and walked away. Alex looked at Nate. "What?" she snapped.

"Easy there, princess," Nate rolled his eyes. "Who was that guy?"

Alex shrugged. "Some guy." It was none of his business, after all.

Nate frowned. "He looked familiar, didn't he? Or is it just me?" Nate narrowed his eyes and looked at the general direction in which Jeremy had left.

Alex didn't want to admit that she thought the same, so she just shook her head. "Just to you, probably. Or who knows, maybe he has that face," she shrugged.

Nate nodded, eyes still narrowed. After a moment, his faced clear and he looked back at Alex. "Okay, they want us in our positions." He raised his eyebrows. "You ready to face the Bachelors once again?"

He said this so nonchalantly, when Alex was scared shitless. She nodded. Nate took her hand and led her to the side of the stage. "Easy stuff," he said to her. "They're going to present me, the host, the crowd will go wild, blabla. Then I'll present you, you will come in stage left—or from here (I enter right, see? Over there)—wave a few times, give them your charming smile, and sit on that loveseat right there, next to the long ass couch. You'll be sitting next to me"—oh how lucky—"And just go with the flow."

Nate was about to walk away, but Alex grabbed his arms, causing little sparks to fly up to her shoulder. Ignoring this, she looked at Nate with a panicked expression.

"Wait." She said, and he looked at her. "That's it? No hints as to what's going to happen? What is this, anyway?"

Nate smirked. "It's a real reality show, sweetheart," Nate said. "We actually don't script your scenes. People love your shocked faces and spontaneous things. And for the characters to not know what to do." He shrugged. "It's what the people want." He was about to turn back, but he looked at her, looking frightened, and his expression softened. "Hey," he called. Alex turned, and Nate took her hand and squeezed it. "It'll be alright."

Alex swallowed. "Promise?"

Nate seemed to not think about what he was doing when he stroked her cheek. "I promise."

Then he was gone.

And everything after that was like a blur.

She look a deep breath.

Here we go, she thought, as she heard her name being called.

Alex stepped on the stage.

...so there. I updated. And I left you with a cliff hanger. Sorry about that. Not the best chapter, I admit, and pretty short. But my mind wouldn't give for anything better. Thanks for being so patient. Prmise the next chapter will be out sooner than you'd expect.

Yes, Jeremy will be back. And he will surprise you. Now Alex has three guys (apart from all the other Bachelors, I mean) on her back. Nate, Shane, and Jeremy.

Oh, the drama.

Hope you enjoyed.

Review, and the chapter will be out much quicker...

Just a hint.