Ch. 2

It's 8 a.m. on Monday evening and Mia is still not there. The other seven women have already chosen their rooms and have settled down. He himself moved into the little hut next to it to have and give privacy.

“ Where is the 8th now? Maybe she doesn't want to. ", Comments Emilia, who is not wearing a bra again and shows everyone what she has. "She's coming soon.", Says Sophia. She looks at him with sad eyes. He smiles. Then he hears the cameraman, who is secretly hoping that Mia is the last, say: "A car has just turned into the driveway!"

Only 5 minutes later she is standing in front of them with a trolley case in hand. “Nobody said anything about a deadline. It's still Monday evening ”, the cameraman laughs heartily and Jack can't help but smile. He hugs her like the others before and asks Mia to bring her stuff up quickly. Sophia shows her which room is still available.

Then he introduces the women to each other. Small groups and loners immediately form. “Tonight I will let you arrive in peace and get to know each other. I'll come by tomorrow morning and see how it goes. Good evening!"

Several cameras follow the women, one follows him. He goes into the hut and looks at everything again. All of this is sponsored for a show. Strange that people out there are interested in seeing him try to find a wife. In the kitchen he gets a beer and offers the man behind the camera one too. "No thanks. Not while filming. ”“ By the way, how long do you want to follow me today? And what's your name? "" I'm Max and I'm supposed to accompany you until 10am. "" You won't get to see anything exciting. Make yourself at home. ”He turns around and sits down in front of the TV. Before he can turn it on, however, the song ´Summer Paradise´ can be heard from his pocket. Finn! He had forgotten about it. “Hey, buddy, what do you want?” His long-time friend laughs at the end of the line. "Squeeze you. How do you like the women? Are they hot? ”“ They all look pretty good. ”He couldn't give that much information yet. “All right, you secretive! When should I show up tomorrow? And is it true that I should live with the women in the villa for the next 4 weeks? ”, He had insisted that Finn come on the show. He should see what the women think behind the scenes. “Tomorrow at 10 o'clock! And yes, you live with them. ”“ Oh my God, what did I get myself into? ”, Now it's up to him to laugh. "Come on. You will survive. After all, the whole thing was your idea at the beginning. "

#

“ Kim, that was your idea! What was I thinking about going on this date? Half of the people here have already got their claws out. ”, She sighs. But her friend doesn't give up. “You couldn't think of anything else after the evening. Maybe it is. Maybe he'll choose you! ”“ Or one of the others. I shouldn't have to court a man. How far do you have to sink. ", Another sigh. The door opens quietly. The woman with the brown curly hair slips in. Sophia, she showed her the room. "You I have to break up! I'll call you again. “, Mia doesn't wait for an answer but hangs up immediately. She looks suspiciously at Sophia. "Hey, no need to be hostile, I was thinking we could be friends? You seem to be normal too. ”Her shoulders relax. Sophia made an impression on her too. "Sit down! Why are you participating here? I can't believe that such a helpful woman can't get it! ”, The person opposite laughs. “I can only give the same back. Well, I finally want it. The man for life ... they lived happily ever after. The looks and the touches. I dreamed of it as a teenager. I thought it was worth a try. ”, Her eyes glow dreamily. “I didn't know anything about this show. My girlfriend signed me up without my knowledge. I work too much, she says. I should treat myself to something. "

The two deepen their conversation. Talk about their job and their music. People laugh and have fun. They say goodbye late in the evening.

Your internal clock rings at 7:30 a.m. As a routine she goes to the bathroom, gets ready and only realizes in the kitchen that she doesn't have to go to work. Not today and the whole of next week. She gave her number to each of her clients. So keep calm, if they need help they will call. Mia inspects the cupboards and notices that they have everything. Why not? She thinks and sets the breakfast table.

It's already warm outside, so she decides to sit on a bench in the garden. The sun is shining on her face. She must have dozed off because the next thing she notices are shadows over her face and noises from inside. "Hey, sleepyhead. Everyone is already eating inside. Hurry up. ”, Confused, she lets the hand pull her along. Okay, she gets up early. If she has the opportunity, however, she mutates into a morning grouch. "Tomorrow all of them!", Mia greets the others. Some answer, others just cast condescending looks at them.

#

It's ten past ten. He forgot something. He just doesn't know what.

DAMN! The women. In a flash he gets ready in the bathroom and steals one of the croissants from the table. Still in pajamas and an open shirt, he hurries over. Finn stands in front of the door and grins. "Don't even show up on time for your own appointment. Tztztz ... let's go, late riser. “They ring the bell and it is immediately opened by Lola. The catalog model. "Morning, sweetheart. Come in. “, All 8 sit on the big couch. “Good morning, I'm sorry for the delay. I am a late riser. At least it's out now. ”He smiles adorable at all of them. He points to his friend. “This is Finn. He will live here on the first floor. He mixes with you here and there. “, In the chorus comes:“ Hello, Finn! “. "Today we will all go to the zoo together.", Everyone screams in delight, only Mia smiles to herself. “Tomorrow I would like to do something with Lola and Emilia. On Thursday with Hannah and Summer. I would like to spend Friday with Aria and Trixi. The next day with Mia and Sophia. What we're going to do remains a surprise. Let's go. Get your stuff. Departure in 20 minutes.

" If you don't want one and can't send it home yet, can I have it?", Finn grins broadly and turns around in circles. "Man, this is amazing! The pure luxury. Maybe I'll take part in something like that too. ”“ Now come down again! You get more like enough women. ”, Finn is a womanizer. Not a typical macho, because he treats them all as if they were on hand. As long as the romance lasts. And he doesn't give them false hopes. Otherwise he could not be friends with him.

“ Dreaming enough. I'll show you your room. It is on the ground floor. The women are one floor up. ”, Jack walks down the hall and opens a door to the left of the second bathroom. The room is brightly decorated. Sky blue walls, white furniture and a really big bed. "Are you sure that this should be mine? She has taste! The interior designer. I particularly like the bed. ”Jack can only imagine that.

“ Your stuff has already been placed here. You still have a quarter of an hour until you go to the zoo. ”His friend's mouth opens. "What? Should I go on your dates? Buddy, somewhere your friendship ends. You should be able to do that on your own. ", Confused Jack shakes his head. "Date? This is a group outing. To get to know better. I wouldn't take you on two dates. You would just make sarcastic comments the whole time and enjoy yourself. "

Finn escapes a sigh of relief. "I just thought you wanted to get back on me for persuading you. But you're right, I just couldn't resist the temptation. ”Jack laughs. “That you are here is enough punishment I think. I go back to the living room and wait for everyone. See you soon ”, he strolls into the room and meets Summer. Her dark blonde hair softly plays around her face. She is sitting on the couch in a colorful summer dress and flip-flops on her feet. Next to her, a little hidden, Aria. Her black bob and long jeans are in total contrast to her neighbor. "You two were probably the fastest.", Both look up. Smile at him. "Yes, we thought we could exchange a few words with you then.", Summer beams at him and nudges Aria with her elbow. "Jack?", Arias head rises slowly. "I'm sorry that I'm so cautious and that I was a little absent from our date at times. It's just that I don't trust others so quickly, which is why I signed up here. ”, Her eyes shine. Something like hesitant trust grows in it. "I thought so. That's why I took you with me. “, He takes her hands and looks deep into her eyes and smiles. He doesn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable.

The next ones come crashing down the stairs. Jack lets go of Aria's hands and turns to face the door. Sophia, Trixi and Mia come stumbling in, in the truest sense of the word. Trixi stumbles, Mia runs into her and Sophia laughs and tries to keep the two upright, but becomes tangled. Their happy laughter fills the room. "Hey, sorry," Trixi mumbled and turned red. Jack looks at her in silence. The scene looked as if the three had known each other forever. But he doesn't have time to think about it, Emilia, Hannah and Lola are coming. All dressed in super chic. Not exactly zoo fair, but some women can, so he doesn't say anything. Now only Finn is missing. “FINN?” “Don't yell like that, buddy! I'm already there and apparently also last ... “, he remarks when he sees the women.

#

Mia loves the zoo. She just likes animals. No matter if cuddly tiger or decrepit turtle. They are just beautiful animals, each in a different way. Jack has just paid and everyone is turning left to face the camels. They chew comfortably and stare at us just as curiously as we do them. Half of the women go on to see the little monkeys who clean each other or carry their children around.

Jack stands between Summer and Mia. "What do you think of the camels?", He beams at both of them from the side. “You are almost enviable. Every camel seems to have found its partner. Okay, they get their partner chosen by the zoo managers, but it always goes well. Little babies are born! ”Summer looks longingly up at the animals. “It's nice that they have each other. What I particularly like about them is that they never lose their temper. Always comfortable on the go. Even now. We stare at them, talk about them and these animals stare back cheekily. As if they are secretly laughing at us. “, Mia laughs at the camel that is closest to her. "That's right, is it not? What do you think of that? ”, She nods to the animal. The camel seems to bow its head a little. "I knew it!", Summer and Jack look openly at her. Fortunately, Finn saves her from an embarrassing situation. “WHERE ARE YOU?” Without saying another word, they follow the rest of the group.

Back at the herd, you can see that Finn takes every woman to one side and talks to her. In the meantime, penguins, water jackets, giraffes and polar bears are admired. Mia also gets to know Sophia, the photographer, better. Hannah, the crazy architect, is also open and free from any pressure. A good feeling to get to know people who are similar to you, who understand you. "What do you say to our Jack, Sophia?" Hannah threw the question casually into the conversation. Sophia's hands fold in front of her. The gaze wanders automatically to the said and then to the ground.

" He looks good ... also seems to be very personable.", Then suddenly her eyes light up and her eyes look for Hannah's. “Our blind date was in a pub. We laughed and talked so much. As if we've known each other forever. "Suddenly something seems to occur to her. Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes look ashamed. "How was your date, Hannah?" Mia tries to focus attention on herself and Hannah. “We laughed and talked a lot too. He always had the right saying or an anecdote from his life. Too delicious! “, Hannah pulls a pout. "Spit it out, kitten! What was going on with you? “, Emilia has joined them and now examines Mia curiously. "Well, Jack seems to be able to keep conversations going. No awkward silence with us either. Emilia? “, Where we are exchanging our moments anyway. "He kept staring into my neckline.", She grins triumphantly. “I give my body parts to actors who are not that lucky. Here and there I gave him a little introduction. Every time the cameramen went in. You shouldn't send something like that at this time. ”, Shaking her head she pierces you with her eyes. "Sounds interested." The silence spreads. There they come to the lion house. In front of it an ice cream stand. “Who wants one?” Trixi, the journalist, points excitedly at the ice cream van. Aria, Summer, Hannah and Jack join her.

" That tastes heavenly.", Aria, the real estate agent, groans loudly into the group. In return, the ice-eater nods in agreement and the others laugh. We wait until everyone has eaten.

Lions are Mia's favorite animals, but it hurts her to see these magnificent kings of the wild in such small enclosures. Even females are separated from their partners. They communicate by aggressive roars and scratching the walls. They want to share the suffering to each other. But the guards separate men and women in order to offer the visitors a show.

Trixi, who still has ice cream in the corner of her mouth, stands next to her. "They are beautiful animals, aren't they?" "Yes, they have such beautiful manes!" They nod to each other in silent agreement. "By the way, you still have some ice cream hanging here." "How embarrassing!", She quickly wipes her mouth. Your cheeks burn. "Oh where. Can happen to anyone. ", Mia quickly looks around and finds Jack, in whose stubble still shimmering ice. She nods her head in his direction. Suddenly Emilia approaches him. She bends lasciviously to his ear and whispers something to him. Then she leans forward and brazenly kisses the ice cream on his chin. “Unbelievable!” Trixi exclaims.

“ Someone had to start the hunt today, right? I'm not surprised that it was Emilia! ", They look out of the corner of their eyes, like all the other women, at Jack's reaction. He doesn't seem too surprised, maybe that's what she whispered to him. His lips move, his eyes amused. But with a certain distance. Mia explains for herself that everything is okay, if he had been into it, she would have left.

" MIA! MIA! “, An almost childlike voice calls out her name.

#

Jack turns to the voice and discovers a very pregnant girl. She smiles and before they are within earshot, she continues. “She turned! SHE has turned! ”Mia's face is painted with infinite relief mixed with worry. First there is a deep hug, then she pulls the girl away from the group and talks seriously to the girl. But she doesn't let the mood take her away. She is overjoyed. After a few more minutes, Mia grins too. The worry evaporates. Apparently a second problem has been resolved.

He has completely forgotten Emilia, who was still standing next to him. "How? Is that your daughter? ”“ She should have had it when she was 10 years old, or when she was younger. ”A comment like that is typical for Emilia. Her merits are clearly in her figure, not her brains. "Oh!", Then not 2 seconds later: "How she comes to the fore with this action.", As if that was planned. After talking about her job until the cameras were off. Now he also notices that Max, a cameraman who has already talked to Mia, lets his crew record everyone else. Max is a good guy. Everyone is slowly coming together around him. What do you think is happening?

Mia has finished her conversation and says goodbye. She doesn't notice that the air seems to have grown thicker. "Sorry, there was a friend of mine whom I help." That settles the matter for her. All heads turn to him. “Who wants to see the bears next?” Without waiting for an answer, he marches ahead.

#

Finn has joined her. She was the last. Whatever. “Hey, Mia right?” He doesn't even wait for an answer. “Jack told me absolutely nothing. I arrived here without a plan of who lives here with me. ”“ So you want to pull off the roommate's stitch ?! ”, he looks at her from the side, astonished. "I'm sorry. Maybe it was a bit too direct. ”“ Oh, it's refreshing. Either the women here were much reserved or too open-hearted. You don't often find the healthy mediocrity among you. ”They run a few steps in silence. Jack is peering in our direction. “What interests me most is why does he keep looking at you at appropriate intervals? So his looks are looking for you much more often than the others. "At first Mia is quite surprised. Then they remember their date. “We made friends quickly, I'll say now. Got warm to each other quickly. Maybe therefore. Our meeting is only on Fridays. What is the point, I think he understands me. At least better than the others. He seems to have built a similar relationship with Sophia. “, Finn stops. "You hate to get attention." No question. A statement. “You could say that.” Why don't you find a guy the normal way? ”“ Because I work almost always. I didn't even register for this. A friend just presented me with a fait accompli. ”He looks slowly at Jack. “Was it worth it?” That is the crucial question. "Yes ... it was worth it, but in which respect I'm not sure yet."

#

The rest of the day is uneventful. They watch the animals, get to know each other better as a group and laugh a lot together. Jack inconspicuously avoids Mia's presence because otherwise he would probably have pulled her into his arms. Which the others would not have liked as much as he did. Somehow he feels the need to hold her and he doesn't quite know why yet.

Back home, he accompanies her to her door. “I had a lot of fun today and of course I hope you guys too. Tomorrow I'll pick you up, Emilia and Lola, at 10 a.m. Please wear something comfortable! Good night, I wish you pleasant dreams! “, Mia wants to follow the others, but Jack holds her back.

“ How is the pregnant girl? Are you okay? ”, Her eyes widen. “The child was wrong. Because of their constant efforts to walk a lot, it has turned. Now we no longer need to worry that a caesarean section will be necessary. In addition, she has finally confessed to her parents that her boyfriend left her 8 months ago and that she is pregnant. Also, they didn't know that she lives with us in the facility and not with her friend whom I played. Which is absolutely forbidden. So, everything is fine again! “, She smiles up at him. Then he gives in to his desire and presses her to him. His head on her neck, hers pressed against his chest. He inhales deeply the scent of a lotion that looks incredible on her.

So they stand there, Max next to them who films guiltily. After what seems like an eternity to him, he lets go of her again. “I'll see you tomorrow morning.” Happy and satisfied with the conversation, he goes into his little hut and goes to bed.