We finally pulled up to the studio, just as I hurriedly finished my last bite of sushi. I took a quick sip of water, threw on a dark, lightweight vest, and hopped out of the car.
"Hey Alex! How are you? We're not late, are we?" Beth greeted someone, who seemed to be one of the producers, waiting outside for us.
"Oh no, perfect timing! Thanks for coming, Beth and Patrick. You can head to the dressing room for about five minutes, and the team will get you ready right after."
"Thanks so much!" Beth and I chimed in unison. Then we were led to get dressed and made up before finally taking our seats for the live show—The Late Night Show with Laila.
---
"Hi, Prince Patrick! It's great to see you today. Thanks for joining us! How are you feeling?" Laila kicked things off with her signature bright smile.
"Doing great, thank you, Laila. It's been a while, and I really appreciate you having me back for the second time this year!"
"Oh, absolutely! We and the audience love you, and everyone's dying to hear about what you've been up to and your future plans, little prince!" Laila barely finished her sentence before the crowd broke into applause and cheers. I nodded, clapped along, and laughed.
"And there's a little surprise we have for you tonight!" she teased, raising an eyebrow playfully.
"Whoa, I love surprises. What is it? Can I know now?"
"You'll find out soon enough, don't worry. But by the way, your outfit today is amazing! It totally matches the vibe of tonight's show!"
"Thanks! I actually spent all afternoon begging Kevin to design this just for you."
"Wow, Kevin! Did you hear that? Patrick wore your design just for my show. You've gotta become the official designer for all my guests! I'm hiring you! Haha!"
"Awesome! No more begging for me then," I chuckled.
"Haha, exactly! So, I heard that the filming for Lovestruck just wrapped up. How are you feeling about that?"
"I'm really grateful to the amazing team that worked so hard on this. And yeah, it's kind of sad to say goodbye because we all bonded and learned so much from each other, you know? It was such a rewarding and heartwarming experience. I hope we can all work together again on something new in the future."
"And what about your dear co-star, Lucia?" Laila grinned mischievously, clearly waiting for this moment.
Oh great. Everything was fine until the rumors started flying about me and Lucia secretly dating during filming. The whole "on-screen chemistry turning into real-life romance" thing. Ugh, how annoying!
"Oh, she's really great and super nice. I'm honestly grateful to have learned so much from such a seasoned pro. I really hope we get more chances to work together and create even more meaningful films for the audience." I gave a pretty generic answer, just trying to brush it off.
"Right! Definitely, and in the next show, we're looking forward to you and Lucia... Oops, sorry! I think I'm accidentally spoiling the surprise we had planned for you tonight!" Laila laughed loudly but quickly covered her mouth, pretending it was a slip.
"Good job! I'm dying of curiosity here," I said, folding my arms and tilting my head, trying to coax more out of her.
"Well then… We're thrilled to announce a special invitation for you from the Happiness League! Let's all take a look at the screen, Patrick and our audience!" she teased.
On the big screen, a video began playing. It was a message from the chairman of the Happiness League himself, inviting me to something huge:
Good day, Prince Patrick!
Thanks for opening this pre-recorded video! I'm Kenneth Murich, chairman of the Happiness League. Our mission is to ensure happiness and joy in the global entertainment industry.
I won't keep you waiting, so I'll get straight to the point. We are thrilled to extend an invitation to you for the biggest reality TV show we've ever organized—A-List Escape *he paused for dramatic effect*.
We're all about bringing passionate hearts together and adding a little more romance and real joy to the world of entertainment. And honestly, we believe you are the perfect fit for this show. Got questions? Feel free to check in with me later!
When it comes to joining us, we'd absolutely love to hear your decision tonight, right here with Laila! Happiness is just within your reach, prince. Have a good night!
"So your Highness, you've probably heard about this super cool show by now, right? What's your decision? You're in?" Laila asked, her eyes wide and a bright grin on her face.