Heartbreak for Dinner: It's Kind of a Long Story by Annah Rondon

sure didn’t make it on the show.
Imagine The Real Housewives of New Jersey but without clothes and then men
of all shapes and sizes humping them while the camera is rolling and the director’s
yelling, “No, lick her ass from that angle so the camera can catch it.”
    The lunch buffet for the crew was spread in the most beautiful
manner each day at the back of the mansion. Even though I wanted to eat all the
succulent delicacies as badly as I wanted a threesome with Ricky Martin before he
was gay and Channing Tatum, I was afraid I’d end up eating a chicken breast doused
in pube gravy, seeing most of the “actors” had no qualms about piling their plates
while prancing around Adam-and-Eve style. On my last day, I forgot my wallet at
home and my stomach was growling so hard one of the producers looked at me and said,
“I think someone’s hungry, come.” With a grin across his portent face he grabbed
my hand and led me to the back of the line, where five naked strangers already stood
waiting to serve themselves. I surveyed the buffet nervously while tugging on my
skirt, finally picking a sealed chocolate pudding and a banana. An actor named Chukk
with a double K stood next to me and asked, “Is dat all you finna eat?”
    “Yeah,” I looked up at him all nonchalant-like. “I’m not really that
hungry today.”
    “Well, the meat be good as hell heyah. You should make some space
foh it.”

    I put a small piece of steak on my plate and waved goodbye to
Chukk with my edible goodies on hand. Behind the safety of my small office door,
I disposed of everything in the garbage and covered it with paper. Soon after I
faked a stomach ache and went home an hour later. To no one’s surprise, I’ve yet
to watch porn or eat chocolate pudding since.

In Summer We Bloomed
    I opened my eyes the following morning next to Gabriel with a pounding headache and still drenched in fuchsia pleats. “Buenos dias,
preciosura,” the man next to me smiled and dimples emerged on his tanned face.
“Are you here with me now?”
    “What is that supposed to mean?” I asked him in Spanish and buried
my head on his shoulder.
    “Hmmm,” he rubbed the small of my back and kissed my left temple.
“You had a few wines past your limit yesterday, and at the end of the night all
you wanted to do was leave your friends behind.”
    “I don’t remember that at all.”
    “I expect you don’t remember what took place after we left Azucar
either, huh?”
    I felt myself blush in his arms and was glad he couldn’t see me. “I
am certain whatever answer I give will be awful so I’ll keep my comments to myself.”
    “I didn’t expect you to, guapa ,” he laughed and got up. “Last
night was incredible whether or not you remember; you’re still dressed so obviously
I’m a gentleman.”
    Two hours later, it was noon and after devouring a breakfast that
Gabriel prepared for me, I was within the safety of the walls of the Palace once
again.
    When I arrived at the hotel, I opened
the door to our room and practically ran into Jonah, who was walking toward the
bathroom wearing nothing but boxers.
    “Have a good night?” he asked sarcastically,
not bothering to say good afternoon.
    “What’s it to you?” I rolled my eyes,
wishing I didn’t have to look at him standing in front of me half-naked. “Go put
some clothes on, for fuck’s sake.”
    “What, you’ve had enough of naked men
for one day?” he glared at me, standing there casually when all I wanted to do was
punch him in the face and make out with him simultaneously and without warning.
    “There’s never enough,” I retorted. “I
just don’t want to see your body parts, so—”
    “Can you guys please shut up!? I’m trying
to sleep here,” came Olivia’s voice from under the covers.
    I pushed past him and into the room as
he went in the bathroom and shut the door. I opened the closet and picked out a
brown and beige summer dress to change into, a feeling of claustrophobia and