Day 9: Crystal Clear

"Alright, boys," Andrea begins. "I wanted to take you somewhere that you all would enjoy, but then production says they couldn't secure a permit to film in Brindleton Bay. So I got the next best thing."

"Windenburg Beach. I doubt anyone will disturb us here."

"Oh man, I really missed the smell of saltwater. Andrea sure knows the way to a guy's heart."

"So as always, I wanted to talk to each of you one-on-one. Does anyone volunteer to go first?"

"I volunteer as tribute!" Min Kyu shouts as Andrea chuckles.

"Someone's eager," she remarks. "Okay, let's head on over there."

"Admit it, Andrea."

"Admit what?"

"The real reason why you brought us to the beach."

"Um, because Leroy and Dax liked being outdoors?" Andrea says confused. "Sorry if that leaves you out, but I thought you wouldn't mind."

"So you still refuse to admit that you just wanted to see us in our swimwear? Especially me."

"Pfft," Andrea scoffs. "If I wanted to bring guys to a beach to see them shirtless, Daniel would have to come along."

"I'm hurt, you know," Min says, feigning sadness as he places his hands across his heart. Andrea chuckles alongside Min as he does this.

"But seriously though, you're pretty trim too. I guess all that dancing keeps you in shape," Andrea comments.

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe. I actually have to eat a lot just to maintain my weight. All that cardio burns a lot of energy."

"Speaking of which, have I ever told you of the time I won first place in a fall festival pie eating competition?" Min asks.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I don't joke about competitions, ma'am. You see, I'm not just about dancing. I," Min pauses for dramatic effect. "...am also a champion eater."

"I wish I could be a champion eater and still maintain a slender figure," Andrea says.

"You can, but there's a proper regimen for it. I can tell you, but it involves a lot of cardio. Well, anyway, a few years back, we had a pie eating competition in town. Blueberry, raspberry, key lime, you name it. Winner takes home two grand, which isn't bad at all. And I was up against this really hefty guy. He was this bear of a man, and nobody thought I could do it, with me being small and lanky. But I did. And victory never tasted so sweet. And fruity. I did feel a bit sick afterwards, but it was nothing a little Pepto couldn't fix."

"I'm impressed," Andrea remarks. "And you know, those pie eating skills can also translate to other skill areas."

"Like what?"

"That's for you to figure out," Andrea teases.

"Enjoying the fire, Dax?" Andrea inquires.

"I know it's a hot summer day at the beach, but something just feels right about standing in front of a bonfire," Dax replies.

"Oh, you're right. This feels nice," Andrea purrs as she exposes her back to the fire.

"I bet it would feel great after a quick swim. I can tell the water's cold right now," Dax says as he eyes the sea.

"So.."

"So what?" Andrea asks in confusion.

"You promised me last time. You owe me a story."

"Oh, that. Where do I even begin?"

"Andy was this old nickname I had in school," Andrea begins her tale. "But I didn't exactly have a great time back in middle and high school."

"How come? I thought it was alright. Had some friends, and we'd go out to the beach on some weekends. It was a carefree time."

"Yeah, true, but I was pretty overweight back then. Almost obese, actually."

"Well, it doesn't matter now, right? High school was ages ago, and you look pretty fantastic today!"

"You're right, but you know how kids can be so mean. They used to tease and mock me a lot back then, calling me hurtful names. It still stings a bit today. But anyway, I decided one day that I couldn't endure the insults anymore, so I tried losing weight. By the time I went to culinary school, I'd already lost 75 pounds. I wanted to distance myself from 'Andy', so I just went by Andrea from there on."

"Oh, wow," Dax says. "I'm really sorry about that. But I bet your old classmates are eating their words now. You're pretty sexy now," he reassures her.

Andrea chuckles at this. "Yeah. Some of them have tried to make amends, which is nice. There was this one guy, Fred, who tried adding me on Facebook, but he was still an ass, so I blocked him."

"Enjoying the view?" Andrea asks.

"Now that you're part of it, yeah," Leroy responds. He then proceeds to stand up and dust off the sand on his back.

"See anything interesting up there?"

"Clouds, an airplane, and the very essence of that quality all beautiful things possess," Leroy answers.

"Really?"

"Nah, I'm just BSing you. I just like looking to the clouds for inspiration sometimes, and today's a pretty good day for that," Leroy explains.

"That's true. Lots of clouds in the sky right now so it's not too hot. You said you were looking for inspiration. Why's that?"

"Have I told you I paint?" Leroy asks.

"No, but then you did say you studied art back in college, so I guess that's no surprise."

"I've sold a couple of paintings on the side. It's mostly a hobby since the income isn't steady. But it helps pay the bills because high school teachers don't exactly have million simoleon contracts with the Llamas. And it also helped with my sister's medical bills."

"She's fine now, right?" Andrea curiously inquires. "Her surgery was a while ago?"

"Oh, yeah, that was a few years back. She's good now. And we had some money left over from Locked to invest and put in a savings account. Just boring old adult stuff."

"Yeah, let's talk about your paintings instead. What are your main sources of inspiration?"

"Hm, I mostly paint natural phenomena, really. Those field trips we have outdoors aren't just for the students, you know. Although lately, spending time inside the mansion has given me other ideas, so I guess it was good that I got to join the show. Oh, and I also draw inspiration from surrealist and impressionist styles. I don't know, those just speak to me somehow."

"Interesting."

"Talking with Andrea was such a treat. It's nice to meet such an intelligent and lively woman."

Looks like these guys are having a good time while Andrea's chatting it up with Leroy.

"Whatcha guys up to?" Leroy asks.

"It's a good day for a selfie, bro," Dax says. "The water looks great. See? Crystal clear."

"This filter looks good," Min Kyu points out. "Or this one. It gives us a certain glow."

"You guys took a selfie without me?" Andrea asks as she joins their conversation. "Come to think of it, it is a good day for a picture."

"There's a film crew to help capture the moment, actually," Leroy points out. "Maybe they can take our picture."

"We only have video cameras with us," a cameraman replies. "But we can take photos of you guys using your phones if you want."

"I have an idea," Andrea proposes. "Let's all go into the water and have Gary here take some pictures on my phone. I want a keepsake of this day."

"Can he do my phone too?" Dax asks.

"Send me the photos once you're done. I wanna post them on Facebook once I'm out of the house. Hopefully not too soon," Min Kyu says.

It was already a bit late when they all got back to the house, but not too late for a little bit more fun.

Here, we have everyone taking a little dip in the hot tub after dinner.

"I don't mean to be such a downer, but we all know what's going to happen tomorrow."

The men frown a bit as Andrea mentions this.

"But let's not think about that for now. Let's just think of the present, here in the moment. I want to spend a little more time with all of you before we go to bed. I hope that's okay."

"If it means spending more time with you, I don't think anyone here is going to object," Milo says. "And, um, since we're here, I just wanted to thank you for showing us all a wonderful time the past week. You don't really get to experience something like this everyday. I don't know if I'll still be here after tomorrow, so I wanted to tell you this while I can."

"Hey, Andrea said not to talk about that kind of stuff," Daniel interrupts. "Just focus on the now. We're all sitting in an awesome jacuzzi in the presence of a wonderful woman. I dunno about you, but I'm pretty content. This feels nice on my aching muscles too, actually."

"So what are your favorite moments on the show so far?" Aaron asks. "I really enjoyed that dance off yesterday. I don't get to dance pretty often, but I have a lot of fun when I do. I feel like I can let loose a bit on this show, which is nice because college tends to make me tense quite a bit."

"Well," Andrea says. "I have to admit that I really love that time we went to the Von Haunt Estate. I got to play chess with some of you guys, and I got to see the beautiful gardens. It was my first time there too."

"Didn't Tyne and Darnell go with us on that date?" Min asks. "I hope it didn't curse me too, because I'd hate to go home next."

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Let's just leave them here as they enjoy this night. And you know what's coming next, folks. Another elimination. Has Andrea decided on who to send home next? Who will continue their journey on this show, and who will have his dreams crushed tomorrow? Find out next time on For Love or Money, when we hold our third elimination ceremony! Good night, everyone!