Unscripted Desires

by Lawson, Cassandra

  He stared at me with his mouth agape until I started laughing. “For a minute, I thought you were serious.”

  “Don’t worry,” I assured him. “I have much more realistic goals. I want to become a teacher. Between school and working to pay my bills, I’m going to be too busy to date.”

  “That is a lot to deal with,” he said with a sigh. “Maybe we’ll run into each other again someday, after things settle down for both of us.”

  “You never know,” I replied with a smile. “I really should head back to my room.”

  “Can I walk you there?” he asked.

  “Yes, I’d like that.”

  We talked all the way up to my room. It was too bad I couldn’t date Ben. He was the first guy I’d had any interest in dating in a long time. This was a classic wrong time and wrong place scenario.

  Once we reached my room, I pulled out my card key and looked up at him with a smile. “Thanks for the drink. It was nice meeting you, Ben.”

  He said nothing as he reached out and placed a hand on my cheek. My gaze locked with his, and he continued to watch me as he leaned in slowly until his lips brushed against mine. His kiss started tentatively but quickly grew more intense and heated. He backed me against the door and groaned into my mouth as his tongue slid past my lips. My hands moved to his chest, and I was surprised by the nipple ring on the left side. Perhaps, my flute player was more of a bad boy than I thought.

  I practically whimpered with need as he continued to explore my mouth. Ben knew what he was doing, and I suspected I would judge my next boyfriend based on this kiss. That thought immediately cooled my lust, and I gave his chest a gentle shove.

  He broke the kiss and took a couple of steps back. “Sorry if that was too forward. I knew this was my only chance to kiss you, but now I’m not sure if it was such a good idea.”

  “Because you’re worried I didn’t want you to kiss me?” I asked. “I’m glad it happened.”

  “I’m glad, too,” he admitted. “I should go. Thank you again for spending some time with me today, Gemma. It’s been a stressful couple of weeks, and this is the first time I’ve felt relaxed.”

  “I’m glad I could help you relax,” I told him as I opened the door and smiled at him over my shoulder. “It was nice meeting you.”

  “The feeling is mutual,” he murmured as I hurried inside and closed the door behind me.

  Chapter 4

  Gemma

  My ass was seriously dragging when I headed down to meet Misti and Kristi the next morning, not surprising since I’d only gotten about five hours of sleep. No big deal. It’s not like I needed to look good for auditions, but I didn’t want to look too bad. I’d slipped on a red sundress that fell to just above my knees and a pair of comfortable sandals.

  Misti had texted me to let me know where to meet them. They’d just sat down with their breakfasts when I arrived.

  “Wow! You two look incredible! I guess you got your appointments.”

  I wasn’t exaggerating. When they’d talked about getting dressed up for the show, I’d pictured them in too much makeup and skintight dresses. Their makeup wasn’t overdone. They’d opted for dresses that hit mid-thigh and flowed around their slender hips. Each had on impossibly high heels, so I felt shorter than usual standing beside them. Misti had her long blonde hair up with a few wisps framing her face. Kristi’s was in spiral curls that flowed down her back.

  “No,” Misti replied with a pout. “Everyone was booked up.”

  “We had to improvise,” Kristi added.

  “I don’t think the salons could have done any better,” I assured them.

  “Have you changed your mind about being on the show?” Kristi asked. “You really should try out. You’re single, smart, and beautiful.”

  “Plus, you’re going to be a teacher,” Misti added. “These shows eat that up.”

  “I’m still going to pass,” I told them. “Don’t worry. If they don’t let me in with you, I’ll meet you later so you can tell me everything.”

  “They have to let you in,” Misti insisted.

  “This is so exciting!” Kristi practically squealed. “Do you have any idea what this could do for my career?”

  Both Kristi and Misti were aspiring actresses, so the exposure could help them. At least, they were going into the auditions with realistic expectations. I was sure some women hoped to find a love match after their three-day courtship.

  “I’m going to grab some food,” I told them on my way to the buffet. “Sorry I’m running so late.”

  “We still have plenty of time,” Misti assured me.

  That would have been true had I headed to the buffet a minute earlier. Had I just gotten there before the woman with seven small children, I’d have made it through the line with no problem. What could go wrong with seven kids at a buffet? Probably nothing with most kids. These children were complaining, sneezing, and grabbing food. One coughed on the eggs while another grabbed all the bacon he could fit in his arms before making a mad dash for the exit. That left the other children unsupervised long enough to start shoving their hands into the pastries as they tried them all. If they didn’t like one, they put it back.

  Twenty minutes later, the buffet had been cleaned and restocked. I finally got my food and headed back to the table.

  “We have to go,” Kristi told me as I was about to sit down.

  I stared forlornly at my food.

  “You can eat on the way up there,” Misti assured me.

  “Okay,” I agreed as I grabbed the muffin and bacon from my plate. I took a couple quick bites of my eggs.

  I asked Misti to carry a bottle of water for me. Instead of eating my breakfast, I squeezed into a crowded elevator, and it was all I could do to avoid having my food end up all over someone’s outfit. That might have gotten my ass kicked by one of the women who’d gone to great efforts to look just right.

  “Why do they call it an audition?” I asked. “Are you going to read some lines?”

  Several other women in the elevator sighed and huffed as if they thought my question was ridiculous.

  “I looked it up online, and it’s not exactly an audition,” Misti explained. “They’ll ask some questions about what we like and our dreams.”

  “So, more like an interview,” I said with a nod as the elevator opened, and even more women attempted to press in with us. Their perfume was enough to make me a little lightheaded. Only three more floors to go, and we couldn’t possibly fit one more woman in unless we stacked someone on top.

  “You should have done more research if you want to get selected,” a woman near the middle told me. “I can’t see that outfit going over too well.”

  Some other women came to my defense and argued that my dress was fun and would stand out.

  “I’m here to support my friends,” I told them. “We don’t even know if I can go inside with them.”

  “I’m here with my sister,” another called out. “I checked in advance, and it’s okay as long as you sign all the forms promising you won’t disclose anything you see or hear.”

  “Yay!” Misti exclaimed as she tried to bounce in the tight space.

  The doors opened, and we all pressed out of the elevator and walked toward the event room the show had reserved.

  “Wow,” Misti said nervously as she looked around at all the women who were already there to audition.

  “Yeah, wow,” Kristi agreed. “How many women do you think are here?”

  Enough to make me realize I wouldn’t get back to my room for a nap any time soon.

  “Maybe this is a mistake,” Misti said nervously as she continued looking around.

  I flashed her a smile. “You have as much chance of getting selected as any of these ladies,” I assured her. “Even if you aren’t selected, this will be an exciting adventure.”

  They both hugged me.

  “You are so sweet, Gemma,” Kristi cooed.

  “We have to hang out more,” Misti added. “I kn
ow we don’t live in the Bay Area, but we go out there at least every couple of months.”

  When I’d first met them at the reception, I’d figured they’d get on my nerves within a few minutes. They did at times, but they were genuinely good people.

  A woman in a power suit came out and clapped her hands. “Form three lines over here. We are going to take names, have you sign forms, and decide who’s going on to the next level.”

  Chapter 5

  Ben

  “Try to look at least a little excited,” my manager, Tamara, told me as she rushed by to turn on the television.

  “Excited?” I asked. “What have I got to be excited about? I didn’t want to be on this show, but you scheduled it for me.”

  That wasn’t entirely true. Tamara hadn’t signed me up without getting my okay first. True, it was her idea, and she’d pushed hard for me to agree, but I could have said no. I only had myself to blame.

  “You asked me to do something about your bad reputation after your break-up with Debbie,” she reminded me. “Don’t blame me for your current situation.”

  I groaned at the reminder of my ex and how she’d screwed me over. “Right. I need to fix my image.”

  It sucked that I needed to worry so much about my image. As a rock star, I could deal with a bad boy rep and a little cheating scandal. The bad boy rep I’d earned. The cheating scandal? That was pure bullshit, but it still wouldn’t matter so much if I weren’t in the midst of a career change. I needed some positive coverage. At the very least, I needed to seem like I wasn’t an asshole who couldn’t keep his dick in his pants.

  When Tamara had approached me with the idea of going on Married in Three Days, I’d laughed, convinced she had to be joking. Reality television is not the best way to improve anyone’s image, yet she’d somehow talked me into it. I was an idiot—an idiot who’d already committed to being the celebrity groom.

  The show was garbage. I’d watched two seasons of reruns, and I couldn’t figure out why people tuned in unless they just liked seeing relationships fail. There were some amusing moments, and I even found myself rooting for one of the couples for a short time. I suppose that might keep people coming back for another season, but the whole premise was ridiculous.

  “There are a lot of good candidates out here,” Tamara told me as she looked at the television screen. When I didn’t jump up to see for myself, she turned and glared at me. “Get up and pretend to be excited about meeting your future bride.”

  “I wish you wouldn’t call her that,” I grumbled as I stood and moved forward to look at the screen as the camera moved around the crowd of women. Tamara was glaring at me. “Don’t look at me like that. I said I’d do this, and I’ll do it.”

  “I know you’ll do it. What I’m asking for now is enthusiasm,” she reminded me. “Try using those acting skills of yours.”

  “Was I always this jaded?” I asked her. “All I can think about is how awful this is going to be. I’m also worried I’ll end up looking even worse. What if they play it off like I cheated? These shows are like that.”

  “They agreed to our terms, and that means they can’t make you look like a cheater unless you cheat on your bride,” she replied without looking away from the television. “As for you being jaded? You’ve had a rough year, and you ended up getting screwed. Is it any wonder you’re worried people are going to screw you over? Just try to find a girl you like and give her a chance.”

  “I met this girl last night,” I told Tamara as I scanned the sea of women.

  That was enough to get her attention away from the women in the other room. “Uh-oh!”

  “I didn’t do anything I shouldn’t have,” I assured her. “We talked and hung out for a few hours.”

  “This could still go very badly if she starts talking about how you had some magical connection,” she warned. “You know how groupies get.”

  “She wasn’t a groupie,” I argued. “And she’s not in any position to start dating either. Nothing much happened.”

  “Nothing much happened? You had better give me more details.”

  “I kissed her when I walked to her room, but that’s all,” I assured her. “One kiss.”

  One kiss that I couldn’t stop thinking about. Tamara might have a stroke if I told her that part, so I kept it to myself.

  “Don’t mess this up,” she warned.

  “I won’t,” I promised.

  “You will get sued for a lot of money if you try backing out now,” she stated.

  “I know. I won’t screw up.”

  There was no backing out, so I needed to get my head in the game and focus on finding myself a TV bride. One good thing was I had the final say in who I married. The network people would sift through all the women before I talked to any of them. They’d review their applications and conduct short interviews. Some would be eliminated before they even filled out a form, though I didn’t know what criteria they used to decide who stayed. After they thinned out the ranks, I’d start meeting my prospective brides.

  “Oh shit,” I said when I saw her. She wasn’t in line with the others, but she had to be there to try out for the show. I waited to feel pissed at her for lying to me about her reasons for not being able to date, but that reaction never came. I hadn’t told her my reasons, either. I decided to focus on the positive; I might get to spend a lot more time with Gemma. “That’s her.”

  “Who?” Tamara asked as she looked at the screen. “Have you already picked out your favorite? Don’t tell me. Let me see if I can guess which one you like best. It must be the blonde with boobs as big as your head.”

  “Have I become that shallow?”

  “Yep,” she replied. “I take it that’s not who you meant.”

  “Nope. It’s the woman eating bacon,” I told her, smiling as I saw Gemma make a face that looked like she was moaning as she bit into a slice.

  “I don’t see her,” Tamara insisted before her eyes finally landed on Gemma. “Her?”

  “What’s wrong with her?” I demanded.

  “Nothing, but she’s not exactly your type,” she stated. “I doubt the network people will be looking her way either. I think they want someone flashy.”

  “She’s perfect,” I insisted. “Not only is she gorgeous, but it will be better for my reputation if I’m with someone who’s not all flash with little substance. Gemma’s planning to go back to school to become a teacher. She’s also really sweet and fun.”

  “No,” she said with a hand up. “Please, tell me the girl you kissed last night isn’t here to audition.”

  Gemma gave a thumbs up to someone in the line, and I frowned. “That is the same girl, but it doesn’t look like she’s trying to get on the show. Her friend is auditioning.”

  “That’s probably a good thing since the idea is for you to meet the woman for the first time in front of the cameras,” she told me.

  I waved off her argument. “That’s all bullshit. They want me to meet everyone who makes the final round today. It’s all a quasi-reality TV show. I’m telling you, Gemma is perfect. We need to figure out a way to get her on the show.”

  “I am going to ask you a question, and I need you to answer honestly.”

  “Go ahead,” I prompted.

  “Do you want this girl on the show because you think she’ll make you look good, or do you want her?”

  I was about to tell her it was all about my image, but I decided to go with the truth. “I want Gemma. Last night, I enjoyed spending time with her.”

  She nodded. “Then I’ll see what I can do to make this happen.”

  Chapter 6

  Gemma

  Kristi was disqualified early, but she didn’t seem down about it. She was on the sidelines, cheering Misti on with me.

  “If you’re going to stay in the room, I need you both to sign another NDA,” an energetic man with a clipboard told us.

  “Another one?” Kristi asked.

  “Wasn’t the one we signed enough?” I adde
d.

  The guy sighed. “I don’t know why they didn’t put it all on one form, but I imagine this is what the lawyers recommended. We’re going to bring out the celebrity groom soon, and we don’t want the public to find out his identity until we make our big reveal tomorrow night. The one you signed before just covered details of the selection process.”

  “All right. Just let me look it over,” I said with a nod. It wasn’t his fault they had so many forms. “Thanks for letting us stay in here to support our friend.”

  He waved off my gratitude. “We’re glad you want to stay.”

  “Why did you let us stay when you had other people who were here with friends leave?” Kristi asked.

  “They did?” I asked as I looked around.

  “Some were a problem,” the guy replied. “Your friend seems nervous, so it’s okay if you want to go check on her after you sign this.”

  It felt like he was trying to distract us, but I decided to worry about that later. Misti looked terrified. Kristi read the agreement aloud since the print was really small. We signed the forms before heading over to Misti. She was staring at a stack of forms in front of her as if she wasn’t sure what to do with them.

  “How about if we read through them together?” I suggested.

  “That would be great,” she replied with a shaky smile. “I’m beginning to regret this.”

  “You can always drop out, and we can leave now,” I told her.

  “Do you think I should leave?” she asked.

  “I think, if you leave, you’ll regret it,” I replied.

  “You’ve got this,” Kristi said as she grabbed the forms to read to Misti. “In a few minutes, you’ll get to find out who the celebrity groom is. It’s going to be so much fun knowing who’s on the show before everyone else. I love having a secret that only the three of us share.”

  The three of us and about two dozen other women, I silently added.

  Misti smiled. “It will be fun.”

  “Then let’s get these forms signed,” I suggested.