The unpleasantries done, Hank turned to Chad. “Tell me why you want to keep her. If you truly have interest in her, she’ll stay in the game.”
“Wait! What?” Then Margaret realized her brother no longer held testing her rover over her. “You can’t force me to be on this show.”
“Hush.” Hank held up one finger in her direction, but didn’t turn, giving Chad his full attention. “Chad?”
Chad’s bravado fell in the face of Hank’s willingness to negotiate. “I don’t want her in, but I also don’t want Misty out.”
“It was my understanding you voted Misty out?” Hank said, making it a question.
“It was a mistake. We’ve grown close during this whole catastrophe.”
“Good lord,” Margaret said, unable to keep quiet. This was so contrived, she could scream. He’d already slept with Misty. Even thought he’d voted her out. If she had a man treat her that way, she would poke his eyes out. But then, she’d never wanted to be chosen from a group of women. She’d always wanted to meet someone and have the instant connection that made him know she was the one.
“Okay, so we’ll have Margo have an accident and bring Misty back. Would that make you satisfied?”
“Yes, I believe it would,” Chad said, sticking out his hand. “It’s a deal.”
They shook on it. “Do you still have your rose ceremony suit?”
“Yeah,” the bachelor said.
“Get into it. We’ll start the ceremony in a few moments. We’ll tell the girls of Margo’s demise, then have Misty reappear at the end of the ceremony. That will cause all kinds of drama.”
Chad grinned. “Sounds like fun.”
Hank nodded. “It will be.”
After Chad left, Hank swung to her. “What’s up with you and Boyle?” he asked, right in front of Jack.
She stuttered, trying to summarize something she wasn’t really sure how to define. What was up with her and Jack? They’d fooled around and had struck up a friendship. Those were the facts. But it was more complicated than that and everything was so new, she wasn’t sure where they stood. “We bonded while saving everyone’s lives,” she said tentatively, feeling weirdly exposed with Jack standing right there.
“We’re dating,” Boyle corrected, surprising her.
“We are?” she asked. She’d secretly worried this was a one night thing, but Jack didn’t seem to have trouble saying it was more to her brother.
“Yeah,” Jack said, his lips curving into a small, pleased smile. “We’re seeing where this leads.”
“Really?” Hank asked, his face saying that he couldn’t believe it.
That sounded like an insult, so Margaret said, “Don’t act so surprised.”
“Margo, you haven’t dated anyone in years.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m dried up and on the shelf,” she said, annoyed. No one could irritate her like her family.
“Well, she’s dating me now,” Jack said, finality in his tone.
A girly flutter shivered inside her.
“Great!” Hank said, already losing interest. “We can talk about this fascinating topic later. I have filming to do now. Margo, pack your bags, because you’re leaving in three hours with this shuttle.”
“That’s fast,” she said, but she’d known this moment was coming, had in fact fought to get herself kicked off when Chad had wanted to keep her. Now she wished she hadn’t said a word. She would have loved to explore what was blooming between her and Jack for a little while longer.
Margaret watched her brother walk away, the reality that she was really leaving sinking in. She had been so busy living in the moment, she hadn’t thought about the future.
A future that wouldn’t include Jack, because long distance dating never worked and when the distance was over fifty four million kilometers, it really wasn’t feasible.
Stay, something inside her whispered. But while she might like Jack and he’d told her brother they were dating, which had been wonderful, she’d always promised herself she would never give up her career for a man and she wasn’t going to start now. Because if she missed the University’s budget meeting, her lab would end up with no funding, which would mean she’d have no lab. She’d have no place to modify her rover and everything she’d spent the last ten years working for would be over.
From the other room, Jack could hear Hank coaching Chad about strategy for the next rose ceremony. They had to be standing right near the doorway. From the bits and pieces that filtered into the room, they were rolling out which order Chad should deliver the roses in.
He had three hours left with Margaret and he knew he had to make them count if he was going to change her mind. Once she left, it would be a long time before he saw her again. Even if he ended up shutting down his station, it would be months before he’d be Earth-side. So he wasn’t going to spend what might be the last moments with her listening to Hank manipulate rose ceremonies.
“Want to go see the valley I’ve been collecting samples from? The view is the best thing I’ve seen on this planet.” Well that was stretching it a bit. The best thing he’d seen on this planet was her. “We could be there and back long before the shuttle leaves.”
The sad frown that had come with the news she only had three more hours dropped away as a smile bloomed across her face. “I could be talked into doing that.”
“You want to drive?” he asked, trying his best to charm her, adding what he hoped was his most dashing grin.
She laughed. “You know I do.”
So they shrugged into suits and she drove them out into the desolate wasteland that was Mars.
They talked about where he was in his research and how her rover was handling in the real environment it was built for the whole way there. Then they stood side by side, studying the red valley before them, her silence attesting to her awe. He loved that he could share this with her.
She sighed. “I should go.”
He caught her arm when she turned to leave. “Stay,” he said, knowing as he said it that it was right, because they were perfect together. “I may only have a couple months left. You could fully test your rover, maybe work on a new design.” He studied her face, watching closely to see which way she’d lean. He realized he wanted her here more than he’d wanted anything in a long time.
He could see the wheels turning in her head. She was going to say yes. His whole body tightened in anticipation. He’d never wanted anything so badly before, not even Mars.
“Jack,” she said, and his heart sank. “I have to get back to Earth. If I miss an upcoming budget meeting, I lose my lab. Then where would I work on my rover?”
“Here,” he said, throwing out his arms. “Who needs a lab when you could have the real thing?”
She took a deep breath and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Jack. I have to go back. If I lose my lab, it will take me years to find another university that will give me what I currently have. It will set me back years in my career.” She touched his arm. “Please understand.”
Sadly, he did. But that didn’t mean he liked it.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
They were silent on the way back. She knew Jack wasn’t pleased with her decision. Quite frankly, she wasn’t happy either. But she had a lab at home, dammit, and if she didn’t defend her funding, she’d end up losing it.
It amazed her how much she wanted to say yes to staying. She wanted to so badly. The fact was, Margaret had never done anything impulsive in her life. She didn’t like impulsive decisions. Besides, only idiots threw caution to the wind, sacrificing everything for love.
Jack got out of the vehicle without saying another word and started for the mechanical hut door. Then he stopped and turned on one heel. “I know you have obligations back on Earth. But you’ve got an hour to change your mind and I hope you will.” He took her arms, feeling far away since they were both in their space suits. “But either way, you’re not done with me. I won’t be up here forever.”
Seeing him standing bef
ore her, a strong, intelligent man declaring his intensions made her heart hurt and she trembled. “Well, you know where to find me when you come home.” But she knew distance wasn’t kind to a shiny new relationship like theirs. They might be able to exchange the occasional message, but otherwise their relationship would be silent.
He nodded. “I do and I will.” Without saying more, he left, leaving her standing there more torn than she’d ever been, part of her wanting him to try to talk her into staying.
Did she expect him to beg her to stay? Jack Boyle didn’t beg. He commanded and promised. This was a man worth making sacrifices for, worth giving up things to be with.
She trudged into the station, her mind spinning on the possibility of simply staying on Mars. What if she let her ride home leave without her? She’d finish her rover here. If she lost her lab, she take the job that NASA kept offering her. It didn’t have to be the end of everything, but perhaps a new beginning—one that might include Jack if things between them worked out.
But if she did this, she’d be risking everything she’d built for love.
She couldn’t, wouldn’t do it.
When she was out of her suit, she wandered into the living room to pack her things. Another rose ceremony was in full swing. Chad handed out roses, one by one, to the contestants, Misty standing proudly in the front row, already holding one.
Hank stepped forward. “This will be the last rose,” he said in his deep announcer voice and stepped back.
Chad paused and slowly glanced at the two women remaining, back and forth until Hank tapped him on the arm to signal that he could speak again. “Amanda?”
Claire, the only one without a rose, began to cry, crumpling as she sobbed.
Instead of a squeal of delight, Amanda stayed where she was for a moment, then walked down to stand in front of the bachelor, wobbling a little on her extra high heels she’d had to wear since she was shorter than the rest of the cast.
“Amanda, will you accept this rose?”
Her jaw set. “Chad, I think you’re an amazing man, but I’m really not feeling the connection I think we should have at this point in the show,” she said, touching his hand but not taking the rose. “I cannot take your rose.”
Chad blinked a few times, clearly struggling with her decision. He’d been coached for this, but it took a few moments for him to force out, “I understand. May I escort you out?” Chad presented his arm.
“I’d like that,” Amanda said, as sweet as ever, her face crunched down in a worried frown that told Margaret she wasn’t enjoying this.
Who would? Not Margaret, who had essentially told Jack she wasn’t taking his rose either.
They left from the room arm and arm, Russ backing down the hall in front of them with a camera.
Hank whipped around to Lynette. “Did you know about this?”
Lynette jutted out a hip and rested a hand on it. “Were you not just complaining to me that this season was boring, despite the fact we are on Mars?”
“In the lab,” Hank growled, stalking out
Margaret grabbed the few pieces of clothes she’d left behind when she’d gone to Station 3 and then walked to the lab to get the rest of her things.
“Chad is not supposed to be turned down,” Hank was saying as she walked in. “The fantasy is he picks them.”
“Well, there was a bump in the fantasy.” Lynette’s tone clearly said she didn’t give two hoots that Hank was angry with this latest turn of events.
“It’s your job to make sure there aren’t bumps.”
“Don’t blame this one on me, Carson. It’s not my fault Amanda doesn’t like him because he slept with Misty. That’s on your bachelor for being a man whore.”
Hank held his head in his hands. “He was never supposed to be alone with any of them. That’s a rule.”
Lynette marched all the way into Hank’s space. “You left me to deal with this insanity alone. I told you it was a bad idea for you to stay behind. That there were too many people for one woman to control and Russ is next to useless.”
“Hey,” Russ said from the camera bank.
“No offense,” Lynette said, sparing him a quick glance.
“None taken,” Russ answered, already focused on something else.
“Did I not tell you it was a bad idea, Hank?” Lynette asked.
Margaret slid around on the edges of the room trying to reach the pack she’d taken to Station 3.
“Yes, you did,” Hank conceded. “But—”
Lynette talked over him. “Once I lost the rocket, I had no ability to keep them totally separate. That’s not on me.”
Margaret stuffed the clothing in her arms rapidly into her bag, hoping to escape before they saw her. Right now, they were totally focused on their fight, but that anger could fall on her if she didn’t get out quick. Because her brother had met his match. Wow.
Hank rubbed his eyes. “How many more want to leave?”
“Most of them. I’m keeping them here by the skin of my teeth, reminding them they can’t get on Paradise without my approval.”
“Jesus Christ,” Hank said and paced in a tight circle.
Margaret realized she had nowhere to go. She couldn’t join the women in the living room and right now, those voted off had taken up residency in the kitchen. She belonged to neither group. Despondent, she slid down against the wall, figuring they were so caught up in their conversation she wouldn’t be noticed.
“I did the best I could under the circumstances,” Lynette said, losing a smidge of her righteous anger.
“I know you did.”
“This whole thing has been fucked from the word go. I don’t think even you can save it.”
Hank stopped massaging his head, straightening. “You’re wrong. Nothing is ever unsalvageable. Remember episode 32? We thought it was unredeemable, but we pulled it out.”
Lynette tipped her head back and forth. “Maybe. But that was because everyone got food poisoning. Eventually, they all left the hospital and we could resume filming. This time is worse.”
Well at least Margaret wasn’t the only one who wasn’t going to get what she wanted. It occurred to her that since she was going home, she didn’t need to save her chocolate bars for an emergency. She rummaged around her bag until she found one.
“It’s not time to give up yet.” Hank said, his voice turning to steel. “What’s the underlying problem?”
“There are several, but the number one problem we have is that they don’t like him. And you know the audience can tell if they’re faking, no matter how much we edit.”
Margaret took a bite. Pure joy melted into her mouth. God, she loved chocolate. She was really blue about leaving. Why couldn’t she put all her responsibilities aside and take a chance? For the first time in her life, she wished she was that person. She took another mouthful, feeling weepy.
Hank ran his fingers through his hair. “We’re selling love here and to do that, we need them to be in love with him.”
“We can’t get that back. He’s chosen Misty and they know it. Once you let her return, they decided the game was over.”
Jack had chosen her, Margaret realized. To have someone who was the poster child for being a recluse ask her to stay with him was monumental. He wasn’t making a spontaneous decision, either. She’d bet he’d thought it all out backwards and forwards and was one hundred percent sure he wanted her with him.
She looked down. The chocolate bar was gone. The foil lay forlorn in her lap. She still felt weepy. Well, she could diet later, alone on Earth, in her lab. She dug through her bag for another.
“How can we get this back? There has to be a way.” Hank resumed his pacing.
“There isn’t,” Lynette said, and Margaret could tell she felt sorry for her brother.
“I need ideas, not naysaying, Lynette!” he said, desperation in every word.
Taking another bite, Margaret let the chocolate high spread through her, which was why she decided to add her
thoughts to their conversation, despite her gut instinct to stay silent. “You could have a shortened show and have him pick Misty early over everyone else. Just end it now. Blow the viewing audience off their asses,” she suggested, throwing out the most outrageous idea she could think of.
Hank whipped around. “What?”
“Just have another rose ceremony and have Chad throw away all the roses except one and give it to Misty.” She chomped down on the chocolate bar, now completely out of control, tossing calories to the wind. “People would cry their eyes out. The only bachelor in history to be so in love, he threw away the game.”
Margaret wished she loved someone that much. The thing was, she could fall that hard for Jack. They were perfect for each other, both scientists, both focused on learning, they would understand when the other needed to work late in the lab, could listen to long, drawn out, boring stories about grant funding woes. And, besides being sexy hot and one of the smartest guys she knew, Jack had Mars, the thing she’d always wanted.
Lynette and Hank were arguing back and forth, but Margaret wasn’t listening, instead concentrating on finishing her current chocolate bar, like a woman on a mission. Eating it had gone from fun to feeling sick, but fuck it, she was getting drunk on sugar even if it killed her.
“It could work,” Lynette said slowly.
“It could,” Hank agreed. “And we could bring everyone home on this shuttle and save a shit ton of money by not needing another shuttle run.”
“People would know something was up if we only schedule five shows.”
“Six with the wrap-up episode.” Hank paced back and forth. “Seven if we show them going to meet their families.”
“Eight if you actually do an episode to memorialize the contestants who died coming here,” Margaret said with more than a hint of disgust in her voice for the whole enterprise her brother had made his life’s work.
“Ohhh, great idea!” Hank said, completely oblivious to her disdain, deep in hit TV producer mode. “The women who died for a chance at love…” His concentrated acting continued.
“What if they get home and hate each other?” Margaret asked, because really, if she stayed, tomorrow she might wake up and realize she’d made a mistake and then she’d be stuck on Mars with Jack Boyle.
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