Oh, crud. He’d get it after the show. He grinned for the camera. “You want me. Admit it.”
A small, tight smile formed on her face. “The only feelings I have for you are the ones that would land me in jail—after they found your body, of course.”
Dale slapped a hand over his mouth and ducked his head, his shoulders shaking. Adam broke persona and laughed. He couldn’t help it. She was something else. He plastered on his camera smile and raised one eyebrow. “Come on. Don’t sugarcoat it. Tell me how you really feel.”
Dr. Lemon cleared her throat. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”
Adam turned to her. He’d almost forgotten she was sitting there. “Pardon?”
“I happen to have some of my equipment here. The theory is that we can tell the level of attraction by the physical responses. We can hook Megan up and—”
“No!” Megan’s face drained of color. “I mean...we probably don’t have enough time.” She plastered on a weak grin.
Dr. Lemon shook her head. “It would only take a second. But Adam might be the better test subject. I’ve noticed he reacts to you in non-verbal ways. I’d like to analyze the data from my machine.”
Megan nodded. “Good idea. Let’s analyze Adam.”
What was up with her? Was she afraid the audience would figure out she hated him? That was no secret.
“Well, then, it’s settled. Hook me up and we’ll see how I really feel about Megan.” He gave the camera a sexy smile. “We already know she’s got a thing for me.”
Someone brought in a small hand-held device that looked like an old battery tester with a needle that swung from side to side. Several cords hung off the end, which she taped to his arm, palm, stomach, and neck. “Megan will need to leave.”
He didn’t know what he expected, but when Dr. Lemon turned it on, nothing happened except a slight jump in the needle.
She held up the device. “The machine will measure your heart rate, perspiration, and other physical responses. You can see on the display there’s a red area for no reaction. The yellow indicates a physical attraction, and the green suggests a deeper emotional pull.” Dale zoomed the camera in tight so the audience could see. “Now let’s start with some test subjects.”
A woman walked on the set. She appeared to be in her sixties, with silver hair and a bright leisure outfit. Dr. Lemon showed him the machine. “The needle is in the red area at this time. This indicates you do not feel attracted to Grace.”
The woman left the stage, and another came into view. She looked like a model, with high heels and tight jeans, her bangle bracelets clinking together as she strutted in range of the camera.
“The needle is definitely in the yellow area now.” Dr. Lemon held up the machine so the camera could focus on the display. “Adam is feeling some physical attraction.”
Adam decided to play it up for the camera. He grinned. “You betcha.”
The girl giggled and exited the set. Next, Megan walked out. He hadn’t realized it before now, but when he looked at Megan he knew the machine would register something. His chest tightened, and his heart sped up. He was attracted to her.
Dr. Lemon raised an eyebrow. “Just as I suspected. Adam, you have deep feelings for Megan.” She showed him the display. The needle had swung into the greenest portion. “In fact, I’ve never seen a reaction quite as pronounced as this.”
Adam’s mouth went dry. Was that accurate? Did he harbor deep feelings for Megan? He didn’t know what to say, so he stared at Dr. Lemon like an idiot.
Megan’s cheeks flushed. “What?”
“Adam has real feelings for you. Deeper than attraction. It’s quite possible these feelings haven’t been explored or even noticed by Adam.” Dr. Lemon unhooked the machine, her cold fingers prying off the electrodes or whatever was stuck to him.
Megan looked about as stunned as he felt. Sure, he liked Megan, but deep feelings? He’d never thought about her that way. Was it possible?
An assistant took away the equipment while the doctor got settled on her seat again. Megan slipped into her own chair, her face unreadable.
“I recommend a small experiment. Adam, would you be willing to spend some time with Megan outside of the work environment?”
Way to put him on the spot. He shifted uncomfortably. Then he remembered his on-air persona. He flashed a grin to the camera. “I’m all in.”
“Megan, would you be willing to go along with this experiment?”
Wide eyed and pale, Megan looked like she would rather get all her teeth pulled than go on a few dates with him. She cleared her throat and seemed to choose her words carefully. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
Dr. Lemon smiled. “I understand your hesitancy.” She lowered her voice. “I can see how you distrust Adam. You think he’s a player, right?”
Megan’s knuckles were white as she clutched the sides of her chair. She nodded, almost imperceptibly.
A player? Was she serious? He hadn’t been on a date for a couple of months. She was insane. How many times had he told her he was simply acting out a part for the camera?
“Quite often, members of the male gender will try to impress a co-worker by pretending they are desired by many women. This is usually just posturing.” She glanced at Adam. “Again, it’s probably subconscious. He feels inadequate around you.”
The set grew warm under the bright lights, and Adam adjusted his tie. Megan blushed but didn’t say anything, her eyes wide and staring at Dr. Lemon.
“Adam has buried his feelings for you, and thus they’ve grown into something he hadn’t realized.”
He pushed down the urge to refute her. What did he know? He was attracted to Megan. That was for sure. Maybe he did feel something deeper for her, but because of his desire to popularize the show, he’d pushed it aside.
“How about one date?” Dr. Lemon leaned forward, and the tension in the room was almost tangible. “In a public place. You can pick the activity.”
Leon emerged from the back room and stood behind Dale, waving his arms and nodding his head, obviously wanting her to say yes. Everyone else seemed to hold a collective breath.
Megan stared at Leon, indecision playing across her features. After a second, Adam started to feel annoyed. Was he that terrible? Couldn’t she go on one date with him? Leon’s cheeks grew red, and he waved his arms more frantically. She looked at the floor. “All right.”
Dr. Lemon stood and embraced Megan. “I think we’ve had a breakthrough today.”
Leon held up a cue card, the words ‘live streaming of date online’ written in black marker. Adam understood. Dale focused the camera on him. “I’ve just received word from the producer. We will be streaming my date with Megan live, on our website. Tune in to KLKXlive.com for more details.”
It was Megan’s turn to sign off, but she just sat there with her mouth slightly open, so Adam jumped in. “And we’re out of time for today. Tune in on Monday, when we’ll have local author and poet Penny Harris on the show.”
The on-air light went out, and Leon rushed onto the set. “You blew up the Internet! A hundred thousand hits!”
Dale ripped off his headphones. “Did that just happen?”
Everyone started talking at once except for Megan, who sat on her chair, the same bewildered expression on her face.
Adam squeezed her hand. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I guess I feel kind of blindsided.”
“No kidding.”
Leon tugged on his arm. “Adam. A word with you in my office.” Then he gave Megan two thumbs up and spun around, exiting the set.
He jerked his head toward Leon. “I’ve been summoned.”
Megan seemed to snap out of her daze. “Okay. See you later.” She stood and unhooked her mic.
“Wait a couple minutes for me? I need to talk to you.” His stomach flipped, and grade school awkwardness flooded him.
“Sure.”
He followed Leon to his tiny office down the ha
ll. A couple of two-bit awards sat on a dusty shelf behind his paper-cluttered desk. Leon shut the door behind him and rubbed his hands together. “That. Was. Perfect!” He slapped Adam on his back. “You were excellent! I’m so glad you followed my advice.”
Confusion clouded his brain. “What are you talking about?”
“Didn’t you get my email?”
“No.” Adam frowned and folded his arms across his chest.
A tinge of pink touched Leon’s cheeks. “Sorry, man. I thought you’d check it this morning. But no matter. You were awesome.” He slapped him on the back again. “Just don’t tell Megan, okay? I need her real reactions on film.”
Adam narrowed his eyes. “Tell her what?”
“The whole thing was made up. There is no Dr. Lemon. I hired an actress. It was a setup.”
Chapter 3
Nerves tumbled inside Megan as she waited for Adam to come down the dim hallway. What exactly happened today? One minute, he was acting like his normal pig-headed self. The next, she was thrown into some bizarre world where he had real feelings for her. If she hadn’t seen it herself, she’d never have believed it.
She clenched and unclenched her fists as she paced. Adam was a womanizer. At least, that was how he’d always acted around her. Yesterday had been different. Nice. He’d dropped the attitude and acted like a gentleman.
He’d always said he was playing a part for television. She’d never believed it. But maybe she should. What their guest said made some sense. If he was insecure, he might be putting on a mask to shield himself. When Dr. Lemon announced he had deep feelings for her, his face flushed, the TV persona dropped away, and she had seen his vulnerable side. For the moment, she believed he did care for her.
Adam rounded the corner and smiled when his gaze met hers. A tingle spread through her stomach. His dimples and piercing blue eyes gave him the kind of looks envied by models and movie stars. Usually, she deflected this by reminding herself how much of a jerk he was.
Now she wasn’t sure what to think.
Adam approached her. “Hey. Sorry about that. Leon wanted to...uh, talk to me.” He fidgeted and wouldn’t look her in the eye. What was up with him?
“I know.”
Adam cringed and touched his forehead. “That’s right. You were there.”
Megan held in a laugh. Adam, cool and confident, was actually nervous around her. It was endearing. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Oh. Yeah.” He loosened his tie. “I guess we need to set up our date. Leon wants to know where we’re going so he can get things ready.”
“I thought we could do something simple. Go to dinner. A normal date.” The idea of going out with Adam was becoming more appealing to her, and the tingles in her stomach intensified. Who would have guessed?
He started toward the back door that led to the parking lot, and Megan fell into step beside him. “Sure.” He nodded. “Sounds good.”
“Do you like Italian?”
“Yes. Italian is good.” He seemed to relax a little. “We can drive into Omaha. Which restaurant?”
“Why don’t you decide? Just tell me what to wear.”
A smile lifted his lips. “Dress nice. Leon wants it up on the website as soon as possible. How about I pick you up tomorrow? Six o’clock?”
“That works.”
They exited the building, and he placed his hand on the small of her back. She liked the touch. It wasn’t overly intimate, yet it reinforced the feeling that Adam cared about her.
“How’s the car? Any more trouble?”
She shook her head, gratitude building in her. “No. It’s been great.”
His smile widened. “I’m glad.”
They stood by her car, staring at each other for what seemed to be a long time before Adam broke eye contact. “Okay. Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Her cheeks grew hot as he walked away, and she realized she was admiring his physique from behind. She hopped in her car, not sure what she was feeling. Was she excited to go out with Adam? She needed to get a grip.
ADAM POCKETED HIS KEYS and pressed the button to ring Megan’s apartment, Dale trailing behind him with his camera on his shoulder. Yeah, this wasn’t going to be awkward at all. He rolled his eyes. Megan buzzed him through. As he jaunted up the apartment steps, Leon’s words echoed through his head. Be a perfect gentleman. You need to woo Megan. If she suspects anything, it will ruin the show. You must act like you’re enjoying the date.
Why did Leon assume he wouldn’t enjoy going out with Megan? He liked her. Sure, maybe she was a bit uptight, but she was usually nice to be around. And not too shabby to look at, either.
He came to apartment 3B and knocked on the door. Megan let him in and motioned to the couch. “I’ll be just a second. Have a seat.” Her eyes flicked to Dale, and she flashed the camera a nervous smile.
She wore a little black dress that hugged her figure, her blonde hair falling softly to her shoulders. He tried not to ogle her. She walked barefoot into the other room. The apartment was tastefully decorated in a post-modern style. An oblong wood and glass coffee table sat in front of a suede couch that looked like it had been built from large, brown pebbles. Not a speck of dust could be seen anywhere, and nothing was out of place. A definite neat freak.
When Megan came back, she was wearing black heels that made her legs look fantastic. “Okay. I’m ready.”
“Nice place. I love the furniture.”
A smile lit up her face. “Thanks. I saved for months to buy this set.” She looked around and frowned. “My mother hates it.”
Why would her mother tell her that? It really bothered Megan by the look on her face.
“She must not have good taste.”
Megan didn’t seem to hear him for a second, frowning and staring at her furniture. Then she looked up and smiled. “You’re probably right. Let’s go.”
The drive to Omaha was comfortable, although quiet. Dale sat in the back filming them, even though there wasn’t much conversation. As a fresh-out-of-college boy, Dale worshiped the ground Leon walked on. The fuzz on his lip was probably an attempt to grow a similar mustache.
Adam didn’t know what Leon’s end game was, and he didn’t like lying to Megan. It wasn’t fair to her. But if he told her what was going on, Leon would fire him. Megan was the real star of the show. She was the reason the ratings were skyrocketing. He was disposable, which put him in an awkward position. He had to go along with Leon for now. Hopefully, the gag would be up soon.
They entered Bucatini, the smell of tomato and basil making his mouth water. A short peppy girl in her early twenties gave them leather menus and showed them to their table. It was a white tablecloth and crystal sconce type of place. Dale hovered over them with the camera, blocking the aisle. Several people glared at them.
A man in a tux with a receding hairline and a round belly bustled up to them, his gaze nervously ping-ponging from Adam to the camera and back again. “I’m sorry, sir. We cannot allow this in our restaurant.”
Adam cleared his throat and put on a diplomatic smile. “Our producer spoke to the owner. He assured us we could film here.”
The man squared his shoulders and frowned. “I have heard nothing from him. I’m afraid I have to ask you to put the camera away.”
Megan stood. “I’m sure we can come up with a compromise. I would hate for your lovely restaurant to miss out on this opportunity for publicity. Maybe you have a more private table?” She smiled, and the man’s face softened.
“Let me see what we can do.” He rushed off. Adam was impressed with the way Megan handled the situation. Diplomatic, and yet persuasive enough to get them what they wanted. A few minutes later, they were relocated to a table in another room.
After they were seated again, Megan opened her menu, and her eyes widened. He knew the place was pricey, but taking her to a burger joint would have been stupid. He wanted her to know he had more class than that.
His job at the station
didn’t pay a lot, but he could splurge once in a while. Actually, he’d tried to get Leon to spring for the date, but he was too much of a tightwad. “If the show gets picked up for syndication, I’ll reimburse you,” he’d said. Sure. Adam knew the conversation would be forgotten. No matter. He could afford one nice dinner. He motioned to the menu. “Order whatever you want.”
A slight smile tugged at her lips. “Even the Strangozzi al Tarufo Nero?”
The mischievous look on her face piqued his curiosity, and he opened his menu. Sixty dollars for one dish? He choked, pounding a fist into his chest. Guessing from the look on Megan’s face, he’d turned three shades of purple.
Megan laughed. “I’m teasing. I don’t even know what half the things on this menu are. I’m tempted to order off the kids menu and get spaghetti and meatballs.”
Her smile made her eyes sparkle. He’d never noticed it before. It looked good on her. “Why not? We can eat like kids. I haven’t had mac and cheese in forever.”
She leaned over, her teeth showing as her grin widened. “I dare you.”
“You’re on.”
The waitress approached the table, eyeballing Dale, who was kneeling in the aisle now that they were away from everyone else. “What can I get you to drink? Our featured wine this evening is a lovely sauvignon blanc.”
A devilish look flashed across Megan’s face before she looked up at the waitress. “Do you have any apple juice?”
Adam hid a smile.
The waitress curled a piece of her dark hair behind her ear. “We have some excellent sparkling juice.”
Megan shook her head. “No, I mean like the kind that comes in a little box. With a straw.”
A small laugh tried to escape, but Adam covered it up with a cough. The waitress’s eyebrows raised, and she looked between the two of them, then over at Dale. Her lips formed a tight line, like she didn’t want to be the brunt of any YouTube prank. “Sure. We can get you a juice box. And what about you, sir?” She turned her attention to Adam.
[Anthology] A Clean Fake Marriage Romance Collection Page 19