“Actually, I’m not happy about that. Riley and I like our privacy. I can assure you I live a very normal life.”
“Was that Riley’s Corvette I saw you pull up in?”
“No.” There went her “average girl” persona in an instant. “It’s mine. Riley bought that for me because I crashed my old car.”
“Normal. Right. Uh huh.” Melissa bit back a smile.
They both laughed together.
“OK. I am an average person if you don’t count the famous boyfriend and expensive new car.”
Parker looked at the bar and saw a crowd forming around Riley. Apparently people were finally getting a clue as to his identity. Sunny was getting rather close to him. It was worth it to see the diva’s face drop when Riley smiled at her and pointed over at Parker.
“Looks like Riley just told Sunny something she didn’t want to hear,” Melissa said.
“Sunny’s nothing new. He has to fend off women like that all the time. It can be annoying, but I trust Riley.” She did trust him. She was also mindful of the advice Morgan had given her. Ignore the distractions and focus on the relationship.
“He seems like a good guy. He really raved about you in that interview he did for that magazine. You’re a lucky woman.”
“Thanks.” She still hadn’t gotten around to reading the article. She’d thought it was the normal Q & A he’d been bombarded with in the past. “So how about we make a date to work out together next week?”
“Sure.” Melissa smiled. “I’m available in the mornings.”
“Great. I have some classes to attend, but I’m available a couple of mornings.”
“Are you two ladies buddying up?” a voice said behind them.
Parker turned around to see the assistant producer Jen and show-star Jax.
“Hi, Jen. Yes, we’re going to be workout partners. Do you want to cover that too?”
“Hell yeah.” Jen laughed. “We love to see buddy teams. Maybe we can have some video of you two training together.”
Jax interrupted. “Parker, did you come alone? I thought maybe we could—”
“No. My boyfriend Riley is here, like always.” She pointed to Riley. “We’re pretty much a package deal.”
“He looks rather muscle-ly,” Jax drawled. “If you like that bulky type. I prefer to be a lean muscleman. He doesn’t use steroids does he?”
“No, that’s all natural, grade-A beef,” Parker replied. “No preservatives. He’s a football player.”
“Oh. A jock.” He rolled his eyes.
“Not a jock, the jock. Riley plays for the Tomcats,” Jen said enthusiastically.
“I’m pretty sure his physique is a job requirement,” Parker mused.
“He’s the one who’s always half naked on magazine covers?” Jax said with a hint of disdain in his voice.
“Uh huh,” Jen and Melissa said at the same time.
“He’s reformed. He had on a shirt for the last magazine.”
“A tight one,” Jen murmured.
“You sound like fangirls.”
“It’s more like healthy admiration,” Melissa said.
“Well then, I’ll leave you to your squad goals. If you’ll excuse me,” Jax walked away.
“Wow,” Parker said.
“Don’t mind Jax. He believes he’s the only true athlete on the planet. He fancies himself as the next fitness guru.” Jen waved a hand. “Back to you two. I smell a feel-good segment brewing.”
“I don’t know. I don’t want people to see how horrific I look after a workout,” Melissa said. “It’s not pretty.”
“It’s just more pressure we don’t need,” Parker added.
“I know you’re not exactly enthused that the show’s been covering you, but you and Riley are ratings gold. Our social media page views have skyrocketed since you joined the competition. He’s been tagging us in his social media accounts too. It’s been quite a boost for us. Do you think Riley would do an interview with us?”
“When he’s not playing football, he gets paid well to endorse products and give interviews. No one is going to use him.” Parker folded her arms across her chest. She hated that his support for her was translating in major dollars and cents for the network. “I’m sure Riley cheering me on from the sidelines fetches a nice price tag for advertisers and sponsors as long as I remain in the competition.”
“It’s definitely a plus.” Jen cleared her throat. “This is an opportunity for you too. Who knows where this may lead for you.”
“I already have a career. And I don’t mix business with pleasure.”
“Come on.” Jen smirked. “You can’t tell me there aren’t any advantages to being with a man like Riley. He’s a hot superstar. What more could you ask for?”
“I could ask for people to not make shallow observations. There’s more to life than being with a hot guy.”
“Says the woman who already has one. The rest of us are still praying for a miracle every night.” Jen held up her hands as if in surrender. “But I respect your position.”
“I’m willing to support the show. But other than cheering for me on the sidelines, Riley’s off the table. Unlike my obligatory social media accounts, Riley’s not in my contract.”
“I get it.” Jen sighed. “And thanks for stepping up on the social media platforms. I really appreciate it.”
“Don’t thank me. My social media coordinator is my nineteen-year-old cousin,” Parker replied. “But I supervise and approve.”
“She does a great job.”
“If you ladies will excuse me, I have to go to the restroom,” Melissa said.
Parker waited until she was out of earshot to continue talking. “Jen, why don’t you profile Melissa? She’s good too.”
“But you’re more interesting. It’s so cute that Riley calls you Bruiser. I was hoping to get you on tape explaining the nickname.”
“Jen…” Parker said with a hint of warning in her voice. She either wasn’t getting it or just didn’t want to hear it. It was time to change the subject. Behind her was Damon, the guy who’d been injured during the first competition. “Is Damon OK? I noticed he wasn’t at the second taping.”
Jen looked back at him. “Unfortunately, his doctor advised that he avoid physical activity before he does more damage to that ankle. Which is a shame because he had a great run, and we had a whole block of time devoted to him and his story this season. But we’re hopeful he can get back in there before the semi-finals.”
“So you pre-determine who’s going to be spotlighted?”
“Sometimes.” Jen shrugged. “We talk about it in the production meetings. For example, you do well with our core audience, which are eighteen to forty-nine-year-olds.”
“Did you ever find out what happened? Why did that obstacle frame fail?”
“We think one of the construction architects got sloppy.”
“I was binge-watching the previous seasons and I noticed a few other accidents. Is this an ongoing problem?” Parker tried to sound as casual as possible.
“Every once in a while we have the occasional snafu. It’s nothing to worry about.” Jen waved at someone across the room. “I have to go. It was good talking to you. I hope you don’t mind me saying you’re a favorite on the show. I just want you to get what you deserve.”
Before Parker could ask another question, Jen was gone. Riley and Todd were coming back with the drinks, and Sunny was trailing close behind him.
“For you.” Riley handed her a glass of champagne.
“Thanks, babe.” She put on a smile and looked over his shoulder. “I see you made a new friend and here she comes.”
“Parker.” Sunny stood next to Riley. “Good to see you again.”
“This is the first time we’ve met.”
“That can’t be. I said hello at the last taping.”
“No, you didn’t,” Parker countered.
“I didn’t? I totally meant to reach out to you.” Sunny flashed a smile. “We ladie
s on the show need to stick together and support each other. I was just telling Riley we should partner up on the show.”
“Partner up and do what exactly?”
“We could hang out together. I could take you under my wing and show you the ropes.”
It would’ve almost sounded sincere if Sunny hadn’t been looking at Riley when she said it.
“No thanks. I already have a workout partner.” Parker motioned to Melissa, who was coming back into the banquet room.
“Two amateurs really shouldn’t practice together,” Sunny huffed.
“I think it’s neat. We’re both starting the journey together.”
“You’re going to get a lot of exposure being on the show. It would be better to align with someone who’s already gone through the motions. We could have a showmance.”
“Showmance?” Riley gave Parker a curious look.
“It’s when two people join forces to fabricate a relationship of some kind to get maximum publicity,” Parker answered. “BFFs, frenemies, and heightened superficial rivalries. It’s reality television 101. If it’s a really pseudo drama-driven show, two people can hit all of the bullet points in one season.” Parker smiled when Sunny’s mouth gaped open a bit. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my family, it’s how to work the media. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll stick with Melissa.”
“Suit yourself.” Sunny sauntered off.
“What was that all about?” Melissa said as she took her glass of wine from her husband.
“She was offering to help, but I think she had something else in mind.”
They took their seats at the table. Todd was telling them about his new job at a major pharmaceutical company. Melissa was still looking for work.
“What kind of work did you do?”
“Graphic design. I was a jack of all trades for a small advertising company in Minnesota.”
“Mel is an awesome web designer,” Todd said. “She does a lot of freelance work too. When I took the position I have, I didn’t realize it would be this difficult for her to find work.” Todd caressed Melissa’s hand.
“Sounds interesting. Haven’t had any luck?”
“I’ve had a few interviews, but nothing has materialized yet.” Melissa played with her salad. “I auditioned for the show to distract me from going stir crazy.”
Jen took to the stage and said a few words before introducing one of the showrunners.
Jeremy approached the tables, his eyes glued on Riley. “Parker. Melissa. Would you mind getting on stage to say a few words? Since you’re first timers, we’d love to hear about your experiences with the show so far.”
“Sure,” Melissa said excitedly, then looked at Parker.
“Sure, why not?” Parker replied.
“Come with me. You’ll go on together right after Wes, the show’s executive producer, speaks. I’ll take you onstage, and you can wait for Jen to call you to the podium.”
Riley and Todd both rose as the ladies got up from their seats and followed Jeremy up the small set of steps onto the stage. They stopped on the side of the stage next to the curtain, waiting for their cue from Jen to come out. There she was again, being thrust into the limelight, but this time she had Melissa with her.
“What are you going to say?” Melissa asked.
“Well, what I’d really like to say is being funneled through the filter in my head. Right now all I’ve got is ‘hello everyone, have a good night,’” Parker mused. “I like the competition on the show, but this posturing is nauseating.”
“I know, right?” Melissa scrunched her nose. “Who knew this place was a passion pit of phony, backstabbing narcissists?”
“I kind of think that’s standard for any television show. The delusion begins when they think they have a product a large of group of people might want to watch.” Suddenly Parker’s ears perked up. It sounded like distressed metal pulling away from something. “Did you hear that?”
“No. I didn’t hear anything.” Melissa shrugged.
Parker continued to watch Wes as he gave his speech. From what she’d read in the show’s packet, he was the creator of the show. She’d only seen him once on the set since the show began, and when he was there, people were following after him as he spouted orders. She’d noticed there was something going on between him and Jen. The long glances and body language was a dead giveaway. Not to mention the goofy grin on Jen’s face when she was with him.
“I am happy to announce we’ve just made a deal for an additional incentive for the Ultimate Champion winner. This year, the winner will get an endorsement contract with our top advertiser, Power Punch. That means being featured in at least two of the company’s commercials and other advertising promotions.”
The audience clapped with enthusiasm.
He continued to drone on, saying how excited he was about the show’s phenomenal ratings and the great talent they had this year. Ratings meant big ad dollars. He was probably making a mint on the show.
The flickering of the light above the center of the stage over Wes’s head caught Parker’s eye. The rest of the overhead lights were stationary, but the light right above Wes was swaying, creating a makeshift disco ball effect on his head. She looked closer and saw that the light was dangling by one fastener, but the rest were connected by two. The light dropped downward, away from the frame, and this time she could see there was nothing else supporting it. She waved to get Jen’s attention, but she’d taken a step back to talk to one of the camera guys. The light finally ripped away from the fastener and started to fall.
“Watch out!” Parker called out to Wes as she bolted across the stage and tackled Wes just as the light came crashing down. Parker shielded her eyes as the shattered pieces of the lens flew everywhere and smoked emanated from it.
“Are you OK?” she asked a visibly shaken Wes.
“I’m not sure. Ask me again in five minutes when my heart starts beating again.” Wes clutched his chest. “What the hell just happened?”
“Faulty light.” She pointed to the void on the track of lighting above them.
Wes squinted at the lights. “I could have been killed.”
Me too. She rolled her eyes. She looked around for Melissa, who’d managed to get off the stage. She planted her palms on the floor and lifted up, trying to get up as gracefully as she could in her dress. She did a small bunny hop up and was able to get her footing and stand.
Riley rushed the stage. “Parker!”
“I’m OK,” she said as she helped Wes up.
“Are you two OK?” Jen came running over.
“I am, thanks to Parker’s quick reflexes.” Wes grabbed onto Parker’s shoulders for balance. “That light could’ve hit me square on the head. Thanks, Parker. I could kiss you.”
“Or just give her a handshake,” Riley said rather loudly and separated the two of them.
“Of course.” Wes straightened up.
The guests and tech people rushed the stage. Parker began to brush the lens fragments off her when she felt a light tug on her arm. It was Riley.
“What the hell happened?” He looked her over.
“I’d like to find out.” She pointed to the lights.
“Folks, please clear the stage. We need to bring the lights down.”
Parker and Riley moved off the stage but remained close to the edge. The regular lighting for the reception room came on as one of the techs went over to a wall panel and lowered the lighting fixture onto the stage floor. The profile spotlights were all connected to a steel truss mounting. The facilities manager had arrived and was taking a look and was unfortunately blocking her view.
She went back up on stage to get a better view with Riley in tow. She walked over to the empty space where the fallen light had been. She touched the metal bracket. There were tool marks on it like someone had tampered with the clamp and the safety cable was cut not frayed. She ran her fingers along the edge, it definitely felt like a sharp, deliberate cut, not something that had be
en ravished by time. She inspected the other lights attached to the truss, but they hadn’t been disturbed in any way. Their safety cables weren’t frayed either.
“The safety cable was cut, and the clamp’s been tampered with as well. See the tool marks on the clamp like someone jimmied it? They must have cut the safety cable in a hurry. The cut is too smooth for a stress break.”
“You and Melissa were supposed to speak next,” Riley growled.
Parker touched his arm. “We can’t be sure who the intended target was. Again, this was done in a hurry. I don’t think whoever did this put much planning into it.”
“I want to see the producers explain away this accident,” Riley said.
Parker looked at the crowd. They were still fawning all over Wes. “Babe, can I use your cell phone?”
“Sure.” Riley pulled it out of his jacket pocket.
She opened the camera app and took a few pictures. Jen, Jeremy, and the facilities manager for the hotel came over to see what she was doing.
“I found the culprit,” Parker said to them, pointing to the damage.
“It must have come loose somehow,” the facilities manager said. “Someone must have accidentally loosened the bracket when the bulb was changed a couple of days ago.”
“With some help,” Parker asserted.
“There’s no need to spread paranoia,” the facilities manager countered.
“What are you saying, Parker?” Jeremy asked.
“It’s quite a coincidence that only the light above the mark for the speaker to stand was the light that was tampered with.” She gave the facilities manager a look.
“What are you, the police?” the facilities manager said in a snarky tone. “This is clearly an unfortunate accident.”
“Actually, I used to be a cop. Now I’m a private investigator,” Parker said. “I think this warrants making a police report.”
“Oh.” The facilities manager yanked on his collar. “We have protocols here. I’ll have the head of security come down, and he’ll call the police.”
“You do that.”
She took a few more photos with Riley’s phone. They all descended the steps, and the facilities manager exited the ballroom to get security. People were congratulating Parker on how quickly she’d responded, avoiding a terrible accident.
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