by Hoff, Stacy
“I can survive any situation with a smile.” I have successfully commanded numerous covert operations, saving the lives of countless civilians while fighting for my country. It’s damned demeaning to have to prove I’m worthy of a TV show.
Question Number 3: Have you spent time in Arctic climates before?
“Yes, I have spent time in Arctic climates before. I am indeed very familiar with these conditions.” Let’s see, I spent my vacations in Alaska when I was a young boy visiting my divorced father. Plus, in the service I survived the frigid mountains in Afghanistan. And oh, yeah, I forgot to mention I also go mountain climbing for fun. I’d safely say I’m “familiar” with cold, mountainous climates.
Question Number 4: What’s your family life like?
“My family is small, just me and my mom. Now that I’m retired I have more time to visit her. Yeah, I’m practically all alone. What of it? I never thought I’d lose my sweet little sister. Redd bit his lip, oblivious to the pain. I think of poor Hailey every day.
Question Number 5: Are you always so quiet?
“I wouldn’t say I’m very quiet. I talk when I’ve got something to say. I guess you can call me the strong silent type.” So what if I’m quiet? I’m a survivalist, not Kathy Lee Gifford.
Question Number 6: Will you be comfortable being with someone you don’t know for twelve days non-stop? While being filmed? For all of America to watch?
“Sure I’ll be comfortable being with someone I don’t know for twelve days non-stop. I learned in the military to accept whoever they paired me with. And if all of America wants to watch that’s fine by me. I prefer a big audience.” I’ll be fine as long as my partner helps me survive. Or, if he can’t, he’ll do what I need him to do. And then leave me alone.
Question Number 7: If you win the prize money, what are you going to spend it on?
“If I win the prize money, I’ll be sure to put the money to good use.” It’s none of your business that I want to pay for medical treatment for those who can’t afford it back home in Texas. The less y’all know about me, the better.
Fighting terrorists had been less intense for him. Terrorists hurled literal bombs at you, not figurative ones. Shouldn’t dodging bullets be reserved for the battlefield? Oh right, Teleworld is a battlefield.
Surviving in the Arctic, even in early June, would be no easy feat. Then again, the same could be said for answering all of the questions from these stuffed suits.
Feeling antsy and stressed, Redd had escaped the conference room as quickly as he could. Leaving the building was the obvious choice to wind down. On sidewalks far below Teleworld’s office tower he’d be safe from probing questions. At least for a few more minutes.
Too bad his escape hadn’t been entirely safe from probing eyes. Like those of the receptionist who had ogled him while he waited for the elevator. He furrowed his brows at the recent memory. The receptionist had been a very young woman. At thirty-eight, he was probably old enough to be her father.
“I’ll be back in time for the next meeting,” he had told her.
“Oh, okay,” her breathy voice answered. “I can’t wait to see you when you come back.” The second the words were out of her mouth, she had turned beet red. Catching herself, she let out a long, slow, seductive grin. “Um, do you want to get together tonight?”
Redd gave a stiff shake of his head. “No, miss, I don’t. Thanks, though. I’m just in town for a short while anyway.”
“That’s long enough for me,” she cooed.
With a ding and a prayer the elevator arrived. He hurried in with a sprinter’s speed. With all his years in the military, Redd had never experienced a better “save.”
Ana stepped out of Teleworld’s building and breathed the warm air deeply. A ray of sunlight hit her and she basked in its warmth until the loud blare of a car horn and squealing bus tires promptly placed her back in the here-and-now.
She had no time to dawdle anyway. A lunch hour was never a real hour, it was really a New York minute. She’d order her food and then take the bounty up to the quiet confines of Stephanie’s—no, her—office.
While Ana waited in line at the deli, she read all the scrumptious options written on the whiteboard.
“What’ll it be?” the gray-haired man behind the counter asked her when it was her turn.
“Hmm, let’s see. I’ll take two pastramis-on-rye.”
“Two?”
“Yes, two. Can you heat them up, please? And add spicy yellow mustard to one of them? Thanks. I also need one side of potato salad and one side of macaroni salad.” She scrunched up her face in thought. Would Brenda want to split a salad with me? “One large salad with light Italian dressing on the side and an extra plate.”
“Coming right up.”
Good, Ana thought. At least this part of her day was going right.
Redd looked up from a display of the deli’s aspirin options, in awe of the beautiful woman in front of him. If she was actually ordering all that food for herself, her sexy, voluptuous body was a miracle. And he thought he was the only one who could eat like a horse and not suffer from it. Although now that he was out of the military, it was highly possible he’d be putting on poundage. With no Special Ops endeavors to keep his body taught and sleek, his belly would start looking middle-aged if he didn’t join a gym soon.
He watched the attractive woman take out her phone and make a call. “Hey, Brenda, it’s me. Did you want a Diet Coke, too?” She spoke so softly he wouldn’t have heard her if he wasn’t nearby, partially hidden by a large round rack of bananas. Not that he was actually trying to listen to her conversation. But there was something about her voice that was almost comforting. It grabbed his attention and wouldn’t let go.
“No, no problem at all,” the woman continued before pausing again. “Brenda, I know I’m your boss, but it’s okay. Yes, really. We’re both human so we both gotta eat.” She chuckled. “Good. I promise I won’t forget your Fritos.”
The long flowing clothes the woman wore were a nice change from all the suits walking around New York. Especially Teleworld. She looked easy-going. Carefree. Individualistic. He liked her style. And her pretty face. Large brown eyes and generous lips were framed by dark brown shoulder-length hair. He’d never seen a woman quite like her.
And she seemed nice, too, and not just because of her soothing voice. For someone who was apparently a boss, she certainly didn’t act like it. He never knew a commander to be quite so kind to lower-ranking officers or privates. How high up on the corporate food chain was she? And how low down was the employee she was talking to, to be so concerned for her welfare?
The woman seemed as lovely on the inside as she was on the outside. Just the kind of lady he’d be looking for. If he was looking. Which he sure as hell wasn’t. So why did he feel like smiling at her?
“Order up,” the deli man shouted to Ana. He took a large white paper bag and filled it up with her items. One by one he called them off.
“Yes, that’s right. Thanks,” Ana replied when he had finished. She took the bag, felt its heavy weight and promptly put it down on a counter near the cashier. Grabbing a bag of Fritos, she trotted off to the large glass refrigerator. She opened the glass door to reach for two Diet Cokes. Figures the last two cans are all the way in the back of the fridge.
Her butt sticking out in the aisle, arms outstretched in the fridge for the Cokes, she became distracted by the sound of laugher from far across the aisle. She was sure the loud garish sounds could be heard all the way to Chelsea.
“Hey, Joe, look at that lady over there. She orders everything in the deli counter and then orders light dressing. And gets Diet Cokes. Two of them.”
Ana’s ears pricked up. Are they talking about me?
The sound of laughter was now doubled because whoever “Joe” was, join
ed in. One of them made a “mooing” sound.
Closing the fridge with the Diet Cokes still trapped inside, Ana whipped her head around toward the obnoxious boys. They looked to be about twelve years old.
“Hungry much?” a scraggly looking Joe snarked at her.
Flabbergasted, Ana’s jaw hung open with no words making their way out. Just when she mustered up the courage to verbally hit back, a tall, stunning dark-haired man walked forward. His broad frame, though mostly hidden by a business suit, was obviously very muscularly built. Was this guy a weightlifter who turned corporate? And on top of his Greek God body was his gorgeous face. A real showstopper. Something about his expression reeked power, giving him an ominous affect. He was so handsome. And somehow so . . . familiar. The man’s eyes narrowed at the boys and his voice came out like verbal steel. Glaring at the tweens he simply said one word: “Go.”
His singular word was magic. The two kids took one look at his “I mean business” expression and practically flew out the door.
“Thank you,” Ana gasped.
The man simply nodded at her.
And just when she finally realized who he was, he had paid for his merchandise and was out the door.
Chapter 4
Redd was back in Teleworld’s office building, sitting in the conference chair with a smirk on his face. He never would have hurt those kids, or any kids for that matter, but what they didn’t know was good for them. Maybe he scared some sense into them.
Besides, the woman they were harassing was beautiful. Hardly the heifer they accused her of being, she had generous curves in all the right places. She had looked so grateful for his intervention. It was as if she could see through his “tough guy” exterior to his pure intensions. Odd. He had hoped to exude the most fierce “stay away” attitude he could project, to her and everyone around him.
His fierce attitude had always had an upside: not getting involved with anybody, especially a woman. He had bigger fish to fry than relationships. When he was in the military, his lone-wolf mentality meant completing missions and moving on. Now that he was retired, his sole mission was to make sure his sister’s name lived on by providing medical coverage to those in need.
Doing the right thing in life was as important to his core as breathing. He could only hope he had taught the two brats at the deli a lesson. What those boys needed were some manners. Picking on women was not acceptable. An extra-long stint in Marine boot camp would do them wonders.
He smiled, remembering his teenage self. Back then, he had a bad attitude and even worse manners. Two traits especially unacceptable in the South. He had tried so hard to be a bad-ass all around. The day his momma dragged him into the Marines recruitment office was the saving grace for both of them. He’d had so much baggage. Divorced parents who hated each other. His dad moving all the way to Alaska to pan for gold. But though he did well and sent plane tickets for family visits, he never sent money to help them survive their dusty Northeast corner of Texas.
Going to visit his father, only to see him living a better lifestyle than what Hailey and he had back home, made Redd even angrier. His momma always worked hard as a truck-stop waitress but never got anywhere financially. Redd didn’t mind never getting new clothes, but it was hard on Hailey, and worse for their momma who felt guilty about never being able to supply them with any. Not having two nickels to rub together made it hard to even shop at Goodwill.
It wasn’t easy growing up feeling angry all the time. He’d shut everyone out. Friends. Family. Everyone except Hailey. His sister had had a way of dealing with him that soothed his wild, restless soul. She alone knew what he had been going through because she had gone through it all herself. And then she got sick with leukemia, going through even worse.
Yes, Redd loved his momma dearly. But out of everyone he missed during his time in the military, Hailey was whom he missed most. And it was Hailey he would never see again.
Redd shut his eyes hard at the memory. They flew open, however, when he heard the conference door squeak open.
“William,” Mark exclaimed, “so glad you’re back from lunch on time. Did you eat well?”
“Yes.” No.
“Great. I had a productive lunch, too. I met with the board of directors.”
Redd observed the wide smile on Mark’s face. Either this was going to be good news, or very, very bad news. Redd felt his eyebrows rise up in anticipation. “Oh?”
“We are going to let you compete on The Arctic Gladiators. Isn’t that exciting?”
You mean I got it? Redd felt the moisture leave his mouth. Believing anything good was hard to do. “You’re telling me I am officially the next competitor?”
“Yes, and you’re going to be wonderful. Our lawyers are being contacted now. They know the urgency of the situation and will have all the papers for you to sign here in an hour.”
Redd was slow to have his thoughts verbalized but was able to eke out what he needed to say. He may have his doubts about these people but it was important to remain professional. “This is all very exciting. Thank you for the opportunity. I’m sure I can win not only the prize money but a large TV audience for you.”
Mark ginned even wider, and Redd was surprised Mark’s face didn’t crack.
“See, you can talk. Excellent. Be sure to do even more talking while you’re being filmed. If you do, I’m sure you will draw a large audience for us.”
“I’ll try my best.”
“I know you will. Our interests are nicely aligned.”
Not unless you’re going to use the income to actually help people, like I am. Redd smiled and nodded. “Do I get to meet my partner now?”
“Oh, sorry, that was the other thing I needed to mention. The board changed their mind about that.”
“They changed their mind about giving me a partner?”
“No, they changed their mind about having you meet her beforehand.”
“Her? My partner is a woman?”
“Yes. Great, isn’t it? Having a woman for a partner will really liven up the show.”
As long as she doesn’t try to liven up me. “Is she former military, too?”
Mark shook his head with a mysterious expression on his face.
Redd’s expression was clear. He frowned. “She does at least have a survival background, right?”
“We’ll let her tell you all about her background when you meet. We want the surprise factor on film.”
Redd felt his stomach hit the floor. “Okay.”
“There’s another surprise, too.”
Redd arched an eyebrow. “Really?” he said in a dry, cold tone.
“As soon as the papers are signed you’re on the way to the airport with the camera crew.”
“I’m leaving for Alaska tonight?”
“No. Of course not.”
“Oh, good.” Redd exhaled hard in relief.
“Technically,” Mark continued, “you’re leaving this evening. You’ll be on the six o’clock flight. Taping will start in two days. Good luck.” Mark gave him a wink. “I’m sure you won’t need it.”
“But—”
Mark’s gaze matched the coolness of Redd’s voice. “That’s the deal. Are you in?”
Like any good Marine instructed to carry out a dangerous mission, Redd answered firmly, “Yes, sir.”
If only his brain could be as certain as his words.
Ana walked back to the office in a daze. Her body felt so light even the heavy deli bag seemed weightless. William Redding was the man who had stuck up for her in the deli. Funny, when she had seen his photo, her initial assessment was that he was dark and brooding. And yet a man who would do something nice for a stranger was obviously a wonderful person. No doubt he’d be a wonderful partner, too. Maybe being on The Arctic Gladiator cou
ld work out for her after all. Twelve days with a man who was breathtaking inside and out. A girl could do worse. Then she remembered his Special Ops background, and her face lit up even more. When she really got to know him better she’d surely find him to be smooth. Suave. With a James Bond 007 mystique and flare.
He’d be in sharp contrast to her typical guys. Those men were either: (1) related to her, (2) friends without benefits, or (3) bad matches from Internet dating sites. The last guy from an online site had belched with pride all night in a Brooklyn bar while screaming at his sports teams on the TV.
With a guy like William, on the other hand, the only concern she’d have was whether she’d slip up and do anything gross or embarrassing. Though her spending twelve survival days in the Arctic’s Yukon would inevitably lead to at least a few . . .
Abruptly, her feet stopped walking. Was she actually going to sign on for the show? Knowing what had happened to Colin? Stephanie would kill her. Filling Stephanie’s old job was one thing because Stephanie had wanted Ana to professionally grow. But Stephanie definitely would not want Ana dead. Given Stephanie’s fear of being abandoned by those she loved, the thought of Ana surviving—or not—in the Yukon for twelve days would leave Stephanie either panicked or outright depressed.
Ana did not want to stress out her best friend. If Ana agreed to do the show, she’d have to tell Stephanie she’d be away on a two-week vacation to . . . the Mediterranean . . . and then tell Stephanie the truth once she got back home. Safe, sound, and none the worse the wear.
“Hey, lady! You stupid or somethin’?” some elderly New Yorker hollered at Ana, waking her from her reverie. The man continued, “I almost walked right into you. Who the hell stops short right in the middle of a busy sidewalk? Tourist!” With a dramatic glare, the man walked around her and moved on.