“It’s just…I don’t know. I really like MultiDate. I didn’t want to find out how mean they are to contestants behind the scenes.”
“Well, I suppose it’s like finally finding out how a magician does their tricks. It’s always a let-down.”
I nod miserably.
Ariel peeks her head out and stares at me. “What are you doing? I need you in here to serve more drinks.”
“Oh, sorry.” I hurry back in. I don’t want to know what else they’re doing in the auditions, but I also don’t want to lose my job.
It’s impossible to ignore the action in the cauldron, no matter how hard I try. The next round of auditions involves a really gross game of Would You Rather, featuring such questions as “Would you rather take a bath full of slugs or spit?” and “Would you rather lick a stranger’s nostril or a friend’s butt?”
I distract myself by polishing the wine glasses, but I can’t help noticing when the women leave the room and return in various outfits. It’s like some sort of deranged fashion show, where everyone comes out dressed casually, then in evening wear, and then in swimwear. I say deranged, because Ariel and two other producers talk loudly amongst themselves and say things like “Take her off the list, her hips are too wide,” and “Her nose won’t film well,” loud enough so the women they’re talking about can actually hear what they’re saying. I watch as several of them run out of the room in tears, and I almost run after them. If Ariel wasn’t continually glancing in my direction and encouraging me to pour more drinks, I would.
Once the last of the women have finished showing off their evening gowns, Ariel and her staff huddle at the back of the room, not far from me.
“I think we have a couple of strong contenders in that bunch,” she says. “I like Brittany. She’ll stir the pot and do whatever we want her to. And I like Maria. She’s a borderline alcoholic, so that should make for fun viewing. Maybe we can send her on a winery date.”
Ugh. Is she serious? She wants to encourage someone with a drinking problem to drink even more, AND on live TV? Does the woman not have a soul?
I pack up the glasses, and belatedly realise I just served Maria several rounds of champagne. I feel awful. I go upstairs to wash up, wishing I could wash the horror I just witnessed from my brain as well.
I think Jules was right. I should have never peeked behind the curtain.
SEVENTEEN
A few weeks later on a Thursday, Patrick shows up at the studio.
“Uh, hi,” I say self-consciously as he approaches the reception counter. It feels like a lifetime ago that we flew to Brisbane together.
“What are you doing after work?” he asks.
“Um, not much?”
“I’ve got some things I’d like to discuss with you. Would you join me for an early dinner?”
I can feel Jules’s eyes boring a hole in the side of my skull.
It takes all of my restraint to answer naturally and not slap Jules in the process. “Sure.”
“Great. I’ll see you out the front just after five.”
He walks off and Jules starts singing under his breath before Patrick has even left the floor. “Patrick and Lauren sitting in a tree…”
Now I do slap him. “Stop it. You’re not a five year old.”
“He is sooo into you.”
“He isn’t.”
“He wants to discuss ‘some things’ with you? Please. That’s code for, ‘I want to fuck your brains out.’”
“No, it’s not! And thanks by the way, for having so much faith in my intelligence.”
“Oh, sweetie, I didn’t mean that. I know you’re super smart. Way smarter than me. But come on. You only just started at this company, and he’s already flown you in his private jet. I’m pretty sure he wants to get into your pants. Not that I blame him. You are a little hottie, and if I was into girls, I would totally do you.”
“And who says I’d want to sleep with you?”
“Ha! You would be lucky to experience what I have to offer.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“Anyway, if it’s not to ask you out, what else do you think he’d want to discuss?”
“I don’t know.” And I’m telling the truth. I wouldn’t have thought Patrick would be so obvious about wanting to date me here at work, but I also can’t imagine what he’d want to talk about if it was work-related. He already picked my brain about what I thought of MultiDate. There’s nothing left to say.
“Well, whatever it is, you have to call me as soon as you find out.”
“Maybe.”
“Oh, you’re such a tease! I would tell you anything you wanted to know.”
“I know you would. But we’re two different people.”
“Spoilsport.”
“Listen, if it’s appropriate, I’ll text you as soon as is humanly possible.”
“Thanks, hon. I know we work in a TV studio, but the last few weeks have been pretty dull around here. I need some excitement, and if that means living vicariously through you, so be it.”
Almost as if to illustrate his point, the last couple of hours of the day drag on forever. We only get a handful of phone calls, and the few people who walk through the front door don’t need our assistance.
Just after five, I pack up and head out to the street. Patrick is already waiting for me. “I thought we’d walk if that’s okay with you,” he says.
“Of course.”
“Is there any particular food you’re in the mood for?”
“Not really. But we could go to The Apollo?”
He smiles, impressed. “That’s one of my favourite restaurants.”
“Well, I did know you liked Greek food, and it’s the only Greek restaurant I’m familiar with, so I figured I’d suggest it and see.” Josh and I had passed it the night we went to Billy Kwong’s.
“Lucky guess. So, I’ve been thinking a lot about our last discussion.”
“Okay…”
“And I think you’re right. Ariel is turning the show into a contrived three-ring circus and everyone’s afraid to say that’s the reason it’s losing viewers.”
“Well, they might not realise…”
“But it’s their job to know these things. I was going to wait until we got to the restaurant to say this, but I’m just going to ask now. Do you want a job on the show?”
I stop in the middle of the path. “Really? Doing what?”
“You’d come on as a consultant. Not exactly a producer, but on a producer’s wage and with most of the same perks.”
“This is a prank, right?”
He laughs. “I promise it’s not a prank. You have great instincts. You’re an excellent communicator. And you know everything about the show. You’re perfect.”
Wow. That is high praise coming from someone like Patrick. We start walking again. “So what exactly would it involve? Would Ariel be my boss?”
“No. I mean, in the corporate hierarchy she would still be above you, but you will report to me instead. I’ll talk to her about it. Basically, I want you to help turn the show into what it should be. As you said before—a dating show where the contestants are left to their own devices and the drama occurs organically.”
“This is crazy,” I mutter.
“Do you think you can do it?”
“I don’t know. Maybe?”
“You’ll have to be a bit more sure than that. I expect one hundred percent commitment. And it will be long hours…”
“I’ll do it. And I can do it,” I say firmly.
“Good. I was hoping that’s how you’d respond.”
“But only if we stop being mean to the contestants.”
He laughs. “What?”
“I watched Ariel do a round of casting the other day and she asked the women all these invasive questions. And then she body shamed half of them. I can’t be a part of that.”
He frowns. “I hadn’t realised she’d resorted to those tactics. Casting is almost over, but I’ll have a
talk to her.”
“You really didn’t know how she operated?” I ask cynically.
“Not explicitly. I mean, I know what Ariel can be like. But hers isn’t the only show my studio is responsible for. Despite what you might think, I’m kind of a busy guy.”
I shoot him a look. “I know you’re busy. Never mind. You talk to her and I’ll do my best to help create a more respectful environment when I start. Hasn’t Ariel heard the phrase, you catch more flies with honey?”
“Obviously not.” He chuckles. “I think you’re going to be a great addition to the team.”
“Oh! That reminds me. What about Jules?”
“We’ll find someone to help him out. Don’t worry.”
I feel a pang of sadness at leaving my friend behind. It won’t be the same without him.
“When do you want me to start?”
“Next week. We’ll be introducing the guys and girls and working out the order for pairings.”
“Do you think Ariel will be okay with me being there and reporting to you?”
“Possibly not. But we’ll figure it out.”
Wow. I can foresee a bit of friction there. Still, I’m not going to let that stop me from working in my dream job. And I might actually make a difference to the way people are treated on the show.
We’re pretty quiet for the rest of the walk to The Apollo. I don’t know what’s going through Patrick’s head, but mine is spinning with ideas for the show. And a little bit of panic. I mean, it’s all very well to be an armchair critic, but time will tell if I can actually follow through.
We reach the restaurant and sit down near the back next to the window. The rustically finished stone walls contribute to the venue’s warm atmosphere. I can already see why Patrick likes it.
A waiter brings over a menu. “Would you like to order some wine?” he asks.
Patrick looks at me. “Do you want me to choose? Or do you have a preference?”
I use my hands in a sweeping gesture. “Be my guest.”
“Okay…” He points to an item on the menu. “We’ll have a bottle of the 2015 cabernet.” I quickly glance at the price and gulp. If he insists on going halves with the bill, I won’t have much spending money this week.
We read the food menu in silence. I’m still reeling from what just took place on the walk over. When the waiter returns with our wine, I down half my glass in an effort to relax, and then realise I just swallowed twenty dollars’ worth of alcohol without tasting it. Thankfully, Patrick doesn’t notice.
We order some stuffed vine leaves and olives to share, and I select the charred calamari for my main, while Patrick goes with a lamb dish.
He looks at me with that same unsettling gaze I’ve come to associate with him.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I read your CV,” he says.
“Oh. No, I don’t mind. You are my employer. And I even report directly to you now.”
“You used to work in real estate?”
“Yep.”
“And judging by the name of the firm, I take it you were part of the family business?”
“That’s right.”
“What happened?”
Crap. Do I really have to go there when I’m having such a nice night?
“There was too much drama,” I say vaguely. “I don’t think family necessarily work well together.”
He nods. “You and I come from similar backgrounds. NBS is also a family business. My dad used to be in charge, but he died a few years ago and left everything to me.”
“Oh. Actually, I think I read something about that. Your mum and brother weren’t very happy about being left out of the will.”
He smiles bitterly. “You’ve got that right.”
“I can imagine you were put in a pretty difficult situation.” I think carefully about how to word my next question. “Did your father not…trust them?”
“Ha! That’s one way to put it. I’m pretty sure the heart attack that killed my dad was brought on by the knowledge that my brother wasn’t my dad’s child.”
I gasp. “And your mum hid it for all those years?”
“Yep.”
“Your poor dad. And you. How did you find out?”
“Dad has always been a history buff and saw an ad for one of those ancestry DNA tests. So he paid top dollar to get a proper analysis done on all four of us. He wanted it to be a surprise, so he made up some bogus story when he was asking for our saliva, something to do with getting us checked for food allergies, so none of us had any idea until the results came in.” He shakes his head. “It was heartbreaking when he gathered us all together to read the report at the same time. His face was so confused when he saw that Ricky had a completely different genetic heritage to me. At first, he thought the lab must have stuffed up, but Mum started to panic and gave it away. Both Dad and Ricky lost it, and I didn’t know what to think. When the dust settled, Ricky decided it was Dad’s fault Mum strayed and he took her side.”
I stare at Patrick. “I had almost the same situation! Well, not with an illegitimate child, but my Dad had an affair and my twin sisters tried to blame my mum for it. That’s why I left.”
He smiles sadly. “I’m sorry to hear you went through something like that. Families can be pretty messed up, huh?”
“You can say that again. Do you ever talk to your mum or Ricky?”
“Nope. It’s been three years and they’ve never tried to contact me. Unless you count the failed court case where they tried to get Dad’s will overturned.”
“So do you think your mum would ever have told your dad about Ricky if he hadn’t accidentally found out?”
“I don’t know. But I doubt it. She’d already kept it a secret for over thirty years.”
“Do you know who Ricky’s real father is?”
“Mum wouldn’t say. But I don’t think he was anyone important, otherwise I’m sure she would have tried to extort money from him.”
“Sometimes I wonder why we even have families,” I muse.
“I agree. I could easily live the rest of my life pretending mine never existed.”
“My brother Josh is awesome. But yeah, the rest…”
Our food arrives and I eat quietly, thinking about what we’ve just discussed.
How strange that both Patrick and I have almost identical family situations.
It makes me feel closer to him, but also wary. Now that we’ll be working together, I’ll have to be very careful to maintain our professional boundaries.
You never hear about the boss having to quit his job when an office romance breaks down.
EIGHTEEN
The rest of the meal feels a little subdued, but at least dessert lightens the mood slightly. Over some delicious Greek honey donuts, Patrick remembers something.
“Oh, I should have mentioned before. I’m meeting with Ariel and Reid tomorrow to discuss the plan for next week, and I think you should come along.”
I stare at him in panic. “And do what?”
“Just observe. You haven’t met Reid yet, have you?”
“No.”
“Then we’ll treat it as a friendly introduction. Plus, it will give Ariel some time to get used to the idea of you.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.”
Patrick excuses himself for a moment and then returns. “I just paid the bill. Should we go?”
“Oh. Can I give you some money?” I scramble around in my handbag for my purse.
“No, please. It was my treat. We were talking business.”
“Okay. Thank you. The meal was delicious.”
We head outside and Patrick is just about to hail a cab when my phone rings. I look at the caller ID and see it’s Josh.
“It’s my brother,” I explain to Patrick. “I’ll just be a sec.”
I click the answer button. “How funny that you’re calling right now. I’m only a few minutes from your place.”
“Is that so? What are you doing?”
<
br /> “I’m just out with the owner of NBS Studios,” I say casually, smiling at Patrick. He winks in return.
“No, really. What are you doing?”
“I’m serious. I’m going to be working as a consultant on MultiDate.”
“Wow. That’s great, sis. I’m so happy for you. You want to drop by for a drink on your way home to celebrate? I’m bored.”
“Ha. Way to make a girl feel wanted. But actually, that would be nice. I haven’t seen you since I moved out, which is pretty slack.” I cover the phone with my hand. “We were just finishing up, weren’t we, Patrick?”
He hesitates for a second and then nods. “We were,” he confirms.
“Great.” I uncover the phone. “I’ll be there in five.”
“See you then!”
I hang up and stand there awkwardly, wondering if I should shake Patrick’s hand or wave. But I don’t have to worry, because he makes a move first, leaning in and giving me a peck on the cheek. I can smell his sandalwood aftershave, and for a moment, I wonder what those lips would feel like on my own. I’m annoyed at myself, because it’s definitely not something I would want to actually happen.
I pull away, blushing furiously and start marching up the street. “See you tomorrow.”
Patrick waves, an amused expression on his face. It’s almost like he knows what I’m thinking. Damn it.
I’m going to have to be a lot more careful from here on in.
***
I think I’m more nervous today than I was when I first started on reception. This is my ultimate goal, to work on my favourite reality dating show. And after seeing how Ariel runs the place, I now have the added incentive of improving the culture behind the scenes. I’m sure it must be possible to make good TV and still treat your cast with respect.
After I left the restaurant last night, I spent an hour with Josh, but he kicked me out when he realised I was too distracted by my new job to participate in a proper conversation. After promising I’d make it up to him, I went home and stayed up until almost 2am, researching and writing down all my ideas. I know I’m just going to be observing today, but I wanted to start preparing as early as possible.
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