by Tia Siren
I looked back and saw him waving over a blond woman that had been eyeing him all night.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” I said with a smile.
He grinned. “I’m going to do everything you wouldn’t do and then some.”
“I’m passing the baton on to you, my friend.” I saluted him before leaving the bar.
I was normally the guy who’d be staying behind to go home with a woman. That guy was still inside me, but he was taking a little break. I wasn’t completely ready to kick him to the curb just yet. I knew Landon wouldn’t be ready to hang it up for a long time, if ever. I blamed his girlfriend from fifteen years ago. She had broken his heart our sophomore year of college, and ever since then, he’d been a womanizer. He tried relationships now and again, but they rarely lasted.
Alex was waiting for me when I walked out of the building. “Early night?”
I shrugged. “I have an early morning.”
He nodded and held the door open for me. I climbed in, leaning my head back and thinking about my future. It was a quiet ride home. Alex turned up the radio, some jazz song lulling me into a peaceful place I hadn’t been to in a long while. When the car stopped moving, I almost asked Alex to drive me around a bit longer. I couldn’t. He had a wife to get home to.
“Thank you,” I said when he opened the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I headed up the stairs into my house.
“Good evening,” I said, nodding to the large man standing outside my house.
“Good evening, Mr. Case,” he said, his eyes constantly scanning the area.
I walked inside my huge home—my huge, very empty home. It was nights like this that I felt the loneliness. All the money in the world couldn’t buy that feeling of being complete, of being loved. That was something that made billionaires just like everybody else in the world. I was wealthy, but I still had basic human needs. I needed to be loved. Even my mother was gone, and I realized I’d never felt more alone in the world than I did in that moment as I walked into my empty house.
“Please, let her be there,” I whispered to no one in particular as I climbed the wide staircase leading up to the second floor of my home. I hit the landing and kicked off my shoes, following the plush white carpet that made a thin trail to my room.
Once inside, I stripped off my blue Armani suit. Losing the suit was a lot like losing my shield. The suit made me Tyler Case, billionaire playboy, looking for love in all the wrong places. The Tyler Case standing in front of the mirror in nothing but black boxer briefs was lonely and longing for one woman. I had to accept the possibility that I wouldn’t find her. I could resign myself to settling for someone who could love me or spend the rest of my life alone and looking for her.
My mom used to tell me that words were powerful. “Say it to believe it” was her mantra.
“I will find her. She’s mine to love and she will love me,” I said with all the confidence I could muster while staring at my nearly nude body in the mirror.
I smirked, feeling silly. “It’s all yours, universe. Do your worst.”
Chapter Eight
Emily
Nerves rocked and rolled in my stomach, creating all kinds of havoc throughout my body. I had to do it. This was my best chance at getting Tommy the life he deserved. It was his birthright in many ways.
“You ready?” I asked my son, dragging his backpack across the living room floor.
“Do I have to go?” he whined.
“Yes, you have to go. You’ll have fun. Play with the kids and build things,” I told him, ruffling his brown hair.
He let out a long, dramatic sigh. “It’s so boring!”
“It’s called fun. Try it; you might like it.”
I took his hand and led him out the door. I loaded him in the back seat of my old Honda and buckled him in. I felt guilty for taking him to daycare when I wasn’t going to work, but I had to. I couldn’t exactly show up to apply to be a man’s wife with my three-year-old in tow. I felt terrible about calling in sick to work and hoped I could make up the day. I had to make up the lost hours in order to pay the bills.
I dropped Tommy off, giving him a quick kiss before heading to Sarah’s work. I wasn’t going to see her. I was going to apply in person for the stupid show. I had waited too long and applying online was too risky. If my application got buried, I would miss the cutoff. I had to get past this first round. Sarah had promised me there would be a meet and greet tomorrow. All I had to do was see him, tell him my story, and then I could drop out of the competition.
“Hi,” I said, using my best smile when I saw the receptionist sitting at a tall desk.
“Don’t tell me,” she started. “You’re here to apply for the show—in person because you waited until, literally, almost the last minute.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “You got me.”
“Take this; fill it out. Did you bring a headshot?”
I grimaced. “No. I didn’t realize I needed to.”
She let out a long sigh. “Fine. I’ll take an instant picture.”
“Thank you,” I told her, taking the clipboard with the application and pen.
I sat down and started to fill out the ridiculous questionnaire. I couldn’t believe I was answering the questions about my height and weight along with things like what kinds of foods I liked and where I saw myself in ten years. Basically, it was the information one would glean after about a month of dating. Way to save time.
I finished my paperwork and handed it over to the receptionist. She looked it over, looked at me, and told me to take a seat.
Another woman opened a door, popping her head out. “Emily?”
“Yes,” I said, standing.
“Come with me, please.”
I walked with her down a short hall. We went into a small, windowless office that suddenly made me feel as if I were in an interrogation room. She gestured for me to have a seat in a wooden chair on one side of the table.
“I just have a few more questions,” she said with a friendly smile. “We have to make sure you are who you say you are, so we will need a quick picture to include with your application as well.”
I nodded my head. “I’m definitely me,” I joked, feeling nervous.
She asked me a few more questions, told me they would be running a background check, and then took my picture.
“As you know, the show will be starting soon. If you don’t hear from us by tomorrow, you can assume we’ve not chosen you. If we do call you, I need you to be prepared to attend a formal cocktail party tomorrow evening. We’ll tell you the location if and when we call,” she said.
I nodded my head. “Okay.”
“Thank you for coming in. I’ll walk you out,” she said, still very friendly.
Once outside, I called Sarah to see if she had a couple minutes to talk. When I told her I was at her building, she squealed and told me to stay put.
I waited outside, sitting on a small bench in a grassy area, thinking about what I had just done. Never in a million years would I have imagined doing something so out of character for me.
“You did it!” she shouted, bursting through the doors and rushing toward me. “I can’t believe you did it!”
“That makes two of us,” I mumbled.
“Did you get on?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. She said she would call me if I made it. If I don’t get a call tomorrow, I didn’t get on.”
“You’ll get one. You have to,” she said, squeezing my hand.
I sighed. “If I don’t, it’s plan B. I’ll stalk the man until I get his attention.”
She was silent for a moment. “Are you going to tell him?”
“Tell him?” I asked, trying to keep up with the two different conversations we were obviously having in our heads.
“About Tommy,” she said, as if it were obvious.
“Of course. That’s the whole point of talking to him.”
She shook her head. “I know you,
Emily. I don’t see you running up to a man, who is essentially a stranger, and telling him he’s the father of your child.”
I wrinkled my nose. “You’re right. Assuming I get to go to this little shindig tomorrow, and assuming he recognizes me, no, I don’t think I’ll blurt out that he fathered a child. I need to get to know him a little bit. If he is some wack job, I don’t want him to know about Tommy.”
She chuckled. “He’s got a clean record if that’s any consolation. The studio’s lawyers made sure they ran a full background on him. They couldn’t promote a wack job and pair him up with women.”
I nodded. “Good. That’s very good to know. I still need to know about his character. Is he a jerk? Arrogant? Obnoxious?”
Sarah burst into laughter. “Usually, those are things a person generally knows before they have someone’s child.”
I shrugged. “Hey, I like to do things my own way.”
She burst into laughter again. “I’d say so. So, what if he recognizes you? Then what?”
I took a deep breath. “I don’t know. I hope to get a few minutes of his time or at least get a better understanding of who he is. I am still very leery of chasing after a man who puts on a reality show to find a wife. That seems like an asshole thing to do.”
“Okay. Understandable. Give him a chance. You don’t have to like him or love him, but he does need to help with Tommy’s support.”
I nodded. “I know. You’re right. But, if he is a complete jerk, I think I’d rather Tommy never know his father. I’ll figure out a way if it comes to that.”
“Good girl. So, let’s talk about what you’re going to wear tomorrow,” she said, grinning.
I laughed. “We don’t even know if I’m going to get the call.”
“Girl, please. You’re fucking gorgeous. If I wasn’t your friend, I would hate you for looking that good after having a kid, and seriously, you don’t look like you’ve aged a day since you were twenty-five. I’ve seen some of the pictures of the women who’ve made it through. You’ll get the call,” she vowed.
I released a sigh. “I hate to admit it, but I hope so. I want to see him again. Is that terrible?”
She smiled. “After the limited details you gave me about that night, I think you would be crazy not to want to see him again. Hell, if you hadn’t had him first, I would want to meet him,” she said, winking.
“I’m a jumble of nerves. I want to see him because, honestly, he has been haunting me for years,” I admitted.
“I know,” she said, patting my leg. “I think this could be good for you for a whole number of reasons. Go, have fun, mingle, and flirt and see if you two hit it off. Maybe he won’t remember you and you get a fresh start. That could be a good thing.”
I nodded. “I think I would actually prefer that scenario.”
“I have to get back to work. If I get the chance to put your application through, I will. I’m going to tell Gabe he has to put in my super-hot friend, and if not, I quit,” she said, standing and putting both hands on her hips.
I stood up, hugged her, and shook my head. “Don’t you dare. If I get in, I get in. If not, just call me Stalker Emily.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like the name, but you would look hot in all black with one of those cute little hats.”
She headed inside, and I walked to my car. I had a couple hours of free time before I needed to pick up Tommy. I thought about what I had in my closet and realized I would need a dress for tomorrow, assuming I got the call.
Instead of picking up groceries, I went to one of my favorite consignment stores to do a little window shopping. I looked for something off-brand, tried a few things on, but nothing looked or felt as great as the brand-name stuff.
I looked at the price tags and mentally calculated how much I would have to make in tips to pay for the thing. My hand moved over my purse where my emergency credit card was waiting. Did I dare? Before I could talk myself out of it, I bought the royal blue cocktail dress with lots of sparkling diamonds sewn around the low-cut V-neck. If I was going to do this, I was going all in.
I skipped the shoe section of the store and headed across the street to a thrift store. There was no way I could spend what they were asking for their used shoes. I would stick with something cheap. If all went well, he wouldn’t be looking at my feet.
I ran by the grocery store and picked up a few things before picking Tommy up at daycare. It was the usual complaints all the way home. Hopefully, my diabolical little plan would work out and Tommy would be in a preschool that challenged him within the next few months. I smirked while thinking about the car rides home after a day there. He would probably complain that the work was too hard.
Chapter Nine
Tyler
When I opened my eyes at around four in morning, I felt an energy vibrating through my body. This was the day. After four years, I would find her today. At least, that was what I was hoping for. If I didn’t see her tonight, I wasn’t sure where to go from this point. I knew I would have to make a decision to either abandon the dream of finding her or keep searching. The rational side of me knew the latter wasn’t smart. I was wasting time and spinning my wheels.
I quickly dressed in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and found my way to my home gym. It was outfitted with everything you would find in a typical gym. The treadmill was my favorite. I did a few stretches, flipped on the news channel that would give me all the information about stock predictions for the day, and climbed on the treadmill for a grueling workout.
As my feet bounced off the black belt of the machine, I thought about her. My arms pumped, and I could feel the sweat trickling down the small of my back the longer I ran. It felt good. I was getting out all that pent-up frustration that had been building all week.
When I finally felt as if I had run far enough, I climbed off the machine and wiped my brow, walking toward my room on legs that felt tingly. I felt renewed and ready. Now I just had to get through a boring day at work.
I was sitting at my desk, staring at the screen on my computer and seeing nothing, when I heard a knock on the door before it opened.
I looked up to see Connor coming toward me with a stack of papers.
“What’s that?” I asked, noticing the smile on his face. He looked very pleased with himself.
“Hopefully, your future wife,” he said, laughing a little.
I raised an eyebrow and looked down at the stack of papers he set in front of me. “What?”
“These are the applications of the women the show has chosen to present to you. You said you wanted to know who the women were.”
I nodded my head, flipping through the pages. “There are no pictures,” I said.
Connor chuckled. “No, there are not. Your buddy Gabe wants you to be surprised. The cameras will be rolling, and they want to get your reaction to seeing the women.”
I growled while reading through the names and bios of the women. “This doesn’t do me any good,” I said, shoving the pages away.
I didn’t know her damn name. I wanted pictures!
“The party is tonight at seven. Do you want your tux delivered here, or will you be going home to change?” Connor asked, ignoring my frustration.
“I’ll change here.” I glowered, pissed I had to wait to find out if she was a name on the list.
“I’ll have your tux sent over,” he said and walked out the door, leaving me alone.
I stared at the papers. It was information I should have cared about. I didn’t. The only woman’s bio I was interested in was hers, and I didn’t know her damn name! I ignored the papers and got back to work, or at least I tried.
When it was time to go to the party, I felt out of sorts. So much was riding on this one night. I was escorted through a back door and met with Gabe and Jack, who gave me a rundown of how the evening would go. Basically, I would be announced to a room full of women who were all vying for the chance to be my bride. I would have a chance to chat with each of them if I chose.
I was told to play it up for the cameras and talk to every woman.
“Got it. Can we do this?” I asked, anxious to see if she was in the crowd.
Gabe smiled, thinking I was eager for the show. Let him think whatever he wanted. I waited behind a closed door while the host of the show gave a spiel about who I was before finally introducing me. I walked out to a cacophony of cat calls and clapping hands. I ignored it all, scanning the crowd, looking for the green eyes that had captivated me. I didn’t see her.
“Here you go, sir,” a waiter said, handing me a glass of champagne.
I took the glass and headed into the crowd. It felt a little awkward to be the sole focus of attention. The women all looked similar, which had been my doing. There were various shades of brown and even a few redheads thrown into the mix. All the women were pretty in their own right, but none of them were her.
I made my way around the room, smiling and doing my best to be friendly despite the complete letdown happening inside my heart. I had just been snared by a particularly beautiful, exotic-looking woman—Cora, her name tag said—when there was a bit of a commotion at the door. I glanced over, saw the security team close the door, and heard hushed voices. I turned my attention back to Cora.
“Hi. I’m Tyler,” I said.
She smiled, showing off a perfect set of white teeth. “Cora. It’s good to meet you,” she cooed.
There was no denying the woman was extremely attractive. She had an it factor that drew me in.
“I’m sorry,” I heard. It was a woman’s voice, and my body froze.
I turned to the door just as a woman wearing a blue dress walked in. She was looking down at her chest, adjusting her name tag. I waited for her to look up, holding my breath. I watched as she turned away from me and took an offered glass of champagne.
“Look this way,” I muttered under my breath.
“Excuse me?” Cora said.
I ignored her. All my attention was focused on the girl in blue. I wasn’t the only one watching her. She had made quite the entrance and the other women in the room were checking her out as well.