A long pause ensued before Jonas snarled, “What do you want.”
*
Valentina’s stomach did a quick somersault as she caught Derek’s reflection in the green room mirror. She darted her gaze to Goldie, who was adding a touch of powder to Valentina’s cheeks. “Goldie, once again you’ve outdone yourself. Thank you for taming my curls and for getting rid of those bags under my eyes.”
Goldie squeezed her shoulders. “Oh, pooh, I didn’t have to do much, you’re a natural beauty. Quit being so hard on yourself. I’m off to see if any of those hunky bachelors need a little touch of Goldie. Good luck.” She winked, and after sending Derek a nod, she left the room.
Valentina stared at Derek’s reflection, running the speech she’d intended to give him through her head, while wondering if what she was about to do would turn into the biggest career blunder.
“You wanted to talk to me?” he asked, and sank into the sofa opposite the mirror.
She swiveled her chair to face him. “Yes.”
Forehead creasing he leaned forward, and rested his forearms on his knees. “Is this about the show?”
“No, not really.” She shook her head and released a nervous laugh.
His face relaxed. “For a second, you had me thinking you were backing out when it was just about to end.” He smacked his hands together, a smile brightening his face. “Okay, then, what can I do for you?”
She rose, then wringing her hands, began to pace. “When you first asked me to play bachelorette, I didn’t want to. But I understood the show would tank, and everyone would be out of a job, including me. When you offered to make me your Assistant Producer, double my salary and read one of my screenplays, I knew I would’ve been a fool to not do the show.” She stopped and needing to soothe her dry throat, she reached for a water bottle.
He leaned back into the sofa. “But...”
“I appreciate your offer, and while I’d love to work for you, and could definitely use the money, I’m just not sure my heart is in it anymore.”
“Because you lost it to Colt?”
She whipped her head to face him. “Is it that obvious?”
“To me it is. I’ve watched the footage taken over the past four weeks, and have seen the way you look at him...the way he looks at you. Then there’s your body language, the small smiles, the way you practically undress him with your eyes.”
“Derek,” she shrieked, while her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
He chuckled and held up a hand. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I mean, are you kidding? This—you and Colt—is what Pick Me needed to boost her ratings. A couple who has a genuine affection for each other. Don’t be embarrassed and before you ask, no one has said a word about it. I do have a knack for picking up on the slightest nuances, so your secret is safe with me. Well, until you pick him during the season finale,” he added with a wink.
She lifted a shoulder and pursed her lips. “You’re right. I am going to pick Colt, which is why I want to hold off on your offer...for now.”
“So you’re thinking of staying in Dallas?”
She’s asked herself the same question, many, many times, and still had no solid answer. Yes, she loved Colt. Yes, she wanted to take a chance on him. But would he want her once she revealed the ugly truth? That would be the deal breaker. “I’m not sure.”
Derek rose from the sofa. “Whatever your decision, I want you to be happy. I don’t want you to come to LA unless you’re absolutely certain there’s nothing for you here in Dallas.” He moved to the door, then paused. “You know, I had a chance to read your screenplay.”
Darting her eyes to his, she held her breath. She’d given him a copy of Dark Knights the day after she signed the contract he’d offered her guaranteeing all the career perks that would go along with her being Pick Me’s bachelorette. “You did?”
“Yep. It’s a cool idea, and I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve already passed it along to the production studio’s bigwigs.”
Smiling like a fool, she darted over to him. “Really?”
“Yeah, really. And you know,” he said, and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Writing screenplays for a hit TV show is something you can do anywhere.” With that last comment, he left the room.
Before the door closed, before she even had a chance to dwell on anything Derek had said, Danny plowed into the room. “We’re on in ten. Are you ready to roll?”
She nodded, and let him weave her through the backstage of the studio. As they neared the set she slowed her feet. “Wait,” she said, and gripped his wrist.
“Val, don’t tell me you’re nervous. I mean, this is it. No more cameras after today. And by this time tomorrow, you and Colt will be jet-setting away to a hell of a vacation.”
She shook her head. “How do you know I—”
“C’mon, Val. We’ve been working together for four years. I’ve never seen you goo-goo eyed for any man until you met Colt. Actually, I think it’s great. You’ve been such a cynic about the show...about love, I’m glad you found someone. Maybe next season, because thanks to you, I think our ratings will improve and there definitely will be another season, you’ll cut some slack on the bachelors and bachelorette.”
She loved Danny. Trusted him, but knew now wasn’t the time to tell him about what Derek had said, or what she’d planned to do about her relationship with Colt. The season finale would begin in a matter of minutes, and everything she wanted to spill would likely take hours. “We’ll see,” she said, then gripped the heavy curtains separating the back studio from the stage, and braced herself for the last time she’d have to face the cameras.
The show’s theme song kicked in, the studio audience cheered as Shepp McCord made his entrance, then sat on one of two oversized chairs which faced four others. He raised his hand, and the audience quieted. “Welcome to Pick Me’s season finale. For four weeks, our bachelorette, Val, has dated all three bachelors. And as they wait for her decision, you know they’re all thinking...”
“Pick me,” Shepp and the audience shouted in unison.
The whole scenario brought her back to the first time she’d faced the studio audience. To before she’d realized Colt was one of the bachelors. While she still didn’t believe two people could find love on a reality show, she couldn’t deny the love she felt for Colt, and she owed the show, Derek, and maybe even Jonas for that. Without them, she might have never pursued what she’d denied in her heart six months ago. That Colt was, and is, the only man she’d ever give herself to—on every level.
Her attention turned back to Shepp as he began to introduce the bachelors. Brad came out first, looking happier than she’d ever seen him. Maybe he and Larissa had a heavy work out session that had nothing to do with a treadmill or weights. She hoped so, the two of them made a cute, very buff couple.
As cheesy as Velveeta, Trent came out next, performing his corny air drum solo. Somehow, though, Trent made cheesy look cool, with his edgy good looks, all of his wicked tattoos, and his long hair. Like Brad, he appeared carefree and happy, and she couldn’t help but feel a jolt of guilt. Trent was a good guy, and seemed so into the show, and her. Fortunately, Trent had one of those “roll with the punches” personalities. He’d congratulate her and Colt, but she had little doubt he’d be alone for long. The notoriety he’d receive from the show would have women all over him once the show aired. As she was imagining a blur of tattooed women with piercings in all the wrong places hunting Trent down, Colt appeared on stage.
Her heart thudded with an overwhelming amount of love. God, it had only been a day since she’d seen him last, but it felt more like a week. She’d missed him last night. Missed snuggling on the couch watching TV together. Missed having his strong arms cradling her while she slept. She missed him. Period. And once again wondered how she could have ever thought she could spend four weeks with him and keep their relationship casual. She’d gone beyond casual, and now wanted to try her hand at commitment.
Once the bachelo
rs were seated, Shepp faced the audience. “Folks, it’s time to bring out our lovely bachelorette, Val.”
As the crowd cheered, she looked to Danny, who gave her a nod, then she walked out on stage. Ignoring the audience, the blaring lights, and Jonas who appeared unusually tame, she met Colt’s gaze. Worried the cameras would catch the love bubbling inside her, she looked away. Before she did, she’d captured a bit of the strength he resonated. Strength she’d need to work through the season finale. Strength she’d need to tell him the truth during their trip afterward.
Once the audience quieted, Shepp said, “Before Val picks one of our bachelors let’s take a look at some of her dates.”
The studio darkened, and behind them a huge screen began to show clips of each date. The audience laughed when Trent tried to teach her to play the drums, and again when Brad hauled the big, stuffed gorilla over his shoulder after battling the strong man carnival game. A big “aww” came when a clip—she knew was from one of the spy cams Jonas had made her wear—appeared of Colt giving her a passionate kiss. More footage ran. More oohs and ahhs were expelled from the audience, until the studio lights brightened and the screen dimmed.
“It’s been quite a run, huh, Val?” Shepp asked.
“Yes it has. I’ve had a lot of fun with all three bachelors. They’re special guys.” And she meant that. While she might love Colt, Brad and Trent would always hold a soft spot in her heart. They’d been chivalrous, sweet, and had always put her interests first. Sure, they were on a reality show, but she suspected, based on their personalities, that even if cameras weren’t rolling they’d have been just as accommodating.
“Unfortunately, though, you have to pick one bachelor, who you will take with you on a fabulous trip to Jamaica.” Shepp shouted the last word and the crowd once again erupted. When the audience calmed, he said, “Okay Val, who’s it going to be? Is it Brad, the personal trainer?” The lights dimmed again and focused on Brad. “Or Trent, the rocker dentist?” A beam of light hit him and he made the peace sign. “Or maybe Colt, the sports agent?”
When the light hit Colt, her heart dropped. He was so incredibly sexy. She ached to be in his arms, and wished she could fast forward the rest of the season finale, take him back to her apartment and lose herself in his body.
Shepp’s voice, a bitter reminder that she still had unfinished business with the show, forced her to tear her gaze from Colt’s. “Val, do you need more time to make your choice?”
Yeah, right. She’d made her decision four weeks ago. “No, Shepp, I know who I’m going to choose.” She let her gaze roam from bachelor to bachelor, offering them each a smile, but when her eyes me Colt’s, she couldn’t stop the huge grin splitting her face. “Colt,” she said, and the crowd went wild.
Trent and Brad offered Colt a congratulatory handshake, then rose and crossed the stage toward her and Shepp. She stood, and hugged Brad first.
“Thanks for whatever you said to Larissa,” he whispered in her ear, then gave her a brotherly peck on the cheek.
Once Brad stepped back, Trent gave her a big bear hug, raising her heels off the stage. “I had a lot of fun, Val. You’re a super cool lady and I wish you all the best.” She’d expected another drum solo, but he too gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek instead.
Shepp stepped forward. “Let’s hear it for Brad and Trent.”
While the audience clapped, and Brad and Trent left the stage, relief and anticipation thrummed through her veins. Trent and Brad hadn’t seemed to care one way or another that she’d chosen Colt, and now that she’d picked her bachelor, she no longer had to worry about keeping their real relationship a secret.
Colt rose from his chair, looking devastatingly hot in a white button down shirt that highlighted his tanned skin, a pair of worn jeans, his trademark belt buckle, and dusty cowboy boots. Not bothering to wait for Shepp’s cue, she somehow managed to sprint across the stage in a tight dress and four inch heels, and fall into Colt’s arms. She felt his grin against her temple as he held her tight, then she tipped her head back, wanting to see that sexy smile, wanting desperately to kiss his lips. To show the world how she felt about him.
He placed a lingering, yet chaste kiss on her lips. When she drew back and met his gaze, her breath caught. There was nothing chaste about the way he looked at her. His eyes held a possessive tenderness that tore at her soul. She was his, as much as he was hers.
Shepp came alongside them. “Don’t they make a great couple?”
The audience clapped in agreement.
“But we can’t send our happy couple off to Jamaica just yet.”
Frowning, Valentina gripped Colt’s hand. She’d been so caught up with announcing to the world that she wanted Colt, and only Colt, she’d forgotten the last piece of the show. The unveiling of the imposter.
“Val, Colt, I’ll need you to take a seat.”
Colt sat back down in his chair, while she took the one next to him, never letting go of his hand. A part of her hoped Colt was the imposter, because it would make her confession easier. Yet another part of her would be devastated, because once again, she’d picked the wrong guy. Right or wrong, though, it didn’t matter. If he was Derek’s red herring, she’d love him all the same, after all it would make them two of a kind.
“Val, as you know, Pick Me is infamous for planting an imposter, a bachelor who isn’t who he claims to be. Do you think Colt’s Pick Me’s imposter?”
She tightened her hold on Colt’s hand. “No. Actually, I don’t believe any of the bachelors are.”
Shepp knelt in front of her and took her free hand. Stunned, she looked at their joined hands. Shepp had never done this with the other bachelorettes, then again, maybe it had to do with the brief warning he’d given her about Jonas—something she’d never been able to follow up on—or maybe it was because he knew her outside of the show.
When he gripped her hand tight she looked at him. He held her gaze for a fraction of a second, but in his eyes she saw a fleeting glimpse of regret before he masked it with his trademark smile. “You’re right, Val, none of the bachelors are imposters.”
While the audience gasped, Valentina sent a silent thank you to Derek. Apparently he’d decided to give her a break and not throw a red herring into the mix this season. Brilliant, really. He’d given the show a whole new spin.
Grinning, she first looked to Colt, who smiled back and gave her such a heated gaze, she worried they wouldn’t make it off the set before she tackled his belt buckle. Keeping her sex drive under some semblance of control, she looked back to Shepp.
He’d lost his trademark smile, and the remorse in his eyes filled her with a sudden, overwhelming sense of dread. “Shepp?” she asked, no longer caring about the cameras or the audience. The calm, cool, collective host had lost all signs of his on camera charm, and it scared the hell out of her.
He tightened his grip on her hand. “Sorry, Val, but the only imposter is you.”
Chapter 11
Valentina’s head buzzed with the onslaught of a full blown panic attack as members of the audience either gasped, hissed or booed. She tore her sweaty hand from Shepp’s and rested her forearm against her pounding head, willing the tears to not flow. There’d be time for a crying jag later. Now, she had to somehow make this right.
Colt still held her hand, or rather, she held his. He’d loosened his grip and now sat at arm’s length, his posture rigid, his face pale, drawn, his eyes wild with shock and humiliation.
“Colt...I...” She choked back a sob when a few people from the audience booed her again.
“Now folks,” Shepp said as he stood and turned to the audience, raising his hand. “Let’s quiet down.” When the crowd obeyed, he moved back to his chair and took a seat. “Val isn’t really a school teacher, but a former Production Assistant for Pick Me. When the bachelorette originally scheduled for the show cancelled at the last minute, Val stepped in and took her place. While I know keeping up the ruse has been hard on her, I think I speak
for everyone on the set when I say we owe her a big thanks. Without her, Pick Me would have been cancelled.” He sent her a smile laced with gratitude and apology. “Thank you, Val.”
While she appreciated Shepp’s words, she still wanted to tear off her four inch stiletto and cram it down his throat. He could have warned her. He could have told her what Jonas and Derek had planned.
She looked past Shepp, past the blaring lights and the cameras, and narrowed her eyes on Derek and Jonas. Jonas, that rat bastard, stood with his arms crossed and a smug smile on his face. No, she wouldn’t waste the stiletto on Shepp. After all, he was only the messenger. But Jonas and Derek?
Derek. A fresh tear rolled down her cheek. His betrayal hurt the worst. He’d been her mentor, and he’d used her for ratings. Damn. And he’d sat with her in the green room minutes before Shepp sucked her world into a dismal black hole, telling her about the plans he’d had for her, assuring her of a bright future. He’d lied, betrayed her trust, even after she’d put herself, and her reputation on the line for the show. So what if she would have gained something from being bachelorette? She’d worked her ass off for years for the stupid show, and had deserved a promotion long before the start of this disastrous season.
While the betrayal consumed her, clawing at her insides like a freaking Ginsu knife, she clung to Colt’s hand. Through the white-hot haze of anger, she suddenly realized he’d allowed his fingers to grow loose and limp. She didn’t let go though, worried that if she did, he’d sprint off the stage. That was unacceptable. She needed to explain, needed him to understand.
“Colt,” Shepp began again as she was about to give Colt the explanation she should have given him weeks ago. “Val has chosen you tonight to share a weeklong trip with her in Jamaica. After you’ve heard the truth about Val, you can either accept her invitation or decline it. The choice is yours. What do you want to do?”
Her throat tightened and she looked to Colt. His face had grown stony, and was reddening by the second, while a vein throbbed at his temple, and his pulse beat hard at the base of his throat. He had a right to be angry. A right to hate her at this moment. She’d humiliated him in front of the cameras, in front of an audience. If only she’d told him the truth. He could have made his own choice long before now as to whether or not he’d wanted to continue to remain on the show, remain in her bed, remain in her life.
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