Daisy's heart was pounding so fast, so loud, she could barely make out the questions. ‘If you had ten thousand dollars to spend at any store, which store would you choose?’ the mystery date asked. The voice was familiar but then, he was a celebrity. Probably an actor.
Amber, contestant one, had answered with some sports store Daisy had never heard of. Flora said Bloomingdales New York and she’d even pay for her flight. Daisy toyed with saying Dreams by Poppy but decided that was taking free publicity too far when it had been mentioned several times already. She thought of her less-than-impressive wardrobe and went for the iconic Auckland department store, Smith and Caughey.
Question number two. ‘If you could play the lead female role in any movie, what movie would it be?’ Amber said Twilight. Flora chose The Hunger Games. Daisy, who had grown up watching romantic comedies with Poppy, tossed up between Sleepless in Seattle and Notting Hill but went with While You Were Sleeping. She liked a classic romantic comedy. Goodness knows she’d need a laugh after this.
The third and final question had required Daisy to consider the answer with great caution. ‘What is your favorite form of exercise,’ the mystery date had asked and Daisy felt more nauseous by the second. Amber ran six miles a day and played basketball. Flora worked out at the gym five times a week. Daisy sighed, threw caution to the wind, and came up with ‘walking to the fridge in the add breaks.’
He’s never going to choose me now, she thought with some relief once the questions were over. Amber was a fitness instructor and Flora worked as as a booker at a modeling agency. They were the type of girls you'd expect to be picked for the show yet somehow, she'd got on. To be fair, she had made them laugh at the audition. Self-deprecation had its advantages.
Not that any of it mattered and it was all out of her control now. She was on national television and her plan had paid off. Dreams by Poppy had been mentioned by Molly several times in the introductions. Daisy couldn't have asked for more.
Of course, there was her family.
She had no doubt they were at home watching. Quite possibly standing over her mother, frantically trying to revive her where she'd fainted on to the floor.
Daisy refrained from mouthing ‘Hi Mum’ to the camera.
Joel was having a devil of a time deciding who to choose. He’d gone with the sports store answer for the first question. For the second he’d picked While You Were Sleeping because it sounded like a crime flick and he didn't mind the odd adrenaline paced movie. The last question, though, was giving him a lot of grief. On the one hand he appreciated a woman who kept fit. He kept fit himself. Had to, if he didn't want to be dead from a heart attack at fifty.
Yet number three, the contestant who went to the fridge in the ad breaks? Was that a line or what? She had a sense of humor, of fun.
He listened to the thunderous applause from the audience and glanced back at Rob. Rob was urging him to respond via his repeatedly raised eyebrows.
What was it Rob had told him before the show? What’s one weekend out of fifty-two? At worst.
He exhaled and without another thought, bent towards the microphone, stared out into the indistinguishable faces of the studio audience and boldly announced, “I choose contestant number three.”
Beyond the pink heart, Daisy gripped the seat of the stool and felt panic mingled with a heady dose of anticipation grip her.
No. This wasn't meant to happen.
Her face heated at the same time her body seemed to freeze in shock.
Molly came over, took her by the arm and led her to the center of the set so they were standing alongside the heart.
You can do this, Daisy. You can do this.
No, she screamed inside. I can't do this. I did not come on this show to do this.
She gave a backward, apologetic glance to Flora and Amber and was rewarded by cheery if slightly less dazzling smiles. Flora did the thumbs up.
Good sports. She wished one of them had won. They’d wanted to win this more than she had. Neither of them had been married before and they deserved to find a chance at love. All she'd wanted was the chance to say Dreams by Poppy a few times.
“Remember to smile,” Molly whispered as they stood together. “Believe me, you are going to just love your Mystery Date.”
“Who–?” Daisy began but Molly shook her head secretively. Daisy glanced at the giant pink heart. There was a man standing right over there and any second now he was going to see her and they were going to win a date together.
The audience cheered and the Mystery Date ‘moment of revelation’ music – complete with violent, pounding drums – was building to its climax. Daisy held her breath, crossed her fingers behind her back and hoped she looked calm.
The music peaked and there was a low grinding sound as the heart began to slide towards the curtain of pink hearts floating at the back of the set.
The heart continued moving slowly, torturously slowly, until there was nothing separating her and her date.
And she found herself looking into the face of Joel Benjamin.
Chapter Five
Joel stared at the woman standing in front of him, said "Hello," and his mind went blank.
He knew her. Though the short layered hair wasn't familiar and neither was the reddy-brown color. A dazzling assortment of reds, he realized now. Quite the work of art. Except she had so much makeup on she looked like she was trying out for the lead in Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
They all did, he thought wryly.
She looked back at him, her eyes wide with shock.
Then she seemed to realize the camera was on her and she plastered a smile on her face.
He stared into her eyes and his gaze slipped over her body.
Then back up.
Then it clicked.
For the love of– "Poppy?"
Her mouth tightened and suddenly the cheering, the screaming, the music – suddenly it all muted into the background.
What on earth was she doing on Mystery Date?
Suspicion began to mount rapidly. Was this all a set up through Kate?
And what had happened to her hair? It had been long and thick and gorgeous, the kind of hair you’d want to wake up to.
Rob suddenly jabbed him in the ribs and hissed, "Kiss her. Camera's on you. Do it now.”
The kiss. Of course.
He took her hand in his and pulled her closer and as he did, the audience chanting rose to a frenzied pitch. He shot a curious glare out beyond the blinding lights. That had to be fake. There was no way the people in this studio were making this much racket.
Out the corner of his eye, Rob glowered at him to get on with it and tapped his watch.
Poppy... No, of course it wasn't Poppy. It was Daisy. She looked at him, suspicion in her eyes.
You and me both, he thought.
He bent closer, she looked back up, he pressed his lips to hers, felt something go a little haywire and pressed even closer.
His pulse raced, the scent of her enveloped him, sparks began to shoot off around him and he jerked back with shock.
He looked into her eyes which were staring back at him with an equal degree of shock.
Rob boomed into his handheld microphone, “And now the moment you have all been waiting for. What has our lucky couple won tonight?”
Molly held out two envelopes to Daisy while Rob almost spat in his ear, “What the hell was that kiss back there? Was there tongue? From where I was standing it looked like you were damned well kissing her with tongue.” He spun smoothly back round to the camera. “What date will our last lucky couple win tonight?”
The applause was deafening as Daisy selected an envelope.
For a moment she put her thumb to her lips, then looked back at Joel. His own lips tingled in response and he felt compelled to copy her movement, and only just resisted.
She dropped her hand away and concentrated on the card.
“It says,” she began, "that we have won two nights at the Golden Grave
Hotel on the luxurious resort of Golden Grave.”
Joel's mind boggled. What kind of place was called Golden Grave?
Daisy frowned, read it again. "Sorry. I mean Golden Grove."
She passed the envelope across to him and he read it himself.
Yep. Same thing.
They'd won a trip.
He stared at Daisy.
She stared back at him.
They'd won the trip. Oh, man. They had won the darned trip.
The audience roared and applauded, Rob and Molly grinned and waved, and the Mystery Date theme played.
Next to them, Rob ordered manically, “Wave. Smile,” and Joel waved and smiled until his arm ached and the floor manager gave the all-clear signal.
"Congratulations people," the floor manager boomed, as he issued instructions to his crew.
Joel turned to Daisy.
"Hi, Daisy," he said.
"Joel," she said back.
There was an odd tone to her voice.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
She seemed to realize she was frowning and she straightened.
"It's just... unreal," she said with calmness to her voice he didn't trust.
Not that he had any pathological need to be liked by everyone – he knew the impossibility of that – but he was getting the feeling she really didn't like him.
He said anyway, “I like your hair. It's different."
Rob suddenly gripped Joel's shoulder. "What the hell did you just say?" He glared at them both. “It's different from how?"
Joel shook off Rob's hand. "Calm down. She only had it cut."
"You mean..." Rob smacked his forehead with his palm. "You mean you know her?"
Joel waggled his hand. "We've met."
"Bloody hell. Joel. That's... The whole concept is that you’re not meant to know each other.” He stabbed Joel on the shoulder with his finger. “You signed the disclaimer. You said you didn’t know the contestants.”
“And I didn't. The names weren't familiar when I read them."
Rob buried his face in his hands. “What’s more, you go around kissing – and I mean kissing – women on network television, live network television? Are you crazy? I said a peck on the cheek. Not flipping foreplay.” He looked drained. “I don’t need this.”
“We met a few times," Daisy explained. "It was very business-like. Joel bought books for his sister at my store.” She watched Rob closely. “In fact,” she said, “you sound familiar to me as well.”
Rob stared at her Persian russet highlights. “I don’t think so.”
“It’s Daisy,” Joel told him. “From the bookstore, Poppy’s, where Kate gets her books. That's where I went. Your wife's recommendation.”
Rob opened his mouth but nothing came out. He gazed skyward and closed his eyes.
Daisy said, "So you're Kate's husband? She mentioned you worked in the media but I didn't take any notice. I’m sorry.”
Rob inhaled through his nose. “Don't apologize, Daisy. I didn’t make any connection either. However.” His mouth was grim. “We do have a situation here. You’ve both won the trip to Golden Grove but considering you knew each other beforehand, frankly, I’m not sure what’s going to happen about that.” He checked his watch. “We need to thrash this disaster out. I’ll take you to a meeting room and get Kelly to send some coffee down ASAP.”
Daisy walked ahead of Joel as they made their way to the meeting room but her mind was four feet behind her. On Joel.
Of all the people. A flipping university lecturer. A nerdy brainbox like Lionel. One who she'd thought was pretty okay until she'd seen the condescending way he'd looked at her stock, at her shop, at her furnishings and she'd seen him shudder. The shop was her baby. You insult the shop, you insult me.
She clenched her fists, focused on what really mattered here. That she'd gotten great promo out of this. Dreams by Poppy had been mentioned several times and when she'd told the audience about her grandmother Poppy and how they'd planned and dreamt of a shop together, she was sure she'd heard a few "ahs" coming from the darkened studio.
But to win...
And not just to win, but to win a pretty decent prize. A trip. A weekend holiday.
They turned a corridor in the rabbit warren of corridors.
And then there was this supposed resort of Golden Grove. She'd never heard of it which pretty much left only one conclusion – that it was some dingy little resort boasting a one star hotel.
At least if the weather was good they could go swimming and Joel would probably look amazing in a bathing suit and hopefully wouldn't open his mouth to demean her shop.
Of course, she thought with a start, that meant he’d get to see her in a swimsuit as well and she wasn’t in the habit of parading around semi-naked. Was there time to join a gym? Could she lose fifteen pounds before they went away?
Rob stopped abruptly, opened a door and they stepped inside.
He gestured to a seat, mumbled something panicked, and the door slammed shut behind him as he left.
Daisy sat down while Joel loosened his tie, shoved his hands in his trouser pockets and stared at the wall of the network's TV Guide awards. She watched him. It was a shame he was so good looking.
The trousers were pulled tighter around his hips making his legs look lean and strong. He turned around suddenly and she stared into space.
He said, "You look pale. You're not in shock over this, are you?"
"I'm fine. I think." She was something but it wasn't shock. Stunned, maybe, if there was a difference between the two.
He stared at her a moment longer. "I meant what I said. I like the new hair."
"Oh, thanks. Rafael is a top stylist. He did the highlights.”
His gaze flicked over her fringe and down to her neck where it settled in expertly chopped layers. “You look young. Like a teenager.”
Daisy went weak at the knees, even though she was sitting. Even though he probably said that to everyone. Even though she wasn't meant to be flattered by him. Being flattered leant itself to attraction and... Oh, who the heck was she kidding? Of course she was attracted to him. She just didn't have to like being attracted to him.
“Thanks,” she muttered.
He turned back to the wall, moved to stand in front of the posters for the network's Saturday morning kids' show.
His comment was also ironic. Especially because her teenage years had been dismal. She suspected, like most of the population, they were years she'd rather forget. It had been painful growing up with over-achieving sisters.
He turned around. "You're frowning," he observed.
"Oh, it was just–" She shrugged. "The teen comment. Those years weren't the best." Looking at Joel, he'd have had his pick of girlfriends. No doubt he'd played rugby and cricket through high school, probably captained the teams. Been the dreamboat of the school.
"Teen years." He glared at a poster on the wall advertising Mystery Date with Rob's face grinning while Molly leaned against him in ridiculously high heels and mini skirt. "My teen years weren't so great either."
"Ha!" She couldn't suppress a half-laugh. "I find that hard to believe."
He looked away from the poster, a frown on his forehead. "Why?"
"Because of your..." She waved her hand in his direction.
He looked blank. "My–?"
How did she phrase this? "Your... Your looks."
His eyebrows shot up in disbelief and there was something about that look that irritated her. Bridget and Kathryn had been like that. They had been blessed with a high metabolism, full lips and were always selected first for sports teams at school. They could also sing in tune and had the ability to turn out 3000 word essays and get marked with an A plus, but that was another story.
"For goodness sake," she muttered, "any guy like you would have had it easy. You wouldn't have gone through that whole vile teenage angst thing and all that self doubt. I bet all the boys were jealous as well."
He gave a short, almos
t sarcastic laugh.
She said, "What's so funny?"
He shook his head. "You," he said, "are funny."
He took a seat on the small couch and for a moment looked lost in thought. Finally he said, "My teenage years were not great ones." He stopped, seemed to rethink. "They were okay. I had a good family, even if my sister excelled at bossiness. I did well at school which was what I wanted to do. Major nerd. Still am, really. But socially? No." He rubbed his hands over his face as if he were washing the memories away. "Those years were a complete disaster."
Daisy looked him up and down again, tried to figure out what this disaster could have been and came up with nothing. "How so?"
Joel grimaced. "I had this nickname."
Her gaze skimmed him again, from his feet to the top of his head. He was six three, she guessed. Maybe six four. She knew this because Lionel had been five foot eleven and a quarter but had raised himself to six when filling out forms. Joel easily had three inches height on Lionel. "Let me guess." She snapped her fingers. "You were called Joel the pole?"
"Good. Very good." He managed a bare smile. "But no." He ran his hand beneath the shirt collar at his neck. "I could have coped with that name if it had just been about height. Unfortunately it wasn't. Right through high school I was called–" His mouth twisted uncomfortably. "Big Ben."
Daisy grinned. "What a co-incidence. I once met a guy who was nicknamed..."
Her voice trailed off. She went still. Shock began to prickle, then to roll through her, then just as quickly vanished.
No, it wasn't. It couldn't be. It was a small world but it wasn't that small. Joel wasn't Big Ben. That Ben.
She swallowed hard. She'd heard wrong. Of course she had. It just wasn't possible.
But what if...
"What did you say your nickname was?" she said finally.
Joel scratched his chin in his 'thinking' pose. "Big Ben. I was a tall kid. I hit six foot before anyone else. But I was a nerd and a gamer, and you combine that with a bad diet, hardly any exercise, and it's not a good look." He breathed out. "I was a little heavy. A lot heavy," he added.
Second Chances Boxed Set: 7 Sweet & Sexy Romances in 1 Book Page 69