“Seems to me you love him," Michelle said. "Joel and Daisy, sitting up a tree, K-I-S-S–”
Daisy snorted, then thought. It was something, this thing she felt. Maybe it was love. The way she'd been so hurt by what he'd said, what he had thought about her, maybe it hurt so much because she did love him.
But she was not going down that route again.
She couldn't.
"Love might be exaggerating it," she said as she flicked through her wardrobe, but even as she said it, something cleared inside her, cleared in her mind. It was no exaggeration.
Oh, hell.
She loved Joel. Doctor Joel Benjamin. Big Benny.
Oh, man.
She pulled out a black suit. Short skirt and short jacket.
Michelle screwed her nose up and flicked through the rack. “Looks like you’re going to a business meeting. Save it for your sister. Try this."
She held out a navy dress. It was above the knee-length, simple, flared from the hips. “This would be perfect. It’s classy yet simple. It's flattering. It says I’m confident with myself and with my man.”
Daisy held it alongside herself and checked her reflection in the dress mirror. "I haven’t worn it in ages. I’ve put on weight. It probably won’t fit.”
She was right. It didn’t. “This is unbelievable.” Was that a tear pricking her eye just because she couldn't fit a darned dress?
She shoved the dress back in the wardrobe. “You have a break-up, don’t eat and end up looking romantically gaunt. I end up mainlining chocolate and feel like an elephant. Where's the flipping justice in that?”
“Sometimes, Daisy, life isn’t romantic and is anything but fair but you’re missing the point. It is clear Joel likes you the way you are."
Daisy pulled another outfit out, and then shoved it back.
"Joel Benjamin, Dr Joel Studly Benjamin, is attracted to you. You’re the one he – you know…”
Daisy pulled a black dress from the closet. It was just above the knee, a V-neck, sleeveless. She'd bought it for some posh event and had never been to another event where she could wear it. “Attraction is one thing,” she said holding it up against herself as she scrutinized it in the mirror. She frowned. "But–"
“Perfect,” Michelle breathed.
Daisy stared at it. It was very cocktailish. She should have taken this one to the island for the dinner at the captain's table.
“Try it on.” Michelle scrambled around in the wardrobe and came up with strappy, black heels.
Daisy slipped on the dress. “I bought this for a cocktail party I went to once, after Lionel left. I got addicted to chocolate and stuck on weight.” She sighed. “Just like now really.”
She did up the zip and turned to analyze her reflection. She sucked in her stomach. “What do you know? It fits.”
“And it looks perfect.”
Daisy let out her breath before she passed out and she twirled in front of the mirror. "Except that it looks too man-hungry for what we want to achieve on Mystery Date." Though as she watched herself twirl she realized it did look good. And it was very – as the shop assistant had remarked in surprise – ‘forgiving'.
She murmured, "I guess it’s the best thing.”
“It’s perfect. You’ve got great legs and this lets everyone know it. I’ll give you some of my new perfume. It’s very spicy. You’ll knock him dead.”
Daisy slipped on the shoes, fluffed up her hair, and put a hand to her stomach. The nerves were having a field day in there and she wondered how they'd be later this afternoon.
Her mind slipped far too easily to Joel.
And she wondered if he was feeing anything remotely similar.
At the studio, Joel had been waiting for an hour. There'd been no point wasting time at home, he'd decided. He was too much on edge to do anything constructive. Like mark papers. He'd unintentionally kill some poor kid's budding academic career the way he was feeling.
The door behind him opened, he turned, his heart jumped hard in his chest, and there she was. Daisy. His Daisy. Walking into the room as Rob held the door for her.
Her gaze locked with his, held an intense fraction, then she looked away. Some of his sanity began to slide even further from his grasp.
He swallowed down nervously. Nervously. Like some love sick teenager. Like Big freaking Benny. “You look great." He shoved his hands in his trouser pockets in case he reached out and touched her.
Her eyes flickered as if she didn't believe him.
He added, “You look gorgeous. The Hollywoods would have been jealous if you'd had that dress at the island."
“Thank you,” Daisy said formally. “Michelle and I felt it fitted the purpose of what we're trying to do."
“It’s perfect,” Rob quipped. “It's sexy."
Daisy looked down, smoothed her dress around her hips then folded her arms and stared at the wall. Joel noticed she was looking as far away from him as was possible without contorting her body. It had to be deliberate.
Come on,” Rob sighed. He massaged his forehead. “We’ll head on down to the studio now and get it over and done with. It won’t be live so don’t worry if we have to re-record. We’ll throw highlights in between the segments on tonight’s show."
He held the door open, gestured for them to go through. "And for the love of all that is good in this world, will the pair of you both just cheer the hell up?”
Kelly was waiting outside, and she began to walk ahead of them down to the studio. Daisy followed, her body stiff and tense.
Rob grabbed Joel's elbow. "Listen up, Benjamin. Friend or not, if you two don't start looking happy by the time that camera starts rolling, then no way are we going to pull this bloody thing off, so can you damn well plaster a smile on your movie star face so the world thinks you're on cloud bloody nine?”
Joel exposed perfect white teeth in a fake grin.
“Never thought I’d say it,” Rob admitted, “but it looks better.” He rubbed his palms wearily down his face. "You better hope your time on The Last Centurion rubs off and you can act your pants off."
They reached the studio, and Rob directed them to a pink sofa with matching pink and white cushions.
He sat them down, then stared from one to the other.
“You two resemble a couple about to slug it out in the divorce courts. For Pete's sake, move closer.”
Daisy shuffled and Joel shuffled until their hips touched.
Warmth flared and Joel gritted his teeth.
“Better.” Rob grabbed Joel’s arm and flung it around Daisy’s shoulder, patting it in place. “Now keep it there. It is superglued on and it is not going anywhere. Superglue, Joel.”
Burning heat seared Joel’s arm where it draped over Daisy’s shoulder. She sat stiffly, he noted, and he wasn't sure she was even breathing. Joel caught sight of himself in the monitor above and adopted a nonchalant look. Darn near impossible when his hand was resting on the smooth, warm skin of her arm.
“Okay, Daisy.” Rob grabbed her hand and placed it on Joel’s thigh. Joel jerked under her touch and stared straight ahead. He felt Daisy exhale, at the same time as a series of erotic messages seemed to transport straight to his brain. He swallowed hard. Barely managed to suck in a breath.
“Good.” Rob surveyed the scene and nodded his head in agreement. “I think that’ll keep them fooled for the duration. Now, you know the sort of thing I’ll ask. What the island is like – got to keep those sponsors happy somehow. What you did – both of you think of something you enjoyed – romantic if possible. The viewers out there want to know that this is the sort of place they can stay at to rekindle a dwindling marriage or send a love affair into orbit. Not that any of them will be able to afford it but that's beside the point. I’ll ask what happened when you got back. Did the romance continue, and a simple ‘yes’ will do. And maybe a kiss. On the lips. We won’t get into the lover’s spat and frankly, no one will care after this. The world will have seen you together on television an
d that will prove it. All is well in the love life of Joel Benjamin and Daisy Miller. You’re officially an item and any Twitter trolls or nutjob bloggers who want to claim otherwise, can go to hell. Okay?”
Daisy nodded mutely. Joel breathed in through his nose and said nothing.
Kelly came over now, took off her glasses, and stuck the end in her mouth.
"It's still not right," she announced.
Joel shook his head as he moved his hand away from Daisy and muttered, "For the love of–"
"Superglue," Rob yelled.
Joel put his arm back.
Kelly narrowed her eyes at them. "This is completely lacking in authenticity and that is a real problem."
Joel gestured to Rob. "He just said it was fine."
Kelly waved her hand at him dismissively. "He's a man. What does he know?"
"Amen," Joel thought he heard Daisy mutter.
"We need more authenticity," Kelly repeated.
Rob was staring at them both now. At Joel, at Daisy. Back at Joel. Back at Daisy.
Perplexed, he raised his arms. "What else can we do?"
Kelly chewed the end of her glasses frame then her eyebrows shot up. "I've got it. Daisy and Joel, here's how it's going to work. When one of you is talking, I want the other one to look at them. Gaze at them. It’s a good thing for couples to do when they’re in love because let's face it; you're not interested in Rob or the camera or the viewers at home. You are totally in to each other and you need to show the world this. Joel, right now pretend Daisy is talking to Rob. Look at her.”
Joel turned to Daisy who was still as stiff as a board.
Kelly said, "Look adoringly at her."
"How the hell do I do that?"
"Bloody marvelous," Daisy said as she turned to him. There was fury in her gaze now.
She looked back at Rob.
"Yeah," Rob said. "How the hell do they do that?"
Kelly shook her head. "I have no idea but they better damn well figure it out in the next five minutes."
Rob looked heavenward, then reached over and clapped Joel on his back. “You’ll do okay. Remember adoringly. You're gonna be fine.” There was no conviction in his voice. He bent to kiss Daisy’s forehead. “Ditto, Daisy. You’ll do great. You look great. This can't go wrong." He stood, straightened his tie, smoothed back his hair. “Let’s do it then.”
Kelly surveyed the scene and nodded her approval as she made the sign of the cross on her chest. “Damage control will commence.”
Chapter Twelve
Rob grinned into the camera. “Welcome back to Mystery Date. Tonight we are beyond delighted to have with us on the show, Joel Benjamin and Daisy Miller."
He turned first to Joel, and Joel noticed Rob's face was tight with nerves. In spite of the layers of make-up. “You’ve been back from Golden Grove a few days now, Joel. Tell us about the island.”
Joel cleared his throat, swallowed, and remembered to keep his arm around Daisy. It would’ve been a breeze, he thought, if her hand wasn’t resting on his thigh.
“Golden Grove is a stunning resort.” He stopped. He'd mentioned the name, which was a miracle. He racked his brain. What else? What could he say? It had all been in his mind a few minutes ago. “The accommodation was the kind you dream about,” he added. He felt Daisy's hand tighten on his thigh but assumed it was a reflex, that she wasn't remembering the accommodation and how they had shared some of it between them, over and over and over. But then, why would she, when it was clear she had no feelings for him? "Golden Grove is where the celebrities go to chill out and relax. We saw..." He grinned at the camera, and thought he might just be getting into this role. "Well, we can't name names but we'd be set for life if we sold our story to the tabloids. Suffice to say, we were guests at the manager's table one night with some very high profile Hollywood guests."
Around them eyes popped open and Joel said, "Our mouths are firmly sealed."
Daisy’s eyes were on him. He could feel her looking at him and he sucked in a deep breath.
Rob gave a game show host laugh, said, "Tell us more about Golden Grove, Joel."
"I think," Joel said, "that the most spectacular thing about Golden Grove, Rob, is the variety of activities. For such a reasonably small resort, they have packed everything you'd want to do on a South Pacific island in there and there are just so many places to relax if that's how you want to spend your time."
“The perfect romantic spot?” Rob prompted.
Joel nodded.
“Which, of course, is why we’re here.” He turned to Daisy. “What were the romantic aspects of Golden Grove for you, Daisy?”
Joel looked straight at her. She swallowed hard and her chin lifted. “The scenery was stunning. I haven't had the good fortune to travel overseas ever in my life." Joel could almost imagine the collective sighs across the living rooms of New Zealand. "And it was romantic. There are a lot of really nice places you can go to. You can hire bikes, go kayaking, trekking to the peak.”
“Tell us one of those places.”
Daisy glanced over at Joel but he could read nothing in her expression.
She turned back to Rob. “One day we walked up to the peak at the northern tip of the island. It’s called Lover's Leap.”
Rob pounced. “And is there a romantic story behind it?”
“There is actually.”
“And that story is…?”
Joel could see she was getting into her element as well. “In the early 1920s a couple stole a boat to sail from one of the southern islands up to Hawaii but they were shipwrecked on Golden Grove. They stayed there but they were worried their parents would come for them. One day they saw a ship approach the island and were convinced – so the story goes – that it was their parents, determined to break them apart. So they made a pact. They leapt from the peak to their deaths."
“So they could be together for all time,” Joel murmured.
Daisy turned to him, surprised, and he felt surprise, too. Where the heck had that thought come from?
Rob said, “Did you get a feeling that this couple, this young couple with their ill-fated love for each other, were actually there with you in spirit?”
Good grief. Talk about laying it on thick.
Daisy nodded. Rob turned to Joel and waggled his eyebrows furiously. Joel remembered to look happy, remembered to make sure he looked a lot at Daisy. “You could picture them,” he said. “You could imagine them sitting together, this lovely young couple with their lives before them. Maybe relaxing on the grass, arm in arm, enjoying a perfect day. Maybe lying together. Then they see this ship and suddenly, their happiness lies in the balance. And as the ship draws closer they know they have to make a decision. Risk having their lives destroyed by parents who don’t understand their love, or ensure it goes on forever. In to eternity.”
Daisy stared at him, her eyes blazing with shock. With something else.
“A powerful story,” Rob murmured. He cut to Daisy. “What else on Golden Grove did you find romantic?”
She blinked, gave Joel one last stunned look, before she said to Rob, “The beach was romantic, all soft golden sands. Day or night, it was more than you could ever imagine."
“Joel, tell us about the night life.”
“As I mentioned, we were invited to the captain's table on our first night," Joel said.
"The manager's table," Daisy corrected automatically.
"The manager's table. It was an honor but he was delighted to have us join him."
“That was where we met the Hollywood couple," Daisy added. "We talked, met some amazing people from around the world."
"Did you dress up?" Rob wanted to know.
Joel's gaze locked with Daisy's and she gave the barest shrug. "We were limited by what we brought with us," Joel said. "I figured shorts and T-shirts and something for cool nights was all we'd need for a weekend. Certainly not having to dress up for a restaurant with one of the most glamorous couples on the planet. But in spite of the
lack of our – Hollywood attire." He paused, glanced at Daisy. "I'm sure it's no surprise to the viewers out there that Daisy totally rocked it."
It was clearly a surprise to Daisy judging by the shocked look on her face. Shocked that he'd mentioned it in public like this. Rob, sensing an opportunity, leant forward on the edge of his seat. “And was that where romance blossomed?”
Joel didn't hesitate. Romance had blossomed the moment he'd stepped foot on that island so where and when was a moot point. “Yes.” His voice was unusually hoarse. “Yes, it was.”
“And how is life back on the mainland,” Rob prompted. “I’m sure all the Mystery Date viewers out there want to know the million dollar question."
He smiled at the camera and then turned back to Daisy and Joel. "Daisy Miller and Dr Joel Benjamin? Are you seeing each other?”
Daisy turned to Rob. She nodded.
Joel coughed and murmured, “Yes. We are.”
Daisy didn’t elaborate. Rob raised his eyebrows at Joel and he thought, what the hell. This bit was going to be the only lie of the whole night. Might as well make it a good one.
“Daisy and I are an item." He sensed Daisy turn to him, saw her suck in a breath. He said, "She is the most amazing woman in the world and it's clear why Dreams by Poppy is going to be a hit with a talent like Daisy at the helm."
She went stiff at the mention of her shop.
He said, "We owe Mystery Date and Golden Grove for making us two of the happiest people on Earth."
Inside he felt himself about ready to spontaneously combust. Happiest people on Earth? Happiest people in Auckland would have been pushing it – but Earth? And would anyone believe it?
“And that, ladies and gentleman,” Rob boomed towards the camera, “is a success story from our inaugural, celebrity Mystery Date. More details about how you can find your perfect match – after the break.” He reached over to shake Joel’s hand, and the cameraman stopped filming.
“Good,” Rob said pleased but unconvincingly. “Good going, guys. That was great.”
Daisy stood up. She looked at Joel. Hesitated.
He stood up to join her and she said, "Thanks for mentioning my shop."
Second Chances Boxed Set: 7 Sweet & Sexy Romances in 1 Book Page 78