She felt liberated.
She felt reckless.
Yet she also felt amazingly in control.
She was going to forget searching for some nonexistent perfect man to make her happy. She was going to live for the moment. She was going to enjoy her success. She was going to revel in her big upcoming promotion. And never, ever, was she going to get hung up on the phony L-word again.
Amen.
Annie’s own conscience, however, wouldn’t let her get away without at least considering that her sudden jump to the down-with-love side of the fence had something to do with her ex-feminist mother’s sudden mutiny. But what woman didn’t do her best to make sure she was nothing like her own mother?
Once cynical Bev was now I’ve-found-my-true-
soulmate Bev, according to the long and way-too-much-information message she’d left on Annie’s voice mail over the weekend. And once looking-for-her-soul-mate but now cynical Annie had left a follow-up message for her mother, one that said Bev might want to start looking around for a good support group before she became a hopeless gardener-holic.
Childish?
Yup.
But Annie wasn’t ready to talk to her mother about the big May-December affair Bev was having. At least not until she was comfortable with her own new outlook on life.
Her new outlook was so simple it had blown her away when she finally realized what she’d been failing to understand all these years. Basically: happiness is pretty much a do-it-yourself kind of thing.
That lightning-bolt moment had hit her while she was standing under a hot shower, after she’d gone straight home from her embarrassing encounter with Bev and Umberto. All her life she’d been waiting for some man to rescue her and make her happy. To finally admit that no one could be responsible for her happiness but herself had been a life-altering experience.
But it hadn’t been until later, after the next few hours she’d spent trying to figure out exactly what it would take to make herself happy, that lightning-bolt number two had zapped her silly.
She’d switched on News Live at Eleven to catch the latest report on Joe Video. And the face she’d found staring back at her from the television screen had been the same face she’d assumed was still playing whatever with I-made-other-plans Matt.
Everything that happened next was so surreal, Annie wasn’t sure if she could ever explain it. It was as if she instantly developed a new personality. A new free-spirit Annie had jumped up from the sofa and dressed, leaving the old earthbound Annie slumped on the sofa munching woefully from her emergency stash of chocolate.
It had been the new free-spirit Annie who had shown up on Matt’s doorstep shortly thereafter—to live, breathe, and taste the passion. God, how delicious that passion had tasted. She could possibly be on her way to becoming a bingaholic now, but there was no looking back.
Annie adored her new free spirit.
She liked the new her much better than she’d ever liked her old earthbound self. She hadn’t even been offended by Matt’s “ring me for a bing” comment, which would have propelled the old earthbound Annie into a full-blown hissy fit. In fact, knowing she could ring Matt for a bing anytime she wanted was a huge relief now that the big relationship hunt had been crossed off her gotta-have-it list.
Matt had been a safe bing choice for many reasons. Sure, sex with him was sizzling, but that was merely an added bonus. She trusted him. He’d been honest with her from the beginning about his view on relationships, eliminating any danger of her ever backsliding. Plus she already knew he was healthy and had always practiced safe sex. They’d had what Collin called the “no glove, no love” discussion during general conversation way before they’d even had sex the first time.
She could also count on Matt to keep their arrangement a secret and keep it separate from the workplace. In other words, thanks to Matt being a willing bing buddy, the man-in-her-life-when-she-wanted-one worries were pretty much over.
No more bar scenes.
No more blind dates.
Just let her fingers do the walking and occasionally ring Matt up for a bing.
Annie was still smiling over her new outlook on life as she raced along the I-285 loop, heading for the first day of filming for Joe Video. After she’d explained to Gretchen what she had in mind for the setting of each Joe Video option, Gretchen had come up with the idea of filming the game at one of Atlanta’s premier furniture stores.
Groveman’s was famous for its individual showrooms set up to showcase the store’s expensive furniture. The store manager had been delighted to close its doors to the public and lease Paragon the facility for a full week of filming. Particularly since Groveman’s would also be getting free publicity from the morning City Singles program, and from the four-page feature story that had appeared in the entertainment section of Sunday’s edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Marketing’s huge buzz article had the full Joe Video scoop. The game was explained in detail. Rico and his Cabaña Club were featured. Anyone interested was encouraged to come get an up-close-and-personal look at the rising star of Paragon’s new made-for-women video game during filming all week at Groveman’s.
The “y’all come” idea had been J.B’s. “Everybody loves a local celebrity, people, never doubt it,” he had insisted.
Annie had never known the big man to be wrong yet.
She made her way into the far right lane for the upcoming exit, and she let out a loud “woo-hoo!” when she saw the huge billboard she was quickly approaching. Greg Wilson was a genius. The last thing you saw before taking the Groveman’s exit was Rico’s now famous photo. The caption under the photo was Paragon’s own marketing slogan that Claire Winslow had used on City Singles: Joe Video—Every Woman’s Dream Guy. Every Man’s Best Friend.
Priceless.
When she reached the store, Annie had expected the TV crew and Claire to be at Groveman’s. Exclusive coverage of the Joe Video filming had been part of the advertising deal Greg Wilson had negotiated with City Singles. What she hadn’t expected was not being able to find a parking place in the store’s huge parking lot. Especially when she’d made it a point to arrive early.
Sheesh.
It was only 8:30 a.m.
She finally found a space in the back parking lot at the rear of the store. But when she reached the front of the building, she got her next big surprise. The crowd of women gathered in front of Groveman’s was enormous. So large that the security guards Paragon had hired for the weeklong event were already holding them back.
And standing in front of the store was Rico.
Looking completely overwhelmed.
Claire Winslow at his side, microphone in hand.
Dammit!
Annie started running.
She should have realized a bitch like Claire wouldn’t think twice about jumping ahead and interviewing Rico alone, instead of honoring the scheduled 9 a.m. live interview they’d agreed on. She also should have made it a point to warn poor Rico about Claire. She’d just assumed she and Matt would be there to run interference when shark Claire started circling Rico, those thousand-dollar capped teeth of hers ready to rip him to shreds.
“Claire,” Annie called out. She was too angry to take any satisfaction over the perturbed scowl the TV personality immediately sent in her direction.
The second she reached them, Annie said, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to steal Rico until our scheduled nine o’clock interview.” She linked her arm through Rico’s and quickly pulled him away from Claire and toward the waiting crowd.
“Ladies,” Annie called out loud enough for everyone to hear. “Paragon is thrilled all of you are here this morning. Please don’t leave early. We have a wonderful promotional gift for all of you that Joe Video himself will personally autograph after his nine o’clock live interview with City Singles’ own Claire Winslow.”
The crowd applauded with enthusiasm and Annie leaned toward Rico and whispered, “Blow these ladies a kiss. Smi
le that sexy smile of yours. And wave. Now.”
Just as she knew they would, the women went wild.
“Boy, that was close,” Annie said, practically pushing Rico through Groveman’s front doors to safety. “I should have warned you about Claire, Rico. That woman can’t be trusted. How long have you been here, anyway?”
“A few minutes only,” Rico said, glancing nervously through the glass doors at the large crowd of women pushing and jostling for a better position in line. “The women. I was not prepared. They come running the minute the guards had me to park at the front of the store. Then the TV woman, she had the guards to push them back so I could get through the crowd.”
“You mean Claire didn’t have time to quiz you on live TV before I got here?”
Rico shook his head. “No.”
Annie let out a sigh of relief. “Good. When we do the interview with Claire, you just be your gorgeous self. You look straight into the camera. You let me or Matt do all of the talking. Understand?”
Rico nodded absently, but his eyes were still fixed on the unruly crowd of admiring women, some waving to him now, trying to get his attention.
Annie looked him over slowly. It certainly didn’t surprise her that Rico had almost been mobbed on sight. He was dressed casually, just as Gretchen had instructed, in his tight photo-fame jeans and a simple white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The stark white showed off his dark skin and his dark hair that was loose this morning and threatening to fall into his eyes, just like in the photo. To say he looked even better in person than he did on the billboard would be an understatement.
Gorgeous, Annie decided, simply didn’t do Rico justice.
“Don’t be nervous about your new adoring fans,” she said, trying to encourage him. “These women already love you. All you need to do is be your charming to-die-for self.”
He turned his head to look at her. When his sexy, come-on smile appeared, Annie noticed his teeth were just as white as the shirt he was wearing. “And you, Annie? Will you ever be adoring me?”
Annie automatically glanced through the window at Claire Winslow, who was now interviewing random women from the crowd. If Claire had even the slightest inkling that there was anything personal going on between her and Rico, the bitch would pounce on it in a heartbeat. Annie looked back at Rico. “Rico. Today has to be all about business, okay? Today you aren’t Rico Romero. Today you’re Joe Video. There’s no room here for any personal agenda between me and you.”
“I understand,” he said, but he looked disappointed.
Annie smiled warmly, hoping to appease him. “I’m glad you understand. Because when we get in front of those cameras, the last thing we need to do is give those women out there”—she pointed to the crowd—“or those women watching TV at home any reason to believe you are interested in anyone but them. Okay?”
“Yes,” he said. “Today, I am Joe Video. Every woman’s dream man.”
“Dream guy,” Annie corrected. “Always use the marketing slogan. Your job today is to sell yourself to these women. You look them in the eye. You smile, just the way you smiled at me a second ago. You give them their own special dream to remember.”
“A dream to remember,” he repeated.
“Yes,” Annie said, nodding happily. “Marketing had these incredible pink satin sleep masks made up for you to give to each of your adoring fans. You’ll autograph them personally. Try to work the marketing slogan into each message. Write something like, ‘Giving you a dream to remember—love, Joe Video.’ Or, ‘Let me be your dream guy.’ Or just sign the masks, ‘Your dream guy, Joe Video.’ Any or all of those will work.”
He glanced at the crowd again. “This signing. It will take place after the interview?”
“Yes,” Annie said. “Immediately following the interview.”
Rico sighed. “I am thinking this will be a long day.”
Annie looked out at the still growing crowd and smiled. “Sales are sales are sales, Rico. That’s why we’re here. But don’t worry. You’re going to be fantastic.”
Rico wasn’t pleased when Annie led him deeper into the furniture store. She ushered him into a room decorated as a library. Then she pointed to a large leather chair and told him to sit. And to wait for her.
Like a sniveling pet dog, I am to sit here?
Sit, Rico, sit.
Mierda.
He stared after Annie as she hurried off to find her gay friend, Collin, and the man who Rico knew would never be a friend of his, Matt. He had picked up on the hostility the second he met Annie’s boss. But it was Collin who had confirmed that Matt did not care for him during their conversation at the Cabaña Club on Friday night.
Joe Video had not been Matt’s idea, Collin had said, and Matt was not pleased about the game. But Rico knew there was more. Annie was the reason Matt did not care for him. Rico could see it in Matt’s eyes. Though, according to Collin, there had never been anything personal between Matt and Annie, Rico sensed that was a lie.
Annie.
She was still a mystery he could not figure out.
He had said nothing while she lectured him about today being all business. He had held his tongue when she talked to him like a child, reminding him how to act to attract the women to him. Did she think he was estúpido? He needed Annie to further his career, maybe, but he did not need Annie telling him how to attract the women.
She is the stupid one if she thinks I know nothing about attracting women.
He’d been attracting women, plenty of them, since he was old enough to understand what went on between a man and a woman. And he was not speaking of thirteen-year-old girls who had been his own age. Grown women who had eagerly opened their legs to a mere boy when no one was looking.
Annie did not know this, of course. But he would show her later she had nothing to worry about where Rico Romero and women were concerned. He would have the women waiting outside eating out of his hand within minutes. Maybe then she would treat him with the respect he deserved.
But Annie’s remark about the sales worried him.
It made him think of Helena’s warning after they had finished making love the night before. “It is not you Annie wants, it is the sale of her game,” she had told him with a smug smile. “And when the filming is done, she will toss you aside. Then, maybe I will take you back and marry you.”
Maybe Helena will take me back?
Rico almost laughed. Helena had never let him go. She was still holding on. Still offering him her love and her amazing body on a daily basis. Silly woman. Helena would always be willing to marry him. Of that, he was certain.
Still, he couldn’t keep Helena’s poisonous doubts from creeping into his mind. What if Helena was right? What if Annie did toss him aside as soon as the filming was over? The filming would only take a week, and then his part in Annie’s game would be over. If he could not think of something to draw her to him quick, his entire acting career could be over before it even got started.
Hijo de puta.
Son of a bitch.
He cursed himself, as he had done many other times, for signing the Paragon contract that had given him only a modest fee for his acting services. He should have held out for more. A percentage of the game, maybe. That would have given him his own money that was not tied to the family. Money he could use to further his career himself.
Sí. I was estúpido in that respect.
But he had also been afraid Annie would find someone else for her Joe Video game if he asked for too much. And then Ernesto and Manuel would have been furious. Their only interest had always been in the publicity for the club. “You will do what this fancy lady says,” Ernesto had ordered. Never once concerned about his acting career. Only the family. Always the family.
Rico stood up and began pacing back and forth.
He could not allow Annie to throw him over as soon as the filming was done. He needed her. She was important. She could help him mingle with the power people. He could not do
it alone.
Him?
A bartender from his section of the city?
Never.
Maybe he could come up with some marketing ideas of his own. Talk to the marketing man himself. Make sure he and Annie remained in the spotlight long enough to be introduced to people in Atlanta who could point him in the right direction and further his career.
For that reason, he would endure Annie treating him like her pet dog a little longer. He would endure Annie acting as if he were stupid. It would be a hard thing for any man to do, sí. But when things got too difficult for most men, they were just right for Rico Romero.
He was in the game to stay.
He was every woman’s dream guy.
Joe Video.
The positive attitude Matt promised himself he was going to maintain on Monday jumped ship after the first five minutes he spent trying to find a parking space at Groveman’s. Ten minutes later, he finally gave up and made a space himself. He shifted his Jeep into four-wheel drive, jumped the curb, and parked on the grass.
He was late.
He was pissed because he was late.
He was also still confused over what had really brought Annie to his door at midnight last Friday night.
He’d almost called her several times over the weekend, but he’d stopped himself. He’d thought of calling Collin to see if he knew what was going on with Annie, but he hadn’t done that, either. Collin was the human equivalent of a revolving door when it came to information. The last thing Matt wanted was Annie calling Collin and finding out he’d tried to pump Collin for any kind of information about her.
So he’d spent the remainder of his weekend doing guy stuff like he always did. Watching sports. Drinking beer. Playing golf. Drinking more beer. All the while, he had kept reminding himself that the only way to handle the latest screwed-up situation with Annie was—as usual—to play along according to her rules.
Now it was Monday all over again.
Back to work as usual.
Not a problem for her. Not a problem for him. And not the end of the story. He’d bet his cherished autographed pictures of Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Lou Gehrig on it.
Dream Guy Page 18