by Nana Malone
He gave her the same look he gave uncooperative witnesses and waited patiently until she felt uncomfortable enough to continue.
“And as a result of me being on the show and blogging about my experience, I’ll be getting mentored for my own show.” His methodology worked because she kept talking even when it would be wiser to shut up. “Jamie is going to give me the best advice for my proposal, and I’ll have an inside track and backing.”
The vein above his eye twitched. “You’re going to be dating on television.”
“Cart way before the horse, Dad. It’s not real dating. Think of it as sort of acting. I won’t be doing anything that will embarrass the family, I swear.”
His brows rose. “I know you better than that, Mia. What I’m worried about is twenty-five young men trying to put their hands on my daughter.”
“Geez, Dad, it won’t be like that.” Okay, maybe a little like that.
“I remember dating.” He winked at her mother.
So gross. Objectively, Mia knew her parents were attractive. They both still kept in shape, and her mother, with her chocolate-colored skin and high cheek bones, had been blessed by the genetics gods, because she looked ten years younger than she actually was. Not yet fifty-five, her father was in fantastic shape, and his hair was only mildly salt and peppered. And his vivid blue eyes were arresting.
From the corner of her eyes she saw her mother giving her father the shut-the-fuck-up signal, but he remained happily oblivious. “I want to meet these young men.”
“Dad, come on.”
He chuckled. “You’re so easy, Mi. Lighten up. I mean, I’m not thrilled about it, but it’s not like it’s a cable show. It’s network. I won’t have to scrub my eyes out with vinegar after watching.”
She’d rather die than have them watch the show. “Exactly. So it’ll be fine. And while I’m filming, I get to work on my show, so win-win.”
While her mother busied herself in the kitchen, Mia pulled her father into the study. “Dad, there’s one more thing. I got another letter from that law office, Watkins and Miller.”
“Do you have it with you?”
“I tossed it.”
He sighed. “I’ll handle it. I’ll call them in the morning.”
“Thanks. I just want them to leave me alone.”
He pursed his lips. “It’s their duty to reach out to you if your birth mother is looking for you. They’re just doing their jobs.”
“I know. I just can’t handle that right now.” She wrapped her arms around herself tight. Just thinking about the woman who’d abandoned her took her to a dark and lonely place she had no intention of ever visiting again.
Chapter Seven
No turning back now. Mia held her breath as one of the techs slid a mic pack down the back of her dress. This was really happening.
Jack worked the microphone around her waist then said, “Uh, you’d better take it from here.” He studiously looked away as she shimmied the clip-on mic up the front of her scarlet red dress and pinned it to her bra. She’d mic’d people a million times. Never once had she thought it would be her.
Jack smiled at her when she was done. “Now remember, talk normally. You don’t have to shout or anything or enunciate. These little mics are great. They’ll pick up on anything, even an enhanced sniffle. Consequently, once we go hot, you might want to think about what you say.”
“Yep, understood.” She wouldn’t be saying a damn thing she didn’t have to until she made certain this thing was off. More than one unsuspecting interviewee had been caught unaware by a hot mic, and the results were always disastrous.
Once Mia was on the sound stage, she balled her sweaty hands into fists. It wouldn’t do to wipe the sweat on her dress. The host, Corbin Trask, smiled at her and signaled for her to breathe. She’d always seen him as sort of a cardboard cut-out of cheesy television hosts, but as it turned out, he was quite nice.
Cameras one and two signaled they were a go, and Corbin grinned. He gave the usual opener.
“Hello, are you all ready to find love? Welcome to our latest season of Love Reality. This is a Cinderella season. And, boy, are we ever excited to follow our most beautiful Cinderella yet, as she finds love.”
It was the exact same opening he used for other Cinderella seasons. Mia knew she was off camera, but she tried not to move around too much. She reminded herself of all the things she normally told Cinderellas. No slouching. No fidgeting. Smile. Look poised.
She dragged her focus back to Corbin, who was now going over the updated format of the show. “As you know, you will vote for your favorite Prince Charmings, and your least favorites will go home. As always, our lovely Cinderella can choose to save one of our lucky Prince Charmings, but we are changing some things, folks. First and foremost, the Prince Charming with the most votes after tonight will be labeled Head of Gentlemen, and he will assist the Cinderella in her decision-making. He’ll also have first dibs on solo dates. To make things fair, the only way to gain this esteemed status is to get your votes. So our Prince Charmings will be working hard to make you like them.”
He grinned, and Mia was nearly blinded by the shine.
“So let’s introduce your Cinderella for this season. Please help me welcome the lovely, Mia.”
The instant camera two’s red light went on, Mia took a deep breath and smiled at him. “Corbin, it’s lovely to see you again.” They’d already reviewed the script, so all she had to do was deliver it and try to pretend the cameras weren’t there.
“Madame Mia, can I just say you are looking smashing?” He took her hand. And she was calmed to find that he held a handkerchief. Man, this guy thought of everything. “Now how about we meet your future husband?”
She laughed nervously. That part wasn’t rehearsed, but just the way he said husband gave her a major case of the flop sweat. She’d have to work with wardrobe to find some things that naturally breathed so the audience wouldn’t see sweat patches on camera.
“Let’s meet him.”
As per typical, Corbin vanished off camera, and Mia was left standing on the veranda of the posh mansion they used to film. Two of the four cameras panned to the approaching limousine, and two stayed on her. Jamie had deliberately kept Mia out of the casting. She wanted genuine expressions when Mia met the men for the first time. Real reactions the audience could build on as they ‘helped’ her find her soul mate.
The first limousine pulled into the circular driveway. A moment later, the door opened, and Mia held her breath. The first guy stepped out, and she had to admit he was very pretty. Tall, lean muscle, blond hair expertly gelled, and piercing blue eyes. When he first caught sight of her, his steps faltered for just a moment, and Mia’s stomach rolled. So they’d been kept in the dark about the woman they were meeting.
Anyone who’d ever watched the show would be expecting a blonde or brunette. A redhead would have made them pause…maybe, but a woman of color? She steeled herself for a lot of surprised expressions.
Despite his initial surprise, he had a big smile for her, and like a gentleman, kissed her on both cheeks. “Mia, you are stunning. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Paul.” There was a hint of southern drawl to his accent. Not too much, but it was there.
“Nice to meet you, Paul. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.”
He then walked through the French doors of the house into the main sitting room. The moment he vanished, the next Limo drove up.
The show was a well-oiled machine. They knew the exact timing for all of this. Next in line were Justin, John, and Adam. Unfortunately for her, none of them stood out in any kind of way. They were all dark-haired and handsome in a bland way. Good-looking, but not much there. So that made them changeable.
After them came Tyrell. When he stepped out of the limo, he blinked in surprise, then grinned like a cat who’d caught the canary. He enveloped her in a huge hug that made her feel like he’d put some sort of proprietary stamp on her. “Mmm, Mia. Woman, y
ou have made my day. I’m Tyrell. And I can not wait for us to get to know each other better.”
Okay, so the man was sexy. There was a hint of swagger to him. With his chocolate skin and perfectly coiffed beard and a pinstriped suit, Mia had a feeling he was used to being the pretty boy in the group. Problem with him was he was cocky.
When all was said and done, there was the usual assortment of good-looking surfer boy CEOs and investment banker types, business men, pilots, a couple in the military. Not a single one of them would be considered average in the looks department, but then, this was television. And the producers had even provided a smattering of color with Tyrell, Marcus, Miguel, who was Hispanic, and finally Channing, who appeared to be Asian.
She shifted uncomfortably. The damn shoes pinched. Note to self. Last time she gave Jamie Lee final say on her wardrobe.
The last limo rolled up, and by now Mia was relaxed enough to smile genuinely. This part hadn’t been nearly as scary as she’d thought it would be. Even if the guys were surprised to see her, they mostly recovered quickly.
The hairs on her arms stood at attention when the limousine door opened. From her position, she couldn’t clearly see the guy’s face, but he was one of the tallest. The smooth way he exited the limo told her he moved like an athlete. It wasn’t until she turned around fully that her stomach lurched. Oh, God. No no no.
He stopped in his tracks the moment he caught sight of her. Before he continued forward up the stairs, he dragged in deep breath. In his hands, he held an orchid.
His gaze met hers, and Mia completely forgot about the cameras. All she could do was stare. He brushed a kiss on her cheek, near her ear.
“It seems I am at a complete loss for words, you’re so beautiful.” Carefully, he fixed the flower to her hair and stood back. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Ryan.”
Mia blinked. Then again. He had no right to smell so good and look so good. This was not according to plan. Not at all. As her body struggled for equilibrium, her brain remained rock steady. He was here.
But he wouldn’t be staying. Mia would make sure of it.
Chapter Eight
Ryan paused for a moment to let his heart rate slow, the electricity flooding too much to ignore. His grip on her tightened, and she released a whoosh of breath.
His body went tight as the urge to hold onto her took hold. This had to be a joke. A cruel joke. If she was standing here, then it meant two things. First, she was Lonely Girl. Second, other men would be trying to touch her. He forced himself to swallow the irrational jolt of anger.
How the hell was he supposed to pull off this job if she was the damn Cinderella? For several long seconds after he kissed her on the cheek, he was unsure of what to do. But ultimately, he couldn’t turn back the clock. He couldn’t stand there holding her forever. Why not?
The producers shouted in his earpiece to move into the living room, and eventually, he had to follow the direction. Standing out here holding Mia wasn’t going to work. He had a job to do, and he was going to do it. No matter who the Cinderella was. Even if touching her would haunt him through the night.
And not touching her would drive him insane.
He was so fucked. She was Lonely Girl and she knew he was Single Guy. As soon as she could, she’d be telling the producers who he was. She did that, and he was off the show before he wrote the feature. He had to talk to her. Convince her to let him stay.
Once inside, the massive great room came complete with pool table and comfy-looking leather chairs, but every one of the furnishings had the feeling of understated elegance to them. The other men formed small clusters, chatting among themselves. He’d discussed his strategy with Christine. They’d opted for him to try to make friends as quickly as possible. He needed to stay on the show as long as he could, so he needed to come across as affable and easy-going. Shouldn’t be too hard since he usually was.
But that was when he was supposed to be dating some nameless girl he didn’t know. Someone who’s taste he wasn’t already obsessed with. Someone he didn’t have a connection with. Even if that connection meant she wanted to hit him with a heavy object.
Now all these men were aiming for some alone time with Mia. My Mia. It didn’t make him feel the least bit genial. Lucky for him, one of the other guys started a conversation.
“Hey, man, I’m Tyrell.”
“Ryan.” He shook the guy’s hand and wondered if he’d get it back. The guy was massive. And he was one of four minority guys the producers had seeded this time around. He recognized him instantly as former All Defensive Lineman for the Giants. Judging by his grip, he still kept in shape since retiring last year to produce music or something. “Good to meet you.”
“Yeah, you too.” He gestured around with his drink. “So what do you make of all of this?”
Ryan looked around. “It’s a little crazy. I’m not really sure what to expect.”
The other man nodded. “Yeah, man. I also wasn’t expecting a woman like that.”
It wasn’t until his teeth started to hurt that Ryan recognized that he was clenching his jaw. “Mia’s beautiful.”
Tyrell nodded his agreement. “That she is. That body, those eyes. That skin. Man, she is choice.”
Yeah, that was it. Ryan was going to kill him. Never mind that Tyrell Jones had at least forty pounds on him. He forced himself to unfurl his fists. Get your shit together, Ryan. He forced himself to stay calm. Also aware that the cameras were on and that his mic was hot, he chose his words carefully. “I expected more of the same. You know, the usual sunny California type of girl, but I’m pleasantly surprised.”
Jones nodded. “You’re telling me. I expected to come on the show, you know, build my profile a little. But now that I’ve seen her, well, game on.”
Ryan smiled at him, though if he was honest with himself, it was probably more a showing of teeth. “Game on, indeed.”
They were soon joined by Mitchell and Channing and chatted amiably. There was static in Ryan’s earpiece, then Jamie’s voice came in loud and clear. “Stop being so chummy. I need drama.”
Ryan locked his jaw. Was this how it was going to be? Was she going to direct every step of this process? He had so not signed on for this shit. He ignored her and kept chatting. But as conversation flowed, he noticed a turn toward some friendly, or not so friendly bantering. Ahh, so someone else had gotten the same command and had chosen to follow orders. There was no way he could let his guard down around anyone here.
Corbin Trask interrupted the mingle session. “Gentlemen, welcome. I certainly hope you’re enjoying yourselves and getting acquainted. Having a drink and relaxing. While you chill, let me explain the rules of tonight.”
Ryan knew the format of the show had changed a little, but beyond that he didn’t know much. He and Christine wouldn’t be able to strategize until he got a better look at the landscape. A sliver of unease wormed its way into his gut. Could he do this even knowing that the woman in question was Mia? He would be writing about her specifically.
He shook his head. He had known from the beginning what this show was about. Like it or not, he needed to carry out the plan. Mia or no Mia. This was his career. What he wanted. What he’d been working so hard for.
“So tonight, the lovely Mia is waiting for you somewhere in this very large house. It’s your job to find her and strike up some conversation, get to know her. Show her your personality, make her want to save you. And remember gentlemen, the whole world is watching, hoping to witness a love connection, so charm her. As always, poaching is allowed. But let’s keep it civil and have some fun. There are maps to help you all around the house.”
Tyrell turned to him with a sly grin. “Good luck, man.”
Ryan nodded. He didn’t need luck. He already had an inside track to where to find Mia. While several men headed outside to the grounds, he first hit the map. One of the other guys stared at it as if it was a divination tea leaf.
“Where do you think she is?”
Ryan shrugged. As if he’d give away his clue. “No idea.” Meanwhile, he pinpointed the library on the map, checked for the best routes, then took the least obvious one.
She loved books. She also hated being put on the spot. He still had no idea how Jamie had coerced her into doing the show. Likely, when under stress, she’d revert to something that made her comfortable. He prayed he was right about this.
He took the stairs two at a time to the third floor then checked the hallways quickly. No one else was up here. He might actually have a few minutes with her before someone came up to steal her away.
The library door was ajar, and he found her on one of the ladders, reaching for a book. As she reached, the skirt of her dress lifted an inch, and he bit back a moan. She had terrific legs. Long and lean, like a dancer.
“Now, how did I know to find you here?”
* * *
Mia whipped her head around. Ryan lounged in the doorway, looking sexier than he had a right to look. “I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your name.” She said with a raised a brow.
He grinned as he pushed away from the doorjamb. Sauntering toward her, he walked with the confidence and grace of an athlete. And his smile was the devil’s own. When he reached her, he took her hand then bent to kiss it. He pitched his voice low. “Ryan Matthews.”
So the Matthew Rhodes was a pen name. She slowly climbed back down the ladder. What she wanted to do was ask him what the hell he was doing here. Why the hell was he part of this show? Why couldn’t he leave her alone? But she held her tongue. There were cameras in here, and her mic was hot. She frowned. “Why does your name sound so familiar? I could have sworn it was Rhodes?” She smirked as he narrowed his eyes. So he didn’t want the world knowing about his day job.
“Nope,” he muttered through clenched teeth. “Ryan. Maybe you’ve heard of my brother Reece.”