“The show starts in two days, so I won’t be able to go through the normal audition process to find a group of guys for you. Luckily, we have a pretty extensive catalog of applicants from previous seasons so I’m fairly certain we can get seven guys who will do the show on short notice.” I tapped a few keys. “So, you’re from Chicago originally?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I’m from the South Side. I grew up poor and I lived next door to Jessica. We both dreamed of becoming actresses when we were kids, but she was the one who made it. I auditioned a lot and even spent a few months in Hollywood trying to find a part, but I always missed the cut.”
“Except for the zombie show?” I typed the information she gave me into the computer.
“Yeah, that actually wasn’t what I originally auditioned for. I showed up to audition for a detective drama, but the guy producing it was one of the producers on the zombie show and he said I was better suited to die there—I’m not sure if that was a compliment.” She shook her head and pursed her lips in contemplation.
“So, tell me more about your love life. What’s been holding you back from finding a date?” I positioned my hands on the keyboard again and looked over at her.
“Terrible expectations?” She chuckled, but it was underneath a cloud of nervousness. “There was a guy I liked in high school—Jordan Steele. Nobody else could hold a candle to him, but he was just a fantasy. After that? I don’t know, I just always pictured myself making it as a movie star, marrying someone along the way, and having a lot of babies. I didn’t put a lot of thought into it—that was just the way life was supposed to go in my mind.”
“So, you were picturing a white picket fence under the Hollywood sign?” I typed her words into the computer as I laughed under my breath.
“I guess.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t something I thought about. That’s the hard part to really put into words. I didn’t think about it, I just knew it would happen. Then I became a teenager and my twenties were coming fast—then they came—and I was on the same ride, but it wasn’t really going anywhere.”
“What kind of guys are you interested in? Keep in mind we need to find seven guys to be on the show with you, so it is preferable if they aren’t all the same. You can embellish if you want.” I looked over at her with my hands poised to type.
Well...” She looked down at the desk and then up at me. “I like guys that are nice.”
“That’s your only requirement? So, you’ll be okay if I book a few nice drug addicts?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “This is the part where you try to make your dreams come true.”
“I’m not saying I want you to book nice drug addicts.” She chuckled and shook her head. “I just want guys that aren’t going to be jerks.”
“Should I just go with tall, dark, handsome—and nice?” I turned back towards the computer.
“Someone who won’t judge me—someone who will support me—emotionally, not financially.” She chewed her lip again. “A guy that will cuddle when I’ve had a bad day. I like romance and passion, even if I’ve never really had that.”
“This is why virgins are such a challenge.” I typed a few words into my computer. “I’m so used to hearing nothing but hot—muscular—sexy. Some of the contestants even specify dick size.”
“Oh my...” She blushed and giggled.
“I should have enough information now. I’ll run the algorithms and see what I come up with. You’re finished for the day! Go home and celebrate. Shooting starts in two days.” I leaned back and smiled.
“Two days...” Her eyebrows raised. “Okay, I’ll be ready!”
A few hours later
“THIS IS LYNETTE JOHNSON.” I sat down at the table with a few other members of the crew and pointed at the screen as it lit up to show her best shot from earlier that day. “She prefers to be called Lyn.”
“Jessica Quinn is really out? That sucks...” An older crew named Jerry who was in charge of our social media accounts shook his head back and forth.
“Jessica Quinn is old news. She’s getting married and she found her happily ever after. We’ll leave it at that. Lyn will be wonderful. America is going to love her.” I scrolled through a few more slides.
“Well, she is certainly pretty.” Jerry nodded and shrugged. “I’ll get started on a new campaign.”
“I’m going a different direction with the story this time. I’ve wanted to do something new for a while, but I haven’t found the right girl. Lyn is perfect.” I smiled and scrolled a few more slides.
“What kind of direction are you thinking?” A crew member named Chad leaned forward at the table. “The formula works. Why are you going to mess with it?”
“I don’t want to spoil anything, but I can promise you that this will be must-see TV.” I flashed a smile and made eye contact with each person until they nodded in agreement.
LYN WAS SPECIAL. THERE was a sweet innocence that surrounded her. She wasn’t the kind of contestant I would normally have on the show, but after losing Jessica Quinn, I needed her. She was sweet uncertainty, spinning in every direction all at once with no one to stop her. She was the kind of girl that used to make my knees weak when I was younger. The first day of the show was going to light the world on fire and when it aired, she was going to be America’s sweetheart, and she was going to be living a dream that some girls were too afraid to even consider.
The seven guys who would woo her were chosen and they had all agreed to come on short notice. Some of them had been in the contestant pool for a long time, but they were chosen for a very specific purpose—every single one of them.
I lay in bed with a smile on my face thinking about the first day of the show. I normally didn’t get butterflies when I was about to debut a new star, but I had them with Lyn. I wanted her to be happy and it was my mission to see that when the week ended, she walked out of the competition with her happily ever after. I was more invested in her than I had been for any contestant in the last few years. Everything had to be perfect for Lyn.
Chapter 3: Lyn
I’m going to be on Seven Roses. Holy shit, I’m going to be on Seven Roses!
My heart could barely contain the excitement when I pulled up in front of the house. I was about to walk on the same ground as all of the other contestants. I was legitimately over the moon. I had told Jessica the good news, but she seemed to be too consumed with Sullivan Banks to care about my good fortune. I sat in the car and waited for the driver to open my door. I stepped out with a smile and found the camera to my right. I was supposed to smile into it and then walk up the steps—easy—or not. My first attempt was a bit of a stumble, so I had to redo it. The car did a circle and returned to give me another chance. It took five attempts before they were finally happy with my posture, smile, and delicate walk up the steps towards what was supposed to be true love.
I could hear the theme song playing in my head and tried to time my steps to the beat. Once inside, I was instructed to walk down the staircase, pause, and wait for Charles Montgomery to come in and give his line. After that, I would get a chance to introduce myself. I took my place and waited for him to appear. He walked out as dashing as always, with a smile on his face that looked nothing like the angry scowl I saw when I first met him.
“Hello America, welcome to the hottest dating show on night time television—Seven Poses.” He stopped in his tracks. “Fuck.”
“Go again.” A man waved at him from behind the camera. “Charles enters the room—take two.”
“Hello America, welcome to the hottest rated show on—fuck.” He turned around and walked back towards the door he entered from.
This is just like acting—everyone thinks it is so simple, but they’re only seeing the final cut.
“Hello America, welcome to the hottest dating show on night time television—Seven Roses.” He turned to me and approached. “Tonight you get to meet the lovely Lyn who will be the object of affection for seven very lucky men.”
“Hi, Charles! I’m s
o excited to be here!” I lifted my arm in a wave as I had rehearsed.
“Tell us more about yourself and what you’re looking for in the perfect man.” He tilted the microphone towards me.
“I grew up in Chicago. I’m an only child so I’m used to being spoiled.” I smiled on cue as I had been instructed. “I’m looking for a nice romantic guy who will treat me right.”
I had no idea why they wanted me to say I was used to be spoiled—it wasn’t really true and I thought it didn’t make me sound very appealing, but Charles was the expert.
“Well we have seven guys who believe they should be the one to get that chance. Are you ready to meet them?” Charles tilted the microphone towards me again and smiled.
“I am!” I nodded enthusiastically.
“America, stay tuned—you’ll get to meet all seven of them right after this commercial break.” Charles tipped the microphone forward and let out a sigh. “How was that?”
“Perfect!” The guy behind the camera pointed at him and grinned.
“Good. Alright, Lyn.” Charles turned back to me. “Once we start introducing the guys, there won’t be any do-overs. If you trip over your own two feet, that’s just how America will remember you.”
Great, no pressure.
“Okay.” I nodded and tried to make sure my feet were firmly in place.
“Welcome back, America!” Charles turned to the camera enthusiastically. “While we were away, Lyn was telling me how excited she is to meet her seven contenders, so we won’t keep the lady waiting—that isn’t polite.”
I didn’t say any of that.
“You’ll know the first man just by the sound of his voice.” Charles pointed to a dark doorway and Her Heart Champion by Mars Landing started to play, backed up by the powerful vocals of Dawson Mars.
Holy shit, Dawson Mars?
My heart skipped so many beats I thought I would pass out when the light came on to reveal the lead singer of Mars Landing. Dawson Mars was a rock star in every sense of the word. He was so far out of my league they didn’t even make a level for it. If the scale was one to ten, he was a fifteen. He had blond hair that hung past his ears—hair that made me jealous, it was so perfect. His wide shoulders were hidden underneath a t-shirt, but I had seen them on full display once when I got a chance to see the band perform live.
His deep blue eyes fixated on me as he approached. My knees literally started to sweat he was so freaking hot. He took my hand, keeping his eyes on mine, and lifted it to his lips. Feeling his lips against my skin made me almost buckle on the spot and swoon like a teenager meeting her crush. He let his lips linger for a moment and then he stepped back, taking his position on the crisscrossed white tape that he was supposed to stand on.
“Obviously, he needs no introduction, but do you have anything to say to the lovely Lynette?” Charles pushed the microphone towards him.
“You’re as pretty as a picture and I hope I’m the last man standing when this is all over.” He flashed his smile and winked at me.
I’m going to melt.
“The first man he will be competing against is a returning contestant who was voted off a couple of years ago—America, you already know this man—Markus Cole!” The light came on again.
Markus Cole—Oh my god! He was one of the finalists—he’s so sweet!
Markus Cole looked like he could bench press a truck, throw it at someone, and then break their neck before it ever landed on what was left of them. He was nearly seven feet, built like a tank, and an active Navy SEAL. The last time he was on the show, he didn’t get chosen because the girl—Jamie or Janie, something like that—didn’t feel like he would be there for her very often. He was rather secretive about the work he did, which was completely understandable. He was so sweet to the girl he was vying for and when she chose the asshole with a bigger bank account, America tore her apart.
I looked to Dawson Mars and then to Markus as he approached. I wasn’t sure which one of them I liked more. Dawson Mars was hot, but Markus Cole was a real man. Just the thought of having his powerful arms wrapped around me made me quiver. He walked up the steps and kissed my hand. His smile made his emerald eyes come to life and I had to contain my grin to remain as impartial as I could that early in the show.
“Markus, do you have anything to say to the lovely Lynette?” Charles tilted the microphone towards him.
Didn’t I tell him I wanted to be called Lyn? He even said it earlier. What is with all this Lynette crap, it makes me sound like an old lady.
“Mr. Montgomery, I’m just honored to be back here and to have a second chance. Lynette, you’re gorgeous. I can’t wait to get to know you.” Markus walked to his spot next to Dawson.
Such a nice guy.
“Our next contestant...” Charles walked back to his spot in front of the camera. “Is from a small town called Granite Falls. He’s a construction worker and although he isn’t as well-known as our other two contestants, I think he has a real chance of showing Lynette that a simple guy from a small town can be just what she is looking for—John Williams.”
The light came on again and a man walked out wearing a flannel shirt. He waved towards me and I could see that he was a bit confused by what he was doing. He was handsome and well-built, but it was hard to stand him next to Dawson Mars and Markus Cole. I didn’t want to judge a book by the cover, but with the two of them standing on the stage, it was going to be an uphill battle for him. His smile was genuine and when he finally stepped into the light, I couldn’t deny that he had a lot going for him. His arms weren’t as big as Markus Cole’s but they looked like they were crafted from hard work instead of a gym. He walked up the stage carefully, taking each step as though he was afraid he would fall on his face. He actually seemed more nervous than I was. There was a genuineness about him. When he took my hand, I could feel callouses and scars along his palm. He kissed my hand briefly and looked away, swallowing hard as he walked to his spot.
“John, do you have anything to say to the lovely Lynette?” Charles took a step towards him with the microphone.
“I didn’t realize I would be standing here on the stage with a rock star and a Navy SEAL... If you give me a chance, Lynette, I’ll make sure you’re always the object of my affection.” He took his spot and I could see beads of sweat on his forehead.
He’s charming—I’ll give him that.
“America, you’ll know our next contestant—or at least you should. He’s an actor, but he hasn’t worked on any big projects in a while. You’ll probably remember him for his role on Good Charlatans, ladies and gentlemen—Adrian Cook!” Charles motioned towards the doorway and the light came on.
Adrian Cook? I used to love him...
Adrian Cook was best known for his work as John Charlatan, the rebellious teenager on Good Charlatans. He spent several years on the show and after it ended, he didn’t have any roles I was familiar with. He was the cliché of a typecast, a young actor that got a big role and then got consumed by it forever. The only time I had really seen his face since then was on the cover of tabloid magazines. He had dated pop stars, actresses, and even a couple of socialites. I didn’t feel like I could hold a candle to them and I wasn’t sure he was exactly what I was looking for in a guy.
I was getting a bit nervous after seeing the guys that had been assembled so far. Charles said the computer would pick the guys I would date, but the ensemble looked like a group that would have been chosen for Jessica. She was the actress who could land a celebrity—not me.
Adrian walked across the stage with a definite swagger, tilting his head towards the other candidates before he took my hand. Instead of kissing it, he dropped it without warning and planted a kiss directly on my lips. I was so surprised that I almost fell off the step as he tilted me over and ran his tongue between my lips while his hands moved along my back.
What the hell?
“Okay, Adrian.” Charles took a step forward. “You know that isn’t in the rules.”
&nbs
p; “I don’t follow the rules.” He turned towards the camera and grinned as he walked back towards the group, leaving my lips practically numb.
“I guess we’ll consider that your statement to Lynette.” Charles seemed a bit angry, but he contained it well.
Damn, that was the hottest kiss I’ve ever had—and it was from a complete stranger!
“Our next contestant was a little vague with his job title—according to his application, he’s a security specialist working for the government. Ladies and gentlemen—this is a first. He scored a perfect match with Lynette! Give it up for Anders Wilkins!” Charles turned towards the dim doorway and the light came on.
A perfect match? That has never happened before...
I had seen the figures on the bottom of the screen when I watched Seven Roses. The contestants never knew how closely they matched to the girl on Seven Roses—with one exception. If someone got a perfect match, it had to be revealed at the start of the show. They had teased it several times, and it was practically a myth after five seasons without one. I expected the guy who walked out to be seven feet tall, practically bulletproof, and possibly even a billionaire. Instead, a guy walked out with a nervous smile and shaggy brown hair—he had a button-down shirt that didn’t look like it was hiding much in the muscle department. I blinked a couple of times in surprise, as did the other contestants. He was supposed to be my perfect match? He shuffled across the stage and started up the steps. He didn’t make eye contact or show any sign of confidence. He took my hand like it was just a dead fish and quickly kissed it, turning away from me immediately.
My perfect match didn’t appear to be interested in me at all. There was some irony in there somewhere, but I was too confused to understand it. Even Charles seemed a bit confused as he watched Anders take his spot.
“Anything you would like to say to the lovely Lynette?” Charles walked to him and extended the microphone.
Seven Roses: Reverse Harem Romance Page 2