by Judy Corry
"We've already discovered that acting is not a career you should go after—you know, if you somehow drain your savings accounts." She smiled at her own joke. "So you'll need to practice these until they roll off your tongue." Alexis looked at him over the rim of her glasses. "Let's just get started, all right?"
"Sure." Drew shifted in his chair. He lifted the white paper so he could read it better.
"So Drew," Alexis said, jumping right into the character of her favorite nighttime TV host of all time, Davey Denton. "What was this experience like?"
"It was amazing. A once-in-a-lifetime experience," Drew said, reading the script she'd given him.
Alexis tsked. "Could you possibly say that with less of a monotone and with a lot more enthusiasm? If we’re going to sell viewers on watching another season of this show, we need to make it look like they won't be wasting their time. They want excitement, fun, and most of all, romance. Let them know they're in for the experience of a lifetime if they watch your season. You're the Billionaire Bachelor. Sell it like you sold your app."
Drew cleared his throat and tried again. "It was amazing!" He put emphasis into his words. "A once-in-a-lifetime experience."
"That was better," Alexis said, scribbling a note onto her script. "Let's try it one more time."
Drew sat up straighter as she read the same question again, and this time, when he answered, he thought about the date where he'd gone ziplining through the Amazon with Gwen. She'd been scared to death of heights and screamed the whole way down. But the rush of adrenaline that had shot through him as they'd flown through the trees was something he'd never forget.
"It was amazing! A once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Alexis clapped. "Much better. I almost believed you that time."
Drew slumped his shoulders, picking up on the almost in her sentence.
He was going to ruin the show before it even started airing.
"Next question," Alexis said. "Who did you pick?"
Drew read the answer. (Drew chuckles) You know I can't answer that. But I will say this: I'm really happy with the way things turned out.
But was he?
"Do you see the answer?" Alexis looked at him expectantly.
"Yeah, sorry. Ha, ha, Davey. You know I can't answer that. But I will say this: I'm really happy with the way things turned out."
Alexis drew in a breath and released it before speaking. "Are you even trying?" Frustration was apparent in her voice.
Drew swallowed. "You said yourself I was a crappy actor." He thought for a moment. "Here, I'll take this home with me and practice. We can try again later."
She nodded, rubbing her temples with her fingers. "Okay, make sure that you do. Your first interview is only four days away and those interviews better go off without a hitch. I will not have my ratings take a dive because you can't answer a few questions."
Drew's mouth went dry. He really was going to be the worst bachelor in all of Finding Your Soulmate's history. And any credibility he and his app had in helping other people finding love would go down the drain with the show.
Dion, one of the other producers, knocked on Alexis' door. "Do you have a moment?"
"Sure, Drew and I were just about finished."
Dion stepped inside and shut the door behind him. "I just got some bad news."
Alexis leaned back in her chair. "What do you mean bad news?"
Dion cleared his throat and took the chair next to Drew. "Drew's handler just quit."
Alexis's eyes widened. “Bryce quit?"
"Apparently, he has issues with our bachelor."
Drew shook his head. Of course Bryce blamed it on Drew instead of owning up to the fact that he'd taken a job with Finding Your Soulmate's biggest competitor.
"What are we going to do?" Alexis asked. "We're already short staffed as it is. Drew has a bunch of appearances. It's not like you or I can just drop everything and make sure he gets to his interviews.”
Dion turned to Drew. "Don't you have a personal assistant who can do all this for you?"
"Byron is busy handling my whole company right now." Drew shook his head. "But I'm a big boy. I can get myself to the airport."
"No!" Dion and Alexis said at the same time.
Dion pinched the bridge of his nose. "We've had bachelors try that before, and then they ended up being late for their interviews. That's not something we can afford to do, especially with the season we have ahead of us."
Alexis blew out a long, frustrated breath and looked to Dion. "Do you have anyone else in mind? We can't just hire anyone. We don't have time to do all our usual background checks and screenings. We need someone we can trust. Someone responsible who won't quit on us midway through the season. Preferably someone from Drew's past that we know will get along with him. We don't have time to wait and see if they're a good match to work together."
Kate popped into Drew's mind, and he tried to push the thought away. Working with him was probably the last thing she wanted to do. But before he knew it, he was saying, "I might know someone. I've known her since we were kids. She's driven and responsible, and I think she's looking for something full time."
"One problem,” Alexis said. “She's a she. I don't need another bachelor falling for his handler. Especially one who isn't quite engaged."
Drew gulped. Yikes. Alexis really was going to hold that whole engagement thing over his head until he fixed it.
"She's married. If that helps anything."
"Married?" Alexis perked up, her expression relaxing for the first time since Dion walked in.
Drew nodded. "Yeah, she got married this summer." Why was he pushing forward with this?
Alexis smiled. "Good. Call her now. We need to get this spot filled as soon as possible. In fact, if you can get her to come in today so she can sign a confidentiality contract, that would be ideal."
Drew swallowed, wondering what he'd just gotten himself into. He couldn't call Kate. Not with their history. The last thing he needed was her assistance in his engagement. That would be even more excruciating than knowing millions of fans were watching him try to find love on TV each week.
3
Kate
Kate was writing her review for the latest animated movie when her cellphone rang. She glanced at the screen, didn't recognize the number, but answered it anyway. She always hoped an agent might pull her screenplay from the slush pile and call to offer representation. It hadn't happened in the two years she'd been trying, but she always hoped…
"Hello, this is Kate Dawson," she said in her most professional voice.
"Hey, Kate. It's Drew." He paused for a second. "Wait, isn't your last name Prosser now?"
Kate groaned inwardly. "I didn't take Nolan's last name." And she really didn't want to have that conversation right now, either.
"Oh…that's interesting. I never pegged you for the feminist sort."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, nothing. I just remember coming across your notebooks back in high school and seeing you had written Kate Burrows all over one of them."
Kate covered her mouth with her free hand and gasped. "You saw that?"
Drew chuckled. "It was adorable how you put a heart in place of the 'o' in my last name."
Kate's cheeks burned. "That was a long time ago, Drew. I've grown up a lot since then."
"I know."
There was awkward silence for a moment.
Kate cleared her throat. "So what were you calling for?"
"Oh, right. I have a proposition for you," Drew said. "This might be going out on a limb, but my handler quit this morning and the show is desperate to hire someone quick with everything that's happening next week. They want someone trustworthy. Someone I already know. And I remembered you saying something about only working part time, and I figured you might be open for something more."
Really? He was offering her a job? In the very industry she was trying to break into?
"What's the job like? You said I'd b
e your handler? What's that?"
"Basically, you just make sure I get to my appointments for the show. We have a lot of promotional interviews coming up next Monday. And then you also have to help with a few other things. It really shouldn't be that hard."
"Can't your personal assistant do that for you?"
"He's already too busy handling all of my business affairs right now. We need someone who can just focus on the show."
Kate was getting tired of writing for the newspaper.
"When would I start?"
"Right now would be ideal, actually."
"Right now?" she said too loud.
"Like I said, we're in a bind. I understand if you need to decline. It was a shot in the dark anyway."
"Wait. No…" She swallowed, not believing this was actually happening. "I can do it. I'm almost done with my article anyway." She mentally calculated whether she could really do it or not. Things were pretty slow at the newspaper, and she knew they could hire out her work easily enough if she couldn't give them the appropriate two-week notice.
"Really?" He sounded like he hadn't expected her to accept his offer.
"Is it just at the ANB studio on Alameda Avenue?"
"Yes, studio three. Where’re you at? My driver can pick you up."
His driver? Wow, a lot had changed in the last few years.
"That's okay. I'm not too far away. I can be there in an hour."
"You sure?"
"Yes. I'll be there."
"Great. See you then."
And he hung up before she could process that she would be seeing Drew again that day.
Kate tugged on her skirt before entering ANB's studio three. Here goes nothing.
When she walked into the office, a girl with the most beautiful caramel skin and super curly black hair greeted her.
"How can I help you?" The girl peeked at her through thick rimmed glasses.
Kate cleared her throat and clutched her résumé. Drew hadn't said anything about her needing one, but she'd printed off one just in case. She was surprised at how much she wanted this job, even if she didn't really understand what it was. "Drew Burrows told me to meet him here."
The girl nodded and gestured to the chairs in the corner. "Take a seat and I'll go find him."
Kate sat on a black leather chair and tried hard not to fidget with her belongings. She was busy running through her answers to possible interview questions when Drew walked into the room, wearing a dark blue suit that screamed designer tag. He smiled when he saw her, and her stomach did a little flip.
"I'm so glad you could make it." He walked toward her, and before she knew it, he was pulling her into a hug.
Her breath caught in her throat at the unexpected gesture. She hadn't hugged Drew for, well, had she ever really hugged him before? Cuddled with? Yes, once. Kissed? Exactly once—and obviously that hadn't turned out well.
But she returned the embrace, noticing how good he smelled. It was different from what he used years earlier. Probably a really expensive cologne, because she had never smelled anything so good.
"Thanks again for coming on such short notice," he said after stepping back. "I'll take you right to Dion's office, so he can go over everything with you."
"Dion Robins?" She followed behind him, not believing she was about to meet one of the producers whose name she'd read across her TV screen for years.
Drew glanced over his shoulder and gave her a half smile. "You've heard of him?"
"You could say that."
"Then you've probably heard of his reputation, too."
"Reputation?"
"I'll just say, I wasn't the only one looking for love while on the show. He's quite the ladies’ man. So, if he tries flirting with you, just remind him that you're married, and he should back off."
Kate gulped. Right. Married. She should probably tell him the truth.
As if noticing her apprehension, he said, "Not that he'll need reminding. You being happily married is actually a good selling point for you getting the job."
She frowned. "Why?" Why would her marital status make any sort of difference? Did they think married people were more responsible?
He waved his hand. "Alexis seems sure any young female is bound to fall in love with me. So once I explained that was never going to happen in your case, she was practically dialing your number for me." There was something off in the way he said that. But she couldn't imagine why.
Kate made a mental note to herself that now would not be a good time to tell him the truth. Not if she wanted to get the job.
Though, why would it matter anyway? Drew was a happily engaged man. And even if he was somehow in the market for a new girlfriend, he'd never look at her. He'd made that abundantly clear when he stopped talking to her after she practically threw herself at him seven years earlier.
They reached a door with the name Dion Robins on it, and Drew knocked.
"Come in." A deep voice with a Spanish accent called from the other side.
Drew peeked his head in. "Kate Dawson is here to see you." He opened the door the rest of the way so Kate could see the Hispanic middle-aged man who was sitting behind a big desk with a wall of windows behind it.
Kate’s pulse raced with nervous energy. So this was Dion Robins. He stood and held out his hand, which she took.
Kate tried to find her tongue. "I-it's nice to meet you, Mr. Robins."
"Pleasure to meet you, Kate."
"Well, I'm going to get back to pickups," Drew said to Mr. Robins, and then turned his gaze back to Kate. "I'm sure I'll see you again soon. Just make sure you don't fail this interview."
Fail? She thought he'd made it sound like getting this job was a sure thing. He must have noticed how pale she'd gone because he cracked a smile and winked.
"I'll see you soon. You've totally got this."
Kate finally drew in a decent breath after he shut the door. She took a seat, urging her heart rate to slow down so she could make it through this interview.
"Have you ever worked for a reality show like this before?" Mr. Robins asked after he sat down across from Kate.
"No. This would be my first," she said.
Strike one.
"Have you worked in showbiz at all?"
"Not exactly." Wow, she was going to totally bomb this interview in less than a minute.
"Can I see your résumé?"
Kate handed the paper across the desk, hoping he didn't notice her shaking hands. Then she waited quietly as he scanned her list of credentials that she hoped might be impressive enough to land her this job.
"This is all very good," he said. "How soon would you be able to start?"
"Um…" The question caught her off guard. Was he offering her a job? Already? "I can start whenever you need me."
"Great. Then you're hired. I trust Drew's judgment more than my own." He chuckled. "And to be honest, we're in a tough spot and need someone as soon as possible."
"Wow, thank you so much, Mr. Robins." Talk about the most nerve-wracking interview turning out to be the easiest interview ever.
"Call me Dion." He clasped his hands on his desk. "And don't thank me quite yet. There's a big non-disclosure agreement you'll need to sign before we can move forward. Our show depends on the discretion of our employees and I'll warn you up front, if you breach your contract, it will not be a happy thing for your bank account."
Once Kate had signed the thick contract, Dion went over her new responsibilities. It didn't sound like the job would be too hard. She would basically act as an errand girl and make sure Drew had everything he needed.
"The main events you'll be traveling for will be either here in L.A. or in New York. And then there are weekend getaways that Drew and his final pick will have every other weekend. We'll need you around to do simple things on those weekends, like bringing them their meals and making sure they have all the things they need since they'll be on complete lockdown for secrecy purposes."
Wow. Talk about keeping everyt
hing on the down low. How was Drew supposed to enjoy his new engagement if he couldn't even go out and do normal things? Poor guy.
"I guess I should have made sure you were okay to travel and work weekends before you signed that contract, huh?"
"No, that's fine. My schedule is wide open." She didn't have anyone who needed her around.
"Okay, good. Now for the top-secret information that you signed all those papers for."
Kate sat up straighter, anticipation welling in her chest. This was it. She was going to find out who Drew had picked. Who was the girl who'd finally been able to steal his heart?
Dion pressed his lips together before continuing. "You said you've watched this show before, right?"
Kate nodded. "Yes." She knew the drill well. She'd always wondered how a person could get engaged to someone after only knowing them for a few months and spending so much time dating other people at the same time. But season after season it worked, and there were even a few couples who made it to the altar.
"We had something different happen this season," Dion said. "It started the same as any other time, and things seemed to be going smoothly. We thought for sure Drew would get down on one knee, as many had before him. But when the day came, he couldn't do it. Instead, he asked if they could continue dating and see where it went."
What? Drew isn't engaged? Kate's heart pounded. He wasn't off the market. Growing up, he had always been the kindest and gentlest of all her brother's friends. How could sweet Drew not be able to find love when everything was in his favor?
"Are they still dating?" she asked once the shock had soaked in.
Dion nodded. "Technically, they're boyfriend and girlfriend. But that won't satiate the fans when the season finale comes around. So, this brings us to another job of yours."
Kate bit her lip. What was he going to ask her to do? Did she want to do what he was about to ask her to do?