by Judy Corry
"We need you to help push Drew towards an engagement on the live after-show in just over ten weeks."
"Wait, what?" That was ridiculous. She couldn't make him get engaged. Not if he didn't want to.
"You're his friend. You know him better than me. I'm sure you'll be able to help him and Gwen along. He tells me you're happily married, so you should be a pro at this love thing."
Kate's stomach curdled. She should have told Drew the truth at the store.
She looked down at the fake ring she'd worn for months in order to keep people from finding out about her failed marriage. If she told Dion she wasn't married because her ex-husband cheated on her, he'd probably take back the job offer. And she really wanted this job. She was tired of putting her dreams on the back burner for whatever guy was in her life. It was time for her to finally get what she wanted. And if that meant pretending to be married for a short time, was that really such a bad thing? It wasn't like anything was going to happen between her and her brother's best friend. They'd had their chance years ago, and it had only taken one kiss for him to realize he wasn't really interested after all. Just like one month of marriage had been enough for Nolan.
So Kate pasted on her best smile and said, "I'll do my best to help. Drew deserves to finally get his happily ever after." Just because she didn't get hers didn't mean it wasn't possible for Drew. He was a great guy and deserved to be happy after everything they'd gone through.
4
Drew
"Okay, Drew. Just change into this shirt from your date with Tori and we'll call it a day." Oliver handed Drew a blue-and-red plaid button-up from the stack of clothes on a table.
Drew pulled off the gray V-neck he'd worn on another date for the show and put it on. He rolled his shoulders back, hoping to relieve some of the constant tension he had there. He'd been doing pickups all afternoon and was so tired of saying the same lines over and over again until Oliver was content with them. Why had he thought going on this show was a good idea? Sure, he'd finally taken the time to travel all over the world. But he felt like such a failure. Why hadn't he been able to just propose to Gwen? Why, after all these years, was he still holding back and punishing himself?
He knew he deserved to find love. He wasn't a bad person. But it seemed that the ability to form a deep, personal connection with anybody had died right along with Aiden. For some reason, he just didn't know how to let himself open up anymore. That fault had ruined a whole season of Finding Your Soulmate and also hurt Gwen. And he hated hurting her. She deserved to have a guy who could tell her that he was in love with her.
He just wasn't that guy, yet.
The door to the studio's set opened and Dion stepped inside with Kate following close behind him. Drew's heart thumped just looking at her. She was still gorgeous. Somehow more beautiful than she'd been all those years ago when he'd fallen so hard for his best friend's little sister.
He shook those thoughts away. He shouldn't be thinking about her like that. She was a married woman now. And he was dating Gwen. He was supposed to be getting engaged to Gwen.
"I've brought Kate up to speed on everything," Dion said. Which meant she knew about his failure to propose. "And Alexis suggested she help you prepare for your upcoming interviews."
Drew finished buttoning his shirt and cleared his throat. "O-okay."
Why had he given Kate’s name to Alexis? Having her see him fumble through a scripted conversation was about the last thing he wanted to do. It was humiliating. He was supposed to be The Billionaire Bachelor. Not this wannabe hack who failed at relationships and saying a few lines.
Dion left, and Kate took a chair against the wall.
"Oliver says I have one more pickup to do, and then I'll find my phone so we can schedule a time to get together. I think I might be in meetings all tomorrow morning," Drew said.
"What's a pickup?" Kate pulled her phone from her purse.
"You know those private 'in the moment' interviews you see with the cast during each episode? Pickups are kind of like those, except filmed after production."
"Like fake interviews?" Kate gasped like she had no idea reality TV shows could do something like that.
Drew smiled at her innocence. "Not everything in reality TV is real."
"I know." She scrunched up her nose in the cute way he remembered. "But I like to pretend that it is. So what do you have to say in these, anyway?"
Drew shrugged. "Basically whatever Oliver tells me to. Just because we filmed a ton of stuff doesn't mean they have everything they need for a good storyline for all the episodes to follow. And with the surprise ending…" Drew shook his head as the guilt resurfaced again. "Well, they need more than usual from me to make it work."
"What Drew's trying to say is—" Oliver interrupted, stepping out from behind the screen where he'd been re-watching the video feed from. "—we're trying to get him to come off as less sure of the women, as to whether they were really there for him and not just his money."
Drew rolled his eyes. "They're trying to help me save face and make it seem like I have a better reason for not proposing in the end."
"Oh, that makes sense." She looked thoughtful as she nodded. And it was strange. She didn't seem to be passing any judgment on him. He had expected her to make some sort of joke about how he had twenty-five women and still didn't manage to fall in love. But she didn't.
Drew inspected the image Oliver had pulled up from his date with Tori to make sure he'd only left the top button undone for that date. Everything checked out, and he went to finish off the day with the line: Tori is great. We had instant chemistry and I'm excited to see where this journey takes us. After about five attempts, Oliver signed him off and Drew changed back into the suit he'd worn to the studio.
Kate was still waiting patiently when he came out from the changing area. He took the seat beside her and brought his phone out from the pocket of his suit coat.
"Do you have a set schedule? Like, does Nolan expect you to be home at a certain time?" he asked, curious what kind of a relationship they had. Was she the type of wife who had dinner on the table by six o'clock every day? Was Nolan the one to cook? Or did they take turns? He had no idea. Back when they'd been close, she hadn't seemed the type to spend hours in the kitchen. But she also hadn't seemed the type not to take on her husband's last name. So he probably didn't know her well at all. Not anymore anyway.
"No. I can meet whenever you need. My schedule is wide open." She looked down, and he couldn't keep his gaze from going right to the big rock on her left hand. "Nolan is out of town a lot." She shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. But there was something there that made Drew question it. Was something off in their marriage?
He pursed his lips. That was none of his business. So instead of asking her, he scrolled through the calendar app on his phone. Just like he thought, his entire morning and half of the afternoon were booked solid. "I can meet at three. Will that work?"
Kate glanced at her own phone. "Yes. Would you like to meet here at the studio?"
Drew grimaced. "I've been here all week. Would you mind meeting at my house?"
"Your house?"
"Yeah…unless that's weird for you. I mean, my personal assistant and housekeeper should be around, so it's not like we'll be all alone." Drew kicked himself internally. Of course that would be weird. She was a married woman. Married women didn't go over to other men's houses unless their husbands were with them. At least, the type of married woman he assumed Kate was wouldn't do something like that.
She did seem to relax at his mention of Byron, his assistant, being there though. So maybe he hadn't freaked her out too much.
Kate cleared her throat and tapped something into her phone. "Your house will be fine. Dion said to meet wherever you needed."
"Great. I'll just text you my address and the security code to get in." He tapped on a few keys. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kate."
He left before she could ask him what everyone at Finding Your Soulmate
had been asking: why he'd gone on a dating show when he didn't want to get engaged.
5
Kate
Kate was checking the text Drew had sent her when her navigation app told her she'd arrived at his home. She didn't know what she had expected, but she wasn't prepared for this. The house number on the towering wrought-iron gates matched the address on her phone, so she pulled her Jetta next to the keypad and punched in the code. A moment later, the gates swung wide open. She drove on the long asphalt drive that led to Drew's house. Palm trees and bushes lined the way, but soon, Drew's modern-style home—which was more like a mansion—came into view.
Kate's mouth hung open. She knew Drew was rich, but she had no idea he lived in a place like this. It was so different from his mom's one-story home around the corner from her parents’ house. Just one of those huge windows probably cost more than Kate made in a year.
She pulled her car forward on the stone driveway, and then climbed out, suddenly feeling way too underdressed to even be there. Drew had been wearing a suit the day before. Was there some sort of dress code required to enter? Should she hurry home and put on her old prom dress?
She shook her head. She was being ridiculous. Drew wouldn't have rules like that, she hoped. He'd seemed down to earth during their interactions so far this week. She didn't think he'd let all that money go to his head. At least she hoped so. It would be sad if the only reason he hadn't gotten engaged in the end was because none of the girls were fancy enough for him and his new billionaire lifestyle.
She smoothed her light purple button-up shirt and took a breath before ringing the doorbell.
A few minutes later, a beautiful Hispanic woman in her fifties opened the door.
"Hi, I'm here to meet with Mr. Burrows," Kate said, unsure if she was supposed to refer to him that way or not. He'd always just been Drew in the past.
"You must be Mrs. Dawson." The woman stepped aside to welcome Kate into the house.
The first thing Kate noticed was the freestanding staircase with decorative wrought-iron handrails that led to the floor above. The walls, ceilings, and tile flooring were a soothing creamy white that instantly made her feel like she was at home.
The housekeeper led her past the staircase into a large living room with a giant sectional couch and chairs. A huge TV was mounted above a long open fireplace. She wanted to run her hands along everything and feel the richness of her surroundings. It was like she'd walked into a whole different world, one she'd never been to before, but one she never wanted to leave. This was a peaceful place. Drew's sanctuary from the outside world and all its chaos.
"Have a seat. Mr. Burrows is still in a meeting, but I'll let him know that you're here."
Kate nodded and sank into the gray leather couch. How much did a place like this even cost? She wondered as she looked around, craning her neck to see everything in her view. Ten million? Twenty?
Footsteps sounded from behind her a few minutes later. She turned to find Drew, who was wearing another expensive suit that accentuated his toned, muscular physique perfectly. She'd seen enough of the show’s promos to know he'd look just as good on the beach in swim trunks as he did in a suit. And she wasn't too proud to admit that she may have paused her screen for a moment to count out if he had a six pack or an eight pack.
Of course he had an eight pack. Drew was an overachiever, after all. And she doubted that many women would be that disappointed if he never did get engaged to the girl he was currently dating. They'd probably be ecstatic that he wasn't completely off the market.
"Sorry to make you wait," he said, loosening his tie. “Those in my board of directors don’t always see eye to eye.”
"It's no problem." Kate swallowed, still having a hard time reconciling this new version of Drew with the one she'd known growing up. He'd always excelled in school and sports, and been wiser than his years, but it was hard to believe that a guy in his late twenties could have so much responsibility resting on his shoulders.
"I'm sure you have other places to be today, so do you want to get started?" Drew asked, undoing his tie the rest of the way so it hung loose around his neck.
"You're not going to give me a tour?" Kate asked. "This house is amazing. You can't just invite me here and not show me the place."
An embarrassed look crossed Drew's face but he sighed and said, "Ok, sure. My legs could use a good stretch after sitting for the past few hours." There was uncertainty in his deep blue eyes. "Where do you want to go first?"
Kate pointed to her left. "That way looks promising."
Drew led her into the kitchen, which was very sleek and modern. Windows lined the curved main wall, and the island curled around in the shape of a "c."
Kate ran her fingers along the white granite countertop. "Do you cook in here often?"
Drew shrugged, an almost embarrassed expression taking shape on his face. "No, not often. I don't have the time these days, so Carmella takes good care of me."
"Is that the lady who let me in?" Kate asked.
"Yes, she pretty much runs this whole house for me. Takes care of everything so I don't have to worry about it."
"Except for when she's sick and you have to buy your own milk." Kate winked.
"Can't have that happening again." Drew's cheeks pinked slightly. He was probably remembering how they'd both looked when they'd met in the store. Not either of their best looks.
She followed Drew out of the kitchen to another sitting area that overlooked the backyard. Her gaze caught on his broad shoulders for a moment before her attention was pulled to the yard’s landscape. They walked through glass doors and onto a patio that dropped down to a huge infinity pool that had a view of the whole city. She could only imagine how much more amazing the view became at night with all the lights from L.A.
"Do you have pool parties out here very often?" Kate asked. There were several lounge chairs on the sides, some even sitting in the shallow end of the pool.
"Not really. But my sister and her family do come to town every once in a while and we have a good time."
Hmm. Interesting. If she had a place like this she'd have her friends over every weekend. But maybe parties weren't Drew's scene. He had always been more of the homebody type than the life of the party. Which seemed to have suited him well. At least he'd made a ton of money with his interest in coding.
Kate stepped across the stones in the shallow end of the pool. Drew held his hand out to help her step down. His gentle touch sent shivers up her arm, and the fact that he'd thought to help her warmed her heart. Nolan had never done things like this.
After showing her the putting green, barbecue area, and fire pit, Drew pushed open another door to the house and waited for her to walk inside first.
"So now that I've signed that big confidentiality contract, can you tell me how your experience as the bachelor really went?" Kate asked.
"I guess I can tell you everything now, huh?" He blew out a deep breath and gripped the handrail to a staircase before leading her upstairs. "It was pretty crazy and overwhelming. That first night with twenty-five women was so long. Of course I was excited to see who I would meet—you know, find out if my future wife was in the room. And then I just had the hardest time remembering all their names and the conversations we had. I don't know if you know this, since you've only seen the show from the camera’s viewpoint…"
"Yeah, poor old non-famous me." Kate pouted.
Drew laughed when they reached the top of the stairs. "Anyway, they actually have a producer right there next to me and the women, taking notes of our conversations so I'll remember them later. Then they'd give them to me, so I could study up before each date. There are just so many conversations that they tend to all blend together." He gestured for her to take the curved hall to the right. The wall had huge canvas paintings of lighthouses and nautical scenes.
"So would the producer, like, whisper the girl’s name to you before she walked up?"
A guilty expression made its way
across Drew's face. "Yeah. Though I didn't need help with all of them."
"I would hope not."
"Anyway, the guest rooms are in here, here, and here." He pointed to the doorways to the three rooms. "They're pretty typical, nothing too exciting."
Kate peeked her head inside. Each room was the size of the living room in her apartment, and at least twice the size of her bedroom. They had queen-sized beds and large dressers for guests, but she could imagine his future children loving the space they'd have to run around and store all their toys. His kids would probably be cute. She'd seen a photo of Gwen at the studio. She was a gorgeous blonde, with emerald green eyes that almost caught you off guard with how bright they were. And her heart-shaped face endeared you to her immediately. Drew had always gone for blondes, so Gwen was the total package as far as Kate could tell. Their kids would hit the genetic jackpot with parents as attractive as they were.
Drew cleared his throat, breaking Kate’s thoughts away from his future family. "My room is down this way." He gestured back the way they'd come. They walked past the staircase, past a huge game room and another sitting area. Eventually, they came to a set of double doors.
Drew revealed the room inside.
Kate hovered in the doorway, taking in the luxury that he got to experience every day. Gray-brown wood flooring lined the room. Off to one side was a small sitting area with a couch, coffee table, fireplace, and TV. Further back were more double doors that led to a balcony. She looked the other way and saw a king-sized bed, and behind that was another door that she assumed led to the master bath and closet area.
"I promise to be a complete gentleman. You can walk inside and not have to worry about Nolan needing to beat me up afterward." He winked, and her heart banged in her chest. She knew she didn't have to worry about Drew making a pass at her. But it still seemed surreal to step into such a private area. He slept in here. He relaxed in here. Showered in here.