by Judy Corry
She cleared her throat and stepped inside the suite. Kate started talking about Drew’s girlfriend in the hopes that it would help calm her racing heart. "Did you and Gwen hit it off right from the start? Or was it more of a slow burn?"
Drew scrubbed his hand through his hair and shrugged. "Um, I don't know. It was different. She was beautiful, so I noticed that right off, but we didn't really click until later. I actually almost sent her home that first night. I was pretty sure about twelve of the women when it came time to decide who to keep and who to let go, but I couldn't make up my mind about the last three. This is where the producers came in handy. They'd taken the time to get to know me pretty well, and they'd had a chance to talk with the girls…probably more than I did. So when Dion named Gwen as a good choice, I followed his intuition."
Kate nodded. Dion did seem to have a good read on people. "Thank goodness for Dion."
"I know, right? To think I could have sent her home that first night. That would have made this season even more of a mess."
Kate ran her fingers along his white comforter, unable to resist discovering if it felt as soft as it looked. "So what made you stop from taking the final step that last day in Antigua?" She had to know what had kept Drew back from proposing. "You're still dating now, right?" She looked up through her lashes just in time to see him swallow and nod. "Then why not just do it then? It's what the show is all about, isn't it?"
A tortured look crossed Drew's face and she instantly regretted bringing it up. She was about to tell him it was none of her business when he said, "I don't know. There was just something that wasn't there between us, and I couldn't tell her that I envisioned us being together forever. You know?" He paused. "And part of me still didn't trust that the girls were really there for me and not my money. Plus, I had vowed to myself that I wouldn't make any promises I couldn't keep. I didn't want to lead anyone on. And I only wanted to get engaged once."
Kate tried to keep her face from falling at his mention of a one-time engagement. What would he think of her when he found out she'd not only gotten engaged to someone and not have it work out, but went all the way and gotten married? He'd think she was a flimflam girl who jumped in and out of relationships at the drop of a hat.
Drew continued, "I knew my heart wasn't there yet, so I couldn't promise something I wasn't sure of myself. I'm really hoping I'll be ready ten weeks from now, because ready or not, I guess I'm gonna have to man up and do it. I just need to talk to Gwen about everything so she understands what's going on. I'd hate to lead her on just for the sake of saving the show."
Kate liked how sincere Drew was about the whole thing. Most bachelors would have just gone through the motions right from the start. But she could tell that this was so real to Drew. He did everything with the purest of intentions. And she was even more determined to make sure that he was happy when everything was said and done. She'd do her job the best she could, but she'd also make sure Drew's heart didn't get hung out on the line.
Kate peeked inside the bathroom and closet before leaving. Just like she expected, they were gorgeous and had everything she'd ever dreamed of in a billionaire's bathroom. There was a huge soaking tub in the middle of the room, and a separate shower and toilet area. Double sinks so he wouldn't have to worry about his future wife's stuff cluttering up his side. And his closet… She literally gasped when she stepped inside. It had drawers and cupboards, and a washer and dryer. There was a big round cushioned seat in the middle that he could sit on to put on his shoes. And even if he said he wasn't ready to get married yet, his closet told her otherwise. It was only half full. Less than halfway full, actually. He'd left plenty of space for his future bride to put her things.
Kate’s heart kind of hurt thinking about it. She wasn't necessarily jealous of his future wife, just jealous that Drew had already put so much thought toward a future with his soon-to-be bride—Nolan hadn't even cared to have one with her.
She switched off the light to the closet and found Drew sitting on his bed.
He stood when he saw her. "Do you want to get started on those interview questions?"
"Yes, let's get to work. Alexis told me your last practice didn't go exactly as planned."
Drew groaned. "Yeah, you might be here for a while." His eyes darted behind her. "Actually, do you mind if I change into something more comfortable real quick?"
He was going to change? Right now? Her cheeks heated when an image of him without a shirt popped into her mind. She needed to get out of his bedroom. "Um, yeah. I'll, uh, meet you downstairs."
Drew couldn't act to save his life, Kate mused, as they prepped for his upcoming interviews. But there was something so endearing about it that she couldn't help but smile at all his answers. He was trying so hard. Maybe that was the problem. It reminded her of middle school, when he'd helped her with her films. Back then, Kate had used all her free time to create extravagant screenplays, and then she coerced Aiden and Drew into recording them with her and her friends.
"Do you remember what we did when we were younger?" Kate asked once they'd made it through the list of questions one more time.
Drew looked confused. "Could you be more specific? I've known you since I was eleven…we did a lot of things together."
"I'm talking about when you helped me run lines for my films."
Inspiration dawned on Drew's face. "Like when you let me use the script as more of a guideline for the scene?"
Kate nodded. "I was thinking you could use Alexis's answers as more of a guide, but use your own words so it doesn't sound so robotic. You don't talk like this—your way of speaking is much more relaxed and languid. Alexis is more up and down, and precise. It's no wonder this hasn't been working."
Drew sighed with relief. "You're a genius, Kate. I was about to have an aneurism with these."
"Okay, let's start from the top." She glanced down at the sheet in her lap, sat up straight, and spoke in her best talk-show-host voice. "What was this experience like?"
Drew sat up in his chair as well. "It was great. I feel so lucky that I got to have this amazing opportunity, and I can't tell you enough how glad I am that it's over."
Kate scrunched her nose. "Maybe just leave off that last bit?"
He laughed and rubbed a hand over his face. "I guess you're right. They'd probably have a few questions about that, which Alexis would definitely not want me giving the answers to."
"Probably." Kate smiled. "But other than that, that was much better. It sounded so much more like you."
Drew sighed. "Good. Let's just hope Alexis is okay with us deviating from the script."
"I'm pretty sure she'll see you've only made improvements. I mean, I should know that. You always made mine way better."
"I still can't believe you talked me into dressing up like some pansy and tromping around your backyard like a fairy godmother all those years ago."
"I was pretty persuasive, wasn't I?"
"I don't know if that was it exactly. You certainly never got Aiden to make such a fool of himself."
"You were just way nicer to me than he was."
"Or maybe I understood that if we played with you for ten or twenty minutes, you'd leave us to our video games for the rest of the day."
"Well, whatever you say. But just think about it this way, if I hadn't been so annoying, you wouldn't have had any experience in TV or films. I should totally get all the credit for you being the star that you are."
Drew rolled his eyes and laughed. "I’m not a star. I just went on a lot of dates in the past few months."
"Well, the fact that your photo is now the wallpaper on all of my friends’ phones tells me otherwise."
His face paled at her joke. "You’re not serious about that, right?"
"The ‘me having friends’ part?" Kate smirked.
"No, the wallpaper part."
"Okay, fine. So only half of my friends has your face greeting them every time they use their phone."
Drew raised an eyebrow.<
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"Fine. Just me," Kate said, unable to resist teasing him in the way she'd always done in high school.
"You're relentless." Drew laughed. "How does Nolan put up with you?"
She felt her smile falter. "Oh, you know." But then she couldn't really think of anything else to say, because Nolan hadn't put up with her. He'd found someone else instead.
And from the way Drew was studying her, she worried he might figure her secret out.
6
Drew
"You're gonna do great, honey," Gwen's syrupy voice came through the phone as Drew sat in the green room at Wake up with Clary. In just a few minutes, he was scheduled to go on air. Gwen added, "The fans can only fall more in love with you. I know I did."
Drew tried not to feel guilty at her last words. How could she tell him so freely that she loved him, when he still couldn't say the words back? What was wrong with him? Why was it so hard to say those three little words? He always tried to tell himself that it was because those words meant so much more to him than they did to others…but what if he was wrong? What if he was just a cold, hard-hearted person who couldn't feel that way about anyone? He barely even said it to his mom, and that wasn't until she said it first. He was seriously messed up.
Instead of taking Gwen's bait, he changed the subject. "I'm excited to see you this weekend. Did you find someone to watch your dogs?"
"No. My mom refuses to take them again, after what happened last time." Drew could just imagine the adorable way her brow furrowed when she said that. "Hazel was just nervous, thinking I was leaving her for months again. My mom should care more about a dog than her carpet. It's not like the carpet is alive or anything," she whined.
"She did just get the carpet put in. Can you understand how she might be upset that Hazel had an accident in the corner?"
Gwen huffed. "It's not like she can't afford to get the carpet cleaned. It's really not that big of a deal."
It would have been a big deal to Drew. He couldn't stand dogs in the house. Sure, they were fine for other people to have, but he certainly didn't need all the trouble they caused. And he didn't love the idea of Gwen's dogs taking over his house once they were engaged. But it was something he'd have to deal with when the time came. He figured if he got to the point of asking her to marry him, a loving wife would be more than worth putting up with yippy dogs chewing on his shoes.
There was a knock on the door. Drew looked over his shoulder to see Kate peeking her head in. She held up five fingers to indicate how much time he had until the stage crew came for him.
He nodded and gestured for her to come in. "Hey, Gwen. I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."
"Good luck. I wish I could be there with you."
"Me too. Just a few more months and I'll be showing you off to the whole world."
He hung up and set his phone on airplane mode, and then slipped it into the breast pocket of his sports coat. Drew stood and started buttoning his jacket.
"Are you nervous?" Kate asked.
"A little. I've done interviews like this before, but this is the first time I'll be discussing my personal life and not business. I just hope I can answer those questions without sounding like a robot."
"Do you want to run through them one more time?" Kate offered.
He shook his head. "If I don't have them down by now, it's never gonna happen." He inspected himself in the mirror. He was wearing his favorite Armani suit. "How do I look?"
Kate stepped closer and gazed at his reflection. He tried not to feel nervous under her examination. Her eyes seemed to linger on his neck for a moment.
"You look pretty good. There's just one thing." She touched his shoulder to turn him to face her. "Your tie is crooked."
She leaned in to readjust his tie. "Right there, that's good." She set her hands on her hips and continued to look him over.
Drew watched as she bit her bottom lip, her blue eyes squinting in concentration. His heart raced as he remembered all the times she'd done that when they were younger. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have her working with him so closely. He was supposed to be getting engaged, not remembering all the times he'd fantasized about his best friend’s little sister. Aiden’s married little sister. He wondered what Nolan thought about them working together.
"Did you pierce your ear without me knowing it?" she asked, breaking him away from his thoughts.
"What?" Drew touched his ear lobes to see what might have gotten stuck there.
Kate laughed. "Kidding. I'm totally kidding."
Drew placed both hands on her shoulders, and then he shook her lightly, forcing himself to jump back into his role as her honorary big brother. "What am I going to do with you, girl? I'm about to go on live TV, don't make me any more anxious than I already am."
"Just trying to help you lighten up. You were standing so stiffly."
But Drew couldn't not be nervous. The pressure the producers had put on him was stifling. Everything was riding on him doing a good job. How could he not be anxious about that?
Kate must have seen the apprehension on his face. She touched his arm. "Hey," she said, looking up, her eyes big and sympathetic. "You're going to do awesome. I haven't seen any of this season, but I know you. People have been dying to get a real, honest, hardworking guy to watch for a long time. They're tired of the fame whores who go on these shows for all the wrong reasons. You started this because you're ready to find someone to share your wonderful life with."
And because he knew he needed to move on from the girl he could never have.
But Drew would just keep that last bit to himself.
Kate continued, "You're sincere, and the fans will fall in love with you. Just be yourself and you'll be great. So what if you didn't propose at the end? That's only the last five minutes of the season. You did everything else right. The finale is ten weeks away. Just take a deep breath. You've got this."
And somehow, by the time she was done speaking, Drew did feel a lot better. He was still nervous, but not on the verge of an ulcer attack anymore.
"Now give me a hug and give the crowd some eye candy to ogle over."
Drew embraced her and couldn't help but think how nice she felt in his arms. She's married. And you're getting engaged. He cleared his throat and stepped back. "Thanks for the pep talk."
"It's all true. Gwen's a lucky girl." She smiled, but there was something in her eyes that made him wonder what she was thinking about.
A stagehand knocked and opened the door for Drew, telling him it was time.
Kate followed him out the door to watch him backstage.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked as they checked his mic.
Just having her calming presence nearby was helpful enough, but he decided to switch things up and ask her opinion on something.
"What do you think of dogs?"
Kate screwed up her face in a confused look.
"It's kind of a really important thing for me to know about my handler." Drew gave her the most serious expression he could muster.
She shrugged. "I like them in theory, I suppose. I mean, they're good for other people to have… But to be honest, I'm not really a huge dog person."
7
Kate
Kate held her phone up backstage to catch Drew's interview live for Alexis. Alexis didn’t want to wait for it to air all the way in California, so she'd instructed Kate to video the interview to her in real time. But Alexis had nothing to worry about. Drew had charmed Clary Haskins with his smart wit and good looks from the moment he'd stepped on stage.
Drew was undeniably attractive. She'd always thought so. He had brilliant blue eyes and a strong, masculine jaw that rivaled a Greek god's. And his smile. It was disarming. Even after all these years, she still felt like a little schoolgirl with a crush on her older brother's friend every time he smiled at her. And she wasn't even interested in dating anyone at the moment. Imagine what it would be like for all the women in the audience who were.
"So how was it dating twenty-five women at the same time?" Clary asked Drew. "I have a hard-enough time telling my husband and my boyfriend apart." She covered her mouth and looked to the audience with an exaggerated embarrassed look. "Oops, I guess that's not a secret anymore."
"Now Clary…" Drew chided, playing along.
"Okay, fine. My husband is the one with the beard. But sometimes it gets confusing when we're all in the same house."
Drew laughed, and Clary blushed.
"In all seriousness though, how in the world did you remember all those girls’ names?"
"It was actually quite difficult, but the producers have a few tricks that helped immensely." In other words, they fed them to him. But of course he couldn't ruin the movie magic for all those ladies in the audience.
"Do you and your fiancée see each other often?" Clary asked innocently.
"Who said I had a fiancée?” To someone who didn't know him well, it would appear like he'd maintained his unruffled exterior, but Kate saw a slight crack in his facade. They'd need to work on that question a bit more. His guilt over not getting engaged might be the thing to ruin it all.
"Come on, Drew, give Auntie Clary a hint. I promise I won't tell." She winked at the audience.
"Sorry. It's top secret." He did better that time. No truth shining through the cracks.
"Are you at least happy?"
Drew nodded. "Very happy. It was an experience I'll never forget, and I got to know a lot of really great women."
They continued to talk for a few minutes more and the audience seemed to hang on to every word.
"Well, I can see I won't be getting any information out of you today," Clary said. "It was great to have you on the show." She turned to the audience. "Make sure you tune in tonight at eight, seven central, to ANB for the two-hour premiere of Finding Your Soulmate to watch Drew on his incredible journey to find love."