by Judy Corry
Then she pulled up Drew's name in her messages and shot him a quick text.
Kate: I'm guessing the flowers mean you've changed your mind.
She wanted to put a frowny face emoji at the end of that sentence.
It took twenty minutes for Drew to respond.
Drew: Alexis helped me see the light.
“Can you take care of the happy couple this weekend?" Alexis asked Kate when she brought her lunch by her office. Mondays were always the craziest at the studio, with all the last-minute checks before the show aired. Kate wondered if Alexis even took time to go pee when she had a deadline to meet.
Kate cleared her throat. She still wondered how Alexis was able to convince Drew to get back with Gwen when he'd been so sure the day before. What was Alexis holding over him? How else could she have been able to convince stubborn Drew Burrows to get back with a woman who all of America was starting to see as someone clearly very wrong for him?
At least, Kate assumed everyone could see how wrong Gwen was for Drew. She could see it, at least.
But since she needed to keep this job, she would do what Alexis asked of her.
"Yes. I can help."
"You're a lifesaver." Alexis dug through the bagged lunch Kate had handed her and pulled out a bacon cheeseburger. "I have to admit that I was a little worried about bringing someone unfamiliar into our studio family so late in the game, but Drew was right. You really have been such a great help to us."
"Thank you." Kate's cheeks glowed at the praise. She had no idea Alexis had even paid her that much attention. After all, she was kind of a nobody in the grand scheme of things.
"Which has had me thinking… I was talking to Drew about what happened between him and Gwen this weekend, and as you probably guessed, I was able to convince him to get back with her." She looked behind Kate. "Actually, could you shut the door real quick?"
As soon as Kate did so, Alexis motioned for her to sit down. Then Alexis scooted closer so they could have a more intimate conversation.
"I told Drew not to tell you—told Drew not to tell anyone—but I realized that I'm going to need help with this plan that we have."
Kate's ears perked up immediately. What was going on?
"Drew didn't change his mind about getting back with Gwen. He went back to the safe house yesterday for something and discovered Gwen and Dion having an affair."
Kate went still. "They're having an affair?"
Alexis nodded. "So, I have a plan to catch them in the act. I could just fire Dion and sue them…but revenge is much more fun." A devious smile sneaked onto her face. "I'm going to hide some cameras in the house and get some footage of their betrayal to share with our viewers…thus saving the show and Drew's sweet reputation at the same time."
"You're going to film them…" Kate's stomach soured. "Isn't that illegal?"
"It's not illegal in your own home. And technically, I'll be the homeowner since my show is paying the rent this weekend. Plus, both of them have already signed a waiver that should still hold up in this instance."
Kate’s face must have registered her horror because Alexis waved her hands quickly in front of her. "I’m not putting cameras in the bedroom. But I do plan to have them everywhere else. We'll be sure to catch their conversations, and probably enough kissing to convince our audience of foul play."
Kate nodded, still uneasy about this form of revenge. She hated the idea of people spying on private conversations. But then she thought of Drew and how this was happening to him. He had invested so much of his life into this experience, and the whole thing had been ruined because of Gwen and Dion.
Her heart ached for him. Drew had been cheated on, too. How was he holding up? When she'd found out about Nolan, she'd been so isolated from all her friends and family for so long that she didn't know who to turn to for support. And she got the feeling that Drew didn't have that many people in his life he could go to, either. She needed to make sure Drew was okay. He was a strong guy, but he also had a tender heart.
"What do you need me to do?" Kate asked.
Alexis's eyes brightened. "I need you to show up Sunday morning to tell Drew I have last-minute pickups that he has to do for the episode that will be airing the next day. That way, Drew doesn't have to suffer through the entire weekend with Gwen, and it should still give us a few hours to catch Dion and Gwen in the act."
"I think I can do that."
"I'm actually looking forward to this whole thing," Alexis said, after taking a sip from her Dr. Pepper. "So much of my life is centered around the romance of the show—which I love by the way—but sometimes I need some excitement and danger in my life. This should be fun."
Kate nodded. "I know what you mean. I'm the same with my writing. Usually I write romantic comedies because I love the thought of a happy ending and the feeling of falling in love, but sometimes I just need to write something far out there."
"You're a writer?" Alexis set down the juicy burger, swallowing down the bite she'd taken. "What do you write?"
Kate shifted in her seat, suddenly wishing she'd kept her mouth shut. "Screenplays. It's been a hobby of mine since I was a kid."
"Really?" Was that an intrigued and impressed look, or was it something else?
"Yeah."
"So what is this out there story that you've written?"
Kate fumbled through the pitch she and Drew had created the week before, stumbling when she got to the part about the crazy husband that came back from the dead. Yeah…that is so out there.
"I'm intrigued. Can I look at it?" Alexis asked.
Was she serious? Was Alexis Olley actually asking Kate for something she had written?
"Uh…sure. I can email it to you later if you want."
Alexis nodded. "Can you send it this week? I'll be flying to Denver Friday for my niece's birthday, and I'd love to read it on the plane."
Kate's tongue was heavy, and she was having a hard time moving it. "S-sure, I can do that."
Her stomach had turned to mush. An actual producer had just asked her for her stuff. She pinched herself just to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
Kate's mind was not on her work the rest of the day. Instead, it was going through The Visitor, trying to figure out if she needed to make any last-minute changes before sending it off to Alexis. She dashed back and forth from office to office, running errands for the different producers—but though her body was there, her mind was dreaming.
Alexis asked to see my screenplay.
She could barely contain her excitement. When Oliver and one of the cameramen passed her in the hall, she barely kept herself from blurting out her news to them.
As soon as she had a moment to herself, she whipped out her phone and texted Drew.
Kate: Alexis wants to see The Visitor!!!
Her phone beeped a moment later.
Drew: Yes!!! This deserves a celebration.
Kate: What do you have in mind?
Drew: Since I know how much you love watching that weird romance show…something about finding your shoe's soul…or something like that, I was thinking we could order food from your favorite restaurant and make fun of that pretty-boy star from the comfort of my home theater. What do you think?
Drew was offering to buy her food. She was in!
Kate: I'll be there. Though I may need help pushing send on that email before I can relax and watch that cool guy kiss a bunch of girls.
Drew: LOL. See you around 7.
18
Drew
Drew had Carmella order the food and set a nice table for them up in the theater room at his house. Kate's first request from a producer was a big deal and deserved a world-class meal. If he didn't have to worry about paparazzi turning a dinner alone with an unfamiliar woman into some sort of tabloid story, he'd have taken her to the restaurant himself. But he didn't want to see her name dragged through the mud next to his, so hopefully she'd understand the sentiment behind the gesture.
"It smells so good in h
ere." Kate set her computer down on the couch before walking to the table to peek at what they'd ordered. "I grabbed pineapple hamburgers for Alexis this afternoon, and the whole time she was eating, I was just drooling on the inside."
Drew stepped beside her and nudged her with his elbow. "Well, at least you kept it on the inside."
"Har-har." Her eyes were bright, and he wondered not for the first time how Nolan could cheat on her.
They made up their plates and took them to the reclining sofa just as the show came on the big screen.
"Last week on Finding Your Soulmate, Drew took three ladies on one-on-one dates, two survived another week, but Nina was sent home in tears. Ten women remain. Who will stay, who will go…find out tonight…" the host, Rodrigo Martinez's voice sounded through the speakers.
"So, did you send the email yet?" Drew asked as Rodrigo continued telling the viewers about the exciting things happening in tonight’s episode.
Kate ducked her head down. "Not yet. I…"
"Hand me your computer."
"What?" Anxiety sprouted on her face. He loved how expressive Kate had always been. She accused him of being a terrible actor, but he could always read exactly what she was thinking from the look on her face.
Drew set his plate on the side table and held a hand out, gesturing for her laptop. "Come on. We're doing this tonight."
When she didn't hand it to him, he scooted to the cushion right beside her and grabbed the computer. He opened the laptop to find himself immediately thwarted by the password prompt.
"What's your password?" he looked at her expectantly.
"Like I'm gonna tell you." She bit into her burger and took her time chewing it. "This is sooo good."
"Stop trying to distract me." He tried to give her his best stern face. "Let's send this off before I go on my first date in London."
"I'm still not sure it's ready. What if Alexis hates it?"
"You've already been through it about fifty times, right?"
She nodded; her eyes always got big when she was nervous.
"Just send it. She's going to love it."
Kate didn't say anything, but she reached for the laptop and typed in her password. The Internet browser was already opened up to the email that she'd drafted with the file attached.
She was ready for this next step. She just needed him to give her a nudge.
"You press the button." She shoved the laptop back on his lap.
Drew inspected the email to make sure it had everything it needed, centered the cursor on the send button, and then grabbed Kate's hand, feeling a spark of electricity at the touch. He ignored the feeling and pushed her finger on the trackpad to send the email off.
"There you go." He clapped the laptop shut and set it on the floor, content that he'd done his job. That's exactly what Aiden would have done if he was there.
When he glanced back at Kate, she looked like she was about to hyperventilate. He laughed and rubbed her knee.
"Breathe, Kate. You're going to be fine."
"I can't believe you made me do that," she gasped, setting her palm to her chest.
Drew quirked his lips into a half grin. "You were going to do it, anyway. Might as well not put off the inevitable." Content that she wasn't going into shock, he grabbed his plate and settled in to watch himself go on a date with a girl whose heart he'd seemingly broken. Talk about a fun night.
And now with everything that happened with Gwen, he would have the hardest time watching all the girls on the show and not question whether any of them were even interested in him and not just his money. Turns out finding love on TV was even harder than finding it in real life. Part of him wished he could go back in the past, before all the money, before all the fame, and take the time to find a girl who really loved him for who he was as a person. A person he could give his whole self to and not worry about her having ulterior motives.
But he knew who he would choose if he could go back in time. He would have picked Kate. And that was even worse, because there was no way she could possibly ever want him again after everything they'd been through, could she?
"Oh, by the way," Kate said, breaking him away from his thoughts. "Alexis told me about your plans for this weekend."
"She did?" But Alexis made him promise not to tell anyone. Maybe she was thinking it was a regular weekend getaway…not their covert operation in revenge. "Yeah, another happy couple’s weekend."
A slow smile spread on Kate's face. "No, she told me the truth. About how you're just pretending to get together to catch Gwen and Dion in the act."
Which meant she knew all about his failure to get someone to fall in love with him and not his money. How pathetic he must look to her now.
"Alexis really told you?"
Kate nodded, her expression turning somber. "I'm sorry about what they did to you. I seriously wanted to punch Dion in the face when I saw him today."
"I wouldn't want you to hurt your fist on my account," he said, hoping to lighten the mood. They didn't need to talk about his failed love life.
She smiled, taking the bait. "I could take him. I've been working out."
She flexed her skinny little arms, and if he looked really close he could see a tiny bump where her bicep was. He gave her arm a squeeze. "Wow. That's pretty intimidating."
Her mouth hung open and she smacked him playfully. "Sorry, not all of us have personal trainers who come to world-class gyms set up in their basements."
Drew shook his head and laughed. "I still have to do the work for these." And before he could think better of it, he was rolling his sleeves back and showing off what hard work really looked like.
He instantly regretted it once he met her gaze. Yes, he was happy with the results Kieren had helped him produce, but he hated that he'd just turned into the guy who flexed to try and get a girl’s attention.
But she didn't seem to notice his embarrassment, because she was hiding a huge smile behind her hand. Was it possible that she liked that he worked out now?
"If we were in a public place, I'd totally take a picture of me squeezing your bicep right now, and then post it online. Just imagine how all of social media would explode over that." She laughed.
He pushed his sleeves back down. "Why only if we were in public?" Not that he wanted her to squeeze his arms…not too badly, anyway.
"Oh, probably because the gossip magazines would have a heyday over why I was spending time alone with you in your private theater, touching your arms."
"And that would be bad because of the show," he said, before she could say something about her not wanting people to think they were anything more than friends. Was it too much to hope that she'd ever see him like that again?
"Alexis would fire me. And I really need this job."
Right. He should have realized they were only spending so much time together because it was her job. Once she got that movie deal she was hoping for, she'd leave him behind in her glittery dust. That's how relationships worked for him now. He was a means to an end. People only hung out with him if it was their job or if they were hoping to get something from him. He didn't know why he'd thought he and Kate might be rekindling something from the past. How delusional was he now? First he thought he could find lasting love on a reality show, and now he was pining for Kate all over again.
They watched the show for a few minutes. He and Gwen were on the screen, sitting in a carriage driving down the middle of London. They were cuddled together, and Gwen was laughing at something he had said. His heart squeezed in his chest just looking at his huge smile after he'd kissed her hair. He'd been so happy that day. He'd thought he might have actually been on the right course to finding his future wife.
"It's sad. Even knowing what I know now, and watching this, I still can’t tell that Gwen was lying to me back then. How is that possible?"
"You just see the best in people." Kate gave him a soft, understanding look. "You aren't the type of guy to go around looking for everyone's faults. But you di
dn't propose to her for a reason. Maybe your subconscious knew something was wrong deep down."
He nodded, and for the first time in that whole experience, he was proud instead of ashamed of himself for not being able to get down on one knee.
He bit his lip. "So, knowing what you know now, do you think it's too evil to go through with Alexis' plan? Should I tell her to call it off and just deal with the fallout the media’s sure to bring because I didn’t end up with anyone?"
She shrugged. "At first I wasn't sure, but with everything they did they totally deserve it. I mean, if I could have secretly leaked dirt about Nolan and everything he did to me, I would have. Any girl who tries to date him should know what he's really like. Plus, if I'd exposed him, I wouldn't have felt like I had to hide my divorce from everyone. People would have understood how necessary it was."
Drew hadn't realized until that moment how similar their situations were. Sure, his was going to happen in front of millions of viewers, but at least he hadn't been married. Kate had gone through with everything, expecting a happily ever after, and all she was left with was an apartment she felt too lonely to stay at.
"Why didn't you tell everyone the truth then? Why let him save face?" He wanted to ask her exactly what had happened, but for some reason, this didn't seem like the right moment.
She sighed and leaned back in her seat. "I'd like to pretend that it was because I'm a bigger person than him, and that I didn't need to sink to his level." She looked up at him, her eyes vulnerable and open. "But, honestly, I didn't tell anyone because I was too ashamed. I should have seen the signs. And I shouldn't have been so in a hurry to marry someone, when I knew in the back of my mind that I deserved someone better."
She looked down at her hands, as if she'd just admitted something very sacred. He couldn't guess at what she meant. But he really wanted to.