Barb shrugged. “I don’t know. I just know it broke her. She’s never been in another relationship.”
He moved to the edge of his seat. Suddenly, Penelope Cooper had become the most interesting woman on the show. “How long?”
“Since she was in her early twenties.”
“Do you know anything else?”
Barb shook her head. “She wouldn’t talk about it, but the look on her face? Oh, she was wrecked.”
The bed squeaked as Finn sat down hard on it. “So, she’s been hurt. That doesn’t mean anything.”
Barb looked over her shoulder at Finn. “Finn, Angus is going to have to sort this out on his own, and since I’m the one calling the shots on this show, you’re going to go home. I think he’s leaned on you long enough.”
Angus gritted his teeth. She was going too far with this. “Naw, Barb. He stays.”
“No, Angus, he doesn’t. I’m standing firm on that. You need to think for yourself and figure some things out.”
“If he’s here, I’m here. You know that,” said Finn as he stood and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Not this time. Pack your bags, Finn. You’re going back to LA.” Barb stood and looked at her watch. “The studio’s private plane will be ready by the time you arrive. You’ve got an hour.”
Angus stood and faced off with Barb. “He stays! I need him.”
“Love, if you want to stay on the show, you’ll let him go. I know you hate me right now, but you’ve grown too dependent on him. You need time to figure out who you are again, and Finn can’t be here for that. I’m putting my foot down. He goes, or you both go.”
“You’d pull the plug on the whole thing?” Finn asked.
“You bet I would.” Barb smiled.
“Angus, I’ll go. Maybe it’ll be good for you.”
Angus felt like a bear caught in a trap. He was barely keeping his anger in check. “Fine,” he said and fell back into the chair. “Go, Finn. You too, Barb. Leave me alone and let me figure out what I’m going to do.”
Barb winked at Finn and then focused on Angus. “You throw a tantrum all you want. You’re moving on if it kills me.” She paused at the door. “Make sure you’re on that plane, Finn. I’ll see you tomorrow, Angus. Good luck with the interview.” Then she left, shutting the door behind her.
He groaned. Interview. He’d forgotten all about it, and he didn’t have a choice. Vincent was waiting for him. Why had he agreed to do this? Was his career really worth going through all this?
* * *
Angus linked his hands together as he sat in the small room with Vincent. It was a little warm, if he was honest. Almost as though they wanted him to sweat.
“Angus, now that we’ve had the introductions. What are your thoughts?”
Talk about a loaded question. “To be honest, I’m a little overwhelmed at the moment. I’m used to being filmed, but this is a little more intimate than I’m used to.”
Vincent bobbed his head. “I guess it would be a lot different. After meeting the four bachelorettes, are you feeling hopeful about finding your soul mate?”
Soul mate? Angus choked out a laugh. “It’s a little early, don’t you think? Give me a few weeks and ask again.”
“Well, cupid strikes where he strikes.”
“He was absent tonight.” Angus brought his hand to his mouth, swiping it across his lips. “To tell the truth, I don’t take any of this as a game. My family is close. My parents have been happily married for decades. Marriage means something to me. So, if I propose to anyone, it’ll mean I’m planning to spend the rest of my life with her.”
He hadn’t meant to say all that, but it was true. Not that he’d thought much about it since Clara. Just being on the show was uncomfortable for him. She’d brought his career and his heart to ruin. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready for love again.
Chapter 9
When the alarm went off, Penelope groaned. She was used to a routine at home and it worked. Staying up well past midnight the night before had thrown her internal clock into a tailspin.
She stretched long before throwing the covers off and pushing out of bed. If Barb kept her word, there would be omelet ingredients in the kitchen.
Still dressed in her pajama pants, t-shirt, and robe, Penelope shuffled out of the room and into the kitchen that made the ones in Better Home and Garden look cheap and dated. Stainless steel appliances, natural stone countertops, and a large island made it drool-worthy. It was certainly better than her modest can-touch-both-sides-at-the-same-time kitchen at home.
With a little digging, she found everything she needed to fix her breakfast. It sizzled in the pan while she got a pot of coffee going.
“I thought I was the only one who would get up this early,” said a man Penelope hadn’t met yet.
She stared at him, wide-eyed.
“Sorry, I’m one of the cameramen, Jeff.” He shook her hand.
“Hi,” she said as her heart rate returned to normal.
He smiled. “That smells great, but you know you’re going to have meals either catered or cooked for you, right?”
She shrugged. “I like to cook for myself.”
“Okay. Mind if I have some coffee?”
“Not at all.”
“We’re filming now, in case you were wondering, but it probably won’t end up being used. Drinking coffee with the camera guy isn’t television-worthy.”
“You mean you don’t use stuff like this in outtakes or whatever?”
“Well, sometimes, if it’s interesting, but most of the time, it ends up cut.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You don’t have cameras in the bedrooms, do you?
Jeff shook his head. “No. Sleeping is good for the soul, but not for television.” He chuckled as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
Penelope laughed. “I can see your point. I think I have enough ingredients if you’d like an omelet.”
“No thanks. I haven’t gotten tired of the donuts and breakfast sandwiches yet.”
“Okay, well, I’m going to take my food and eat on the patio.”
“See ya later.”
She picked up her plate and mug and drifted out onto the patio. The morning was almost too chilly as she curled up in the chair she’d used the night before. The sky was still dark, and the faint glow of the patio lights didn’t dim the brightness of the stars.
The quiet was stark. Her favorite spot at home was the beach before sunrise with the waves crashing onto the shore, making her feel like she was alone with the ocean. This was just as relaxing. Out in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, peace settled over her. She was surprised by how happy she was at the moment.
Steam from her food drifted up, and she dug in. Eating alone used to bother her, but since Tom, she’d learned to enjoy the solitude.
“May I join you?” Angus asked.
Penelope jumped and dropped a fork full of omelet on her lap. As she scooped it up, she grumbled. “I didn’t think anyone would be awake this early.”
“Normally, I wouldn’t, but I don’t sleep well the first night in a new place.” He crossed his arms over his chest, and his gaze swept from one end of the patio to the other.
Penelope’s gaze drifted to Angus. By the looks of his disheveled hair, he was telling the truth. She was startled as he caught her staring at him.
“Is there a problem?”
She stuffed a forkful of omelet in her mouth to give her brain time to catch up. “Uh, no.”
“Then why were you staring at me?”
Fine. “Truth be told, red hair is my kryptonite. I’ve always loved red hair.”
Angus grinned. “Kryptonite, huh?”
“Shut up.” She shook her head and looked away to hide the wide smile spreading on her lips.
He chuckled.
She figured she may as well be honest. She put her half-eaten omelet down and took a sip of coffee. “It’s not like you don’t know you’re attractive. And saying you aren’t mak
es me a liar, so yes, I find you attractive, but that doesn’t mean anything. I find George Clooney attractive. I don’t have a shot with him either. Not that I want a shot with either of you or anything.” The last sentence rushed out, and she squeezed her eyes shut as heat raced across her cheeks and all the way to her ears. Oh, for the love of all things holy, she needed to stop talking!
A tiny grin stretched on his lips. “I see.”
Inwardly, she groaned. She didn’t need him flirting or looking great or smiling at her like that. Her plan was to get through the next twelve weeks unscathed. How was she going to do that when he was being…charming? “I thought we’d agreed to leave each other alone. You stay in your corner, and I stay in mine.”
Angus shrugged. “I changed my mind. Plus, I’m told that if I can show you I’ve changed, maybe the rest of the world will think so too.”
Penelope narrowed her eyes. “Good luck.”
“We could be friends, you know.”
“I don’t want or need any friends. I have my dog.” She’d almost said sister, but Paige was less friend and more pest. She looked down at her hands. Thoughts of Tom floated like a salty breeze through her mind and turned acrid. “George will never lie to me…” The rest of the sentence lodged in her throat. She quickly stood. “I have to go. You stay in your corner like we agreed!”
She grabbed her plate and cup and stormed off. Him and his stupid hair and face. Besides, he was only being nice to win her over.
Penelope stopped in the kitchen and deposited her dirty dishes in the sink. If they didn’t need to be washed, she’d hide in her room. She filled the sink and started washing them, when she heard the padding of footsteps behind her.
“I promise I’m not a horrible person,” Angus said.
Penelope braced her hands on the sink and exhaled. It wasn’t his fault Tom had broken her heart. For a moment, she battled with what to do or say, and then she turned around and faced him. When she looked up, his ice-blue eyes locked with hers. Tingles danced like ballerinas in the pit of her stomach. Oh, good grief.
“I…have a feeling you aren’t,” she stuttered, “but why does it matter so much what I think? I’m nobody. A silly dog groomer from Destin, Florida.”
Angus leaned his hip on the counter and gave her the toothiest smile ever known to woman.
Penelope’s mouth turned into a desert, and she felt ambushed. Her own body was plotting against her.
He tilted his head. “If we can’t be friends, can we be civil?”
Oh, he was charming, and he sounded sincere. Warning bells screamed in her head. “We can be civil, but I want to stay as far away from you as possible.”
Angus looked at her, puzzled. “I know I’ve behaved badly in the past, but I thought I was doing pretty good here.”
He was doing better than good, but they were being recorded. He had to be good. Knowing Barb and her love of all things Penelope and Angus, their entire conversation would be featured on the next episode. “I’m sorry. I have to go. I’ll come back later and do the dishes.”
Penelope darted from the kitchen and back to her room. She collapsed on the bed and pulled the covers over her head. If she had a kitchen in her room, she’d bolt the door and not come out until the twelve weeks were up.
Chapter 10
The real filming had barely begun, and Angus was already done. He’d tossed and turned all night. Finn was gone. Barb was pushing his buttons, and Penelope Cooper was making him crazy.
When Angus shuffled into the kitchen, he’d figured no one would be up yet. Finding out Penelope had beaten him was a shock, and he’d felt compelled to seek her out. What shocked him even more was how comfortable he felt being around her.
Definitely better than sitting in a restaurant with all four women, but that’s what he was doing later that day because that was the film schedule. First, a group date, followed by individual dates over the next week, all to be aired as the second episode.
At the moment, Zora was glued to his right side while Amber was on his left. Jeanie was sitting next to Zora with Penelope sandwiched between Jeanie and Amber, directly across from him. She looked as miserable as he felt. Only he was better at hiding it.
Zora inched closer, if that was possible. “I just have to say, I’m such a sucker for red hair.”
And pigs might fly. He could be wearing a rainbow-color toupee, and she’d love it as long as he was walking a red carpet. “Uh, thank you.”
Now, Penelope? Her admitting red hair was her kryptonite? For some reason, that little nugget of knowledge put a smile on his face. Then she’d babbled about him being attractive, which made her unbelievably cute. Another shock. How could she be so cute when she was so infuriating?
Amber smiled. “That’s one of the reasons I signed up to do the show. I’m a sucker for it too. And those blue eyes.”
Penelope rolled her eyes and then trained her gaze on her plate. She was probably kicking herself for admitting she was a fan of his hair too. At least she’d said it that morning; otherwise, she’d have never told him after hearing them fawn over it. What he wouldn’t give to have five minutes alone with her. She hated him, but, apparently, he was a glutton for punishment.
With a giggle, Jeanie nodded her head. “Same. A huge sucker for red hair.”
Angus felt claustrophobic with the way Zora and Amber were leaning in on him. As much as he wanted to retreat, he couldn’t. The audience wanted to see him getting to know these women.
He cleared his throat. “Why do you want to have a relationship with me? Especially after all the bad press I’ve received.”
“I’d bet money it was all a publicity stunt so that when this show came on, people would tune in to see how the bad boy gets tamed,” Zora said.
Angus nodded. “Right.” He wished that was true. If it were, he wouldn’t be in the middle of this ridiculous show. “That doesn’t answer my question, though. Why me?”
Zora smiled and lifted an eyebrow. “Because I think it would be fun to be with you.”
Fun? As in he was shallow, and a real relationship wasn’t even a possibility. Not that he wanted one, but he hated being seen as a just a novelty and not a person.
Amber shrugged. “You’re attractive, funny, you’ve got a great smile, and I think as I get to know you, things will blossom from there.”
Angus smiled at Amber and turned to Jeanie.
“I think to answer that, I’ll need to get to know you. As for the reason I applied to be on the show, I think there’s more to you than what you show the world, but I guess I’ll see,” Jeanie said, giving him a cute smile and a shrug.
At least that answer didn’t leave him feeling like a piece of meat. His initial reaction to Jeanie was on point. She was a sweet woman, and attractive. Maybe she was right. Twelve weeks was a long time, and they did have farming in common. Not that he wanted a relationship, but maybe they could come away as friends.
“And you, Penelope? You said your sister signed you up. Why do you think she did that?” Angus asked. He had three brothers, and he couldn’t imagine any of them doing what Penelope’s sister had done to her, even knowing Taran hated his guts for choosing Clara over his family.
She lifted her gaze to his, swept it around at the cameramen, and then brought it back to him. Those deep-green eyes held such grief that he wished he hadn’t asked. “I wish I knew.” She pulled her gaze from his and trained it back on her plate.
“Well, that was great,” Zora said as she rolled her eyes.
Penelope exhaled, and Angus thought for sure she’d say something in response. Instead, her shoulders rounded, and she kept her head down.
The rest of the evening, Penelope stayed to herself, and Angus let her. Whatever had happened between her and her sister didn’t need to be aired on national television. Having his row with Taran paraded in front of the public wouldn’t sit well with him either.
Once the date was over and they were back at the house, Angus was given the schedule for t
he individual dates. He was to spend time with each one throughout the first two weeks. Jeanie would be first, then Amber, Zora, and Penelope. He’d thought Penelope would go first because of the initial ratings, but with her aversion to all things Angus, it didn’t surprise him that she was last.
The next evening, his date with Jeanie had them going to dinner and a carriage ride. Their conversation was entertaining, and she was easy to like, but the romantic attraction just wasn’t there. If he was looking for a relationship, he may have tried a little harder too.
His date with Amber had them skydiving. The skydiving was exciting, but he’d picked Amber because he wasn’t interested in her, and nothing about their date changed that fact. She was pleasant, easy going, and perky. Arm candy for sure, and that was about it.
Zora was the most difficult for him. Their date consisted of driving into Helena and touring the Holter Museum and then eating dinner. For some reason, she struck him as fake. She laughed too hard at his jokes and touched him too much, which made him uneasy. She wasn’t arm candy; she was poison. Much like Clara, it seemed.
When his date with Penelope rolled around, he was caught off guard by how much he was looking forward to it. She was annoying, argumentative, and aggravating. And yet, there he was, standing in front of her door with a smile on his face. It wasn’t even fake. He was genuinely excited about the evening.
Chapter 11
It was either go on a dinner date with Angus, or Barb would file charges against Paige. Avoiding him had been easy while he was focusing on the other women, but now it was her turn. Penelope actually debated about whether to let Paige roast this time, because going on a date with Angus was dangerous. He was charming, smooth, and attractive. Three qualities that held the potential to make her weak in the knees.
She’d also considered wearing the frumpiest clothing known to man, but she’d changed at the last minute. Going on national television looking like she’d dumpster dived for her outfit wasn’t the way she wanted to present herself. Plus, they’d given her a purple floor-length empire-waist gown with a bead-embellished bodice to wear. It was a little lower in the front than she would normally pick, but everything was hidden well enough that she wasn’t totally self-conscious.
Mending The Billionaire Movie Star (MacLachlan Brothers Romance Book 1) Page 5
