The Farmer's Perfect Match

by Marilyn Forsyth

  Evie cringed. She could almost feel sorry for her ex-boss.

  Almost.

  ‘I’m not denying anything. What’s the point? I’ve been involved with Chrissy for over a year. And yes, I did rig her inclusion in the show by giving her Adam’s answers to the Perfect Mate questionnaire.’

  Hearing it confirmed from his own lips, Evie offered up a silent prayer of thanks. The ‘evidence’ they’d come up with was based largely on speculation and office gossip, but it had been enough to raise questions.

  ‘You set up your lover as a prospective wife for another man? What sort of idiot are you?’ her father demanded.

  Neil removed his black-rimmed glasses and rubbed the mark on the bridge of his nose. ‘An idiot in love.’ His voice took on a pleading tone. ‘There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for Chrissy. Her heart’s set on being an actress. I wanted to be the one who made that happen for her.’

  ‘So why fix it for her to appear on a reality show?’

  ‘Ewan, you know how tough it is to break into this industry, even with connections. She needed exposure to get noticed. Perfect Mate was the perfect vehicle for that.’

  ‘And because of you, our series was based on a sham.’

  ‘Hey, it’s a two-way street,’ the editor insisted. ‘Chrissy helped make the show a success.’

  ‘I’m not disputing that.’ Her father’s clipped tone was arrogantly dismissive. ‘But what happens after Adam Armstrong makes his choice tonight?’

  ‘We’ve talked about that. Chrissy’s a shoo-in to win and she’ll uphold the contractual obligation of the three-month relationship with the farmer, but it’ll be a long-distance thing. After that … well, come on, no one really expects dating shows like this to end in marriage.’ He looked around at Evie and Steve, as if expecting their agreement.

  The hole that Neil was digging for himself was getting deeper by the minute.

  ‘I can’t believe you just said that.’ The producer’s voice was dangerously low. ‘It’s the crux of the series, and you’ve made a total mockery of it.’

  ‘No more than your daughter did!’ the editor fired back.

  Uh oh. Evie’s heart started palpitating violently beneath her ribcage. The whole sorry mess was about to be dragged up again. This, she didn’t need.

  Her father’s barbed glare fixed briefly on her before returning to Neil. ‘Unfortunately, you’re right. But you are old enough to know better.’

  The editor gave a snort of disgust.

  Evie glanced apologetically at Steve, who stood rooted to the spot with a stunned-mullet look on his face. She’d got him involved way deeper than he’d bargained for and he was about to learn a whole lot more. He didn’t need to be burdened with that, and she certainly didn’t want any reminders of her own part in the saga.

  She held up her hands tentatively in a ‘time-out’ gesture. ‘If you don’t need us can we go? There’s only an hour before the live-to-air and I still have to get to wardrobe and makeup.’

  Adam’s refusal to do the final interview with anyone else but Evie had come as a bolt out of the blue. As the star of the station’s ratings-winning show he had the privilege of demanding her presence, she supposed. Luckily, appearing in front of camera didn’t faze her; early in her career she’d been given the opportunity to present on-screen community news sessions before opting for the production career path. What concerned her was his motive for wanting her there, as well as a niggling worry about how she’d cope, face to face with him again after their traumatic parting.

  But the reminder to her father of where she needed to be was just an excuse. It was imperative she speak to Adam before the final interview. She had to let him know the farm was not in jeopardy before he made his choice tonight—Neil’s monumental personal mistake negated the possibility of the network suing for breach of contract if he reneged.

  The producer thumbed towards the door. ‘Steve, go.’ He pointed at a chair. ‘Evangeline, sit.’

  The other PA immediately headed in the indicated direction. Her father stopped him at the door with a warning. ‘The information you uncovered does not leave this room. Is that clear?’ Short, sharp sentences in a tone that required no verbal response.

  Without looking at her, Steve nodded and closed the door behind him.

  With her only ally gone, Evie instinctively did as she’d always done—obeyed her father. She lowered herself onto the chair.

  Neil collapsed into the seat next to her, covering his face with one hand. ‘I can’t thank you enough, Ewan. I’d never get another job if this got out.’

  ‘You’re even more of a fool than I took you for if you think my decision has anything to do with you. It doesn’t. I’m doing it in the best interests of …’

  Her father glanced at her and for the briefest moment Evie believed he was about to say he wanted this swept under the carpet because of her. Because he loved his daughter too much to have her career ruined, which it would be, once word spread of her unprofessional conduct. But his next words put paid to that assumption.

  ‘… the network. I refuse to have our good name tarnished. We’d lose millions in advertising if this story ever broke. Understand this, Neil. You will never work for this station again. Evangeline, you’re on notice. Both of you, out. Now.’

  Neil heaved himself up out of the chair. Shoulders slumped and face stricken, he exited the room.

  Evie didn’t know where the words came from but suddenly they were on her lips. ‘You’re actually going to try to keep this covered up?’

  ‘Yes.’ From years of experience, the hard-bitten answer was her father’s way of saying this was not up for discussion.

  But something inside her rebelled. Integrity was at stake here. Her own sense of justice and a vulnerable man’s future were at risk, and her father couldn’t be allowed to get away with disregarding that.

  Heart thumping, flashes of heat threatening to open up a sweat, she stood and placed her palms flat on the desk. ‘You can’t do that, Dad. It’s unethical and immoral. It belittles not only the viewers but Adam and Meg as well. Don’t you see that?’

  A powerful pulse pounding in her forehead, she waited for him to acknowledge the truth of what she said. The full lips compressed into a tight line gave her his answer. For a second it crossed her mind to leave it at that, to turn and run—the absolute idiocy of standing up to her father was not lost on her. Who knew better than she did the long-lasting implications of a single act of insanity under the influence of overstretched emotions? But then courage returned. It was time to stand up for herself.

  ‘Well? Don’t you?’ she repeated.

  He started shuffling papers without looking up. ‘I’ve said all I’m going to say on the subject. Count yourself lucky you still have a job here.’

  Lucky? To be in a job she’d taken solely to impress this man, to win his love and approval? In an industry she now knew too much about to regard as anything more than superficial and inane? How the hell did that class as lucky?

  ‘So that’s it? You’re prepared to stomach making a fool of Adam, the man who made your series the success it is, for the sake of advertising dollars?’

  He glanced up at her then, his weathered face cemented into hard lines. ‘I am.’ His tone conveyed exactly how uninterested he was in her feelings on the matter.

  The brutal truth hit, and in that instant the last vestige of respect for her father vanished. For the first time Evie saw Ewan Sinclair for what he was: a ruthless man, manipulating lives with the same ease and lack of conscience with which he conducted corporate deals.

  All her life she’d believed there was something wrong with her, that if she only tried harder and achieved more he’d love her. How naive. Her father wasn’t capable of real love. He prided himself on possessions to show the world what a success he was—one beautiful girl, a high-achiever in his other daughter, and a trophy wife. How he’d ever captured the heart of a woman as loving and giving as Sarah, her stepmother, she’d ne
ver know.

  And now was no time to dwell on it. She had to find Adam. He needed to know Chrissy was nothing but a fraud, a wannabe actress using him as a means to an end. If he went ahead because he had real feelings for her and chose her regardless? That was a thought she couldn’t allow herself to take into consideration.

  Evie strode to the door, shoulders pulled back. The pathetic attempts to please were over. Playing the dutiful daughter was at an end, once and for all. It was a hard lesson, finally realising the truth about her father, but one she’d needed to learn. There was no going back from here.

  Words of warning followed her out into the white-tiled corridor. ‘Evangeline, that information about Neil and Chrissy goes no further.’

  She bit back a reply. There was no point antagonising the man who held veto power at the station. She needed free rein until her mission was accomplished; if he knew what she intended to do, he’d stop her.

  Her pulse pounded in her throat as she weaved her way through the maze of hallways. Adam and the girls had been due this morning but they’d only arrived at the station an hour ago thanks to a delayed flight from Broome. They’d all been rushed into makeup but by now Adam should be in the green room, separated from Meg and Chrissy, waiting for his cue to go on for the big reveal. All she had to do was find him.

  Find him and tell him how much she loved him.

  A blast of Princess perfume scorched her nostrils before a figure barred her way. Chrissy. Dressed to kill in sky-high stilettos and a sparkling blue chiffon dress that revealed just the right amount of flesh; not baring all but enough to beg closer inspection. With carefully applied makeup over perfect skin and blonde hair freshly tinted, she looked … gorgeous.

  Dammit!

  ‘Well look who it is. Little Miss Loser.’ Her voice dripped venom. ‘Ready for your last glimpse of Adam before I take him off the market?’

  ‘I don’t have time for this, Chrissy.’ Evie moved to pass her.

  The other woman stepped in front of her again, her heels clicking on the tiles. ‘If you’re looking for him, don’t bother. He’s not the least bit interested in talking to you.’

  She should have walked away and ignored the baiting, dismissed the response as the ranting of a devious mind, but Evie couldn’t help herself. ‘Oh, I think he’ll be more than interested in what I have to say. I know all about you and Neil. It’s something Adam needs to be made aware of, too.’

  Chrissy laughed, a derisive, cutting sound that echoed in the tiled hallway. ‘Do you think he doesn’t know already? A lot happened after you left. He does know and he doesn’t care what happened in my past. It’s the future that counts.’

  The words smacked into Evie with the force of a wave slamming her onto the ocean floor, sucking all the breath from her body. Knees buckling beneath her and stomach tied in a knot, she leaned back against the wall. Adam knew? And it made no difference to him? Her fingers clutched her chest; the coldness that pierced her heart was excruciating.

  Through a vertigo-induced haze her ears picked up Chrissy’s smug voice continuing on, poking at the pain. ‘See, when I realised I was falling in love with our farmer, I came clean. He knows I no longer have any feelings for Neil.’

  Evie had grown up around actors; she knew it was often impossible to separate the performer from the role they were currently playing. But if this was an act, it deserved an Oscar.

  Chrissy leaned close, peering up into Evie’s face. ‘When Adam chooses me tonight it’s going to be for real. And forever.’

  Instant tears welled, unexpected and unwelcome. Evie blinked furiously against the sting, determined not to let the brimming drops spill over and betray her. But the sight, through swimming eyes, of the bitchy, self-congratulatory smile was just too much.

  She drew back a hand and slapped Chrissy across the cheek. Her palm stung but she noted with a peculiar kind of pleasure the stunned rage on the other woman’s face. Next thing she knew a male form had manifested in the doorway behind Chrissy.

  ‘At what stage were you planning to let me know of your change of heart?’ Neil asked, barely restrained hostility in his tone.

  With a hand pressed against her left cheek, Chrissy swung her head around. ‘I—I was on my way to tell you.’ Her head swung back to Evie, blue eyes narrowed viciously. ‘Until I was accosted and attacked.’

  The editor unclenched his fists and gave a slow handclap as he advanced towards them. ‘Now that’s the kind of acting that’ll get you somewhere. Pity you can only dig deep like that when there are no cameras around.’

  Chrissy turned her acid stare back on Neil. ‘I’ve been acting the part of being in love for the last year. I had no trouble making you believe it.’

  Transfixed by the confrontation playing out in front of her, Evie watched Neil’s expression as anger melted into denial. ‘You don’t mean that.’

  ‘Sorry, but I do.’ The apologetic smile vanished as quickly as it appeared. ‘I love Adam now.’

  The editor almost choked in a blustering haste to get his words out. ‘You don’t honestly expect me to believe you’re going to give up your acting aspirations, the thing we’ve both worked so hard for, to waste away on that pearl farm?’ He spat out a humourless laugh. ‘The idea’s ludicrous, Chrissy. You’re no farmer’s wife. You’re too ambitious.’

  She gave him a withering look. ‘I didn’t say I was giving up acting. I’m sure Adam and I can come to a mutually beneficial agreement regarding my career. He knows it’s important to me.’

  An intense chill of foreboding forked, lightning-like, through Evie. Chrissy clearly had no intention of spending her life in the isolated, wildly beautiful place Adam called home. If he chose her without knowing that, where would that leave him?

  ‘Don’t do this to me, Chrissy.’ Neil was pleading now. ‘I’ve given up my family, I’ve lost my friends, and now my career is in ruins. All for you.’

  ‘Your choice.’ Her tone teemed with contempt.

  The editor stood in stony silence, raw hurt on his face, shoulders hunched in defeat. All the swagger, all the hardness was gone; he was a broken man. Evie’s heart went out to him.

  Yes, she actually felt sorry for this man who’d done his best to humiliate her and ruin her career. Now he was getting more than a little of his own back and she couldn’t bear to witness any more of his degradation at Chrissy’s hands. The woman was a ruthless opportunist, devoid of empathy, with no concern for the feelings of anyone but herself.

  Adam had no idea what he was getting himself into if Chrissy was his choice. He’d gone into Perfect Mate in good faith, desperate to find someone to love, someone to share his lonely existence. Despite her declaration that their relationship would be forever, Chrissy didn’t have it in her to be the partner he needed. She’d break his fragile heart.

  Evie wasn’t about to let that happen to the man she loved. Even if he didn’t love her back.

  ‘Promise me you’ll always stay this classy, Chrissy.’ With pleasure she noted the poisonous flare of anger cut across the other woman’s features. Then, smiling for all she was worth, Evie skirted around Neil and strode down the corridor, newly intent on her mission of disclosure.

  ‘Evie! In here. Now!’ The terse words came from Kathy, the girl from makeup.

  Evie glanced at her watch. Forty minutes to go and she wasn’t ready for the live-to-air yet. It’d be cutting it fine but if she rushed through wardrobe and makeup there would still be time to talk to Adam before the show. She found herself being bundled into the room.

  * * *

  Adam paced the confines of the green room—incongruously painted pale blue—as he anxiously awaited the call to go on-set. As he’d been ushered towards the room by a minder, he’d spied Evie down a corridor in the far distance, a member of a tense tableau that included Blake and Chrissy.

  His heart had jumped in his chest at the sight of her, his pulse quickening to an excited pounding in his ears. No one had ever affected him this way. No one eve
r would. Dressed in her familiar jeans and oversize T-shirt, her long, dark hair falling down her back, she’d looked just as lovely as he remembered, but hardly ready to front the cameras for the final interview, as he’d insisted.

  Had she said ‘no’? The way he’d treated her was so unforgivable he couldn’t blame her if she had. And if that was the case he wouldn’t appear either. They couldn’t make him. He’d already resigned himself to the possibility of losing Paradise for backing out of the contract. What more could they do to him?

  The thing was, his plan depended on Evie conducting the interview. He needed to talk to her, and had headed towards her when he saw her in the hallway, but his attempt to make contact with the small group had met with the minder’s determined refusal. He was not to have any interaction with either Meg or Chrissy prior to the big reveal.

  ‘Mr Armstrong?’ His minder stood in the open doorway. ‘They’re ready for you now.’

  Heart in his mouth, Adam followed the man through the labyrinth of hallways into the main studio. Bright lights caused white spots to swim behind his eyelids as he was miked up then seated on a comfy, two-person couch placed dead-centre on the set. Looking around, he noted a simulated window with a photo of the farm on the wall behind him and a bank of cameras, manned by figures with headphones and indiscernible faces, facing him. He exhaled a sigh of relief when one of the shadowy shapes gave him a thumbs up. Cam was there.

  This whole situation was surreal and Adam was having trouble taking it all in. The one clear thing was that Evie wasn’t there. He started scanning the studio for exits. If she didn’t appear in the next few seconds he was outta here.

  Then he saw her.

  She was the most heart-stoppingly beautiful woman he’d seen in his life. He’d never thought to find her done up in a dress and heels, had no idea she could carry it off with such poise. The green fabric clung like a second skin to her every curve, the crossover design emphasising the slenderness of her waist, the colour illuminating the green in her hazel eyes. High heels enhanced the silhouette of those long, long legs and her hair fell in dark shiny waves over her shoulders.