“You can count on it,” I promise him. Dean turns and gives Emily a hug and kiss on the cheek, then walks off set. Meredith gives it a few seconds for the cameras to get their departing shots before clapping her hands again. I swear she treats us like a class of kindergarteners.
“All right, people . . . last two standing. You know what that means.” She waggles her eyebrows at us. We all stare blankly, not knowing what she’s talking about. Meredith sighs. Maybe we are kindergarteners to her. “Fantasy suite dates!”
She says it like we’re supposed to start jumping around in excitement. A crew member sets up the spinning wheel and button for Emily to push, and as the cameras roll, locations start to scroll across the screen. Obviously, by now, we know that the destination is already set up and the button push is just for show. But the flashing cities do build excitement. Emily plays it up, yelling cheerfully. "No whammies!" as she presses the button and the screen stops on . . . Las Vegas!
It’s hard not to smile at that, each of us hollering, “Vegas, Baby!” on cue. Everyone is excited, even the crew, for a trip away, it seems. A night in a fantasy suite with Emily sounds pretty fucking sweet too . . . I just have to remember the cameras are going to be right in our faces, though, but I’ll figure out something. They damn sure can’t see under the covers. I glance at Emily, who looks back with a slight blush in her cheeks, and I swear she’s thinking the same thing.
Meredith lets the cheers die down before continuing. “Okay, Emily, get packed. Guys, I’d like to have meetings with each of you in the office.”
We follow Meredith and Nate to the front of the house, and Lee goes in first with them while I hang in a chair in the hallway. I keep hoping to get a glance of Emily, but no dice, although Cody comes by with his bags over his shoulder. He gives me a nod and a little salute, his broad shoulders unbowed by getting cut. Fifteen minutes after that, Lee walks out with a big-ass grin from ear to ear and it’s my turn. I close the door behind me, sitting down in a chair next to Meredith, Nate behind the desk clicking on the laptop and ignoring us.
“So Hayden, how do you think this is all going? What’s your take on everything?” Meredith asks, sitting in her chair like queen of the fucking world.
“Uh, it seems to be going great. Emily and I have hit it off, and I think she’s gonna pick me.”
Meredith looks a bit shocked, but it seems forced somehow, then she switches to a pitying look, picking up a tablet computer and tapping at it. “Look, Hayden. This is all smoke and mirrors, a setup, if you will, much like your photography work. I’m sure you understand. Here’s the deal . . . you seem like such a great guy. In fact, we’ve done some test screening with preview audiences and they love you. A lot. But I’m afraid you’re getting a little lost in the magic here.”
I’m confused by what she’s saying, although the test audiences liking me sounds like a good thing, right? “You lost me. What are you saying?”
Meredith hands her tablet to Nate, who runs off like the good little minion that he is before coming back and going back to work with his computer. “Well, here’s the thing. We knew a while back that Emily is going to match with Lee. She’s practically said as much in her confessionals, although she does say sweet things about you too.”
“Practically?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. “Somehow, I doubt that.”
Meredith shakes her head, and I can tell she’s trying to talk her way around something difficult. “Listen, there’s just so much chemistry between them. The test audiences are saying Lee’s the betting man’s favorite. And . . . ” She pauses, but I can’t say anything as my mind is racing. Chemistry with Lee? She’s picking him? What the fuck?
Seeing my expression, Meredith continues. “Well, that’s not important right now. Hayden, the thing is, you test so well with the preview audiences, so we have an idea. It’ll get you lots of continued exposure that’d be great for your career. Your agent already said you’d be interested.”
I blink, still feeling like I’ve been punched in the gut with a large padded fist. “Jay? You talked to Jay? About what?”
Meredith smiles, and while it looks friendly, I can’t help but think she looks a little predatory. “Matchmaker, Season Two . . . it’s you.” I look at her blankly, obviously not the reaction she expected. She waves her hand, as if trying to conjure magic or something. “You’ll be the runner-up when Emily and Lee match, and then you’ll be the star of next season with a cast of ladies trying to match with you. It’s brilliant, if I do say so myself, if a bit used. But like they say, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. I’ll need a bit of confessional about you two being hot but maybe not all it seems, and probably a bit of on-screen coolness. Nothing major, just help make it obvious you two aren’t relationship material so you don’t have rebound baggage for Season Two coverage. We want you to be likeable still, just not the fairytale prince . . . of this season, anyway.”
She’s rambling, talking like this is a done deal, but I don’t know what to think . . . I’m still stuck on Emily and Lee. I clear my throat until I get her attention. “Uh, that sounds interesting . . . but I think I’ve got a shot with Emily still. I could still be her Match.”
Meredith tsks at me, obviously getting frustrated. “Romantic till the end, huh? So dreamy . . . the girls are gonna eat that shit up. Look, you’ve got a contract to take direction, follow a script as needed, and I’m not throwing you under the bus here. I’m offering you something bigger, a shot at your dream. I need you to get on board here or you could jeopardize what we’ve got planned.”
I shake my head. There’s contracts, and then there’s the right damn thing to do. “Even if she picks Lee, and I don’t think she will, I’m not saying shitty things about Emily because of it.”
Meredith gives me a look of almost pitying compassion and turns to Nate. “Nate . . . can you roll the scenes of Lee and Emily yesterday, please?” She looks at me, her eyes soulfully sad. “Sorry, but sometimes, it’s easier if you just see it with your own eyes.”
Nate turns his laptop around, and I see Emily and Lee joking around during their photo shoot. She’s smiling and laughing at him as he grabs her around the waist, whispering in her ear, but the mic doesn’t catch what he says. Nate fast-forwards to the hidden camera footage in the cabin of the yacht. I knew there were cameras, those sneaky fucks! My gratification at being right is immediately squashed when I see Lee and Emily basically making out. He’s kissing her, pressing her back to the couch, and her hands are pressed to his chest. I look up at Meredith, shocked at what I’m seeing. Nate is going to let it play, but Meredith gives him a cutting off gesture.
“As I said, it’s quite something to see them together. I’m sorry you weren’t expecting that.”
With one more fast-forward, Emily fills the screen in a confessional. “Lee is so intense, he overwhelms me with his passion and I just get so lost . . .” Nate clicks again, and a new video springs up. “Hayden is the kind guy you fantasize about, an exciting rule-breaker. He scares me a bit because I think he could break my heart without even trying.” She lets out a little laugh. “He probably leaves a trail of broken-hearted girls begging for more wherever he goes.”
The screen goes black again, and Meredith turns back to me. “I’m sorry to blindside you this way. But really, this is for the best. Think of it this way. It’ll be a great move for your career. And maybe you’ll meet your real match next season! I’ll draw up the papers and send them to your agent.” Defeated, I simply drop my head, my agreement stuck in my throat.
Confessional
“So we’re off to Vegas for fantasy suite dates. Not sure of my odds with Emily at this point, but 50/50 sounds pretty good, I guess. She’s a sweet girl . . . just hope she’s happy with whoever she picks.”
Off camera, Meredith waves her hands, scribbling on a white board. I look at her, shrugging my shoulders. What the fuck else does she want? “LOVE” Meredith’s written, and my heart clenches in my chest a little as I turn back to the camera.
; “Oh, do I love her? That’s a really tough question, you know? I mean, love’s got a ton of different meanings, and Emily is pretty loveable. But if you mean in love . . . uh, I don’t know if we’ve had enough time to really fall in love, so no, I don’t think I’m in love with her . . . yet.”
God, I hate being a liar.
Emily
I spend less than five minutes looking out over the bright lights of Vegas before I turn and give in to my childish impulses, running through the suite I’m in to take a flying flop into the big bed, enjoying its fluffy comfort. It’s like landing in a giant pile of feathers, and as I turn over, I throw my arms and legs up while giggling.
After a few moments, I relax back, questions flooding my head. How in the world did I get here? I mean, I know, but at the same time . . . stuff like this doesn’t happen to girls like me.
And how am I gonna go on camera and pick a happily ever after? Obviously, I’m leaning toward Hayden, but how do I know? Lee doesn’t seem like a bad guy. He’s handsome and sexy in his way, but he’s just not Hayden, who takes heat to a level I didn’t even realize could exist. Lee just can’t compete with that.
Before I can think too much, McKayla and Brad barge in, not even bothering to knock. McKayla seems to be in her element in Vegas—big personality, big hair, and full of bad choices. Hell, here she’s basically calm and conservative by comparison to most folks. “Hey, Chickadee! Time to get you primped up for your date with Hayden tonight. Not that you need primping for that man. He seems to like you just fine, dirty and in the dark.”
I blush, sitting up and trying not to grin guiltily. “Yeah, last night was awesome. We talked for long time, and it seems like I might’ve actually made a real love connection on this crazy game. I didn’t exactly mean it that way, but I accidentally said that last night and he didn’t freak out!”
Brad, who’s setting up his makeup kit, gives me a surprised look. “Uhm, excuse me . . . did you say you mentioned ‘love connection’ and he was okay with that? There’s only two things that means. He’s thinking he might be in love with you too, or he’s thinking, ‘Oh, shit, I just stuck my dick in crazy. Back away slowly and don’t make eye contact.’ It’s a cardinal rule—don’t stick your dick in crazy.”
“And if anyone knows about sticking their dicks in crazy, it’s Brad’s former boyfriends,” McKayla adds. I laugh because they’re both hilarious, although Brad doesn’t seem to be smiling quite so much at the moment.
I can’t help but laugh because it’s funny as hell, but their comments are kind of freaking me out at the same time. I think back. Did he seem nervous after I said that? I don’t think so. We talked about the show, the dates we’ve been on, and some vague hopes and dreams type stuff. But nothing he said made me think he might be nervous or upset.
As McKayla and Brad hover around me like a pair of overly caffeinated bees, I relive every moment of our date by the pond and in the storage room. More than the sex, which was amazing, I think about everything we shared about families, our lives back home, all the little random tidbits that make me feel like I really know him. I analyze every word, every facial expression that might give me some insight as to Hayden’s thoughts about the future.
Future. I pause. He never said anything about us after the show. Is that bad? I can’t worry about that now as Nate comes in, ready to escort me out to the living area for a private dinner. Brad smacks him away, chasing him out of the room. “Don’t you see that she’s hardly dressed for a dinner? Now out! We’ll get her dressed, but until then, this room is us bitches only!”
Nate looks like he wants to argue, but Brad’s having none of it, closing the door and turning around. “Yass, queen, finally! That boy is so annoying.”
“Yeah, well, unless you want the real Queen B in here kicking your skinny ass, let’s get our princess here dressed quickly,” McKayla says, helping me up. “Wardrobe already delivered your dress for tonight, so strip like you’re Supergirl.”
I have to admit that the dress is amazing, a deep red piece with a high collar and piping that hugs my curves and leaves me feeling sexier than ever before. Brad gives my lipgloss a final touchup then stands back, admiring his work. “Honey, you look hot enough that they’re gonna ban you from Vegas. The desert can’t take this much heat!”
“Let’s go, let’s go!” McKayla urges me, pushing me toward the door before whispering in my ear, “Brad’s right. Have fun, babe.”
Nate looks flustered but keeps his mouth shut as he escorts me up one floor to the fantasy suite that we’ll be using tonight, a glamorous suite that’s supposed to have an Asian motif, like my dress, I guess. Stepping in, everything’s in shades of green, red, gold, and black, with lots of natural looking lanterns, wood floors, and paper screens to complete the illusion. Hayden stands when I come in the room, pulling my chair out for me and helping me get seated. “You look beautiful,” he says as he helps my chair in. “Truly beautiful.”
Before I can answer, Meredith interrupts. “Okay, you two. Just chat, romance, just a regular date, and we’ll do a kiss shot in front of the doors and then off for the night. Good?” I notice Meredith give Hayden a pointed look, but she yells, “Action!” and I jump into date-mode.
Like our room, our date has an Asian motif, with teppanyaki grilled meat and vegetables served to us with cups of Japanese sake wine. “I kinda wish we’d have done this at a real restaurant,” I say as our waiter brings us our third course, rice and vegetables. “I’ve been to one place, and the chef was as much theater as he was cook.”
“I’ve been to places like that too,” Hayden says, chuckling. “Last place I went to, the chefs at the two tables worked together, at one point taking this piece of tiger prawn and, using the big barbecue fork he had, he slung it across the room to his partner, who caught it as a ‘taste test’. It was good shrimp, too.”
As the wine and delicious food flows, we talk and laugh, but it doesn’t feel the same. I swear something is off, and I’m not sure what. Hayden just feels a little distant, like he’s got something else on his mind. Numerous times during our conversation, his answers seem hesitant, trailing off when I swear he’s still got something to say. Brad’s words run through my head, making doubts creep in, and I try to assuage them by asking what he plans for after the show. “So . . . after all this is over, what’s on your calendar for the future?”
I’m hoping he’ll say something about us. Instead, Hayden sets down his cup of sake and for the first time looks . . . I don’t know, hurt? “I don’t know what’s after this. I guess I’ll check in with my agent and see what offers have come in for me. I’ll probably take a trip home to see my mom and dad since I haven’t talked to them since this circus started.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “What about you?”
“I guess, well, I’d like to go see my friends back home. I know Cassie has to be wondering if I fell off the edge of the earth, and I miss the kids. After that, though, it kinda depends. I mean, couples should try and coordinate their lives, you know? And I’m sure they’ll want us to do some sort of publicity for the show.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Hayden says, letting the conversation drop. Dinner finishes with delicious ginger ice creams, and we move to the bedroom door for the kiss shot. He moves toward me, his eyes fastened to my lips and never meeting mine. It’s a good kiss because Hayden is a good kisser, but the fire isn’t there. I bite my lip uncertainly, trying to read him, but Meredith interrupts with another one of her yells. “Cut! Off to bed . . . sweet dreams!”
We slip into the bedroom of the suite and it’s quiet. Too quiet. I’d been looking forward to being nearly slammed against the wall as Hayden overwhelmed me with kisses. For him to say to hell with it, let any hidden cameras watch as he gave me a complete and thorough fucking until my body is nothing but pleasure-filled jelly.
Instead, Hayden goes over to the dresser and shrugs off his jacket without even looking at me. It’s like he doesn’t even want to share the same room
as me, and my nervousness ratchets up another notch. I cross the room and put a hand on his shoulder, turning to look him in the eye. “Is everything okay? You seem different. Distant.”
Hayden won’t seem to meet my eyes, and questions start to creep into my brain. What’s changed in the past twenty-four hours? Was Brad right? “Everything is fine. I’m just tired, I guess. This is a lot to process.” He waves his hands around like he’s encompassing everything, and I don’t know if he means the show, me, or us. Either way, I’m scared to ask. I know he’s lying, but about what, I don’t know.
“Well, I think I’ll get changed then,” I whisper, going over to the dresser where wardrobe said they set up my pajamas. I open up the drawer, and to hell with pajamas. They gave me some ‘fuck me’ lingerie, a form-fitting cami with matching panties and nothing else. I should feel sexy, primed for seduction and more, but I don’t, and when I turn around, I see that Hayden’s also changed. He’s got on a pair of black silk pajama pants that make him look sexy as hell, but the coldness in his eyes feels like a punch in the stomach.
We climb into bed, awkward at first as we try and keep some space between us until finally, Hayden moves in closer. I adjust until he’s the big spoon for my little spoon. I snuggle in, wiggling my ass against him teasingly, but he just pulls me tighter, not letting me move. He absently twirls a finger through my curls, wrapping and unwrapping them around his finger. We lie there, the wine and the silence making my body relax until we’re almost asleep and I can’t stand it anymore. “Hayden, I really care about you.”
He replies in a voice that’s barely above a whisper. “I know . . . and it’s okay.”
Before I can ask what the hell he means, I hear him start to softly snore. I want to turn over, to wake him up, but I can’t find the strength to do it. Instead, I lie in the dark, my brain buzzing and swirling with questions.
What was that?
Scorpio Page 44
