Falling for You

by Heather Thurmeier

  Spencer reappeared again. “Courtney, we’re ready for you now.” Courtney bounced out of her seat with a squeal of delight, grabbed her silver tray, and disappeared out the door. As it swished shut behind her, the girls turned on Lauren, swarming her like a pack of piranhas.

  “What’s he like?”

  “Was he nice?”

  “Is he as cute as we imagined?”

  “He’s … amazing,” Lauren started, sounding slightly bemused. “He’s gorgeous, and funny, and nice, and so hot.”

  The girls continued to fire questions barely giving Lauren a chance to breathe. Before long, Courtney bounced back into the kitchen and another girl was called. The swarm of girls turned to question Courtney, leaving Lauren in peace.

  Cassidy went to the stove. The cheese on the pizza melted and bubbled. She used the long wooden peel to slide the pizza out of the oven and placed it carefully on the tray Rachel had put on the counter.

  Well pizza, let’s hope the bachelor likes the simple things in life.

  “Cassidy, it’s your turn,” Spencer called from the door.

  Cassidy slipped out of the dirty apron and grabbed her pizza. She walked carefully to the door, paying close attention to putting one foot in front of the other.

  Evan followed a few feet behind her. She seemed to have developed an unnatural ability to sense his presence, but she didn’t have time to think about that now. She had to concentrate on walking without falling. This was not the moment for her clumsiness to strike again.

  She followed Spencer into the next room. It was a large dining room adorned with red linen table clothes, gleaming silver utensils, and sparkling crystal wine glasses. In the center of the room sat a small, intimate table bathed in candlelight and surrounded by cameras.

  Oh no, no, no. No way.

  Behind the table sat a very tanned, bleach-blond man who could have washed up on the beaches of Hawaii. Make that the beaches of California. Brad?

  Her ex? No way. This couldn’t be happening.

  Cassidy stumbled to a stop, unable to make her brain believe what she saw. There was no way the world was cruel enough to make her ex-boyfriend Brad become the mystery bachelor she had unknowingly agreed to date. This had to be a joke.

  Oh, Universe, you have a vicious sense of humor.

  Chapter Six

  “Cassidy?” Brad laughed, shaking his head as she walked across the room and placed the tray on the table.

  At least I made it without falling on my face.

  “This is an interesting twist.” He smiled, showing off a perfect set of white teeth. His voice dripped with self-confidence as though he wasn’t flustered in the least at seeing her here so unexpectedly. He’d always been cool, even under pressure. “It’s been a long time. Sit, join me for dinner.”

  Cassidy pulled out a chair and sat perched on the front edge of the seat. She closed her eyes and forced a deep breath into her lungs. He’s not here. He’s a figment of my evil imagination. Why is my head spinning? She opened her eyes again. Brad sat there, still smiling at her, waiting for her to say something. Damn it.

  “How are you, Brad?” she asked, keeping her tone even. The last thing she wanted was to let him know how uncomfortable she was seeing him here.

  She’d forgotten how cute Brad was — the perfect image of every girl’s surfer fantasy come to life. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to get excited. Sure, he had a hot body, but she also knew he cared more about himself and surfing than he ever would about anyone else. Memories of Brad telling her she wasn’t enough for him and that he was moving back to California infiltrated her mind.

  A familiar ache blossomed in her chest as the pain she’d worked so hard to push aside threatened to surface again. She clenched her hands together in her lap under the table, willing the sting of his rejection to dissipate. Brad wouldn’t hurt her again.

  “I’m fine,” he said. “How’s everything with you?”

  “Fine. Great. Awesome.” She didn’t want to talk about her life … the life he left for California.

  Just behind Brad, Cassidy spotted Evan. She was surprised to see him there. She assumed he would always be following her. It made sense for him to be there to capture her reactions, but she hadn’t expected it.

  Cassidy wondered if Evan had placed himself in that exact spot with more than good filming angles in mind. It seemed too convenient. Every time she looked at Brad, she was also inadvertently looking at him. Or maybe she was reading into things too much — wishful thinking.

  Now Evan I could stare at all night. He’s completely drool-worthy.

  “So,” Brad said, getting her attention again. “What did you make today?”

  Cassidy removed the silver dome. “Pepperoni and pineapple pizza.”

  “Oh, Cassidy. I can’t believe you still eat that crap. Pepperoni and pineapple should never go together, especially on a pizza.” His eyes crinkled slightly in the corners, giving the distinct impression of distaste.

  “Maybe if you actually tried it for once, you’d see it isn’t crap.” She tried to tease instead of get annoyed at his all too familiar stubbornness. “It’s sort of amusing that after months of refusing to try it with me, now you’re being forced to.” Cassidy slid a slice onto a plate and placed it in front of Brad with smile.

  He carefully used a knife and fork to cut off a piece, hesitating briefly before taking a bite. “Not as bad as I feared. I’m not sure I’d wish for it if I was on a deserted island, but to each their own.”

  “Well, you’re eating it wrong. You have to pick it up and fold it.” Cassidy took a slice, folding it so the two sides of the crust squished together and held it like a paper airplane. Taking a bite, she closed her eyes, savoring the taste as the sweet and spicy mixed in her mouth. “Tastes great to me.”

  “I’m not sure if I like the pizza, but I certainly like watching you eat it.” He raised an eyebrow at her, a crooked grin on his face. “I used to love watching you eat pizza like that. Why do you think I always suggested stopping to pick up a slice when I don’t even like pizza?”

  Cassidy glared at him. She finished chewing, and barely managed to swallow. She tossed the remainder of her pizza back onto the plate. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Evan’s jaw tighten as though he was gritting he teeth together.

  “Silly me. I assumed you knew it was my favorite. Sorry to make you suffer through the pizza.”

  “It was worth it to see you eat it like that again.” Brad winked at Cassidy, flashing her a smile that could make a heart skip a beat — any heart but hers.

  “Aren’t you going to finish?”

  Not with your pizza-fetish eyes watching me.

  “I’m full.”

  “Pizza was an interesting food to pick. It wasn’t like the rest of the girls — not your typical girl food.”

  “What exactly is a typical girl food?”

  “Like the stuff the other girls made — vegetarian lasagna, veggie burgers, big salads. You know, healthy stuff. Rabbit food. I’m all for eating vegetables, but can I get them alongside a nice juicy steak and a loaded baked potato?”

  Cassidy wasn’t sure if she should feel flattered that her food wasn’t “rabbit food” or annoyed that her food wasn’t “typical girl food.”

  Brad sat forward, reaching for Cassidy’s hand. She moved it into her lap and leaned back, putting as much distance between herself and Brad as she could.

  The last thing she wanted to do was get all warm and cozy with her ex-boyfriend. That achy feeling in her chest she’d had earlier was gone and replaced by annoyance. She’d hoped to forget about her real life problems while on the show. Instead, she was having dinner with one of them.

  Not cool, Universe. Not cool.

  Brad leaned back to mirror Cassidy. “Not in the mood to talk?”

  “I’m not in the mood for anything if you’re involved.”

  “That’s my girl. Feisty as I remember.”

  “I’m not your girl. I stopped being yo
ur girl when you dumped me and decided to move across the country.”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but your time is up, Cassidy,” Spencer said, reappearing beside the table as if a magician had abracadabrahed him there.

  “Great.” She sprang up from the table. “Lead the way.”

  Brad came around the side of the table, pulling her into a tight hug. Cassidy stiffened. She wasn’t ready to share a meal with him, let alone share her personal space, regardless of the past.

  Cassidy peeked over Brad’s shoulder to Evan, his camera focused on her in Brad’s embrace. She shifted uncomfortably in Brad’s arms as Evan watched her in the arms of another man. She didn’t enjoy the embrace with Brad, but Evan didn’t know that, and she didn’t want him to think she had.

  Cassidy watched as Evan’s jaw tightened for the second time. He seemed a little flushed, too, but she couldn’t be sure if that was an effect of the weird lighting and all the red linens in the room.

  “It was good seeing you again.”

  Was that regret in his eyes?

  Couldn’t be. In all the time she’d known Brad, she’d never known him to regret a decision. Not even when they’d gone to Mexico for a long weekend and he’d insisted they could drink the water in town while they were away from the resort. Not even when she’d been confined to the bathroom for the rest of their trip. Nope. He stood by his decisions.

  He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed you.”

  “Mmm,” was all she could muster. Any form of agreement would have been a lie. She remembered all too clearly the pain he’d branded on her heart when he’d left and how hard she’d worked to get over him. Those feelings were in the past and she wasn’t prepared to revisit them. Her love for Brad was gone and one meal together wasn’t going to bring them back together.

  And if that ache in her chest decided to return, she’d chew a few antacids and be done with it.

  Cassidy walked back into the kitchen and was attacked by the waiting girls. While she answered questions, the last two girls presented their food to Brad.

  “Isn’t he everything you hoped for and more?” Julia had a dreamy quality in her eyes.

  “Um, yeah, he’s great.” Cassidy hoped it sounded convincing since she wasn’t fooling herself. Actually she hoped he would suddenly come down with a contagious disease and have to leave the show immediately. Then they could get a new bachelor — that would be awesome. It also wasn’t likely.

  She hadn’t expected to see her ex-boyfriend and she had absolutely no idea what to say to the other girls. Should she tell them that Brad was actually her ex? Many sharp objects waited in the kitchen. Perhaps a confession about her and Brad’s previous relationship could wait.

  Her eyes flickered to Evan. Nervousness crept up her throat at the thought of answering more questions about Brad in front of him. Thankfully, Spencer walked into the room and called the women back to where they’d originally started so she didn’t have to talk about Brad anymore — at least not yet.

  “Great job, ladies,” Spencer said. “You should be very pleased with your meals. They smelled fantastic.” He rubbed his stomach like he was starving.

  “Tonight Brad has a very difficult decision ahead of him. He’ll have to choose girls to make up the bottom three. Those women will be up for possible elimination this week. Back at the house, you’ll find out who he’s chosen for the bottom three. Then, America will get their chance to vote for their favorite girl. Sadly, the other two women will be sent home.”

  Spencer looked sympathetically around the room. “All right, ladies, that’s all for now. We’ll see you again shortly.”

  As Spencer walked away the girls whispered to each other. The murmurs continued as they wandered back through the hotel to the buses.

  “Who do you think he’s going to choose?” Paige asked. “I hope it’s not me. Maybe I should’ve cooked something else. Guys like veggie burgers, right?”

  “Sure, veggie burgers are great.”

  So it wasn’t a giant cheeseburger after all. Paige’s meal must have been one of the “typical girl foods” Brad had criticized.

  They followed the others on to the buses. She lowered her voice so only Paige could hear. “You’re so pretty and you’re the sweetest one here. You’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

  Would Brad keep Paige? Cassidy had no idea what his type of woman was except that she wasn’t it. She hoped she hadn’t just lied to her only friend in the house.

  “Thanks, Cassidy. I think you’ll be safe, too. What guy doesn’t like a girl who makes him pizza?”

  “I’m not so sure Brad liked it, but it’s over now so I’m not going to worry about the challenge anymore.”

  Or Brad.

  Cassidy slid into the seat on the bus and peered out the window as they pulled away from the hotel. She tried to ignore Evan as he continued to stare at her through the camera from the seat in front of her. Instead she worried about what the rest of the night would bring.

  She wasn’t sure what she wanted to happen tonight with the show. Part of her knew Brad might put her into the bottom three. Their relationship hadn’t worked out so well the first time, so why would he bother with her a second time? And honestly, the other girls would probably be upset when they learned they had a history together. Going home now would most likely save both of them from a giant headache.

  However, if she did go home, she wouldn’t see Evan anymore. She stole a quick glance at him. She found something so intriguing about him. Maybe it was the way he seemed to film her with more interest than a cameraman should? Or maybe it was the way her heart seemed to pick up its pace whenever he was near, like a sonar warning of an object’s imminent approach.

  • • •

  Evan followed Cassidy into the house and toward the great room where production staff had set up an impromptu touch-up room. While the girls had their hair and makeup retouched, the camera crew had a few minutes to set down their cameras and relax.

  Evan joined the rest of the crew — and Brad — in the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of water from the ice bucket on the counter and pulled up a chair at the large solid oak table.

  The guys laughed about the contestants’ cooking skills. It seemed Cassidy wasn’t the only girl to make a mess of herself in the process of cooking her meal.

  A picture of Cassidy covered in pizza sauce came to his mind. He’d wanted to wipe the sauce from her neck. With his tongue preferably. Unfortunately, he’d been trapped behind the camera.

  “Who wants to help me make my decision tonight?” Brad asked, wearing a smug expression like a king choosing his consort. A sudden urge to wipe the smile off his face almost clouded Evan’s better judgment. Instead, he put on a very nonchalant smile.

  “You haven’t made your big decision yet?” Evan asked in a teasing voice. “Is it really that hard to choose?”

  “Dude. It’s totally harder than I expected.” Brad leaned back against the counter and rubbed his forehead dramatically. “How can I pick between all these babes?”

  “Well, you must have a couple you liked less than the others. So pick those ones,” another cameramen said.

  “I guess I didn’t really hit it off too well with Julia or Courtney.” Brad raked his fingertips across his forehead.

  “That’s only two girls, Brad,” Jake said. “You need to pick one more for the vote.”

  “Okay, I guess it’s between Lauren and Cassidy then,” Brad said. “Lauren seemed kinda ditzy. That’s cool for a one-nighter on the beach, but I’m not sure I want to date that. Cassidy and I’ve actually dated before and I’m not sure I want her again. Although, she does have a great rack.”

  Evan’s blood pressure shot up a couple of notches. He couldn’t believe Cassidy would ever go out with this douche bag. What had she seen in him?

  “I think you don’t like Cassidy as much because she didn’t drool all over you like the other girls did,” Evan said, shrugging. “Maybe
she’s too smart for your tricks now. You might want to consider keeping the one girl who’s actually a challenge for you. You don’t want America to think you only like the easy girls, do you?”

  “Dude. Harsh.” Brad gave him a hurt expression. “I didn’t say I didn’t like her. I’ve just sort of ‘been there, done that’ with her already. But she was a tiger in the bedroom. Maybe I want to ‘be there, do that again.’”

  Not cool, douche bag.

  “It’s your choice, but I know who I’d keep around.” Cassidy, that’s who. Evan tried to act casual, but inside, his mind raced. If she stayed, he’d have to watch her date loser Brad. But at least he’d still get to see her, learn more about her.

  If America voted her out she’d have to go back home. Evan might never see her again.

  Brad crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Why are you so interested in keeping Cassidy around? You enjoying her rack, too? Hey, do you guys zoom in on the goods? I would totally sneak a closer peek if I could.”

  “I’m thinking about my paycheck, that’s all. I’m not checking out her rack.”

  And he better stop checking out her rack, too, or I’m going to smack him upside the head with his surfboard. If he tries to touch her, I’m gonna break his fingers.

  “I don’t know, dudes. I guess I’ll just wing it during the ceremony.” Brad walked out of the room, leaving Evan with a pit in his stomach.

  • • •

  The women stood facing Brad and Spencer. This was it. The ceremony where Brad would decide who he was putting in the bottom three for America’s vote.

  Evan’s palms turned clammy as he waited for the news. He had no idea this process would bother him so much, but he felt almost as nervous as the women looked.

  He focused his camera tighter on Cassidy’s face. He couldn’t gage her expression, but she seemed nervous and uncomfortable.

  Is she hoping to go home or stay?

  She shifted her weight and straightened her dress. Her eyes glanced toward his camera. If she made it through this week, he would have to tell her not to look at the camera so much. Throughout her dinner with Brad, Cassidy had glanced up at the camera — a big no-no in reality TV. Contestants were supposed to pretend the cameras didn’t exist, not talk to them and scold them.