by Krista McGee
Being on national television? Making conversation with the president’s son? Not making Hank Banner angry with me? “Too many to name, Jonathon.”
“I think I know one.” Jonathon smiled and Addy forced herself to keep breathing.
“Y-you do?”
“You think more than you speak. How come?”
“Don’t you think that’s a good thing?”
“So you’re saying you have no weaknesses?” Jonathon’s eyes twinkled, and Addy forgot for a moment that they were being filmed.
“No, I’m saying that whenever I do speak without thinking, I usually say something I regret.”
“Like . . . ?” Jonathon’s palms opened toward her, and she knew she had been set up.
“Like when I said I wanted to be the first to be kicked off the show.”
“You mean that wasn’t a publicity stunt?” Jonathon’s eyes grew wide with mock surprise.
Hank’s going to love this. “No, definitely not a publicity stunt.” Addy laughed. “Just a mistake.”
“So you want to stay on the show?”
“Well, I didn’t say that.” Addy smiled.
“Too bad, because you’ve got immunity. At least one more week here.”
“I guess I can suffer through that.”
“Thanks for your sacrifice.” Jonathon winked at Addy.
“Cut,” Eric yelled. “She’s the last one, Jonathon, so if you want to keep talking, don’t mind us. We’ll just be packing up.”
“Off the record, huh?” Jonathon smiled. “What do we talk about?”
“I have some questions.”
“Okay, shoot.”
“Your dad,” Addy said.
“My dad?”
“Yes, we talked about your mom on the golf course, but what about your dad?”
Jonathon leaned back and sighed. “My dad is amazing. He works way too hard, but . . .”
“Kind of comes with the job.”
“Right.” Jonathon smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “He loves that job. But he loves us too. He’s a typical dad, I guess. Overprotective, stern when he has to be. But always fair.”
“He can’t be too overprotective. He let you come on this show.”
“Actually, the reason—”
Eric cut Jonathon off, stepping in front of him to get a wire. “Sorry, man. Go on.”
“No, it was nothing.” Jonathon looked at Addy. “Overprotective in the sense he’s having trouble letting me grow up. I’m still his little boy.”
“That’s sweet.”
“I guess. But I’m almost eighteen. I’m getting ready to go away to college. Sometimes it seems like he doesn’t get that, that he looks at me and still sees a four-year-old who needs to have his hand held walking across the street.”
“Says the guy whose dad took him to Japan.” Addy raised her eyebrows. “To meet the prime minister.”
“You got me there.” Jonathon grinned. “And I didn’t even tell you about the time he snuck me into a top-secret meeting in the Oval Office.”
“What?”
“I didn’t tell you that. Because that would be classified information.”
“And you know classified information?”
“That would be classified.” Jonathon grinned again.
“What were you saying about how tough your life is?”
Eric began turning off the lights, and Addy knew that was her cue to leave.
“Thanks for talking with me.” Jonathon reached out to shake Addy’s hand. He held it a little longer than was necessary, and Addy felt a slight squeeze as he finally released her hand. She carried the memory of his fingers wrapped around hers all the way back to her trailer.
Chapter 22
Talented? Check.” Hank looked into the camera as the live episode began. “We saw last week that we have quite an array of talent here at The Mansion.”
Hank waited as the cameras panned the girls seated in front of the massive front porch of The Mansion.
“But what about athletic and smart?” Hank walked in front of the girls. “Tonight you’re going to see just how these twenty-five girls measure up. We’ve had two competitions this week. And I’ll tell you what, they were messy.”
The girls laughed, and Addy saw several peek around Hank to make sure the cameras saw them as well.
“One girl will have immunity.” Addy was sure Hank had to force himself not to scream after saying that. “And five girls will be going home. Stay tuned to see all the excitement in this week’s chapter of . . . The Book of Love.”
As the night wore on, Addy watched clips of each of the girls playing golf.
Anna Grace’s segment had been edited to make her look like a pro. A sugary sweet pro.
“I just love golf,” she said, eyeing the green as she prepared to tee off. “My dad and I have been playing together since I was just a little thing.” The cameras quickly focused on her ball flying in the air and not on her horrible form in taking the shot.
Lila looked beautiful, as always, and made sure to let America know again where she was from and that “Hawaii has some of the best golf courses in the world.”
It’s like watching a commercial. She might be mean, but Lila sure is comfortable in front of a camera.
Addy found her gaze drifting to Jonathon as the segments droned on. Sitting to their left, Jonathon remained attentive the entire time.
He is so poised. So natural. Like Lila. They would look good together. They would make sense together. Beautiful Hawaiian heiress with the equally beautiful president’s son. Why am I even letting myself think he’d be interested in me with girls like that throwing themselves at him?
“Don’t go anywhere, folks.” Hank’s plea to the cameras interrupted Addy’s thoughts. “When we come back, we’ll see the The Book of Love’s Academic Mud Bowl. You don’t want to miss this.”
Next to Addy, Jessica let out a big “woo-hoo” as soon as they got the “all clear” from Eric. “America is going to love this,” Jessica said, her back turned to Addy. “I don’t know what Hank was thinking, wanting us to get the answers right. You know folks enjoy muddy girls over clean ones.”
Behind Addy, Heather agreed. “You know it. Maybe there was immunity, but no one’s going to remember the ones who stayed clean. Everyone will be talking about us tomorrow.”
Kara leaned forward from behind Addy and whispered, “Yeah, they’ll be talking about how stupid they are, missing questions that a second grader would know.”
Addy didn’t have the time—or the desire—to respond. Jonathon returned to his seat from a quick bathroom break, and Eric signaled that the show would continue in just ten seconds.
Hank spent most of the segment discussing the obstacle course, and, as predicted, most of the shots were of the girls who had to cross it.
Finally Hank made his way to Jonathon. He pulled up a chair beside him, and the pair chatted as if they were old friends.
“So, man,” Hank said. “All that for you. Girls sliding all over an oily, muddy obstacle course just for a chance to be your prom date. You are one lucky guy.”
“I know.” Jonathon smiled. “They did a great job.”
“Now, you’re pretty athletic, right?”
“I enjoy playing sports. In fact, I’m missing a big baseball game tonight.”
“Stuck here with twenty-five beautiful girls fighting to go out with you when you could be sliding into home plate with a mouthful of dirt,” Hank said. “Stinks to be you right now.”
Jonathon gave Hank a playful shove. “I guess I’ll live.”
“So what did you think of these girls this week? Were you impressed with their abilities?”
“I was.” Jonathon looked out over the girls, his eyes stopping at Addy. “I think I enjoyed this week’s competition even more than last week’s.”
“Really? Why’s that?”
“If we’re talking about my date, I’d much rather know she can play a good round of golf or talk with me abo
ut what I’m learning in school than to know she can perform in front of a crowd.”
Hank paused for a moment, and Addy knew he was not happy with that answer. “But being comfortable and poised in front of others is important too. After all, you’re not the typical boy going to his senior prom.”
“That’s true.” Jonathon shifted in his seat.
“And speaking of your senior prom.” Hank stood and motioned toward the girls. “You’ve got to choose five more girls to leave. And he’ll be doing that right after this.”
Eric yelled, “Cut,” and the girls all watched as Jonathon stood to stretch.
“Great interview, Jonathon,” Jessica called out.
“Sorry you’re missing your game.” Anna Grace stood and waved. “I know your team is real sad to have you gone.”
The other girls took their cues, and within a minute, all but Kara and Addy were trying to engage Jonathon in conversation.
Thankfully the commercial break was short. Ten excruciating minutes later, five more girls sat crying into their daisies, and Jonathon was waving good-bye to the cameras. Addy couldn’t wait for Eric to yell, “Cut,” so she could go hug Kara and congratulate her for being among the Top Twenty girls remaining.
“Not that I doubted you’d make it.” Addy linked her arm with Kara’s as they made their way back to the catering table.
“You and me, baby”—Kara dipped a fat carrot stick into ranch dressing—“we’re going all the way.”
Addy laughed and went for the less-healthy option of the fried mozzarella sticks dipped in marinara sauce. A huge blob of the sauce landed on her shirt.
“You’d just better hope the next challenge isn’t table manners.” Kara laughed and handed Addy a napkin.
Chapter 23
The next challenge is table manners?” Addy asked Kara, hoping maybe she’d heard wrong.
“Etiquette, to be precise,” Hank continued, oblivious to Addy’s whispered question. “A seven-course meal at a black-tie restaurant.”
Most of the girls were thrilled. Hank spent the next few minutes trying to silence them before finally resorting to an ear-splitting whistle.
“Etiquette.” Hank glared at the girls. “Meaning proper behavior. The opposite of what you were just doing.”
Lila raised her hand and asked in her best teacher’s pet voice, “Where are we going?”
“Great question, Lila.” Hank paused for dramatic effect. “You girls are going to get to go to Colorado.”
“Woo-hoo!” yelled Jessica, who was immediately silenced by Hank’s upraised hand.
“Last week we saw you could get dirty. And, granted, America did love that.” Hank allowed a few “I told you so’s” before continuing. “But now we need to show them you clean up just as well.”
The girls sat silently, waiting for further instructions.
“This is a magnificent restaurant, right in the Rocky Mountains. It is one of the finest in all of America, and it’s all ours tonight. Jonathon will be there too, spending a few minutes at each table.”
The girls tried to contain their excitement, but a few squeals escaped. Hank again waited for complete silence before going on.
“You have a few minutes to pack your bags, then you’ll meet with a stylist for hair and makeup. The plane leaves for Denver at two o’clock, so we need to leave here no later than noon.”
The girls got up to leave, and Hank called after them, “And make sure to grab a jacket when you’re in the wardrobe trailer. March in Denver can get chilly.”
Kara and Addy walked back to their trailer. Addy jumped in the shower, praying that the water would wash away her worries.
It didn’t.
Addy walked out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. “Seven courses? How is that even possible?”
“Typically, it’s appetizer, soup, salad, pasta, main course, dessert, then fruit.” Kara stood and ticked off the courses with her fingers. “Of course, some chefs prefer having a palate-cleansing sorbet before the main course, and others serve chicken then beef, rather than pasta, before the main dish.”
Addy’s mouth hung open. “How do you know all that?”
“Internet research.” Kara crossed her arms smugly.
“What about the silverware and all that?”
Kara sat back down and looked at her computer screen. “Always start from the outside in, and never ever use the same utensil twice.”
Kara went on to try to educate Addy on how to hold each utensil, when to lay them down, where to lay them down, correct napkin placement, proper cup-holding and meat-cutting techniques, and a plethora of other seemingly ridiculous rules.
“Stop.” Addy rubbed her temples in a useless attempt to fight off a headache. “You lost me at ‘hold the fork like a pencil.’ I feel like you’re speaking in some other language. This is way out of my league.”
Kara took Addy’s hand and patted it. “It’s all right, my barbaric friend.” She laughed. “Just sit next to me and it’ll all be fine. Ma and Pop put me in the Good Manners Camp when I was ten. They’ll be happy to know they’re finally going to get their money out of it.”
The girls had no more time to talk because they each had to meet with a stylist to get ready for the big night.
Ruby, Addy’s stylist, tried desperately to get her to wear an ultrarevealing V-neck red dress that clung to her like Saran Wrap on a chicken wing.
“It’s just not . . . me.” Addy found a plain blue sundress. “How about this?”
“You are goin’ to a five-star restaurant.” Ruby shoved the dress back on the hanger. “You have to wear an evening gown.”
Finally they compromised on an elegant violet floor-length gown with a sweetheart neckline and intricate beadwork. Once the dress was selected, Ruby gave it to the wardrobe people to tailor and press. It would be waiting for her once her hair and makeup were done.
Ruby insisted on an updo. She really wanted Addy to have bangs. “Your hair is too thick to be all one length.” She lifted Addy’s hair and let it drop onto her back. “And you really don’t have the face shape to pull it off anyway.”
Addy was sure Hank had handpicked Ruby for her lack of any sort of compassion. Ruby always acted like she was being put out, having to work with Addy—such a boring, non-risk-taking ingrate.
In the end Addy won out, and Ruby pulled her hair straight back into a ponytail. She curled, teased, sprayed, and brushed Addy’s hair until she rolled it all under using bobby pins and possibly staples, coating it in what was probably a lethal amount of hairspray.
Makeup was next, and that was even more unpleasant. Ruby insisted that since this was a black-tie event, Addy must have smoky eyes. Addy wasn’t sure what that was. She discovered it meant every part of her eyes would be covered in dark shadows and pencils. As usual, a great deal of foundations, concealers, and multicolored powders were layered on first, making Addy feel like the canvas for a kid’s first oil painting.
When the process was completed, Ruby stepped back and praised herself on being so good. She took Addy to a full-length mirror.
“Wow.” Addy looked like a model. She didn’t look like herself at all, but Ruby’s creation was fabulous.
“Addy, do not move until the van comes to take you to the airport,” Ruby insisted.
“All right.” She sighed, twiddling her perfectly manicured thumbs.
“Stop!” Ruby grabbed Addy’s wrists. “You might chip the polish or make the acrylics pop off. Just sit still, all right?”
So Addy sat, feeling like a porcelain doll on display in a shop window. I sure hope this night goes by quickly. At least I have Kara to help me.
Chapter 24
Well, look who’s joining us.” Lila glared at Addy as she slid her linen napkin out of its sterling silver ring.
Addy’s attempt to be seated with Kara was squashed before the girls even made their way into the ornate restaurant.
“Your seating arrangements have already been made,” a sm
ug Hank said. “Just look for your name plates at the tables.”
Addy had been placed at a table with Lila, Anna Grace, and Jessica.
Addy sat down, the beads in her dress cutting into her legs. She wanted to enjoy the restaurant, with its crystal chandeliers, floor-to-ceiling windows framing the Rocky Mountains, and waiters in tuxedos. But she couldn’t do anything but check her phone and count down the hours until this evening would be over.
Lila’s waist-length black hair had been styled and curled the way Ruby had wanted to style Addy’s—soft waves, bangs framing Lila’s heart-shaped face, drawing attention to her huge onyx eyes. She looked perfect. Her smile was for the cameras, but Addy saw the hatred behind it as her gaze rested on Addy.
“Split-pea soup, my favorite. Hank added it to the menu just for me.” Lila took dainty sips from the sterling silver spoon. “Have I told you girls that my parents have been talking to Hank? They’re going to help finance his new project. He says there’s a perfect part in it just for me.”
“Oh, Lila.” Anna Grace batted her eyelashes, her short blond hair styled to make her look like a teen Reese Witherspoon. “You are so lucky. What kind of project is it?”
As Lila turned to respond, her knee hit Addy’s. Addy had a spoonful of the split-pea soup halfway to her mouth. It spilled from the spoon onto the white tablecloth.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Addy.” Lila dabbed at the stain with her napkin. “How clumsy.”
Cameras at her side, Addy smiled and tried again. This time the table shook as Addy dipped her spoon in the bowl. Looking up, she saw the three girls smiling conspiratorially at each other. She gave up and waited for the next course.
Unfortunately, the spinach-and-strawberry salad also went untouched as Addy’s fork was “accidentally” knocked from her hand, and her goblet of water almost fell right into her lap when the tablecloth unexpectedly shifted.
“Jonathon’s coming,” Jessica announced, and the girls all sat up straighter and smiled.
“Good evening, ladies,” Jonathon said. “You look beautiful.”
Addy watched Jonathon look at each of the girls. They’re so pretty, Addy thought, not for the first time. I just blend into the background around them. Why do I even bother trying to get to know Jonathon? I can’t compete with them.
