Blind Love

by SUE FINEMAN

  “Are you kidding?” Mitzi waved toward the screen. “Listen to the way she talks.”

  Cookie had spiked hair, a mixture of black and blonde, and at least six earrings in each ear. “Body piercing?”

  “It doesn’t show on this video, but yes. Want to make her an alternate?”

  “I don’t think we’ll get that desperate, but sure. Put her on the list.”

  Jenny’s video was next. “I know her, or I knew her years ago, in boarding school. Nice girl, and prettier than I remember. I see no reason not to use her.”

  Mitzi stared at Catherine. “You went to boarding school, and you went to college with Cara Andrews? Who are you?”

  Catherine looked Mitzi in the eye and told her the truth. “Catherine Anne Timmons. My father used to own Timmons Hotels. Keep it to yourself, Mitzi. I don’t want anyone treating me any different because of my name.”

  “No wonder Henry gave you the show,” Mitzi said with a touch of awe.

  If that was what Mitzi wanted to believe, that was fine with Catherine, but she knew better. Mitzi had to be told what to do all the time, while she was a take-charge person, someone with vision, a woman who accomplished things.

  Catherine moved on to the next interview. It was Chelsea, the model with the striking blue eyes and long, light brown hair. “She’s gorgeous, a good balance for the cute ones and the ditzy ones.”

  Rachel, a former Miss Florida, had black hair and brown eyes. She carried herself like a beauty queen, and she had a nice smile. “She looks great on camera.”

  Mitzi nodded. “I thought so, too. She’s tall. How tall is Tony?”

  “Six-two.”

  Lily was tiny and dark, a grad student at UCLA. She was bright and articulate. “Not beautiful, but cute, with plenty of personality. She’s perfect.”

  JoJo was a Latina with short hair and a vivacious personality. “This one is, too. Good choices, Mitzi.”

  Victoria, the widow with two boys, seemed relaxed and pleasant. Tony would have plenty of blondes to choose from on this show. “She’ll do.”

  Marilyn’s interview was next. “Is she Chinese?”

  “Quarter Chinese. She’s friendly, bubbly,” said Mitzi.

  “Good. That’s what we want. With his blindfold on, Tony can’t tell what they’re like unless they talk to him.”

  The last tape was of Carina, the blackjack dealer from Reno, the one they’d saved to use as an alternate. After seeing the interview, Catherine moved her up from alternate. “We’ll use her on the show. I’ll bet she’s a big flirt, like Tony.”

  They had some diversity, which was good for the ratings, and their personalities were different enough to give Tony something to think about. “How many is that?”

  Mitzi counted the names on her list. “Nine for the show and one alternate.”

  “We need at least a half-dozen more. Enough beauty queens. Try for cute or just personable.”

  Without asking whether Catherine wanted to see it, Mitzi ran Fawn’s interview. Catherine had to admit that Fawn looked and sounded good in the interview, but she didn’t want to work with her. She didn’t ever want to see the woman again.

  “What about this one?”

  “No. She’s out.” Definitely out, no matter how good she looked on camera.

  Sometimes she wondered how her father found the women he brought home. Some had only stayed one night, while others moved in for a few days or a few weeks. None were what Catherine considered the motherly type, and apparently none were wife material, or he would have married again.

  Fawn wasn’t the worst of the bunch, but she was close. A woman who’d slip a man an illegally obtained drug had an iffy character, and Catherine didn’t want that kind of person on the show or in Cara’s house. She probably wouldn’t pass the security screening anyway.

  <>

  “I have you down as an alternate,” said Mitzi.

  Fawn groaned. She didn’t want to be an alternate. “Don’t leave me hanging, Mitzi. I need to know if I’m going to be on the show.”

  “The woman in charge said we have too many beautiful girls. She wants me to find contestants who aren’t so pretty to balance it out.”

  “You’re kidding! I’m being rejected because I’m beautiful?”

  “It doesn’t make sense to me either, but that’s the way it is. If someone drops out, we’ll definitely call you. I’ll keep you on the list, unless you want me to take you off.”

  “No, keep me on the list. I really want to do this, Mitzi.”

  “I know. I’ll do my best to get you on.”

  Fawn disconnected and swore. She thought when she met Walt Timmons that everything would fall into place. They’d marry and she’d live in that big house in Santa Barbara. She didn’t like his staff, so she convinced Walt to fire the cook and housekeeper. She wanted to get rid of Sanchez, but Walt refused to fire him.

  She didn’t like Walt any better than she liked Sanchez, but since he was the one with the money, she had to put up with him and his stinky cigar.

  Fawn wondered if the bachelor on the new TV show was rich. She hadn’t gone to the pain and expense of getting her nose and breasts fixed to settle for a poor man.

  <>

  “I already have a tux,” Tony told Catherine on the phone that night. “I was Nick’s best man, and Cara wouldn’t let any of us rent them.”

  “I was in Europe when they got married.”

  “So that’s why I didn’t meet you then,” he teased. “I’m sure I would have remembered you.”

  She laughed softly, and the sound of her voice made him smile. “What else do I need? I only brought casual clothes.”

  Catherine ran down the list of clothes he’d need for the show, and he jotted them down. “I’ll see what Nick has in the closet here. We’re the same size, right down to shoes.”

  “Guys compare those things?” she teased, and he realized there was more than one way to take that.

  “Like girls compare bra sizes,” he replied. She’d come out the winner on that one. When she didn’t respond right away, he was afraid he’d insulted her again. “Hey, don’t hang up on me.”

  “I won’t. Tony, do you think your mother would be willing to appear on the show?”

  His mother? He didn’t normally think of her when he was picking out a woman to date. “I guess that depends on what you want her to do.”

  “Give cooking lessons to the last three girls. They won’t know who she is, though. And you will be the one to taste the food.”

  “Oh, hey, I don’t know about eating somebody’s experiment.” Interesting idea. He’d never chosen a woman on the basis of her cooking skills. He’d always been more interested in a woman’s talent in the bedroom, and that definitely wasn’t something he thought about with his mother around. “Do you want me to ask her?”

  “Yes, please. It would be toward the end of June. If she doesn’t want to come here, we could take a crew to her house.”

  “Are you kidding? She’d love to have a reason to cook in Cassie’s kitchen.” Knowing his mother, she’d be proud to be included. Tony twisted the phone cord around his finger as he talked. “You want the whole family?”

  “I’d love to meet them, but I don’t know if we can use them all. What do you think?”

  “Angelo is a tenor. He sings everything from Italian opera to pop tunes. He’s also a barber and works construction.”

  “A multi-talented man. Is he married?”

  “He’s on his honeymoon right now.”

  She let out a big sigh. “All the great guys are taken.”

  “Hey, not me.”

  A burst of giggles told him she was teasing again. He wanted to throw her over his shoulder and swat her on that cute little behind. And then kiss her senseless.

  “I’ll raid Nick’s closet here and see what I can find.”

  “The show will furnish your clothes, but you’ll have to come to LA to be fitted.”

  “Will you be there?”

>   “If you want me.”

  She had to be kidding. The little minx was giving him a hard-on over the phone. Of course he wanted her. “Why don’t you come up for the barbecue a few days early and we can go through Nick’s closet together?”

  “I might just do that.”

  They talked for nearly an hour before he said goodnight and hung up.

  He had to get that gazebo finished, so he could go to LA and meet with the wardrobe people. And Catherine Anne Timmons.

  Especially Catherine.

  What was it about her that kept him interested? With most women he’d be bored within a few days. There was always another one to take her place, usually a tall, sexy blonde.

  He’d never had trouble attracting women. Unless he worked hard enough that day to get a decent workout, he went to the gym, so his body was in good shape. He thought about body building at one time, but he didn’t work out to compete. He did it to feel good about the way he looked. He’d done a little boxing years ago, but he wasn’t bloodthirsty enough for the sport.

  Tony’s dreams that night were filled with the sound of Catherine’s giggles, with the sight of her standing beside the pool wearing nothing but a smile, with the sweet smell of her hair, and with the taste of her lips on his.

  <>

  Tony called his mother the next morning. “Ma, how would you like to be on television?”

  “Why would anyone want to put me on television?”

  “It’s the same show I’ll be on. When we get it down to three girls, Catherine wants you to come down here and give them a cooking lesson. They’ll cook something for me, and you’ll have a chance to meet the finalists. You can help me pick the winner.”

  “I don’t know about picking the winner, but I’d love to cook in Cassie’s kitchen.”

  Of course she would. “Catherine said to tell you that you’d have a chance to get to know the girls before they know who you are. After they serve the meal, I’ll introduce you.”

  “When would I do this?”

  “Toward the end of June. I figure I’ll need your help by then.” Ma loved it when one of her kids needed her.

  “You really want me to help you pick?”

  “Sure. I trust your judgment.” She said Cara was perfect for Nick, and she knew Teresa was right for Angelo. Nick and Angelo were both happy.

  Tony had been with a lot of women, but he’d never considered how they’d fit into his family because he wasn’t looking for a wife. Ma would love Catherine. All the women in the family would love her.

  “If you want me on the show, I’ll be there. I love you, Tony.”

  “I love you too, Ma. I’ll see you in a few days.” She and the rest of the family would be down for Cara’s birthday party at the end of the month.

  He’d stayed home for too many years, because as his siblings moved out, he realized he couldn’t leave his mother. She needed a man to help her around the house, and she needed his financial support. Her Social Security wasn’t enough to pay the bills, and nobody wanted her living alone.

  Chapter Eight

  Over the next few days, Mitzi interviewed more women. Catherine watched the interviews with her. There were two who stood out. Andrea was twenty-six, a hairdresser from Iowa. She was blonde and had lots of personality. Another was LeeAnn, also blonde. She was thirty-seven, a dental hygienist from Los Angeles. LeeAnn wasn’t beautiful, but there was something striking about her, and she was talkative and personable.

  “We’ll use these two, Mitzi.”

  “But what about Maria and Traci and—”

  “Just those two.”

  In the videos from the girls Mitzi had rejected, Catherine found two more for the show. Gwen was a kindergarten teacher from Orange County. She was tall, with straight dark brown hair and green eyes. Although she wasn’t a beauty like some of the others, she had a sparkle to her eyes, and she loved kids. So did Tony. Jan was a waitress from LA, cute and pleasant. Her hair was a reddish shade that didn’t look natural with her complexion, but she had the kind of personality they were looking for. She asked Mitzi to add those two to the list.

  “How many is that?” asked Catherine.

  Mitzi did a quick calculation. “Thirteen and one alternate. Why don’t I get wardrobe busy on these girls while I look for a couple more alternates?”

  “Okay.” The costumes alone could keep the wardrobe people busy for a few weeks. “I’ll get Tony’s sizes and bring him down for a fitting. He already has a tux, but he’ll need to have a costume made.”

  Mitzi gave her an odd look. “Why would a carpenter own a tux?”

  “He was in a wedding, and his cousin bought it for him.”

  “Oh.”

  Poor Mitzi looked confused, but then she was often confused. She’d tried acting at one time and discovered that beauty wasn’t enough. Mitzi couldn’t act.

  “I guess if we get desperate, we could use one or two of the girls we saved for the fireman,” said Mitzi. “We don’t have an African American or an Italian. Most of these girls are blonde.”

  “There’s a reason for that,” said Catherine. “Tony likes blondes.”

  Mitzi’s face glowed. “Then maybe he’d like me.”

  “You know, I think he would.” Catherine was being kind. Tony would undoubtedly enjoy flirting with Mitzi. He might even enjoy having sex with her, but it wouldn’t last. Mitzi had been married five times, and none of her marriages had lasted over two years. There were times when Catherine wondered if the bleach Mitzi used to keep her hair that shade had destroyed brain cells.

  Catherine didn’t want Mitzi with Tony. She didn’t want any other woman with Tony. So why was she putting him on this show? Because she wanted to be successful, and Tony was so hot women would tune in just to watch him in action.

  Wasn’t that what she wanted?

  <>

  Tony worked on the gazebo every day, and every night he tried not to think of Catherine. She called him nearly every day, asking questions about his wardrobe or some stupid thing about the house. Cara’s birthday party was at the end of next week, not too far off, but he didn’t want to wait that long to see her again.

  One night Catherine called and said, “We’re going to have a costume party on the show, and you’ll have to come to LA to be fitted for a costume.

  Hallelujah! “When?”

  “When can you break free, Tony?”

  “How about Monday? I can fly down to Santa Barbara on Sunday, visit Walt, and see the costume people on Monday. You can fly back with me to check out the house and stay for Cara’s birthday on Friday.”

  “Okay. I was coming next week anyway. I’ll set up an appointment for you for Monday with the wardrobe people. How is that gazebo coming?”

  “I’ll have it done by Cara’s party.”

  “I can’t wait to see it.”

  And he couldn’t wait to see her. This time he’d have a condom with him at all times, even if he had to wear the damn thing in the pool.

  <>

  Catherine worked part of the day on Saturday and then left for Santa Barbara. Megan met her at the door. “I thought you were coming last night.”

  “So did I, but I had to work this morning. How’s Father?”

  “He’s getting stronger every day. He fell asleep a few minutes ago.”

  “Then let him sleep. Did you find a housekeeper?”

  “Yes, I did.” They walked inside and Megan introduced Jill, a forty-ish woman with a warm smile.

  “What pretty red hair,” she said.

  “Jill was a hairdresser at one time,” said Megan. “She cuts my hair now.”

  “I don’t need a haircut.”

  Jill and Megan shared a disappointed look. Megan said, “Honey, you’d look so much better with a trim.”

  “I won’t take off much,” said Jill. “Maybe just shape it a little. Naturally curly hair can look pretty shaggy if it’s not shaped right.”

  Catherine walked into the powder room and looked in the mir
ror. “Okay, all right, you can give me a haircut.”

  Megan brought a stool from the kitchen island and Jill brought her scissors and a comb, and Catherine sat quietly while red curls covered the powder room floor. When Jill finished, Catherine shook her head and ran her fingers through her curls. “I can’t believe how much better it looks.”

  She hoped Tony liked it.

  <>

  Tony saw her before the plane touched down in Santa Barbara on Sunday. She stood in the window, her hair on fire in the bright sunshine. If there’d been a horn on that plane, he would’ve leaned on it.

  The pilot landed and taxied to a stop, and Tony flew out the door and ran to Catherine. He hugged her tightly and they kissed, feeding his hunger. “Mmm, nice. I really needed that.”

  “I missed you, Tony,” she whispered. The smile she gave him warmed him right down to his toes.

  “You look different.” He reached up and threaded his hand through her curly hair. “You got a haircut.”

  “Megan’s friend cut it. Jill is Father’s new housekeeper. I know straight hair is in fashion now, but my hair will never be straight any more than my skin will ever be free of freckles.”

  “Why would you want to look like everyone else?” She wasn’t wearing a baggy shirt this time. She wore a light green knit that hugged her body and showed off her luscious curves. A strip of smooth skin showed between her shirt and her low-slung jeans, and it was all he could do to keep his hands off.

  Catherine had left the top down on her father’s T-Bird, and her hair blew around her face in the wind. She couldn’t look like everyone else if she tried. She was a one-of-a-kind woman, smart, sassy, ambitious, and cute as hell. He couldn’t wait to get her someplace private, and from the looks she sent his way, she had the same thing in mind.

  After a pleasant dinner with Megan and Walt, Tony drove Catherine into the city. “Did you know I was born here in Los Angeles?”

  “No.” Catherine twisted to face him. “How did you end up in Washington?”

  “I had just started high school when some members of a gang started in on my sister, Gina. She’s a year older than me. I tried to help her, and they beat the crap out of me. I barely made it home. Gina was still crying, and my mother and brothers were ready to fight those kids themselves.