“Hey guys,” Tim said, running up to them once more. “Darius wants you both in wardrobe. The costume department needs to get Belle’s measurements and need to do the last fitting on your suit.”
Nausea churned in her stomach and she met Erik’s direct gaze. “This is it. We’re doing this thing.”
Chapter Ten
Erik wasn’t sure what made him more on edge, the show or having Belle on the show. Yesterday had been a whirlwind of quick decisions. He’d wanted to go out with her for two years. When he’d asked her countless times, he’d never imagined this scenario. They’d texted a lot since they went to wardrobe the day before. Standing on the stage, he tried to will the nerves in the pit of his stomach down. Stage fright wasn’t new to him. He’d trod the proverbial boards before. On the football field, once the ball was snapped, any anxiety and worry disappeared. His senses were honed to catch the ball and run. Tonight, he had to stay and channel that adrenaline.
The show had a live audience and he could hear the murmurs of the people who sat on the other side of the curtain.
Darius stood by the small table with eight long boxes, each containing a bracelet that he would give to Erik to hand out to the women. Each week, the women moving on would receive a new charm for their bracelet. The bachelorette without a charm in her box would be sent home.
“Are you ready to do this thing?” Darius asked, clasping Erik on the shoulder.
Erik cast the guy a sideways glance. Darius reminded him of his uncle, a man who always swam just below the surface of sleaze. Throughout the show’s history, the producers had a habit of throwing wrenches into the plot to keep the audience on their toes. “I am. Any surprises that you want to warn me about?”
“Oh, there’ll be surprises.” Darius flashed a white-tooth grin. “I’ll leave them up to you to create.”
Yeah, right. He didn’t trust the guy. Call him cynical but Erik didn’t have to like him. He wasn’t naïve enough to think that his personal feelings mattered in the long run. “Any last-minute advice?”
“Just be yourself.” Darius put his hand to his ear and cocked his head to listen.
The sound crew had mic’d them up and Erik could hear the director give the call to find his mark.
Running water from the infinity fountain sounded, the lights from the bottom giving the stage a yellow glow.
“Are you good?” Darius asked.
“I’ve memorized a script,” Erik said, standing on the small taped spot that was in front of the fountain. This was a financial endeavor for Darius and a career changer for Erik. Yet the fact that they were lying to the public—as Belle had pointed out—wasn’t his favorite part of the show. His consolation was each woman who would be on that stage was in on the plot.
“Anyone can memorize lines. It’s the delivery that matters. If you have the same chemistry on camera with the other women as you do with Belle, you’ll be good to go.”
She’d be one of the eight women who would come out of the elevators horseshoed around the fountain. From his position, he’d be able to pivot to greet each one. Cameras were all round them, high enough to be hidden from the audience. Inside the huge fountain, was where the central control room was located.
Music began to swell, the strains of the orchestra filling the air. “Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to My Future Fiancé,” Darius said, standing in front of the table holding the bracelet boxes
The audience clapped. Erik focused on the mark that he’d been given. There was something about a live audience that fed his creativity. Although the lights made it impossible to see them, he could feel their energy. The anxiety in his stomach loosened.
“I’d like to introduce you all to Eric Erickson, the wide receiver for the Seattle Pioneers.” Darius pointed to a large screen where a video showed a brief history of his career. It skipped over his childhood and focused mainly on football in college and with the Pioneers. His backstory would come out in the dates with the women. He’d have a chance to go on one date with Belle. Would it be all that he’d fantasized about or a complete failure? Of course, it wasn’t a real date. They had a part to play and if nothing else, he’d get a better understanding of her. He had three more years left on his contract with Howler and he had no intention of finding a different agency. Belle would be in his life for the foreseeable future.
“Now that you have met Erik, it’s time to meet his potential future Fiancé.” Darius pointed to the closest elevator and the light went from green to red. “In elevator number one, we have Irina, a model with the prestigious Whittaker talent agency.”
The doors opened and a tall, thin blond walked out. The tight silver dressed showed off her figure. Cool blue eyes met his and she bit her lip in a fake kind of way, hunching her shoulders before she held out her hand to shake his. “Hi, Erik. It’s nice to meet you,” she said in a heavily accented voice
“Irina, is it? That’s a unique name for a unique woman.” Who wrote this shit? He sounded like a douche. But this was what people wanted to see and he’d give them the illusion.
“Thank you, Erik, it is Russian. Do you speak my native tongue?” big blue eyes widened in inquiry.
“No, I don’t. You’ll have to teach me some.” Darius opened the box. Erik reached in, picked up the charm bracelet and draped it around her wrist. Her skin was pale, the veins in her arms clearly visible. Irina wore a rather strong perfume and his nose twitched. “Please accept this charm bracelet. The charm I selected for you is a fern leaf peony, a rare Russian flower, for a rare woman.”
“That is very sweet of you.” She leaned in and kissed his left then right cheek in the European style.
“Erik, please help Irina to her seat. Our next Fiancé is on her way,” Darius said.
“I am the only Fiancé he needs,” Irina said with a sultry laugh. The audience reacted positively to her teasing. He smiled and drew her over to the row of chairs. Once all eight women were out, his part of the show would be over.
She sat down and crossed her long legs. The dress rode up to expose more of her thighs. There was no denying she was stunning. Of the eight contestants, she was the most motivated—not to be his wife— but to be the next woman lead in the winter edition of the show. From what Darius implied in past meetings, the show was in contract negotiations with her. Whatever the final outcome, Belle wouldn’t be a part of it. He’d pick Irina and allow Belle to fall back into obscurity, a place she wanted to be.
Back on his mark, he focused on the second elevator. Would Belle be behind that door, or another faceless woman? Over the years, he’d dated a lot. He liked women but he’d never had a serious relationship. Having a girlfriend was hard at times. He traveled a lot and the few long-distance relationships he’d had weren’t sustainable.
