“We should probably eat,” Drew said. “With all of the excitement, I sort of forgot. What are you in the mood for?”
“Anything. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. What’s fast? Pizza?”
“You’re speaking my language—I’m on it.”
Drew got busy placing the order and I excused myself to change out of my work clothing. My room was ridiculous, and every time I walked in I couldn’t quite believe that it was mine for … well, however long the charade continued.
It wasn’t over-the-top, but I shouldn’t have been surprised about his aesthetic given how elegant his resorts were. It had an airy vibe, with pale sky blue and white accents, plus a little balcony that I swore I was going to use every morning when I drank my coffee.
I changed into shorts and a swingy white t-shirt and followed the sound of Drew’s voice echoing through the massive place.
I laughed to myself that he actually called in the order instead of doing it online.
“Okay, pizza ordered. Should we get comfy?”
I paused, because I hadn’t connected the idea of sharing a meal with sharing theevening. But of course we were going to hang out. It wasn’t like I could snag a slice and hide in my room.
And I found I wanted to continue the night together.
“Sure, what’s the best spot in your palace to kick back?” I asked.
“You’re ridiculous,” he shook his head at me. “Media room for sure. This way.”
I padded behind him, taking it all in.
If I could design my dream house it would look exactly like the one I was in. The place was impressive as hell, but not in a show-off way—just in a good-taste-meets-deep-pockets way. Every element flowed together, and the effect was calming serenity, like a spa. I felt my shoulders relax, which I was sure was the intended effect.
Come home and forget about the chaos in the world.
Even the media room felt like an oasis. I’d seen photos of ones that looked like old timey movie theaters, but Drew’s continued the Zen vibes with a neutral palate, oversized cream colored furniture, including loungers and a large sofa, and a ceiling that twinkled with tiny stars.
“Incredible,” I sighed.
“Thanks. I’m not in here as much as I’d like. I guess I should say thanks for making me actually enjoy my house and yard!”
“My pleasure,” I said as I hopped onto the sofa. “What are we watching?”
“I was thinking we should watch the last season ofWedding Madness, to get more intel on Dorian. It was his last show before he was brought on to produce Carter’s show. Watching it’ll give us a bettersense of his style. It’s like what Sun Tzu said about knowing your enemy.”
I laughed. “You’re using the wisdom of a Chinese military strategist to deal with reality TV?”
“Hey, you’ve seen how cutthroat that guy is! I consider watching his show battle prep, so we’re not caught off guard. Even though he’s totally behind-the-scenes on the show his fingerprints are all over it. We can watch for patterns and pitfalls.”
“Okay,” I conceded. “Good strategy.”
Drew stood in front of me holding an iPad. “Now give me a second here.”
He tapped the pad then stared at the wall-sized screen.
“Damn it.”
He pounded on the tablet a little harder and nothing happened.
“I can never figure out …” Drew said as he continued iPad punching, “… how to get this damn …”
“Want me to give it a try?” I asked.
“Hold on,” he sighed, sounding peevish. “I think I’ve nearly got it.”
