Kat reached for her ice water, took a long pull from the straw, and blew out a jagged breath.
“Thank you all for coming,” she said. “I know this was kind of sudden, and that several of you don’t have a clue what this is about…”
“Several?” her father snapped. “You mean some of these guys already know what’s going on?” He pointed across the room with a raised brow.
“Dad,” Kat said.
Her father’s jaw tightened. “We’re listening.”
She couldn’t stop her eyes from shooting to the lens aimed in her direction yet again. She’d been instructed not to look at it unless she was doing an interview with the producer, but it would take some getting used to.
A cool sweat broke out over her brow. “A few months ago, I volunteered to take part in a social experiment. One that would potentially find my perfect match.”
Kat hurried to take in the reaction on each face. Dad looked like someone was about to steal his lunch. Mom may as well have been watching a horror flick. Jeanie’s eyes went as wide and worried as Mom’s—a trait she didn’t inherit until she had kids of her own. Her husband, Craig, wore an amused smirk on his face.
Kat shifted her gaze to the other side of the room, purposefully moving past Ellis (she always sensed he had a crush on her) and settling on Charlotte and Piper.
Finally, a set of smiles as broad as the confidence Kat had in the program. She kept her gaze there to make her final announcement.
“I made it past several rounds, and I was recently notified that the show has done it—they found my perfect match, and we’re going to get married in two weeks.”
Charlotte and Piper shot to their feet and broke into squeals. Kat braced herself as they rushed in with extended arms, balancing their drinks and food as they congratulated her in turn.
“I knew you were going to get picked,” Piper said with a kiss to her cheek.
Charlotte trapped the two in a hug as she came in next. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
Elation shot through her as she grabbed Charlotte’s elbows and squeezed. “Neither can I.”
“Hold up, hold up,” Dad boomed. “What do you mean by ‘neither can I’? Do you mean to tell me you’re about to marry some guy you’ve never met?”
The other camera operator circled around Dad as his face went from bronze to red.
“Does this punk know that your father is a martial arts master?”
“It doesn’t have to be permanent, Dad.” She went on to elaborate but Mom spoke over her.
“Marriages are meant to last, Katrina Aponi.”
“I know that,” Kat said. “But as part of the experiment, we meet back up in eight weeks and decide whether or not we’re going to stay married or get it annulled.”
“Kat,” her father said sternly. “He could be some maniac.”
A thick wave of dread rushed in as she scrambled for a response. She had one planned—memorized, even—only now she couldn’t remember a word of it.
Suddenly, Ellis shot to his feet. “The show knows who he is. All the contestants had to go through an extensive process with background checks and everything.” He propped his glasses with his index finger and gave him a curt nod. “Just so you know.”
“Is that who called us?” Mom asked. “The woman said she was checking references for your job with the county, not a wedding show.”
“Yeah,” Kat said. “That was them.”
“Well, that makes me feel better,” Dad said.
It was the first real sprig of regret she’d felt since getting chosen. This was bound to be the most embarrassing family session of the entire experiment. The very idea sparked a hot flame of anger. She wasn’t a child anymore, and she didn’t appreciate being treated like one.
Kat had been very careful during the process, and she wasn’t about to let anyone make her regret it before she even met the groom. Forget the fact that she’d face a monster-sized lawsuit if she tried turning back now. The fact was, Kat wasn’t interested in turning back.
She lifted her shoulders, firmed her stance, and lifted her chin. “I’ll give you all the details,” she assured. “I will, but I wanted to start with the most important one. And that is, that whether you guys agree with it or not, I’m getting married in two weeks time, and I hope you’ll all be there.”
