Faceoff, page 6
Cave grabbed his coat and shrugged into it. I’d only spent a few minutes with Mila, but that girl had it going on. She was into fashion and makeup, and I didn’t see anything working out between Cave and her. Not that he’d be looking for anything to work out.
“Later,” he said as he headed for the door.
The locker room was nearly empty by the time I was done. I’d been dragging my feet about heading home, which wasn’t really home, just a place to store my shit and get sexually frustrated looking at my roommate.
I’d lived in a home growing up. One full of kids and noise and lots going on. No privacy. No peace and quiet. And lots and lots of drama. There’d always been someone to play with, fight with, and joke with. I’d thrived in that environment. I’d briefly gone to a therapist because the team made me. She insisted I partied so much because I was trying to recapture those childhood feelings of belonging and family. She didn’t know what the fuck she was talking about. I had a family, two of them, in fact—my bio fam and my team fam. A guy didn’t need much more than that.
I’d stalled long enough and drove my old beater car to the condo building and parked in my space. Al hadn’t come through with a new car yet. The bastard got perverse pleasure out of me driving this POS.
Darcy and I would be making our first appearance out in public, complete with the show’s cameras and staff. Sondra had given me a script this morning, and I’d blown it off. This was reality. I didn’t need a script, even a vague one that was more an outline with suggestions of what to say and do.
I was a charmer and a ham. I’d do fine, even if being an actual boyfriend was new territory for me. I was supposed to be madly in love. I was madly in something, but more like lust. All the gossip bloggers and influencers buzzed about our relationship, speculating on when, where, how, and if we’d fallen in love, mostly the if. Many had rooted for Darcy since her first stint on Looking for Love. Most were skeptical, like my teammates, and took a wait-and-see approach. A savvy few declared our engagement a publicity stunt to inject interest back in her show. I was good with that. The more skepticism, the more attention we’d get.
I accepted the challenge of convincing everyone we met how real this was. I prided myself on my abilities to weave a plausible tale. I’d have them eating out of my hand in no time and believing every word coming off my glib tongue.
In the first twenty-four, I’d done a couple video interviews and a few over the phone. I was a good actor or, as my mom would say, a good liar, but regardless, I basked in any attention, and I’d make this the time of my life.
Darcy wasn’t the attention slut I was, though. I didn’t understand why she was doing reality TV when she wasn’t overly enthused about it. Whatever. Not my problem. I had a world out there to win over with or without her help.
Chapter Seven
In Character
~~Darcy~~
I was at the design studio all day, getting ready for our first full week of filming on Monday and doing some designs for the condo, even though I doubted Sondra would let me use my own. She’d arranged for my first big client to visit the studio on Monday. Even though my customers were arranged, I still took my business seriously. Sondra had lined up a few Seattle country club socialites who were looking forward to being on camera. They’d been provided with a scripted outline, of course.
Gage came out of the bedroom fifteen minutes late. I spun around to give him a piece of my mind and choked on my tongue. His navy designer suit fit him like a glove and accentuated those broad shoulders and muscled butt and thighs. I’d never seen such a beautiful sight in my life. If Michelangelo was still alive, he’d be painting that man, but even he wouldn’t be able to do him justice.
Too bad his conceited personality didn’t match his muscles.
I made a show of glancing at my Fitbit. “You’re late.”
“Sorry.” He beamed at me, flashing his gorgeous smile with those two dimples. The guy was irresistible to women, and he knew it. His wavy black hair had that messy, carefree look that probably took him an hour to style, and his blue eyes sparkled with pure devilment and joy of living. This was a guy who’d never dealt with strife or wanted for anything in his life. If he had, he wouldn’t be so sure life would always treat him right. Despite his purported financial woes, I’d bet my best pair of shoes he was never down for long. A twinge of envy curled through me. Some people had all the luck, and others, like me, didn’t have any.
You create your own luck.
The words of one of my many foster parents rang in my ears. That was the only good advice I’d ever gotten from the woman, who was a hoarder and had no business being a foster parent.
“Ready?”
“I guess.” I sighed. This guy was larger-than-life. If I didn’t watch out, I’d disappear in the wake of his strong personality. Perhaps Sondra hoped for such an outcome.
Gage hesitated, momentarily appearing disturbed, but he covered it quickly. “Can we take your car? Mine’s in the shop.”
“Sure.”
“Can I drive?”
“Why?”
“It’s a macho weakness of mine. I admit it. I don’t want to pull up to the restaurant with cameras on us and be captured for all eternity as the passenger.”
“That’s a misogynistic thing to say.”
“And I own it. Allow me this one male weakness, and—”
“Only one?” I teased.
“Yeah, only one. I promise I’ll do better in other areas.” His smile turned feral. “Especially when it comes to sex. Give me a chance, and I’ll take you on the ride of your life. You haven’t had sex until you have it with me.”
“You’re awfully sure of yourself.” I rolled my eyes and laughed in spite of myself. A small part of me, the female part, believed him. Sex with Gage “Ziggy” Ziegler would be epic. Considering I fell in love with guys I had sex with, it’d also be devastating. I’d slept with the last bachelor on Looking for Love and really fallen for him. He’d professed his love to me and led me on for the entire show, as we carried on a torrid sexual affair behind the scenes. Then he’d trashed my heart and chosen a different woman. Turned out the jerk was sleeping with multiple women off the set. Gage was the same type of guy. Drooling over him was acceptable. Fantasizing was fun. But anything more would damage my already-beaten-down ego and fragile heart.
Gage offered his arm, and I tucked my hand into the crook. Together we took the elevator to the garage level, and I pointed out my car a few aisles away and tossed him the keys. He easily snagged them out of the air, showing off his athletic ability. Catching me studying him, he winked and grinned broadly, then bowed down low like a Broadway actor taking a curtain call.
I laughed again. The guy was a goof.
He unlocked the passenger door and opened it for me with an exaggerated flourish. I got in, and soon we were driving down the city streets to a nearby steakhouse on Lake Union. The camera crew rushed out to greet us, along with Sondra and Mila.
“Please don’t tell me you’re one of those women who doesn’t eat meat.”
“What if I was?”
He shrugged. “It’s easier if you love meat, but I’m good with whatever.”
“I like meat.”
His approving grin made me feel good all over, sending me back in time to when my college professor complimented me on my design and told me I had real talent.
Leaving the car with the valet, we walked in hand in hand, flanked by cameras. The crew didn’t miss a thing, and Gage preened for the cameras. My own face stiffened from my pasted-on smile. We had to appear in love. I gazed up at him with what I hoped was a loving expression. Finding myself admiring his strong jaw and handsome face, I noticed a small scar along his jawline. Probably a hockey injury.
Gage strutted into the restaurant with me on his arm. He was the picture of confidence. The hostess, trying her best not to show her nervousness being on camera, showed us to a table near the window. The table wasn’t exactly private, and I assumed our placement was intentional. Sondra preferred the drama created by us being the center of attention. There were only a few customers in the restaurant. They stared and whispered. Sondra would certainly catch all that on film. I wondered if they’d been hired to be here.
Gage hurried over to my chair and pulled it out, pausing to mug for the cameras. I had to hand it to the guy, he really knew how to take advantage of the moment. I sat down, and he pushed my chair in like the gentleman I was pretty sure he wasn’t. I melted a little at the gesture, though. I couldn’t help myself. What woman could?
I put the cloth napkin in my lap and took the menu the hostess handed me. Gage sat down across from me at the small two-person table and leaned forward on his elbows, gazing into my eyes as if I was the most enchanting creature he’d ever seen. Mila waved a single red rose at him. He snatched it up and resumed his position. He glanced at the camera to make sure they caught this moment.
“For you, my love.” He held the rose out to me, and I reached for it. My fingers brushed his, and the world stood still. I am not joking. It stood freaking still. Even more profound, everyone and everything faded but the two of us. His blue-gray eyes met mine, and he made me feel like the most desirable woman in the room, if not in the city. I don’t know how long we stared into each other’s eyes with both our hands holding the rose. I only know I’d never known anything like the surge of emotions he evoked.
Someone coughed, snapping me out of my hypnotic trance.
I hurried to grab the rose from him and fumbled it. Regaining control, I held it to my nose and sniffed. No rose had ever smelled so good.
“Thank you,” I said, following the outline in a voice shaky with emotion. The magnitude of this guy’s sheer maleness burrowed under my skin, making me lose the majority of my reasoning ability.
Gage swept his gaze around the room and looked directly into the cameras, breaking the spell. I released a long breath, glad I’d escaped with my dignity intact. Somewhat.
He refocused the full power of his gaze back on me. He was acting, while I was affected by his performance as if his emotions were genuine. Hadn’t I learned my lesson after being rejected in front of millions two freaking times?
Obviously not.
I glanced to the left and right, leaned forward, and lowered my voice to say, “You missed your calling. I think you should be in show business when your hockey career is over.”
He perked up, those dimples showing and those white teeth flashing. He took my suggestion as the ultimate compliment. But this guy seemed to take everything as a compliment or a stroke to his already overinflated ego.
“I’ve certainly been considering it. I’d be perfect with this face, this voice, and this talent. How could I go wrong?”
“You’d fit right in with all the rest of those Hollywood types.” I’d said more than I’d planned.
His expression faltered for a moment, but he recovered quickly. Soon his self-satisfied smirk decorated that beautiful face of his, and he was back to being his usual insufferable self.
“Did I tell you how fucking hot you are in that dress?”
We were supposed to be following an outline, and he’d gone off on a tangent. I quickly ran through what came next. We were to look over a menu, and he’d order a bottle of my favorite wine, which wasn’t really my favorite but one made by a show sponsor.
“Cut. That’s not in the outline.” Sondra rushed forward, glaring at Gage. She never did that when we were in public, unless she controlled the environment. Definitely, the customers around us were all part of the set and hired to be here.
“But it’s true. She is hot in that dress.” He shrugged, nonplussed by her anger.
“You’re supposed to discuss the wine.” Sondra was seething, and Gage’s nonplussed attitude infuriated her.
“I didn’t read the outline.”
“You didn’t read the outline?” Her voice rose to an ear-shattering pitch, drawing the attention of the diners around us.
“Nah, I like to wing it.” Gage winked at her, but she was not amused. Behind her, Mila’s eyes grew big. She chanced a glance at me. Neither of us said a thing.
“Wing it?” I thought the top of Sondra’s head was going to blow off. Nobody crossed Sondra, except Mila, who often butted heads with her. “This is a scripted reality show. We do go off-script at times, but we also follow the outline when there is one. You don’t get to make those choices. I do.”
Gage cocked a brow at her as if amused. “I wouldn’t be discussing wine when I have a hot girlfriend sitting across from me. I’d be thinking about how to get her out of here as quickly and possible and into my bed.”
My face burned with embarrassment, and I ducked my head, pretending I wasn’t a witness to this entire debacle. Meanwhile, the restaurant had gone quiet as customers and staff watched us curiously. Anyone who hadn’t would be signing a nondisclosure agreement before the night was out. I was certain of that.
Sondra whipped around and barked at Mila, “Do you have a spare outline?”
Mila dug in her bag and pulled one out. Of course she did. Mila thought of everything. Instead of thanking her, Sondra snatched the script and slapped it down on the table. She opened to a page. “We’re here. You can read, can’t you?”
Instead of being offended, Gage snorted a laugh. “I’ll do my best.”
Sondra narrowed her eyes, uncertain if he was serious or being sarcastic. His face was one of complete innocence, but I doubted his sincerity. Regardless, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying his altercation with Sondra—the battle of two strong wills. I should be taking notes.
Gage thumbed through the outline and pushed it aside. “I can’t use this. That’s not how I’d behave.”
Eyes blazing, Sondra opened her mouth, but she seemed to think better of it. She swallowed, took a deep breath, and attempted a conciliatory smile. Everyone in our small group including the cameramen knew she wanted to do anything but.
“Then behave in character, and we’ll see where it goes.”
Gage had won this battle, but all bets were off on who won the war.
Chapter Eight
Lightning Bolts
~~Gage~~
The plan had been for the cameras to cover the first part of our dinner. Instead, Sondra insisted they stay right up until I paid the bill.
She did that on purpose. I know she did. Just to annoy Darcy—and me.
Once we finished dessert, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
I’d toyed with Sondra all evening, behaving as if I loved the cameras on me, the longer the better. The odd thing was I usually did, but I found their constant presence annoying tonight, specifically because where the cameras went, Sondra went.
I’d wanted to spend time getting to know Darcy, not because I cared, of course, but because I needed more background information to be a more convincing boyfriend. Having all these people watching every move we made wasn’t nearly as fun as I’d imagined. Perhaps Sondra had put me in a mood, and I’d soon be back to my attention-slut self.
Even though the cameras weren’t on us when we left the restaurant, I opened the passenger door for her. I loved seeing the surprise in those soft brown eyes when I treated her like a lady. I had the distinct impression no one had given her such attention before, which made my blood boil. She’d mentioned she was foster kid, and I itched to know more about what made her the person she was.
What the fuck?
I never cared about getting to know a woman other than how good she was in bed or how good she looked on my arm when I walked a red carpet or into an A-lister party. I surely didn’t care now beyond the mere fact I liked Darcy. I immersed myself in my role like any aspiring actor would do.
Yeah, that’s what I’m doing.
I turned down a side street, struck by this uncontrollable urge to not end the night just yet. “How about a nightcap?”
In the glow of the dashboard, I caught her quick glance of surprise. “Okay.” She stared straight ahead as if afraid to look at me.
“I know just the place. My former roommate’s girlfriend used to work there. It’s only a block from the condo. We can park in the condo garage and walk back to it.”
She nodded her approval as she clenched her hands in her lap. Had I done something wrong? If I had, she wouldn’t want to spend more time with me. I chalked her behavior up to post-filming tension. God knows Sondra could do that to a person.
I parked her car and turned off the ignition. I put my hand on the door handle but stopped, drawn by an inexplicable force. My gaze swung around to find Darcy studying me in a quizzical manner, as if I were an enigma.
I smiled in the dim light of the parking garage, and she smiled back.
“This needs to look real,” she said, as if needing to say something.
“I know.” I pivoted in my seat so I was facing her as best I could considering the limited space. The corners of her eyes wrinkled with concern. She was worried we wouldn’t carry this off. Whatever her reasons, and I was aware of some of them, she needed our fake relationship to be successful. So did I. But there was more to it than that. I wanted this to work, even if temporarily. She was a breath of fresh air, different than other women, and I was inexplicably drawn to her.
“I’m worried. Your team doesn’t buy it.”
“Not yet, but they will. We’ll prove ourselves.”
“When we’re faking it? You might be a good enough actor, but I’m not sure I am.”
Our eyes met, and that thin thread connecting us tugged on my heart. I leaned toward her, and she did the same until our lips were mere inches apart. Our first and only kiss had been with an audience. While I loved an audience in most circumstances, I was surprised to find I didn’t appreciate one when I was kissing my girlfriend. Fake or not.
