more and more bothered with every word his mother had said. Elaine motioned for him to continue. “There’s a new reality TV show called Falling For Mr. Right . The basic premise is that a single guy is going to choose his bride from thirty women on national TV.” His next words came out in a rush. “In a flurry of stupidity I auditioned.”
“You’re going to be Mr. Right?”
Brandon nodded.
“I have to hand it to you, honey,” Elaine said, grinning at her son, “That’s certainly an original way to find a wife.”
Brandon cocked his head to the side. “You’re not freaking out?”
Elaine got up and came around the kitchen island to give Brandon a hug. “Love works in mysterious ways. I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up finding your soul mate after all.”
Brandon stared into his tea cup and wished he could read his fortune in the tea leaves.
Because he was wondering if he had already found his soul mate.
And lost her.
* * *
The next morning the phone woke Alexa up out of a deep sleep. She had come home from the audition full of disjointed thoughts and ended up typing away on her laptop until three am.
She noted the producer’s smarmy comments and inappropriate physical contact. She recorded the ridiculous questions they made her answer along with her outrageous responses.
She hesitated before making note of her conversation with Brigit — somehow it seemed wrong to behave like a spy with such a nice person — but in the name of journalistic integrity she typed in their exchanges word for word as well.
All she needed was to develop a soft spot for one of the contestants and her undercover gig would explode in her face. Before going to bed, Alexa had reread the latest cover story in ROAR to inspire herself to guard against developing further bonds with anyone on the show that would interfere with her story.
She rolled over in bed, hopeful that the smarmy producer was calling with good news.
“Huoh,” she said sleepily before remembering that she had a new image to live up to. She covered the mouthpiece and cleared her throat. “Hello, this is Alexa,” she said crisply on her second try.
“Alexa, this is Joe Randall, from Falling For Mr. Right . I’m so glad I caught you at home.”
“I’m so glad you caught me too,” Alexa murmured flirtatiously. He laughed, clearly flattered by her attention. She wondered if all men were so easily manipulated.
“You are one of the thirty lucky ladies we picked to be on our show!”
“Oh goodie!” Alexa exclaimed, fully awake now and ready to assume the necessary I’m-so-sexy-even-first-thing-in-the-morning role with Joe.
“Saturday evening we will send a limousine over to your apartment to pick you up. Dress to impress because you will be meeting Mr. Right.”
“Wow!” Alexa said with faux-excitement.
“Wow is right,” Joe agreed. “If you make his first selection from thirty girls to the very lucky ten at the end of the evening, you will be moving into a mansion high on the hill in Pacific Heights. Have your bags packed. I’ll be rooting for you.”
Biting back a groan, she said prettily, “I can’t wait, Joe. Thanks for calling me personally.
I really appreciate it.”
Immediately after getting off the phone with the producer, she started to worry about dressing herself appropriately for Saturday night? She needed Mary’s help, and fast.
Scrounging around in the bottom of her bag, she pulled out Mary’s business card with a sigh of relief.
She dialed Mary’s direct line and was thrilled to hear Mary’s soothing voice on the line.
“Mary? It’s Alexa from yesterday. I was working with you on putting together my new, uh...”
“Wardrobe?”
“Yes,” Alexa agreed, trying the word on for size. “My new wardrobe.”
“Speaking of which, honey, how’d your important interview go last night?”
“Really well,” she said, “thanks to you. And actually, that’s why I’m calling. There’s this event on
“You’re going to be Mr. Right?”
Brandon nodded.
“I have to hand it to you, honey,” Elaine said, grinning at her son, “That’s certainly an original way to find a wife.”
Brandon cocked his head to the side. “You’re not freaking out?”
Elaine got up and came around the kitchen island to give Brandon a hug. “Love works in mysterious ways. I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up finding your soul mate after all.”
Brandon stared into his tea cup and wished he could read his fortune in the tea leaves.
Because he was wondering if he had already found his soul mate.
And lost her.
* * *
The next morning the phone woke Alexa up out of a deep sleep. She had come home from the audition full of disjointed thoughts and ended up typing away on her laptop until three am.
She noted the producer’s smarmy comments and inappropriate physical contact. She recorded the ridiculous questions they made her answer along with her outrageous responses.
She hesitated before making note of her conversation with Brigit — somehow it seemed wrong to behave like a spy with such a nice person — but in the name of journalistic integrity she typed in their exchanges word for word as well.
All she needed was to develop a soft spot for one of the contestants and her undercover gig would explode in her face. Before going to bed, Alexa had reread the latest cover story in ROAR to inspire herself to guard against developing further bonds with anyone on the show that would interfere with her story.
She rolled over in bed, hopeful that the smarmy producer was calling with good news.
“Huoh,” she said sleepily before remembering that she had a new image to live up to. She covered the mouthpiece and cleared her throat. “Hello, this is Alexa,” she said crisply on her second try.
“Alexa, this is Joe Randall, from Falling For Mr. Right . I’m so glad I caught you at home.”
“I’m so glad you caught me too,” Alexa murmured flirtatiously. He laughed, clearly flattered by her attention. She wondered if all men were so easily manipulated.
“You are one of the thirty lucky ladies we picked to be on our show!”
“Oh goodie!” Alexa exclaimed, fully awake now and ready to assume the necessary I’m-so-sexy-even-first-thing-in-the-morning role with Joe.
“Saturday evening we will send a limousine over to your apartment to pick you up. Dress to impress because you will be meeting Mr. Right.”
“Wow!” Alexa said with faux-excitement.
“Wow is right,” Joe agreed. “If you make his first selection from thirty girls to the very lucky ten at the end of the evening, you will be moving into a mansion high on the hill in Pacific Heights. Have your bags packed. I’ll be rooting for you.”
Biting back a groan, she said prettily, “I can’t wait, Joe. Thanks for calling me personally.
I really appreciate it.”
Immediately after getting off the phone with the producer, she started to worry about dressing herself appropriately for Saturday night? She needed Mary’s help, and fast.
Scrounging around in the bottom of her bag, she pulled out Mary’s business card with a sigh of relief.
She dialed Mary’s direct line and was thrilled to hear Mary’s soothing voice on the line.
“Mary? It’s Alexa from yesterday. I was working with you on putting together my new, uh...”
“Wardrobe?”
“Yes,” Alexa agreed, trying the word on for size. “My new wardrobe.”
“Speaking of which, honey, how’d your important interview go last night?”
“Really well,” she said, “thanks to you. And actually, that’s why I’m calling. There’s this event on
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