Which amounted to fraud.
Fraud.
She, Miss Upstanding Citizen and Dedicated Police Officer, had committed fraud. If she got discovered, she would most likely lose her job, not to mention the possibility of going to jail for thirty days. Not a pleasant prospect for a cop to be incarcerated along side criminals she’d helped put away. Life would be hell.
Might be anyway.
Jeff leaned close and whispered, “Are you okay?”
She stared at him, but didn’t speak. Maybe she still wasn’t talking? Maybe she’d never talk again. Then she wouldn’t have to choose to go on a fake honeymoon with the wrong man.
Not that Rob was the right man. He was a big shot producer. A man with money and prestige.
“Everything’s going to be alright.” He patted her hand, offering assurance. “Just wait and see.”
He was wrong, of course, but then for Jeff everything would be all right because before the day ended he’d be a hundred thousand dollars richer to go along with his new tie, Rolex, flat screen television and media center--to watch reality TV on no doubt, and, after the last round of bootees, a new luxury car. All generously provided by the show’s sponsors.
Her stomach roiled.
She took another bite, hoping the tasteless food settled her stomach.
As the morning passed, Jill jumped through all the hoops JP put forth. She smiled, spent time with each bachelor and discussed her choices with the cameras recording every move she made. She posed for more publicity shots. Hadn’t they done enough between all the hours prior to the bachelors’ arrival and the ones they’d done of her with them since? Apparently not. Rob stayed conspicuously hidden for a man who’d supervised all her previous photo shoots.
Despite the deep hurt in her chest, she smiled some more.
Her face ached from smiling so much.
She was so ready to have this over and be on her way to California, back to her own familiar, safe world. But even as she thought it, she knew she’d never view her world the same again.
Rob had changed how she looked at life.
At the dreaded noon hour, she, along with the four bachelors sat in a gym-sized cathedral appearing room with marble floors and tall wooden support pillars, a room where kings had once decided fates much grander than the one she’d make today.
The bachelors were seated on wooden pews, like subjects at her court. The walls were stone, but beautiful paintings of victorious battle scenes covered each one.
Shivers ran down her spine.
Surely, kings had knighted brave men in this very room once upon a time. It seemed a travesty that she, with a jewel-encrusted tiara upon her head, sat on the large, elaborately ornate throne. Under less stressful circumstances, she’d laugh her butt off at the pure hilariousness of it.
Jill Davidson on a throne.
The only throne she rated was of the porcelain variety.
God, she felt like such a phony.
Most of the crewmembers had gathered in the back of the large room to watch as she made her choice. Rob in his fancy duds and host-with-the-most smile stood a few yards away. But he’d yet to meet her gaze. She fought the urge to make him look, make him admit that this was what he really wanted.
It had to be, since he was going along with the whole scenario.
If he cared about her, he’d stop this foolishness.
Bright lights focused on where they stood, almost blinding her with their intensity--not to mention how hot their glare was. She might just melt.
Hmm, would melting save her from an even worse public humiliation?
Regardless, the cameras were rolling and sweating wasn’t allowed today as JP had reminded her after breakfast. You’d have thought fanning herself was a major crime with the way he’d carried on. But then again, this gown was too gorgeous to sweat in anyway.
A white material that resembled pearls accented the shape of her upper body and the skirt flared out at her hips, falling in soft, pearly folds. Hints of gold laced the material. Tiffany’s had once again provided jewelry that probably outshone many a real princess’s jewels. Teardrop shaped diamonds and pearls encrusted on a heavy platinum chain draped her neck. A matching tiara graced her head.