Jane Millionaire

Jill rolled her eyes. “Like you need to diet.

“I’m auditioning for a big part next week. I want to look good.”

“You couldn’t look otherwise,” Jill said, earning a smile. Amazing how she saw her sister with a different light. When had Jessie grown up and she’d failed to notice? Funny it had taken five weeks away to realize her sister really could manage her own life--albeit in a way that made Jill cringe.

She walked to the kitchen and poured more soda, silently musing over the portion of the show that had aired so far.

“Jilly, get in here. Now,” Jessie yelled.

Jill grabbed the sodas and rushed to the living room. Jessie sat on the sofa edge, her gaze glued to the television. “Look.”

“What’s the rush?

” Her breath caught when she noticed the television screen. She and Rob chatted in the studio following her having read the bachelor’s letters. One of the glasses in her hand almost slipped from her trembling fingers.

This wasn’t part of the show. Why were they airing this?

Jessie took the sodas from her and sat them on the coffee table, which was probably a good thing because Jill knew she would have dropped them both when the following clips came on.

Footage she hadn’t even known had been recorded of her and Rob together from before the bachelors arrived. She and Rob laughing, smiling. She’d loved him even then. The evidence was there in the way she gazed at him like he was the sweetest thing since chocolate.

Next a clip of Rob’s face when she’d appeared at the top of the stairs on the night she’d first met the bachelors. Had he really looked at her like that? As if she’d totally taken his breath away? Their dance aired next, close ups of Rob whispering in her ear. Memories ran through her of how his words sent tingles along her spine, how his scent intoxicated her senses.

Her eyes watered at the longing, but resignation on both of their faces when the dance ended. Footage of them in the exercise room quickly followed, then her challenge in the foyer.

Jill sucked air into her shaking body while the screen cut to a car commercial.

“What’s going on?” Jessie asked. “Did you know they were going to show this stuff?”

Jill shook her head, opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. What was going on? JP had to be behind this. Rob would be livid.

“Here, take a drink.” Jessie shoved her soda at Jill.

The cool liquid did little to calm her nerves. Had she bumped her head while at work today and just didn’t remember?

“Oh, it’s coming back on,” Jessie exclaimed when a commercial gave way to Jill and Rob battling it out on the basketball court, her teasing him about playing for his kiss and his insistence she kiss one of the bachelors following his win.

“But as this next scene shows, I did kiss Jane. The very next morning.” Rob’s gorgeous face came onto the screen.

“Oh my gosh. He’s in on this. Do you know what that means?” Jessie gushed, jumping up from the sofa and bouncing around like a cheerleader on speed. “Jilly, do you know what this means?”

“Shush.” Jill threw a cushion at her sister and kept her gaze glued to the television set while her and Rob’s early morning run-in played. She relived his first kiss, recalling how his mouth felt on hers, recalling how every nerve cell in her body had been singed by his touch. A deep ache settled in her stomach that had nothing to do with popcorn and everything to do with the man who’d stolen her heart.

More clips followed. Clips she’d forgotten. Clips of him gazing at the computer monitors, watching her with the bachelors. Clips of her watching him. Clips of him rescuing her from the lake, his kissing her temple. Clips of their late night return to the lake. Who had taped those? And thank God she hadn’t dragged him onto that dock and had her way with him.

Another commercial break. Jill ordered her lungs to inhale. She wasn’t sure she had since the last commercial.

“Jilly, Rob is commentating this. That has to mean he loves you.” Jessie helpfully supplied, still bouncing around.

Was it possible? Then the truth of what was going on hit her.

“No, he’s doing this for the ratings. I didn’t fall for one of the bachelors and they were afraid it would hurt ratings. He’s making sure he wins America’s approval. That’s all this is about.”

But even as she said the words, she admitted she wasn’t sure. Rob liked his privacy. This was the last episode. Surely, he’d already far exceeded his rating requirements? From everything she’d seen, JANE MILLIONAIRE had been a smashing success. Based upon the media’s harassment, she’d think they’d far exceeded expectations.

“Ratings?” Jessie looked appalled. “I don’t think so. Did you see how he looked at you when he saw you in your princess gown? Oh my gosh. If Larry had ever looked at me like that I’d still be wearing his ring instead of dating Steve. And that kiss,” Jessie fanned her face. “You two were totally blazing!”

“Maybe.” The show came back on, saving Jill from more of Jessie’s assumptions.