He nods. “Basically, it details out how the women and men are eliminated from the show and how the finale works. But there’s no clause about her choosing only one man in the end.”
He gives me a funny look, but I’m too relieved and excited to bother explaining.
“Thank you
so much, Steve. You have no idea how happy this makes me. I owe you one.” I smile at him, and he grins back, his eyes wide behind his bottlecap glasses.
“Can I collect tonight?”
I nearly choke on my gum. “Excuse me?”
He laughs nervously, pushing his glasses up his nose and fiddling with the pens in his front pocket. “I just thought if you really wanted to show me your appreciation then maybe you’d go to dinner with me tonight.”
His face turns bright red as he says it, and I have to fight to keep the polite smile on my face and not roll my eyes. What is the deal with these guys? First, the camera guy wanted me to go out with him after the whole microphone and camera scheme when Tristan told me he cares about Megan. Now, Steve is asking me out too?
If these men I work with don’t cut this out, I don’t know what I’ll do. Other than stop asking for favors. I chuckle internally. Fat chance. This show is going to be my big break if I can pull off what I have in mind. And I’ll take any favors I can get along the way.
“Thanks, Steve,” I say, a bit too upbeat, “but I’m so swamped with the show right now. I just don’t have time.”
He looks disappointed, so I give him another smile. “Thank you again for helping me figure this out. You’re a really great guy.”
It doesn’t pep him up much, and he slinks out of my office, mumbling a you’re welcome or something under his breath.
I don’t have time to worry about Steve. I have a show to save, hopefully sparing a few hearts in the process.
Rising from my desk, papers firmly in hand, I stride down the hall, past Everett’s office, and on to the very end. The network president’s office. His secretary is sitting out front at her desk.
“I need to see the president,” I say, injecting my voice with confidence and importance with a hint of urgency.
The woman nods. “He’s in his office right now.” She holds up a finger as she picks up the phone and presses a button. After a moment, she speaks into the receiver and the next thing I know, she’s telling me to head on back.
I make my way around the desk and stop in front of the frosted glass door. Hesitating for only a moment, I raise my fist and rap three quick times on the glass.
“Come in,” he calls out.
I open the door and walk in, shoving my nerves down. “Sir, I need to talk to you.”
“What can I do for you, Maya.”
I smile, moving to shut the door behind me. “I have an idea that will make this the highest rated finale this network has ever seen.”
Megan
I turn off the waterfall shower and grab a towel to dry off, my mind still reeling from the fact that Madden really and truly cares about me. I’m so happy about everything that just happened, even if it does make my decision even harder.
I need to go find Tristan and talk with him, figure out where his head and his heart are. Maya said he cares about me, but we need to talk in person. I need to hear it from him.
A knock comes from my bedroom door, and I heave out a sigh of frustration. I’m so tired of having these little pow-wows with Maya. I know her intentions are good—they really are—but it’s really wearing me down. I’m already emotionally exhausted with my looming decision. I need some time on my own to think—and I still need to talk to Tristan.
But when I pull the door open, it’s not Maya.
It’s Tristan.
“Oh, hey,” I say, my surprise evident in my voice. “I was just about to come find you.”
His eyebrows raise. “Oh, is that so? Why?”
I’m about to tell him, when I realize I’m standing in my doorway in nothing but a towel. The only reason I remember this is because Tristan’s eyes have dropped to take in my body, and I can feel the heat rising, blushing my skin as he takes his time looking me over. This towel doesn’t do much of a job covering me.