I sort of listened as I stared at the TV that was hanging from the ceiling in the corner of the room. The blonde hostess and the handsome host were doing a cooking segment with a chef I recogniz
ed from The Cooking Channel . They were doing something with eggs and kippers. I felt my stomach creeping into my throat.
Sara was rattling on. “So, after Emily does your hair and makeup, you can change and just wait here for me to come get you after 8:30.” She looked at me with expectant eyes. “Any questions?”
I slowly shook my head. She smiled again, told me I was gonna do great again, and trotted out of the room. An older woman came in and introduced herself as Emily and started fussing with my hair. I continued to stare at the TV and prayed that I wasn’t going to puke.
* * *
Emily quickly finished my hair and makeup, then I got dressed and sat back down to wait for Sara to come for me. I glanced nervously at the clock on the wall. It was almost 8:30. I would go on sometime between 8:45 and 8:50, depending on how the show was going. I wondered where the other guest was and Emily told me male guests didn’t sit in her chair for hair and makeup. They just get a quick dusting of powder and hair spray on set. I was getting the star treatment, she said with a smile. Star treatment or not, I was still nervous as a cat in a room full of rockers.
Only when a familiar face appeared at the door did my stomach start to calm down. Graham tapped on the door and beamed his best smile my way. “Any bestselling authors in here?”
“Graham, thank God!” I said, sliding out of the chair to give him a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“You’re gonna do great!” he said with a wink. “We’re all set. The books are here and they will be handed out to everyone after the segment ahead of yours ends.”
Sara suddenly appeared at the door with a look of urgency on her face. “Hey, are you ready?”
“I am,” I said, taking a deep breath.
Graham leaned in and kissed me lightly on the side of the head so as not to mess my makeup. “You’ll do great. I’ll be watching from the wings.”
“This way,” Sara said, crooking a finger at me. I fell in behind her like a good little soldier marching off to war. She spoke over her shoulder as I followed her through the maze of hallways to the set. “Okay, here’s how this will work. During the commercial break before your segment, I’ll get you situated on the couch with Dan and Erin. Everyone in the audience will have a copy of your book. Since it is an emerging entrepreneurs segment, Dan and Erin will get your tips on how to start writing as a business, then throw out a couple of questions about Pleasing Him , which was sooo fucking hot, by the way.”
I tried to smile. “Thanks.”
“The segment will last four minutes, but seem like four seconds. Once the segment ends, they’ll come back after the last commercial break to end the show with you staying on the couch. I think Graham said that you’d hang around for another few minutes or so to answer any questions the audience may have. And that’s it. Easy peasy and hopefully your book sales will soar.”
“I wish I had your confidence,” I said, fanning my face and trying not to sweat through the heavy makeup.
She led me to a chair that was behind a heavy curtain that cordoned off the backstage area from the set of the set. “You can wait here and watch the show on that monitor until I come for you. The set is just on the other side of the curtain, so you’ll also be able to hear Dan and Erin and the audience. Any questions?”
“I don’t think so,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.
Actually, I had a ton of questions, like, “What the hell was I doing there?” and “What the hell was Graham thinking?”
* * *
“Welcome back to the show!” Dan Williams, the “living Ken doll” host of Good Morning Manhattan said, waving at the camera and smiling like the happiest man on the planet. His “living Barbie doll” cohost, Erin Morris, smiled at Dan, then beamed at the camera. I had to smile. It was so corny it reminded me of a Saturday Night Live skit.
Erin held the smile as she said, “It’s Emerging Entrepreneur day here on the show. Before the break, we heard from Julie Dahl, who at age 23 founded Baby Dahl Designs, now one of the fastest growing lingerie lines for larger women. Julie had some great tips for those just starting out in the clothing business.” She turned to Dan, still smiling. “I don’t know about you, Dan, but I’m super excited to learn the success secrets from our next two entrepreneurs!”
“Ah, me, too, Erin,” Dan said. “So, let’s get to it!”
Erin read the introduction for the next guest. “Our next guest has built an amazing fitness empire from the ground up. Starting as a part-time personal trainer at age 24, he grew his business into what is now one of the fastest-growing fitness brands in the world. He’s also the go-to fitness guru for celebrities like Nicole Kitterman and Ryan Renault. And I’m sure most, if not all of you here today, know who I’m talking about! Now at the young age of just 34 he is living The American Dream. Would you please help me welcome the CEO and founder of Body by Chad , Mr. Chad Walters!”
My heart literally stopped beating in my chest when I heard his name… Did she really just say Chad Walters ?
I stared at the monitor and tried to breathe as the audience—mostly women— went wild. I put my hands to my chest because it felt like the wind had been knocked out of my lungs. I stared at the monitor in shock, waiting for him to appear from the other side of the stage.
And then, there he was…
And oh my god…
I sat on the edge of my chair and watched Chad walk to the couch and give Erin a big hug. He turned to the audience and gave them a smile, which made them cheer even louder. The camera went in close on his face.
“Holy shit…” I muttered. I had thought he was good looking in college, but he looked even better now. Tall, sandy hair, blue eyes, deep tan, Kennedy jawline… and that body… holy smokes… that body… He was lean and muscular, with broad shoulders and a thick chest that stretched against the dark Polo shirt he wore. He had a narrow waist and wore workout pants and tennis shoes, like he’d just come from the gym. I felt an old familiar twinge between my legs.