Without thinking, I took both of her hands in mine, rubbing them briskly. “I’ll look into getting you a warmer coat and some sweaters,” I said automatically.
She seemed surprised, but not uncomfortable that I was holding her hands. When I reluctantly released her, she whispered, “Thanks.”
Gary pulled me away to do the obligatory introduction clip, where I lied about being a dental assistant who collected fondue pots. It was the stupidest thing I could think of, but I noticed Alice laughing brightly from her seat.
When we got to the part where I had to tell the truth about myself, things were a bit trickier.
“Now, Taylor,” Darrell said, flashing that overly bleached smile and looking like more of a jackass than usual, “Why don’t you really tell us about yourself?”
My eyes gravitated to Alice, who tilted her head, listening intently. It didn’t really matter what I said, it was going to be a partial lie. I just had to quickly think of something that she would find endearing.
And would also be a plausible explanation for my current lifestyle.
“I worked hard as an investment banker several years ago,” I said. “Now I work part time, babysitting my investments.”
“That’s fabulous,” Darrell gushed. “Welcome to the show, Taylor.”
I stepped out of the way, leaving him in front of the cameras to explain the next step. Through the dim light of the studio audience area, I saw Darlene giving notes to the camera woman, then sitting back in her director’s chair.
“Well, folks, we have our three couples ready to go. We’re going to hit the ground running, as their first sneaky assignment takes place in just half an hour.”
He paused for an audience reaction, but the bored people they had dragged in from a local café didn’t seem to give a damn.
“The first challenge will be to convince a car salesman that they’re a real couple. Salespeople see dozens of couples each day, so should have fairly good instincts when spotting a phony. After each team selects a car, the unknowing salesperson will be pulled aside to choose which one is the fake couple.”
Darrell paused again to refresh his grin. I swear, that man looked more like a sketchy magician than a regular person.
“Little do they know, all three couples are contestants who just met today! But the opinion of a car salesman isn’t the only thing that matters. Our online voting will determine the point ratings, and the eventual winner. So stay tuned for more, as the contestants prepare for their first lying challenge, on Lights, Camera, Lies!”
Pulling a chair over to sit beside Alice, I peered into those dreamy hazel eyes. “So,” I said, trying to soften my gruff voice, “We’re going to be a team.”
She nodded. “Yes. And I’m sorry to say it, but I really do need the prize money.”
I wanted to tell her I could just hand her any amount of money she needed, but maybe that should wait for at least a few hours. “Yeah. Going to Europe to study art. That could be expensive for a student.”
She nodded thoughtfully, tucking her hair over her ear. “And there are some other expenses too.” She looked up at me brightly. “But that’s not your problem. It sounds like you don’t need the money, so why are you doing this?”
I shook my head, raking a hand through my hair. I had to give her a plausible answer. Maybe a tiny drop of the truth would soften the lie.
“Listen, don’t tell anyone,” I muttered, “But I’ve known Gary a while. He called me this morning begging me to help him out. The other two couples are apparently pretty boring,” I said, gesturing to the other contestants who were talking excitedly with the camera tech.
Alice nodded, looking at me intently. “So they thought a giant guy with a younger girl might be an interesting dynamic?”
“Exactly.”
Before I let myself entertain any more dark fantasies about what I wanted to do to Alice when I finally took her home, I asked, “How old are you?”
“Twenty.”
I nodded. “I’m almost forty, not that it really matters.” I flashed her a wink. “So, shall I be the rich, domineering husband, and you’re my hot trophy wife?”
Alice burst into beautiful peals of laughter. “Do you think that will work?”
“Absolutely. People like being in on the joke. They’re going to catch a bit of extra footage before and after the challenges. So the audience will get to see us both as ourselves, and our characters. If we flash back and forth, it should be pretty hilarious. Don’t you think?”
“Yes.”
Picking up her chilly hands, I covered them with mine. “Do you really want to win?”