She took a sip of wine, then cleared her throat. "So, are you going to do that show with Nolan?"

It took him a second to figure out what she was talking about. "Morning drive time to talk about words scrawled on my chest? I'm thinking not."

"Oh, you should. And I could go with you."

That surprised him. "You could? Why?"

"I could take the handheld camera, and we could film it. Then use the clips to advertise the contest, the bar. It would be great. I bet a snippet would even end up in Brooke and Spencer's show."

"Yeah, you know, it's not really my dream to be plastered all over television."

Her eyes widened as her brows rose. "A little late for that, don't you think? You know they're going to include your stunt during the contest when the first episode airs. It's a hoot and you're standing right on the new stage. And the first episode's going to focus on designing and constructing that stage."

"They've told you that? About my chest, I mean?"

"No, but isn't it obvious?"

He supposed it was. The Business Plan was a show about doing renovations and remodeling at The Fix, but the producers had been excited about having the contest in the background. Which meant Mina was right; his little stunt was exactly the kind of thing they'd use in previews and teasers for the show. Which meant that his moment of self-deprecation was about to be splashed across televisions all over the country.

Oh, joy.

"Actually, I have a better idea," Mina said. "You should go on Nolan's show after you win Mr. March. You know, from comic relief to calendar beefcake."

He shook his head laughing. "Oh, no. I'm not entering the March contest. Not happening." And not even the fact that she'd more or less admitted that he looked good shirtless was going to make him change his mind.

Beefcake. Honestly, coming from Mina's lips it had a nice little ring to it.

"Oh, come on," she cajoled. "You should. Shouldn't he enter the next contest?" she asked, tilting her head up to aim the question not at Cam but at someone who'd apparently come up behind him.

He swiveled to find Brent moving around to stand between him and Mina. "He should," Brent said, his blue eyes flat and hard. "Absolutely, he should."

"What? I--"

Brent tilted his head, his eyes locked on Cam. "Don't you support the place that employs you?"

Cam looked between him and Mina. "I--well, yeah. Sure, but--"

Brent burst out laughing. "Sorry, I couldn't stay stoic any longer."

"Asshole." Cam tossed a wadded up cocktail napkin at him.

"It was the look on your face. I couldn't pass up giving you shit." He pointed at Cam. "But you really should enter. I happen to know you ran a close second."

"Why don't you enter?" Cam shot back.

"Um, yeah, no."

Cam leaned back on his stool. "I rest my case."

Brent just shook his head, then turned his attention to Mina. "Listen, I came over to tell you not to walk to your car alone. Four women have had their purses snatched in the area over the last two days."

"Yikes."

"I'll walk her to her car," Cam said, eyeing Mina. He expected her to protest--he'd seen her shrug off Darryl's constant care--but whether because of Brent's warning or something else, she just nodded and said that sounded great.

And then, when she added that she'd give him a ride home, he thought the bottom might actually fall out of his stomach.

She pointed to her almost empty glass of wine. "This is all I'm having tonight, and I'm guessing you got here in a ride share?"

Tags: J. Kenner Man of the Month Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net