The Cowboy's Reality Bride Page 4

  Maryanne laughed as she drove past the house. “No, that is for the women, but it’s not as big as it looks. I mean it is, but the women have to share bedrooms and bathrooms. Our accommodations are a little smaller, but we have our own rooms and bathrooms, and the studio pays for the food.”

  “I’m sure they will be fine. My apartment in New York was tiny. It could have fit in your old living room.”

  Maryanne glanced her direction. “How did you live in such a small place?”

  Laney chuckled. Maryanne had always been a little naïve and evidently, she had not outgrown it. “It was New York, Maryanne. Everything is small and expensive unless you’re a billionaire. Then it’s just large and expensive.”

  “Well, then this might feel like a vacation house after all.” She pulled up in front of a row of bungalow type houses surrounding a larger house in the middle. “Our houses are the smaller bungalows. The middle house is for the cowboy, but we also have a meeting room and viewing room in the main house as well as access to the kitchen and our own dining room.”

  “Wow, this is an impressive set up. Does the studio own all this?”

  “Yeah, they film here nine months out of the year, so it made sense to just buy it. Our show isn’t the only show that uses it.” She parked the car in front of the main house. “Come on inside. I’ll show you your room and then introduce you to everyone.”

  Laney grabbed her suitcases from the trunk of the car. Maryanne had insisted she didn’t need much as they had a laundry on site and Laney would have time to drive into town to get whatever else she might need, but Laney didn’t feel comfortable going somewhere for more than a month without enough clothes. Not knowing what exactly she was getting into, she’d packed for every occasion and barely gotten her suitcase closed. Her second suitcase contained only her makeup supplies.

  “Let’s drop your suitcases off first.” Maryanne led the way to the right of the main building stopping at the second bungalow. “I’m in number one and our cook, Reynaldo, is in number three. You have lucky number two.”

  Two had never been Laney’s lucky number, but she said nothing as Maryanne pulled a ring of keys from her pocket and unlocked the door before handing the key to Laney. The door opened to a small but spacious living room which held a couch, a chair, and a small table.

  “No television?” Laney asked as she looked around the room.

  “No, we’re not supposed to watch anything except what plays in the group space but believe me that is entertaining as it’s a live feed of the women. There are cameras all over the place in this compound, so be careful what you do. Oh, that reminds me, I’ll have to take your phone too.”

  Laney’s mouth dropped open. “My phone? But it has all my books on it.”

  “Don’t worry,” Maryanne said with a smile. “You can use it in the common space, just not in your bungalow. It’s part of the contract you’ll have to sign. They don’t want any leaking of the show.”

  Laney’s eyes narrowed at her friend. “I guess there are a few things you forgot to mention when you told me about this gig.” Honestly, Laney didn’t mind though. Her phone had always been glued to her side when she worked for Madame Bonavich. The woman could and often had called at all times of the day and night. Laney was rather looking forward to a detox from her phone.

  Maryanne’s bottom lip folded under her teeth in a contrite expression. She looked like a kid who’d gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “I know and I’m sorry, but I needed you to take the job. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

  “You bet you will.” Laney laughed to let her friend know she was teasing. She continued toward the back of the room where it opened to a small hallway with two doors. One held a bathroom and the other a bedroom. Simple - just a bed, nightstand, dresser, and closet, but it would do, and even though it wasn’t large, it was bigger than her apartment had been.

  After hoisting her suitcase on the bed to unpack later, she followed Maryanne out of the bungalow and toward the main house.

  “We always enter from back here where the kitchen is. There’s a separate dining room for us back here and one for the cowboy up front. Our goal is to stay out of his sight as much as possible. Of course, you’ll have to be around him more than the rest of us, but that’s unavoidable. Still, as you’ll find out in a minute, it’s get in, do his makeup, and get out. As little interaction as possible.”

  “Got it. Is there a reason?”

  Maryanne opened the back door and motioned Laney inside. A spacious kitchen lay before them, but Laney hardly had time to take it all in before Maryanne was moving again. “He’s supposed to be focusing on the women to find a wife.” She glanced around and then leaned closer to Laney. “They hardly ever last, but the producers like to think they will if the contestants focus enough. So, we give them as much space as we can.”

  The kitchen led out to a dining room that held a table for eight, but Maryanne kept walking. “How many shows have there been?” Laney should have done more homework. She was all kinds of curious now.

  “This is our tenth season.”

  Laney blinked. “Wow, ten seasons. I had no idea. How many matches have lasted?”

  “Only one, but that’s hardly surprising since they only get to know each other a few weeks before the end of the show. They almost always end in a proposal but there’s only been one wedding.”

  Laney’s eyes widened. “That’s a terrible record. Why do people keep coming on the show?”

  Maryanne shrugged as she stopped in front of a closed door. “A myriad of reasons but mostly to get their fifteen minutes of fame. Okay, this is the conference room. Peter, the director, and Justin, the host, are probably inside already. They’ll give you the contract to sign. I’ll answer any questions you have later, but don’t bring up the success rate to them.” Her mouth twitched, and she glanced around covertly. “They’re kind of touchy about it.”

  “Got it.” Laney wondered just what she had gotten herself into. She’d thought it was simply a reality television show, but already it felt like a different world.

  Two men looked up at them as the door opened. One was older, probably in his late fifties or early sixties if the gray in his hair was any indication. The other looked younger, maybe mid-thirties, but it was hard to tell. He had to be the host though as he looked like what Laney imagined a Ken doll would if one came to life. Blond hair that laid in a perfect wave on his head, a pronounced cleft in his chin, and a smile that shifted between plastic and predatory.

  “Peter, Justin, this is Laney, the makeup artist I told you about.”

  Justin’s eyes roamed over her briefly and then shifted away. Perhaps she didn’t meet his standard of approval but that was fine with her as he appeared narcissistic and closed off. Peter, however, stood and extended a hand.

  “Laney, it’s a pleasure to meet you, and I can’t thank you enough for coming on such short notice. I thought our normal girl would make it through filming, but she had complications with her pregnancy and the doctors forced her to start maternity leave early.”

  “I hope she’s okay.” A surge of concern flooded Laney though she didn’t know this woman and would probably never meet her.

  Peter waved a hand. “She’s fine, but she’s having twins and I guess her amniotic fluid was low. I’m not even sure what that means, but she’s on bedrest, so here we are.”

  While low amniotic fluid held some risks, Laney was glad to hear it was something relatively minor. “I’m glad to hear she’ll be okay and happy I could help.”

  “Good, good. Take a seat and I’ll fill you in on the basic contract. Maryanne can answer any other questions you have. So, first and foremost, you can’t discuss the show and how it’s going. Obviously, we don’t film live and we don’t want details getting leaked. You’ll have a locker in the viewing area where you can leave your phone and computer if you have one. There’s no Wi-Fi in the house anyway, but we monitor all your online activity. If you leak information,
it is grounds for termination.”

  Laney tried hard not to focus on the word termination. She’d been fired from one job this month, she had no desire to lose another. “Understood.”

  “You are responsible for his makeup and attire every day he goes on a date. Not that you must dress him, but you need to make sure what he is wearing will work well on the HD cameras, and if not, then help him pick something that will. You will probably need to go on most dates in case he needs a touchup, but you can either wait in the car or sit with Maryanne. However, because you’ll have such a bird's-eye view of everything, it is important that you don’t influence his decision.”

  “Right, I think I can handle that.”

  “Good, then you just need to sign here.” He slid a single sheet of paper her direction. Laney scanned it - she had learned never to sign anything without reading it - but the contract covered just what he’d gone over. She didn’t see any surprises in it, so she took the proffered pen and signed her name to the bottom.

  “Welcome to the family,” Peter said and extended his hand one more time.

  8

  “What took so long?” Laney asked as she took the cup. She kept her voice low and glanced around at the other crew members. “You’re cutting it pretty close.”

  Maryanne shrugged. “The machine had a problem. You’ll get used to that. Justin seems to be the only who can make it work consistently. I could have gone off the compound, but I didn’t want to risk being late and leaving you all alone.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate that.” Though Laney had met most of the crew, she still felt like the outsider. “And thanks for the coffee. I was up way too late last night.”

  “Hot date?” Maryanne asked with a wink.

  “Hardly.” The word escaped Laney’s mouth more as a snort than a word. She’d unpacked and then lain in bed unable to sleep as she tried to figure out what she wanted out of life after this show. “First of all, I have no car, so who exactly would I have gone on a date with?”

  Maryanne glanced to the front left and indicated with her head. “Justin’s available.” She said the words with a serious tone, but the smile that tugged on the corners of her mouth betrayed her.

  “No thank you,” Laney said. “Besides, men don’t seem to want the girl next door. They want a Jennifer Lopez or Kim Kardashian type of woman, and I am definitely not that.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short. You are beautiful and one day you’ll meet the right man.”

  Laney scoffed. “Easy for you to say. You’ve already found your Prince Charming.” Maryanne had filled her in on everything Laney had missed in the last decade including her marriage to a renowned cardiac surgeon. It seemed there was a man out there for everyone except her. She was trying to be patient and wait on God’s timing, but it certainly wasn’t easy.

  The door opened, and Peter stepped in. He scanned the room as if doing a visual count - it wasn’t hard as the crew was small - nodded and then began to speak. “Great, it looks like everyone is here. I decided it would be nice for you all to meet our cowboy. He comes from the great state of Texas where he owns a farm and cattle ranch.”

  The door opened, and a man stepped in. Dark hair peeked from beneath a black cowboy hat and when he removed it, Laney saw cool blue eyes. Her breath caught as he stepped closer to Peter. His chiseled features seemed almost etched from stone, but he didn’t appear fierce. Far from it. He looked masculine yet… Soft wasn’t the right word, but like someone you could share secrets with.

  And instead of seeming cocky as she had expected, he seemed embarrassed to be there and facing them all. A light pink color graced his cheeks and his eyes shifted from them to the floor. “Hi, everybody. I’m Tyler Hall, and I guess I’m your new Cowboy.”

  “How on earth is this man single?” Laney whispered to Maryanne. “He’s gorgeous.”

  Maryanne’s eyebrow lifted. “Two possibilities. One, for the same reason you are. He hasn’t found the right person yet or two, and probably more likely, he needs money or recognition for something. Maybe his ranch.”

  “They pay them?”

  “Only him. It isn’t usually much but as I said, most do it hoping to appear on another show after.”

  So, he was getting paid. Somehow Laney couldn’t imagine this man doing it just for the fame or the money though. He looked too uncomfortable. Besides, there was a wholesome honest look to his face, and she guessed there was another reason behind his acceptance.

  “Tyler, I’ll introduce you to everyone in a minute, but now that you’re here, I’ll give a rundown of the show. The women will be arriving tonight. Twenty of them. We’ll be filming the first few weeks here. Cameras are in the house and run twenty-four seven. We don’t always use that footage, but it’s nice to have. Plus, we’ll film a date episode every few days. Those air every week on Mondays and Tuesdays, so most of the people you see here will be the editing team working around the clock to make sure those episodes are ready. Justin will monitor the focus group who sees the episodes first to see if the audience doesn’t connect with certain women or believes that others should have more time. Generally, we take the top four contestants back to the cowboy’s house to meet his family and friends. The final episode, with the proposal, will be filmed there if Tyler has no objection.”

  “No objection from me,” Tyler said. “I want a woman who doesn’t mind a ranch life so it’s important for them to see it.”

  Laney wondered what a ranch life entailed. She’d only known the city life though the few movies she’d seen set in the country had held a certain appeal. When Peter finished his spiel, he began taking Tyler around introducing him to the crew. Laney figured she had enough time to drain the last of her coffee and sneak the stick of gum she had in her pocket before they reached her and Maryanne. He might be off limits, but there was no reason to spew coffee breath on the man when she met him. She tipped back her cup and sighed. All gone. She’d have to ask Maryanne how to work the machine later, so she could make herself some more. “Are you done? I’ll go throw these away.” Laney wiggled her cup at Maryanne to indicate what she meant.

  “Sure, thank you.”

  Maryanne handed over her cup, and Laney made her way toward the door where the trash can sat but before she reached the corner, her foot caught on the leg of a chair pushed back just a little too far. The cups flew out of her hands as her body fell forward and a little to the right. She expected to smack the concrete floor, but she didn’t hit the ground. Instead strong arms enveloped her, and she found herself staring up into Tyler’s face. Tyler’s handsome, chiseled, strong face. Oh gracious, he had the most amazing blue eyes. Dark like sapphires.

  “Easy there. You okay?”

  His voice broke through her stare, and she realized her hands were splayed across his chest - his muscular, solid chest. Heat burned up her neck, and she knew her ears were probably blazing beacons of her attraction to him.

  “Sorry, I, uh guess I should pay more attention to where I’m walking.” She tried to extricate herself from his arms as gracefully as possible in hopes that no one else had seen the spectacle and she wouldn’t become the laughingstock of the crew.

  “And here I thought you were just falling for me.” His eyes twinkled as he grinned at her, and Laney’s knees turned to jelly. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Tyler Hall.” He held out his hand for a shake. Laney hoped her palm was dry and not the sweaty mess she feared it was as she placed her hand in his. His face didn’t shift into one of disgust which gave Laney the courage to speak.

  “I’m Laney Swann, your makeup artist.” Her voice came out scratchy and quiet, but she resisted the urge to clear her throat. She didn’t want to belay her nervousness any more than she already had.

  “I have a makeup artist?” He blinked at her. “Do I need one?”

  Laney had no idea if he were serious or simply fishing for a compliment. “Um, well, it’s more about making sure you look good on the cameras. HD picks up everything.”

/>   His eyes bore into hers sending a tingle down her spine. “Well, I guess I’ll be seeing more of you in the future.”

  “Yep, every day.” Oh geez, she sounded like some giddy school girl. She clamped her mouth shut to keep from spewing any more nonsense at the man.

  He held her gaze another moment before Peter called him back over to introduce him to the editing team. Laney let out a breath and made her way back to Maryanne. She kept her head down, but she could feel the heat clawing up her neck.

  “What was that about?” Maryanne asked with a raised eyebrow as Laney sat.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean you looked like a star-struck fan down there. Your face was all flushed. I haven’t seen you look like that since Dallas.”

  “Oh goodness.” Laney dropped her head in her hands. “Was I that obvious?”

  Maryanne giggled. “How could it not be obvious? You practically swan dived into his arms. You better be careful, or you might end up a contestant yourself.”

  Laney groaned into her hands. “I didn’t mean to. He should have just let me fall. This is so embarrassing. Of course, I would have to be rescued before he even knows me. I can’t believe I’m going to have to be working so close to him.”

  “Not to mention watching him go on dates to find a wife.”

  Another groan billowed forth. Yes, there was that; she had forgotten about that fact momentarily. “Don’t remind me. I’m beginning to think this was a very bad idea.”

  Tyler’s eyes followed the pretty blond the rest of the meeting. She wasn’t one of his contestants, but he couldn’t deny the surge of electricity that had shot through his arms when he’d caught her. And her eyes. There was something about them that stuck in his mind. A vulnerability he not only wanted to explore but also wanted to protect, but that was silly. He didn’t even know the woman.

  “I saw that you met Laney, our new girl, but let me introduce you to Maryanne, one of our main camera operators,” Peter said leading the way to the two women.