Chapter 9
nine
RYAN
My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out to discover a text from my little sister.
So? How’s the show?
I grit my teeth and text back.
Horrible. This whole thing feels like a circus.
You’re the ringmaster, dude. Own it.
Dude? You’re not supposed to call your brother dude. You sound like Aunt Diane.
I love Aunt Diane. She gives you that face when you’re being dumb.
I huff out a laugh and slouch deeper into the booth.
All three of us have that face. I’ve seen it in the mirror. It’s haunting.
Maybe that’s why your dates keep bailing.
No one’s bailed yet. I did let one of the girls go because she was too conservative for me. I asked if she would go to a drag show with me and she nearly puked. Which would have been pretty funny if I wasn’t supposedly interviewing women to be my wife.
God. How did you not melt into the floor from secondhand embarrassment?
I avoided eye contact by looking at a spot on the carpet the entire time.
Inspiring stuff.
This is my villain origin story, isn’t it.
Oh, for sure. You’re halfway to a brooding monologue already.
Chuckling, I drag myself to breakfast with my executive producer slash coach, Rich. He’s patient as always, gently needling me about my feelings so far. I shovel a healthy granola parfait into my face and try to answer his questions.
“So, what do you think about Heidi?” he asks.
I nod. “She’s really pretty. Professional and polished. I like that.”
“And JacqLyn?”
“Also pretty with that girl-next-door flair, but she hasn’t really opened up yet. She’s mostly been watching everyone else.”
Rich nods. “Yeah, it’s early days right now. But what about Wren? You already know her. Have you guys found your connection yet?”
I brush his question aside. “Look, between you and me, I know Wren has to be here, but she has no chance of winning. She’s a brat.
She’s my best friend’s little sister. There are a lot of ways that could go sideways.
But I get why you all want to keep her around. She definitely keeps me on my toes.”
I say it like it’s a joke, like I don’t lie awake wondering what she’s thinking when she looks at me. But I do. I always have.
Rich smirks, then covers it with a sip of coffee. “Well, today should be interesting. I think if you picked Wren for your three-on-one date, it would shake things up. Let the other contestants know they’ve got real competition. Even if you don’t think Wren is a serious contender.”
I sigh. I hadn’t been thinking about who I’d pick for today, but of course, the EPs want drama.
“I’ll consider it,” I say grudgingly.
“Good man.” Rich pats me on the shoulder. “We’re leaving in a few. Get ready.”
My gut says don’t pick her. But my eyes drift to her anyway, like they always do. She’s become this gravity sink in my brain. Every thought bends toward her in a cosmic way.
“I’m ready,” I mutter, finishing my parfait with a final gulp of coffee.
We pull up to a large conference center on the outskirts of town. I throw Rich a quizzical look.
“Are you sure we’re at the right place?”
He grins. “Yep. I think you’ll be impressed. The whole day’s built around things we know you like.”
“Okay,” I say, uncertain.
Turns out, he’s not totally wrong. Inside, they’ve cleared out the entire floor to create a winter wonderland scene.
It’s over- the-top. Fake snow drifts through the air, a full-sized ice rink dominates one corner.
Fairy-tale style buildings have been set up like a tiny village.
Trees are wrapped in lights. Benches sparkle with glitter.
It’s all very romantic. Very fake. I guess pageantry is the point.
Still, I can’t help picturing Wren under those lights. Probably hating every second of it but shining all the same. God, I’m so screwed.
We arrive early, so I wander over to the themed coffee stand. They make me a damn good latte. I sip it while watching PAs dart around like sugared-up toddlers.
Rich returns with a cameraman in tow.
“Okay, Ryan,” Rich says. “Let’s talk about today. Just give us a little intro. Say you’re excited about the three-on-one. Announce who you’re picking. The rest of the girls will be seated over there by the food.”
I rub my hands together and nod. I don’t actually care about any of this, but it’s paying me hundreds of thousands. That money’s going straight into savings for the day I inevitably get hurt and can’t play anymore.
I take a breath and smile at the camera.
“Hey, Ryan here. I’m really excited about today. The Last Kiss threw me this insane winter wonderland party. I’m honestly blown away. Today, I get to take three contestants on a private date and teach them how to ice skate.
“A lot of the girls didn’t grow up skating, so this’ll be a fun opportunity. I’m taking Wren, Mei, and JacqLyn. I know Wren pretty well, but we’ve never skated together. That should be interesting. Mei and JacqLyn are still kind of mysteries to me. I’m looking forward to getting to know them.”
I glance at Rich. He mouths, Play up Wren .
I redirect. “Especially Wren. I’ve known her for years, but never really considered her as someone I could date. She’s a risky choice because of her brother, but I’m willing to take the heat if she and I really click.”
I clap my hands. “Let’s go see what the girls are up to.”
The camera pans as the big conference doors swing open. The girls file in, laughing and chattering.
I walk over. “What’s up, ladies? Welcome to my winter wonderland. I wanted to grab some time with a small group today. Mei, JacqLyn, and Wren. The rest of you can hang out at the concession area. We’ll meet up after our date. Sound good?”
Mei squeals. Wren scowls. JacqLyn grins.
The rest mutter as they’re herded toward the food.
“Ladies, shall we?” I gesture toward the ice. “We’re going skating.”
Mei lets out a quiet shriek. “I don’t know how to skate. You’ll have to teach me.”
JacqLyn slips her arm through mine. “Me either. You’ll have to keep a close eye on me.”
Wren trails behind us, pouting.
She didn’t expect me to pick her. But she should’ve. Choosing her was the only play. First, the cameras love her. Rich said as much. Second, she makes the other women twitchy. Maybe, just maybe, it’s partly for me.
I can’t stop thinking about how she looked at me yesterday. Like I was both a threat and a joke. Dangerous, but impossible to ignore.
Mei and JacqLyn take up most of my attention while we lace up skates and talk about how cute the rink is. Mei takes at least six selfies and a video.
“My followers are going to freak when they see I’m learning to skate with the Ryan Haart,” she says.
“Followers?”
She smiles. “Yeah, I’m an influencer. I was going to be a wedding influencer, but my wedding got canceled. So now I’m back in the saddle.”
I blink. “Oh. That’s… something.”
“Always a plan,” she chirps.
JacqLyn and Mei step onto the ice, wobbling. Wren drags her feet, glowering like I personally offended her.
“Come on, Rustin,” I say, motioning to the rink. “Let’s go.”
“Ryan, are you really making me do this? I’m going to fall on my ass.”
“Yep,” I say. “You bet I am.”
I skate over, grinning. “You good?”
“Don’t touch me,” she mutters.
Which, obviously, means I have to. I coast in a little closer, just to mess with her. She lets go of the wall and takes one awkward step. She immediately starts to tip forward. I catch her before she hits the ice, one arm slipping around her waist.
My arm wraps easily around her waist. Something primal flashes through me. Protect. Steady. Hold. I don’t know where the hell that comes from, but it’s loud as fuck.
Wren’s hands land on my chest.
Her eyes go wide.
For a second, neither of us moves. Her fingers are curled against my shirt. I can feel the stutter of her breath. She’s staring at me like she’s not sure whether to punch me or kiss me.
It’s a disaster. My brain short-circuits. She’s right there, breath shallow, eyes wide. For a second, I forget we’re on a date. I forget there are cameras. All I can think is, don’t let go yet.
Then she shoves me back. “I will be so happy when this date is over.”
I smirk. “You’re fun when you’re mad.”
The rest of the skating is chaos in every direction.
JacqLyn grabs both my hands and twirls in a full circle, laughing like this is the best moment of her life.
Mei films a slow-motion reel of herself doing one very hesitant spin, then yells at me not to ruin the lighting.
Wren clings to the wall like she’s negotiating a hostage situation.
Every time I skate past her, she glares like I personally invented ice just to ruin her day.
I live for it. The glares. The huffing. The fact that she’s clearly thinking about me. It’s better than silence. Better than being ignored. I’ll take her anger over her absence any day.
After the rink, we head over to the cozy setup. Firepit, faux fur blankets, hot cocoa in glass mugs with little gold spoons. The producers really went all out. It’s cheesy. Romantic. If you ignore the ten cameras lurking around the edges, it almost feels real.
JacqLyn grabs me first for solo time. We sit by the fire. She’s got that easy, breezy charm down pat. Cracking jokes, making increasingly filthy innuendos. Somehow managing to flirt and roast me at the same time.
“You’re not bad at this,” she says, sipping her cocoa. “I figured you’d be boring.”
“Some offense taken,” I say. “But you’re not wrong.”
She winks. “Don’t worry, Haart. You’ve got that broody ex-frat boy thing going for you. It’s like catnip.”
They’re funny, they’re flirty, they’re perfect for TV. But I’m only half listening. Because Wren’s sitting ten feet away, arms crossed like she’s trying to hold herself together. I want to go to her. I do.
Mei’s next. She slides in beside me, phone already out, her energy buzzing. “Okay, we’ve got to talk brand strategy,” she says. “Are you going family-man Ryan or reformed bad boy?”
I blink. “Depends on the edit.”