Chapter 18
JUNIPER
“Hi, Juniper!” Lily comes rushing up to me as we all get ready to head out to dinner.
“Some of the girls and I are going to go to cocktails in Key West after dinner. Do you want to join us? We thought it’d be fun to go dancing.
” Lily looks like she’s just stepped out of a magazine and I wonder how she gets her makeup to look so good in the humidity.
“Oh, thank you so much for inviting me, but my cousins are in town, and I feel really bad that I haven’t spent any time with them today. So, I actually think I’m going to skip the dinner and just head home.”
“Ah man,” Lily says, looking disappointed. “I understand though. I’m really excited for tomorrow. Aren’t you?”
I nod slowly. I wouldn’t say that excited was the word. More like surreal. Everything feels surreal. Like I’m walking in a life that isn’t mine. Like I’m watching it from above.
“Kind of. I just feel like I don’t really know why I’m on the show.
” I laugh to lessen the fact that I feel overwhelmed.
“All of you girls seem so poised, and I just feel like I’m not the sort of woman who should be on this show.
” I don’t want to say that I don’t feel good enough, but I don’t.
All these women have it so together. They are so beautiful.
And yet I’m just me. I don’t feel particularly beautiful.
Well sometimes I do. When I’m with Rafe, I feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.
I suppose that means something, but I don’t want to ponder on it too much.
“Remember what I said to you before?” Lily grabs my shoulders. “Be confident. You’re here for a reason, girl. And I have a feeling that August Pitt is going to absolutely love you. You know he’s from a small town, right?”
“No, I didn’t know that. I guess I don’t know that much about him.”
“Oh, yeah, girl. He grew up in Guam or Samoa or something. One of his parents was in the military, so I think he would love another small-town girl. I mean, not to be rude or anything. You’re not like Pollyanna.”
“It’s okay,” I say, cutting her off. “You don’t have to apologize. I am a small-town girl, and I’m excited to meet him.”
“Yeah, it’ll be good. You sure you don’t want to come to dinner and dancing with us?”
“I’m sure, but thank you.” I grab my stuff and give her a quick hug. “See you tomorrow.”
“Bye.”
I walk out of the hut they’ve created for all the contestants and notice that Jackie is standing there with her clipboard.
“Hey, Juniper. Good filming today. The camera loves you.”
“I’m glad to hear that, even though I guess it does add twenty pounds, right?”
“You look great. So, just so you know, it’s likely that you’ll be getting one of the first dates tomorrow. So, make sure you bring a really cute dress.”
“Oh, but August hasn’t even met me. How do I know he’ll pick me?”
Jackie starts laughing. “Oh, darling. This is TV. August is not going to make any of the choices. We do. Everything is about production value, and many of the producers and I think you should be one of the top contenders.”
“Oh, but why?”
“Because you’re genuine, unlike a lot of the girls here, and it’s obvious you’re not here for fame.
We want the audience to connect with someone.
We want them to root for someone, and I think that woman will be you.
What a great story. Small-town island girl who owns a romance bookstore, hard on her luck. ”
“Wait. Who said I’m hard on my luck?” I blink at her.
She just shrugs. “Then we have August Pitt, successful Hollywood actor who’s never been able to find love.
He’s never been able to find someone who truly sees who he is on the inside.
” She winks. “And that person will be you. He’ll sweep you off your feet and fly you across the water, and you’ll go jet-skiing and swimming with dolphins, and then your bikini will accidentally fall off. ”
“Wait … what?”
“Oops, sorry. We haven’t finalized everything yet, so don’t worry.”
“I don’t understand. I thought this was a dating show, but this sounds like it’s scripted.” I frown and hope I don’t sound naive. How can this be real if they are dictating every move on the show?
“It’s a scripted dating show.” She laughs. “This is your big break, honey.”
“But I don’t want a big break—”
“Let’s talk tomorrow. Why don’t you go and get some food, and we’ll see you bright and early?” She turns away from me and walks off, cutting off the conversation before I can continue.
I feel slightly nervous and uneasy as I make my way home.
I lick my lips nervously. I don’t want to be a top contender.
I don’t want to be the small-town girl. And I certainly don’t want my bikini accidentally falling off.
I have to think of something, but I know I can’t be rescued—not again.
I already made a rash decision when I signed up for the dating show.
And now …
Well, now I’ve made my bed. I have to lie in it. Like the Royal fool that I am.
I continue walking down the street, allowing my thoughts to crowd my brain when I suddenly realize there’s a car honking at me.
I turn to the right and see that it’s Rafe.
Of course he would be here. I’m partially happy and partially annoyed.
I know I live in a small town, but why is he all of a sudden always there? Everywhere I am.
“Hey,” he says. “Need a ride?” There’s a cocky look on his face that tells me he thinks he’s doing me a favor.
“No,” I say quickly, but I can’t stop myself from walking over to his window as he pulls over. “What are you doing?”
“I thought I would see how your first day went.”
“It went great. I saw you at the beach, watching me earlier.” I want to know why he was there.
I want to know if he’s spying on me? If he likes me or is just trying to protect me.
Not that I really care. I am not interested in him like that anymore.
He could move to Norway and I wouldn’t even notice he no longer lived on the island. Maybe.
“Oh, was that you?” he says, tilting his head to the side. “I thought it might have been, but there were so many girls out there on the beach that I wasn’t sure.”
“Okay,” I say, not believing him for a second. “Well, you have a nice day.”
“Wait,” he says as he stops the car and jumps out. I watch as he heads over to me, looking strong and serious. The man could be a movie star if he wanted to be one.
“What are you doing?” I fold my arms and glare at him.
If he’s about to start bossing me around again then I am going to tell him exactly what I think of him and his stalkerish ways.
He couldn’t treat me like some sort of Princess that needed protecting and then act like I was some dumbass when I had questions.
Plus, there was the whole physical connection between the two of us.
What did it all mean? I felt like I was going crazy.
I just wanted answers. Real answers. But I was too scared to ask the real questions.
“I obviously knew that was you. I was checking to see that everything was okay.” He runs his fingers through his hair, and it’s the first time I’ve ever noticed that he looks nervous. “I have a question for you, and feel free to say no, and feel free to say take a hike, and feel free to—”
“What’s the question, Rafe?” I can hear the irritation in my voice.
“Do you want to possibly … maybe …” He stops and I think for a moment that he’s nervous, but there’s just no way. The Rafe I know is not nervous about anything in life.
“Are you stammering?”
“No, of course not. I just had a question.”
“You already told me you had a question. What’s the question?”
“Do you want to go on a date with me?”
“What?”
My jaw drops. My heart is racing as I stare at him. He looks so boyishly good-looking, standing there awkwardly, and I wonder if I’m dreaming.
“What did you just say?”
“I asked if you’d like to maybe go on a date with me or something.” He looks nervous. “I mean, I know maybe this should have been asked previously, but, you know … I’m asking you now.”
“You’re asking me to go on a date with you?”
“Yeah. And not to my bedroom or to your bedroom or anything like that,” he says quickly. “Like a real date.”
“You’re asking me on a real date.” I can’t help but feel light and giddy.
“Well? Is it a yes or a no?”
“I guess.” I shrug. “When?”
“What are you doing right now?” he says softly.
“I’m going home.”
“So, what if you don’t go home and we go on a date?”
“I would, but Sage and Rosie haven’t seen me all day.”
“Call them,” he says. “See if they mind.”
“No, because, of course, they’ll tell me no, and I don’t want to be a bad host. They’re my cousins, and I love them, and I want to spend time with them.”
“I’m sorry. I’m being selfish. Of course you do,” he says, stepping back. “Just let me know when you’re free, and if you decide that you do actually want to go on a date sometime, you can call me and I’ll be there.”
“Rafe.” I walk over and touch his arm. It’s hard to ignore just how sincere he sounds.
He turns to me, his blue eyes looking slightly anxious, and I realize that he feels like I’ve made an excuse.
“I want to go on a date with you,” I say, nodding. “I think it would be fun. But hold on.”
I grab my phone and smile as he just stands there.
Sage answers the phone almost immediately.
“Hey! I just wanted to see what you girls are up to tonight.”
“Oh, we’re going clubbing,” Sage says. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all. I was just going to come home, but I just saw Rafe and he—”
“Did he ask you on a date?” Sage says loudly.
I pause. “Wait … how did you know?”
“Just had a feeling. Go enjoy yourself and be prepared to tell us all about it tonight or tomorrow morning, depending on when you get in.”
“But—”
“Have fun, Juniper.” She hangs up the phone.
I just stare at him.
I give him a lopsided grin. “I guess we’re going on that date tonight after all.”
“Awesome.”
A wide smile crosses his face, and he hurries over to the passenger side and opens the door.
“Your carriage awaits, my lady.”
“Ooh, look at you, Prince Charming.”