Chapter 3
Kat could barely believe the moment was real. In less than sixty seconds, she would tell her friends and family some very big news. All while a small camera crew from Married at First Meet filmed the shock and awe in their reactions.
It felt like lava was bubbling in her stomach. Kat might have a strong enough conviction of her own—trusting the process with her future—but it didn’t take a chemist to know her faith in the show and its staff wouldn’t be shared by her guests.
And what a group it was. Her sister Jeanie sat on the couch beside her husband Craig, adjusting the collar of his polo shirt. They’d left Noah and Ben, their two and four-year-old boys, with a sitter in preparation for the event.
Mom and Dad stood behind the young couple, mumbling something or other and eyeing the camera crew suspiciously. For good reason—the only thing they’d been told about the gathering was that Kat had some very important, life-changing information to share with them.
Her friends sat at the opposite end of the room, juggling party plates filled with hors d’oeuvres and half-empty wine glasses. Clearly, they were more at ease. They—unlike her family—knew what was coming. In fact, Piper and Charlotte had known about the show since Kat first auditioned.
There was a reason she hadn’t told her family until now: her mom was a self-proclaimed hypersensitive worrywart, and her father—a half-Cherokee martial arts master—prided himself on detecting the intent of another man’s heart.
And perhaps he really could; unlike Kat, Dad never fell for the charms of Bradley Stanger, the man who nearly ruined her faith in love.
The mere thought triggered the lava flow once more, the heat quickly moving from her stomach to her face.
Stan, the long-bearded cameraman running the scene, gave her a nod. “We’re going to start rolling,” he said. “You go ahead when you’re ready.”
When she was ready…
She’d likely never be ready. Kat caught herself glancing back at the tall vase in the corner.
The yellow roses—though they’d only arrived one week earlier—were starting to wilt, but she hadn’t been able to throw them away.
It was dumb, and she knew it, but she’d received a small thrill from the gesture.
Sure, Zander Benton had infuriated her beyond reason by rescuing a company that deserved to go down in flames, but there was no denying he was also one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen face-to-face.
There was also no denying the draw of a powerful man, and there weren’t many quite as impressive as the Benton men.
In a way, she’d kept the flowers, as platonic as the gesture may have been, as homage to her last shred of singlehood. Something she’d soon say farewell to forever.
Kat cleared her throat as something caught her attention—a flashing dot of red beside the lens.
“Wait for me,” came a voice from the hall. Ellis. She’d nearly forgotten he was there. Her long-time friend and coworker had voiced a fair amount of concern over Kat’s participation in the experiment, but at least he’d come to support her.
She locked eyes on the lanky guy as he shuffled between her friends to take a seat beside Piper, declining the glass of wine she offered him.
Kat reached for her ice water, took a long pull from the straw, and blew out a jagged breath.
“Thank you all for coming,” she said. “I know this was kind of sudden, and that several of you don’t have a clue what this is about…”
“Several?” her father snapped. “You mean some of these guys already know what’s going on?” He pointed across the room with a raised brow.
“Dad,” Kat said.
Her father’s jaw tightened. “We’re listening.”
She couldn’t stop her eyes from shooting to the lens aimed in her direction yet again. She’d been instructed not to look at it unless she was doing an interview with the producer, but it would take some getting used to.
A cool sweat broke out over her brow. “A few months ago, I volunteered to take part in a social experiment. One that would potentially find my perfect match.”
Kat hurried to take in the reaction on each face.
Dad looked like someone was about to steal his lunch.
Mom may as well have been watching a horror flick.
Jeanie’s eyes went as wide and worried as Mom’s—a trait she didn’t inherit until she had kids of her own.
Her husband, Craig, wore an amused smirk on his face.
Kat shifted her gaze to the other side of the room, purposefully moving past Ellis (she always sensed he had a crush on her) and settling on Charlotte and Piper.
Finally, a set of smiles as broad as the confidence Kat had in the program. She kept her gaze there to make her final announcement.
“I made it past several rounds, and I was recently notified that the show has done it—they found my perfect match, and we’re going to get married in two weeks.”
Charlotte and Piper shot to their feet and broke into squeals. Kat braced herself as they rushed in with extended arms, balancing their drinks and food as they congratulated her in turn.
“I knew you were going to get picked,” Piper said with a kiss to her cheek.
Charlotte trapped the two in a hug as she came in next. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
Elation shot through her as she grabbed Charlotte’s elbows and squeezed. “Neither can I.”
“Hold up, hold up,” Dad boomed. “What do you mean by ‘neither can I’? Do you mean to tell me you’re about to marry some guy you’ve never met?”
The other camera operator circled around Dad as his face went from bronze to red.
“Does this punk know that your father is a martial arts master?”
“It doesn’t have to be permanent, Dad.” She went on to elaborate but Mom spoke over her.
“Marriages are meant to last, Katrina Aponi.”
“I know that,” Kat said. “But as part of the experiment, we meet back up in eight weeks and decide whether or not we’re going to stay married or get it annulled.”
“Kat,” her father said sternly. “He could be some maniac.”
A thick wave of dread rushed in as she scrambled for a response. She had one planned—memorized, even—only now she couldn’t remember a word of it.
Suddenly, Ellis shot to his feet. “The show knows who he is. All the contestants had to go through an extensive process with background checks and everything.” He propped his glasses with his index finger and gave him a curt nod. “Just so you know.”
“Is that who called us?” Mom asked. “The woman said she was checking references for your job with the county, not a wedding show.”
“Yeah,” Kat said. “That was them.”
“Well, that makes me feel better,” Dad said.
It was the first real sprig of regret she’d felt since getting chosen. This was bound to be the most embarrassing family session of the entire experiment. The very idea sparked a hot flame of anger. She wasn’t a child anymore, and she didn’t appreciate being treated like one.
Kat had been very careful during the process, and she wasn’t about to let anyone make her regret it before she even met the groom. Forget the fact that she’d face a monster-sized lawsuit if she tried turning back now. The fact was, Kat wasn’t interested in turning back.
She lifted her shoulders, firmed her stance, and lifted her chin.
“I’ll give you all the details,” she assured.
“I will, but I wanted to start with the most important one. And that is, that whether you guys agree with it or not, I’m getting married in two weeks time, and I hope you’ll all be there. ”