8. Leah Mae #2
“Hmm,” Clarabell said, tapping her pen against her chin. “I’m afraid here in Bootleg we’re not opposed to keepin’ the gluten in our food. Might I suggest a salad?”
“Just order something,” I said. “Get the open-faced turkey sandwich. It’s to die for.”
“You know I don’t eat things like that,” Kelvin said.
I sighed. “It won’t hurt you to cheat once in a while. It’s not like you actually have a gluten intolerance.”
“I get bloated,” he said in a low whisper.
Clarabell looked like she was trying to smother a grin.
“Salad,” he said. “Dressing on the side.”
“Will do,” Clarabell said and took our menus.
“Do you still need to pack, or are you ready?” Kelvin asked. “I want to get moving.”
I traced a little scratch on the surface of the table. I knew what I needed to do. I’d thought about it all day. But I also knew Kelvin was going to argue.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” I said. “I don’t think I should leave yet.”
“What?” Kelvin asked. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I think I should stay a while. My dad is getting sick again. If he gets worse, he might wind up back in the hospital. I don’t feel comfortable leaving him alone.”
“Leah, he’s been taking care of himself for how many years?”
“He wasn’t sick for most of those years,” I said. “I don’t have any jobs coming up, so it’s not like I have anywhere else to be. ”
“Not yet,” he said, his mouth twitching in a grin.
“What’s that smile for?”
“I talked to the producer over at Verity Studios,” he said. “They’re planning a show and they think you’d be a perfect fit.”
“What kind of show? Doesn’t Verity only do reality TV?”
“Imagine The Bachelor , only six men instead of one,” he said. “Dating shows have been done to death, but this is a twist that’s never been seen before.”
“Wait, I’m confused. Let’s come back to the fact that you just said dating show . What do you mean six men? You mean they each choose a woman?”
“No, I mean they all choose one,” he said. “And they have to agree who it’s going to be.”
“Six men all with the same woman?”
“It’s called a reverse harem,” he said. “Very progressive. Female positive. Puts a lot of power in the woman’s hands. People are going to eat it up.”
I gaped at him. “You can’t be serious.”
“Of course I’m serious.”
“Kelvin, I can’t go on a dating show,” I said. “Let alone a dating show with six different men. That’s obscene.”
“Don’t be dramatic.”
“I’m hardly being dramatic,” I said. “I can’t believe you would suggest something like this.”
“The studio is thrilled with your performance on Roughing It ,” he said. “And with what’s coming in the later episodes, it’s going to set you up perfectly for this show.”
“What’s coming in later episodes?”
“I don’t have any details,” he said. “That’s just what they told me.”
“Absolutely not.”
“You haven’t heard what it pays. ”
“I don’t care what it pays,” I said. “The answer is no.”
“You won’t say that when I show you the contract,” he said. “They realize this is a stretch, so they’re willing to compensate you. And Leah, it’s not like you have other offers coming in.”
“Well, I can’t imagine why that would be. Oh—maybe it’s because I look like a skank on their current reality show.”
Kelvin rolled his eyes. “You’re blowing this way out of proportion. This show is going to be all the rage.”
Clarabell brought our food, but my appetite was gone.
“I don’t want to be known as a reality TV whore. A show like that isn’t going to take my career in the right direction.”
“Why don’t you let me worry about your career,” he said. “You just keep looking pretty.”
I gaped at him. “I can’t believe you just said that to me. Besides, why would you want me on a dating show? I thought we were engaged.”
“We are,” he said. “But the world doesn’t need to know about it. After the show wraps, we can get married. No big deal.”
“What if I decide I’d rather be with the six bachelors and have my harem?”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “I guess that’s a risk I’ll have to take.”
“Do not book me for that show.”
“We have time,” he said. “They won’t finalize casting until next month.”
I picked at my food but didn’t continue the argument. He’d only get more stubborn if I kept refusing. I’d wait a little bit and bring it up again when he wasn’t as likely to be defensive. Or maybe a better offer would come in and I wouldn’t have to worry about it .
“I’m serious about staying here in Bootleg. I’m not leaving today.”
His jaw set in a hard line. “I don’t want you staying here.”
“That’s not your decision. It’s my father , Kelvin.”
He stared at me for a second, and I wondered how difficult he was going to make this. I stared right back.
Finally, he shook his head and let out a long breath. “All right. Stay. But if something comes up, you need to be ready to get on a plane to L.A.”
“I’ll make it work. And I can stay with my dad. He doesn’t have an extra bed, but I’ll sleep on his couch.”
Another sigh, but this one wasn’t so combative. “No, let me see if you can keep the cabin.”
“I’ll call Scarlett,” I said. “If it’s not available, she might know of something else.”
“Fine. But don’t stay here too long. It took a lot of dialect coaching to get rid of your accent. Don’t go all country on me.”
“Y’all are worryin’ about nothin’,” I said in my best Appalachian twang.
Kelvin just shook his head.