Blind Love (18 page)

She called Megan upstairs to look. “Do you know how to sew?”

“No, but Jill does.”

Seconds later, Jill was tucking and pinning. “I have my sewing machine with me. Give me a couple hours, honey, and you’ll have a beautiful costume that’ll knock Tony’s eyes out.”

When Megan and Jill came down for lunch, they were smiling.

And Catherine had her costume.

<>

Tony loaded dress and suit bags and suitcases in the back of Catherine’s SUV Sunday morning, and Catherine kissed her parents goodbye.

As he pulled through the gates on his way down the hill, Tony said, “Alone at last.”

He was thinking of a romantic ride up the coast, and all Catherine could think about was how angry he was going to be when he heard the name and concept of the show. What would he think when he saw her among the girls vying for his attention? He’d be shocked at first, and he could be angry. Maybe he’d think she wanted him so much she’d put herself on the show. Or maybe he’d think it was a big joke.

Did she have everything she’d need? She’d have to warn Mr. Pettibone about calling her Miss Timmons, and the staff would have to be warned not to say anything to Tony or the other girls.

Catherine leaned her head back and tried to relax. And then she remembered she’d forgotten to ask Jill to cut her hair again. What else had she forgotten?

Tony squeezed her hand. “Are you worried about the show?”

“You could say that.” Worried was a gross understatement. When she came up with this ridiculous concept for a reality show, she never dreamed she’d end up on the show herself.

“You haven’t told me much except there will be thirteen women to choose from.”

“You’re not supposed to know any more until the show begins.”

Catherine felt like crying. She’d fallen in love with this man. She thought he might love her a little too, but the day they started filming the show, that love could turn to disappointment.

She was setting him up for something, and Tony had no idea what it was. This was a new show, so it wouldn’t be like
The Bachelor
or
For Love or Money
. It was Catherine’s concept.

“Will I be happy?”

“I hope so.” She almost whispered the words, and he had a feeling he was in big trouble.

They stopped in a little town near San Simeon, and Tony followed Nick’s map to a piece of property the development company owned. He stopped to open the padlock on the gate and then drove down a long, tree-lined drive to a structure that looked like it had come out of
Gone with the Wind
. Huge pillars supported a two-story porch, and the windows were all covered with plywood.

“Are we in Georgia or on a movie set?” Catherine asked.

“The previous owner was from the South. Nick said this was an estate sale.”

“It needs paint.”

It needed more than a coat of paint, but the place was impressive. If the structure was good, the roof and foundation sound, and the plumbing and wiring in good shape, he could fix the rest.

They walked around the house first, and Tony checked out the other buildings. There was a four-car garage with stairs up to what must be living quarters over the garage. A traditional red barn looked to be in good shape, although he couldn’t figure why they’d need a barn out here. From the looks of the place, they hadn’t had crops or animals in decades, if ever.

The stone basement of the house was raised half out of the ground, and stairs led up to the wide verandah and the first level. Nick said the house had been unoccupied for three or four years, until the estate was settled and they found a buyer. “Needs a complete renovation. There’s supposed to be a view of the Pacific, but I don’t see it.”

“You’ll probably have to have some of the trees topped. It’s very private.”

“That it is,” said Tony. “What would you do with this property?”

“Restore it and use it for a small hotel. Maybe build some cottages on the grounds to bring in more income. Add a restaurant.”

He propped his hands on his hips and cocked his head. “Not homes?”

“No. We’re near Hearst Castle, which is a tourist attraction. There’s a public beach nearby and a national forest. It’s the perfect spot for a small hotel.”

“If the house can be restored, what would you call it?”

“
The Plantation
, of course. How much land?”

“Twenty acres, more or less.”

Tony unlocked the house and they walked through it together. It wasn’t quite as big as her father’s house, but he could see it as a hotel. He’d have to add bathrooms and replace wallpaper, gut the kitchen and replace the sun porch, but it could be a charming place.

<>

The day the technicians arrived at Cara’s estate, Mitzi called Catherine. “Gwen, the teacher, has viral pneumonia. Unless we postpone shooting for at least two weeks, we have to replace her. Fawn is the same size, and she can wear Gwen’s clothes. I don’t know what else to do, Cat.”

Catherine felt a flash of anger tempered with panic. If they put Fawn on the show, what would she tell the other girls? Did Fawn know she worked for the production company? No, probably not. She hadn’t gone through the switchboard when she’d called the office. She’d called the cell phone number.

“Damn it, Mitzi. If you’d done your job... I hope that’s the only one with a problem.”

“Actually, there’s one more. Jenny’s baby-sitter cancelled and she has to bring her three-year-old daughter along. Henry said I have to baby-sit, and I will, but I wanted to check with you first to make sure it was all right to bring her to the estate. Jenny said she could come a day early to get her little girl settled.”

“That should be fine. There’s a big playroom on the attic floor and several more bedrooms. You and the little girl can stay up there while we’re shooting. Jenny can come up to visit when she has time. And speaking of shooting, if anything else happens, you’d better stay out of my sight.”

The other shows she’d worked on didn’t have all these problems, but they didn’t have such strict security. They also used some actresses on the other shows, women who wanted the visibility. The only actor on this show was the host, Morgan Summers. Catherine hadn’t met him, but he was Henry’s choice, so he should be fine.

Everything should be fine.

Then why was she so apprehensive?

Catherine reviewed the revised list of contestants.

Jenny - single mom

Chelsea - retired model

Rachel - former Miss Florida

Lily - grad student

JoJo - bookkeeper

Victoria - widow with 2 boys

DeeNae - paralegal

Carina - divorced blackjack dealer

Andrea - hairdresser

LeeAnn - dental hygienist

Cookie - unemployed college dropout

Catherine - reluctant participant

Fawn - bimbo

All that work choosing the best candidates for the show, and she ended up with a multi-pierced college dropout, her father’s latest bimbo, and herself.

With any luck, Tony would get rid of Fawn and Cookie first.

<>

Fawn shoplifted several things in a department store. She never used her own money unless absolutely necessary. She was on her way home when her cell phone rang.

“Fawn, this is Mitzi. One of the girls on the show got sick. Can you fill in?”

“When does shooting start?”

“You’re due on location next Monday, but you’ll need to pick up your costume and wardrobe before then.” Mitzi gave her all the information.

“Are travel expenses covered?”

“Sure. Just send me the receipts.”

“Uh…” Maybe she could convince this woman to give her some money now.

“Is that a problem?”

“I’m between jobs, Mitzi. I was holding off looking for another job until I knew about the show.”

“I can give you an advance to cover your expenses until the show starts. Would that help?”

“Yes, it sure will.”

“Save your receipts. After the filming starts, you’ll be living with the other contestants at the Andrews Estate.”

“Wonderful. Thanks, Mitzi.” She lowered her voice. “So tell me, who is the bachelor?”

Mitzi dropped her voice. “You can’t let on you know.”

“Okay, sure. What’s the big secret?”

“I overheard a conversation in my boss’s office. The bachelor’s name is Tony Donatelli, and he’s related to Cara Andrews.”

Fawn gasped. She’d hit the mother lode this time. Cara Andrews had more money than God. “You’re kidding!”

“Nope! He’s also the best looking guy I’ve ever met.”

Forget Walt Timmons. This show could turn out to be her ticket to a life of luxury. After she married this guy, she’d be set for life.

Chapter Eleven

T
he costume was too tight, and the wardrobe lady didn’t have time to alter it. Still, it was the most beautiful dress Fawn had ever seen. The blue satin matched her eyes, and the neckline made her breasts look huge. The implants she’d gotten last year made her more shapely, and the nose job she’d gotten the year before made her face beautiful. Men loved beautiful women with big breasts.

The other dresses were snug, but not too bad, and the casual clothes fit pretty well. She’d walk away from this experience with some nice clothes, but she wanted more than nice clothes.

She wanted the bachelor.

After she picked up her wardrobe, she had her roots done, and she had a manicure and pedicure. Mitzi would pay for it. Fawn was going into this show looking her best, and she fully intended to win the bachelor’s heart.

She’d been on her own since she was fifteen, after her parents threw her out for getting pregnant. An abortion took care of the unwanted pregnancy, and Spike took her into his stable and taught her the ropes. Everything was going just fine until she refused a trick. Spike beat her, so she planted a knife in his belly, emptied his wallet, and ran away. Since then, everything she did was with the ultimate goal in mind. After what she’d been through, Fawn deserved a man who would take care of her, someone who wouldn’t expect her to sleep with other men or get her hands dirty. She wanted a luxurious lifestyle, enough money to buy anything she ever wanted, and someone to love her.

The bachelor on this show could give it all to her.

Before she left LA, she spent an hour on the computer at the library, researching Cara Andrews and her family. Cara was married to Nick Donatelli, an Italian from Gig Harbor, Washington, and although she lived in Gig Harbor now, she still owned the estate near San Francisco. Since Cara had outlived everyone in her family, the bachelor on the show must be related to her husband. Mitzi said his name was Tony Donatelli.

She couldn’t wait to meet him.

<>

Over the next two days, Catherine tried to keep her distance from Tony. It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary if she was to pull this off. She already had an unfair advantage over the other girls, but that couldn’t be helped. If she’d known she’d end up on the show, she wouldn’t have slept with him in the first place.

Of course she would have slept with him. She was head over heels in love with the guy.

Tony asked, “Are you angry with me?”

“No, I have PMS and I’m swamped with work.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. But PMS wouldn’t have kept her away from Tony, and she wasn’t working all day and all night. She could easily have made time for him, and she felt so guilty about deceiving him. The wonderful relationship they’d started would go up in smoke when the show began. She wouldn’t have to worry about having a costume for the party, because he’d get rid of her first. He’d be too angry to keep her around.

She cried herself to sleep the first night and then resolved to stop wallowing in self-pity and make the best of the situation. If she wanted Tony, she’d have to fight for him, and she wanted him so much it was tearing her apart.

She’d fight for him, and somehow, she’d show him how much she loved him. It wouldn’t be easy competing against so many beautiful blondes, but she’d do whatever it took to get him to pick her in the end.

<>

Henry arrived at the estate with the technical crew and Catherine briefed him on what she’d done, what she expected to happen, and what she wanted to capture on camera. “I spoke with Nick and Cara, and they’ve agreed to let Tony use the yacht for the last two dates.”