Extreme Bachelor (18 page)

“When it comes to women, you gotta play
balls to the walls,” Cooper said, “or they will eat you with eggs
over easy for breakfast. It’s that simple.”

“Okay. Here’s what you do,” Eli drawled.
“You gotta make her want you. You gotta make her think you are the
only guy out here and the one she has to have.”

“Okay,” Michael said, nodding. “And how do
you suggest I do that?”

Eli shrugged. “Hell if I know.”

“Look,” Cooper said with
great authority. “If you want her to come around, you have to show
her you are her friend first,
then
a healthy male wanting in her pants.”

“Pull out all the stops,” Jack added. “They
like big, fancy stuff.”

Honestly, these were the last guys Michael
needed any advice from, and frankly, between their lame suggestions
and the dozens of orchids floating around out there, he realized
this was going to be a long damn day.

Subject: Guess What Now

From: Leah Kleinschmidt

To: Lucy Frederick

Time: 6:50 pm

So get a load of this. Michael sent a car
for me this morning because my piece of shit car broke down, and it
was filled with the most beautiful orchid plants I have ever seen.
The car, I mean. Can you believe that? I thought it was so sweet
until I got to work and Trudy almost coughed up a spleen. She said
that was the sweetest thing she’d ever seen a guy do (and of course
we had to listen to how her lousy-assed boyfriend has never done
anything nice for her, which obviously begs the question of why she
is still with him, to which the answer is—and I know this because I
have asked—he pays the rent, basically). But then Nicole Redding
comes up (yes, THAT Nicole Redding) and hears the conversation and
helped herself to one of the orchids and announces that Michael
often sends her yellow roses. Apparently, it is his M.O. Can you
believe him?? I guess he thinks I am stupid or desperate enough to
fall for it.

Subject: Re: Guess What Now

From: Lucy Frederick

To: Leah Kleinschmidt

Time: 9:59 am

What the hell is going on out there? Last
night you wouldn’t even talk and tonight you are telling me he sent
you orchids?? He’s obviously trying to apologize or something. Just
let him keep trying, and maybe he’ll cough up something really
cool, like earrings from Tiffany’s. Hold out for as long as you
can. But really, girl, don’t get sucked in. He’ll just crush you
again. Leopards don’t change their spots.

Okay, back to me. Are you really okay with
chartreuse? I thought it was a little

too yellow-y.

Subject: Re: Re: Guess What Now

From: Leah Kleinschmidt verizon.net>

To: Lucy Frederick

Time: 7:12 pm

I am SORT of okay with chartreuse. I don’t
really think it is my best color, but hey, if that is what you want
me to wear, I am so going to wear it.

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Guess What Now

From: Lucy Frederick

To: Leah Kleinschmidt

Time: 10:15 pm

So I am thinking about a really pale yellow.
Almost cream- colored. I am sending you a picture in the next
minute. Look at it and tell me what you think.

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Guess What Now

From: Leah Kleinschmidt

To: Lucy Frederick

Time: 7:29 pm

Okay, I LOVE the color. But I sincerely hope
that is not the dress. I can’t believe they even make pouffy
sleeves anymore, Lucy. Girl, this is the 21st century, so you have
to accept it—disco is dead! And so is that dress!

TRUDY, Michele, and Jamie were waiting for
Leah Monday morning, all three of them behind new, giant
sunglasses.

“What’s this?” Leah asked as she walked into
their midst. “I didn’t get the bug-eye memo.”

Jamie lifted hers and squinted at Leah.
“Trudy bought them for us at Marshalls. They were having a
sale.”

“Don’t worry, Leah,” Trudy said as she
flicked a long ash from her smoke. “I have a pair for you, too.”
She took a drag off the cigarette and blew smoke. “By the way, I
don’t see anything.”

“See what?” Leah asked.

“Flowers. Diamonds.
Anything the Extreme Bachelor might have shown up with to lure you
into his den of
luuuuv
.”

Michele and Jamie sniggered. One would think
the three of them had laughed enough yesterday, when they had
screeched like night owls over the orchids.

Leah waved Trudy’s smoke from her face.
“After yesterday, I don’t think we need to worry about
orchids.”

“Good thing,” Michele piped up. “Nicole
Redding was fit to be tied yesterday, and you are on her team
now.”

“She was?” Leah asked, surprised.

“Mm-hmm,” Michele said,
nodding with great authority. “Everyone knows she’s still got a
thing for the Extreme Bachelor. Apparently,
he
broke up with
her
, and Nicole doesn’t like being
blown off. Can you even imagine breaking up with a big
star?”

Frankly, Leah didn’t want to imagine Michael
with Nicole at all. “Well it just goes to show you,” she said,
adjusting her backpack. “You can’t trust a carload of orchids.”

“So how do you know him, again?” Jamie
asked, her shades back down.

“I knew him a few years ago in New
York.”

“You dated, right?”

Why did the word
date
sound so trivial?
It had been so much more to her, so much deeper. She avoided
Jamie’s gaze. “Right,” she said with a shrug. “It was a long time
ago.”

“I think he is regretting the breakup, or
whatever it was,” Jamie said as they turned to walk into the gym.
“Orchids are not cheap. It was really sweet.”

“Don’t let them fool you,” Leah uttered, and
began walking.

She wouldn’t admit it, of
course, but that was the thing sticking in the back of her mind,
too. Not only were orchids not cheap, but they weren’t exactly easy
to find on such short notice. And the note. The
note
. It still gave her a shiver,
those two little words,
I
remember
. She would have kept the flowers,
but Nicole Redding had made her feel so small and inconsequential
with all her talk of dating Michael, and Trudy had laughed at the
whole thing, and Leah had suddenly felt like a chump. That was why
she had torn the flowers off the tree and handed them
around.

But the rest of the women thought the
gesture of orchids was swoon-worthy, judging by the way some of
them were surrounding him yesterday, hanging on his every word. She
could practically see them drooling when he’d smile and touch the
flower they wore in their hair, or make some complimentary remark.
Great, she thought. Have at it.

But this morning, for reasons she did not
understand, she was regretting that act. She didn’t want any of
them to have the orchids.

The four of them walked into the gym and
were met at the door by a perky girl who looked like she might be
all of twelve, who cheerfully told them they would begin scene
blocking today. She asked for their names, checked them off of a
list, and told them where to report after changing into
scene-blocking clothing, which the four of them took to mean shorts
and T-shirts.

Fortunately, Trudy and
Leah were in the same group, assigned to the western half of an old
empty bay, one street over on the lot. They walked over a quarter
of an hour later, pausing between buildings so Trudy could smoke.
“I really ought to give up the damn things,” she said, grinding the
butt out with the heel of her sneaker. When they arrived, there
were a handful of soccer moms milling about, one of the stunt
doubles, a couple of people in street clothes sitting in
chairs—there were
always
a couple of people in street clothes sitting in
chairs—and Michael and Jack were standing at the far end, looking
at some paper, both of them dressed in knee-length jersey
shorts.

Her heart skipped—after
the other night, she wasn’t ready to appreciate how hot he was in
flimsy jersey pants. She hadn’t remembered how muscular he was—he
had a butt that wouldn’t quit, sturdy, well-shaped legs, and broad
shoulders. When she looked at his arms, she was reminded of a day
they had spent on Rex’s boat off Long Island. The winds had been
calm, and they had been floating in serene waters. She and Michael
were on a deck chair, his arms wrapped securely around her, arms
that held her like two bands of steel, and he’d said,
“
I wish this day would never
end
.” Had he known then he’d be leaving
soon? Had he truly regretted it?

“Hey, this should be good,” Trudy said, her
face lighting up as she took in the group. “I’m starting to really
like Jack, ya know? He’s got that sexy super-stud thang going on,”
she said, and tossed her tote bag against the wall. “And
fortunately for him, I’ve got that sexy super-chick thang going
on,” she added with a salacious wink, and sashayed away, her eyes
locked on Jack.

Leah hadn’t noticed until
that moment how
short
Trudy’s shorts were.

As for her, she was wearing yoga pants.
Since that day she had hung from the harness with her ass on
display for all of Los Angeles to see, she’d stuck to clothing with
legs.

She looked past Trudy, noticed Michael was
talking to a Starlet, his arm braced against the wall, that killer
smile shining on the Starlet, who was smiling back like a
simpleton. Leah turned away. She didn’t need to see that, and
walked to the opposite end of the room to stretch a little before
they got started. She spread her legs wide and bent over, letting
her arms hang, stretching her back. She closed her eyes, practiced
some breathing, and when she opened them, she saw, through a
curtain of her blond hair, his sneakers. Leah bobbed back up so
quickly that she felt a rush of blood leave her head, and swayed a
little.

“Whoa,” he said, catching her by the elbow.
“You okay?” he asked.

Her gaze instantly fell to
his lips, which of course reminded her of that fabulous kiss, which
naturally reminded her of sex—honestly, she was always thinking of
sex when he was around. “Yeah,” she said, moving back a little. She
put her hands on the small of her back and bent backward.
“Actually, I’m
great
.”

“That’s good. We have a lot of work to
accomplish today.”

“I’m ready,” she chirped, shaking one leg,
then the other, before bending backward again.

Michael nodded, folded his arms across his
chest, watching her as she bent backward, straightened, then bent
backward again. “So . . .” he said, as she leaned to one side. “I
take it you’re not a big fan of orchids anymore?”

Bent to one side, Leah puffed out her cheeks
a minute as she considered the question, then released the air.
“They sort of lost their appeal,” she said, very matter-of-factly.
“You know, when everyone started getting flowers.”

“Hey,” Michael said, holding up a hand,
looking damnably sexy. “No one else got orchids.”

“Orchids, roses, whatever,” she said with a
shrug, and leaned to the other side. “Just seemed overdone.”

“Okay. But just so you know, you were the
only one to ever get flowers from me on Mondays. Every Monday. And
you were definitely the only one who ever got orchids.”

“Oh, really?” Leah asked nonchalantly. “I
heard you were pretty good about handing yellow roses around,
too.”

“Nicole,” he responded with a sigh.

“Nicole. Jill. Lindsey, the P.A.” She
frowned thoughtfully. “Honestly, Michael, when did you have time to
date all these women? I mean, you’re only thirty-eight, and there
are only so many days—”

“I only sent Nicole flowers once,” he said,
ignoring her question. “Yellow roses, it’s true—but I sent them
because she had been nominated for a Golden Globe award.”

“Huh,” Leah said, and bent at the waist
again, hanging down.

Michael squatted down next
to her, cocking his head to see her face. “But I didn’t send Nicole
Redding flowers because I loved her smile. That was why I
sent
you
flowers.
And I didn’t send flowers to Nicole every Monday because I needed
to see that smile to make my week. That was
your
smile that made my day, and
I’ve never seen one that could match it or take its
place.”

Leah bounced up straight again. She pushed
her hands through her hair. “That’s really sweet,” she said. “But I
don’t want your orchids.”

Michael blinked. “Okay,” he said slowly. “So
what would you prefer? Roses? Tulips? Larkspur?”

“Larkspur?” she echoed. “No. Nothing.” She
put her hands on her waist and twisted one way, then the other,
because if she looked in his eyes, she’d cave.

“Then maybe you’ll let me explain about
Nicole—”

“Hey, no need,” she said
quickly. “I get it.” At least she thought she was getting it, and
while she wouldn’t mind maybe a
little
explanation about what
exactly had gone on between him and Nicole, she just kept
stretching her arms high overhead and looking past him.

But he suddenly stepped in her line of sight
and looked at her suspiciously. “Have you been talking to Lucy, by
any chance?”