a lot. One, if he was gay. I hadn't thought of that until his pause. Being a very popular TV personality, he might not want the world to know his sexual preference. Two, if Ana had a chance at all.
"I'm open to it. Why? You're not—"
"Me? No! My cousin."
He looked relieved. I didn't take it personally. The old me might have, but the new me was slightly more confident thanks to the makeover.
"She'll be at the filming tonight," I said.
"You'll have to introduce me."
"This could be a whole piece for you. Matchmaking behind the scenes of Hitched or Ditched . You two could be the next couple on the show."
"That's not a bad idea." Out came the BlackBerry again.
I didn't warn him Ana was anti-long-term.
"You know," I said, "you're cute, you're good at your job, have a good personality—why are you still here?"
"Here?"
"In Cincinnati? Why not Hollywood, the mecca for all entertainment reporters?"
He shrugged. "I like it here. There's something about being a big fish in a little pond I find appealing."
Was that a little arrogance poking through? Maybe there was hope for him and Ana yet.
Seven
"Sure enough, there were picketers," I said to Ana, trying to focus on driving. It was tough. I was still mad. "Two of them. Didn't say a word to me, just walked in little circles in my front yard." There had been a camera crew there too, compliments of Carson Keyes. I didn't mention to her I'd spent nearly an hour with him that afternoon.
Ana would kill me.
She touched my hair. I slapped her hand away. "That Perry's a genius," she gushed. "I love the sweeping bangs. Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. He might actually rival Angie. And that's saying something."
We drove across the Norwood Lateral and headed to 71 south and the Edwards Road exit, which would lead us to the HoD studio.
"Are you listening to me rant? What good is ranting if you don't listen?"
"Shush. Let me look at you. Those eyebrows! The arch is perfect. And your scar is completely hidden. Why didn't you do this before now?"
I'd had a little run-in with a freight train a while back that left me with a scar on my forehead. The makeup artist at Azure taught me how to cover it with concealer. Who knew?
I shrugged. "I don't know."
I wasn't ready to tell Ana about my self-discovery quest just yet. And not just Ana. Anyone. I had to do this on my own for a little while.
"You look so great. You look better than me!"
I raised a freshly waxed eyebrow.
"All right. Almost as good as me. What did your mother say?"
"I haven't seen her."
"She's going to have heart failure."
"She'll be all right." I waited a beat. "I need to get rid of them. How?"
"Who?"
"The picketers! How's my house supposed to get done if the construction guys won't cross the picket line?" I took the ramp to 71 south.
She dug through her purse. "You met Carson yesterday, right? Is he as cute in person?"
"Ana!"
"Stop worrying, Nina."
I took a deep breath. She was right. I needed to stop worrying so much. So what? There were a couple of guys picketing my house. Big deal. They'd eventually go away. The construction crew could work then.
And being a pretend fiancée to Bobby wouldn't be so bad.
And everything at work would be okay.
And I was being delusional, which was breaking a top commandment.
"Are you nervous about tonight?" she asked as she applied clear lip gloss.
"A little."
"About being on TV?"
"About Bobby."
"Ah. He's hot."
"I don't need the reminder." I changed lanes, sped up.
Roxie and Nels had ditched me at four, to head down to the studio with the day's footage. For a while I was free of cameras. I wondered if higher-budgeted shows had those car cams. Right now I thanked my lucky stars Willie Sala was a cheapskate.
"As soon as the show ends and he finds Mac a place to live, Bobby will go back to Florida. Which, I hope, will be sooner rather than later. I can't hold out much longer."
"I don't know why you're holding out at all."
"My sanity."
"Oh that. Right."
"You're not
"I'm open to it. Why? You're not—"
"Me? No! My cousin."
He looked relieved. I didn't take it personally. The old me might have, but the new me was slightly more confident thanks to the makeover.
"She'll be at the filming tonight," I said.
"You'll have to introduce me."
"This could be a whole piece for you. Matchmaking behind the scenes of Hitched or Ditched . You two could be the next couple on the show."
"That's not a bad idea." Out came the BlackBerry again.
I didn't warn him Ana was anti-long-term.
"You know," I said, "you're cute, you're good at your job, have a good personality—why are you still here?"
"Here?"
"In Cincinnati? Why not Hollywood, the mecca for all entertainment reporters?"
He shrugged. "I like it here. There's something about being a big fish in a little pond I find appealing."
Was that a little arrogance poking through? Maybe there was hope for him and Ana yet.
Seven
"Sure enough, there were picketers," I said to Ana, trying to focus on driving. It was tough. I was still mad. "Two of them. Didn't say a word to me, just walked in little circles in my front yard." There had been a camera crew there too, compliments of Carson Keyes. I didn't mention to her I'd spent nearly an hour with him that afternoon.
Ana would kill me.
She touched my hair. I slapped her hand away. "That Perry's a genius," she gushed. "I love the sweeping bangs. Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. He might actually rival Angie. And that's saying something."
We drove across the Norwood Lateral and headed to 71 south and the Edwards Road exit, which would lead us to the HoD studio.
"Are you listening to me rant? What good is ranting if you don't listen?"
"Shush. Let me look at you. Those eyebrows! The arch is perfect. And your scar is completely hidden. Why didn't you do this before now?"
I'd had a little run-in with a freight train a while back that left me with a scar on my forehead. The makeup artist at Azure taught me how to cover it with concealer. Who knew?
I shrugged. "I don't know."
I wasn't ready to tell Ana about my self-discovery quest just yet. And not just Ana. Anyone. I had to do this on my own for a little while.
"You look so great. You look better than me!"
I raised a freshly waxed eyebrow.
"All right. Almost as good as me. What did your mother say?"
"I haven't seen her."
"She's going to have heart failure."
"She'll be all right." I waited a beat. "I need to get rid of them. How?"
"Who?"
"The picketers! How's my house supposed to get done if the construction guys won't cross the picket line?" I took the ramp to 71 south.
She dug through her purse. "You met Carson yesterday, right? Is he as cute in person?"
"Ana!"
"Stop worrying, Nina."
I took a deep breath. She was right. I needed to stop worrying so much. So what? There were a couple of guys picketing my house. Big deal. They'd eventually go away. The construction crew could work then.
And being a pretend fiancée to Bobby wouldn't be so bad.
And everything at work would be okay.
And I was being delusional, which was breaking a top commandment.
"Are you nervous about tonight?" she asked as she applied clear lip gloss.
"A little."
"About being on TV?"
"About Bobby."
"Ah. He's hot."
"I don't need the reminder." I changed lanes, sped up.
Roxie and Nels had ditched me at four, to head down to the studio with the day's footage. For a while I was free of cameras. I wondered if higher-budgeted shows had those car cams. Right now I thanked my lucky stars Willie Sala was a cheapskate.
"As soon as the show ends and he finds Mac a place to live, Bobby will go back to Florida. Which, I hope, will be sooner rather than later. I can't hold out much longer."
"I don't know why you're holding out at all."
"My sanity."
"Oh that. Right."
"You're not
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