Real Thing Page 7

  Camera crews roamed around the place, and Roy grabbed Tonya’s hand, pulling her onto the dance floor. He spun her around and dipped her. “I figured since they didn’t pick me as a contestant, I’ll just have to woo one of you gals on my own.”

  She sighed. “I think you’d have a great shot with Marge. Or maybe GiGi.”

  He frowned. “I’ve already had a fling with Magic Marge. But she didn’t want to be tied down. Sure do miss her—”

  Before Tonya could hear more than she wanted to know about Marge’s magic and whether or not tying her down involved rope, she interrupted, “Then why not GiGi? She’s right over there.” She pointed across the room to the tall, fifty-something blond.

  Roy let go of her wrist and headed in GiGi’s direction.

  Desperately needing fresh air, Tonya tried to make her way to the back door, but found herself between the McClacken twins, who started dancing with her. Few women would pass up that opportunity, plus a camera was nearby, so she played along for a while, dancing between the two blond hunks.

  But soon she was nudged out of the way by a group of girls who wanted a piece of the action, too. That was far more interesting to the camera crew, so she snuck away to the back only to realize the patio was packed.

  Sighing, she turned around and went back inside. For the first time, she noticed a door that led to who-knew-where, the perfect place to get away from everyone. She slipped into the small dark space, finally at ease.

  “This space is taken,” said a deep voice from the back of what now seemed to be a closet.

  Tonya jumped, banging into the door. “There’s room for two. I just need a moment away from the madness. Are you one of the contestants?”

  “Yep.”

  Tonya felt a hand fumble around her waist. “Hey! Your family jewels don’t want to meet up with the heels I’m wearing tonight. I’ve injured men for less than a grope in the dark.”

  The man sighed. “I’m trying to turn off your wireless microphone so the crew can’t find us in here.”

  “Oh. I can do it.” She grabbed her microphone pack and slid the switch to “off.” Tonya let out the breath she’d been holding. “Okay. We’re safe. Think there’s a light in here? Might be a little less creepy if I could see you.”

  A light clicked on and Tonya blinked to adjust her eyes. The man in front of her was tall, well built with dark eyes and a killer smile that made him look fun-loving and sexy at the same time. “You’re Josh Daniels.”

  “And you’re Tonya Garcia.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I saw you at the mixer yesterday.”

  “Right.” She gulped. He had to be the hottest guy on the show. “What are you doing in here? ”He shoved the mop bucket to the back of the closet. “Like you, I needed a breather. I’m not exactly thrilled to be here doing this.”

  “Too small town?”

  “Too desperate to rev up my career. My manager insisted this would be the best way to do it.”

  Tonya rubbed her temples. “And I had a moment of temporary madness.”

  Josh crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, next to a big broom. “The more I think about it, the more I realize I don’t want to give anybody the wrong idea. I’m not in the mood to fake looking for love. It’s one thing to do it for a movie when your leading lady knows you’re just reading lines. But to pretend to be interested in someone in real life doesn’t seem fair. If I hook up with some woman on this show, she might think there’s a future for us. But there’s no chance in hell of that.”

  “How can you be so sure?” Tonya asked.

  “I’m in the closet.”

  “But you could go out there and meet someone. Maybe one of the gals who came in from Hollywood would be right for you.”

  He grinned. “No, I’m in the closet-closet. I’m gay.”

  Tonya’s eyes widened. “No shit. And you’re telling me after knowing me for three minutes?”

  He laughed. “It’s not the best kept secret. My closest friends know. But I’m not looking to make it public yet. It would kill my grandparents. They raised me, and they read their tabloids as closely as they read the bible. In fact, they actually do read them after they read their bible every Sunday.”

  “All right then. Guess I’m the second-most-unhappy person here. How are you going to handle this?”

  “I’ve been thinking I might flit from woman to woman before anyone gets attached,” Josh said, rubbing his chin.

  Maybe that was a good strategy for Tonya, too. Although faking interest for so many different men would be exhausting. It’d be easier to set her sights on just one man. She glanced at Josh. Like the man next to her who didn’t want to date anyone either. So she could hang out with Josh for the next six weeks and they’d both be off the hook. Where was a pad of paper when she needed them so she could make a list of pros and cons? She ticked off the ideas in her head. Pros: she wouldn’t actually have to go looking for love, she’d have an easy excuse to fend off other men she didn’t want, and maybe Vinny would get off her back. Plus, she wouldn’t have to worry about her one date a week quota. And Josh would be real nice to look at. Cons? Tommy probably wouldn’t like it.

  Or maybe that was a pro.

  Tonya cleared her throat. “Here’s an idea. What if you made a fast connection with a woman who also has no interest in finding love on this fool show? That would give us both a reprieve.”

  A huge smile split Josh’s face. “I like you.”

  “And I like you. And it’s good to know that’s all we’ll ever have—a whole lot of like. So how do we do this?”

  He rubbed his hands together. “As luck would have it, we’re already set up to make this happen. We’ll turn our microphones back on so the audio guys can track us down and send over a camera. I’ll leave the closet first. Then you wait a few seconds and come out. Make sure you look disheveled.” He swiped at her lips with his thumb. She was sure he’d smeared her lipstick. Clever. Then he ran his hands through her hair.

  She tugged the neckline of her dress so it was askew. “This is going to be fun. But won’t people expect to see us, uh, romantically involved?”

  He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Oh, we’re going to take this sweet and slow. The rules say once we take someone to our rooms, the cameras and microphones go off, so we’re safe there. Can you tolerate holding hands and kissing in front of the cameras?”

  “Can you? Most men can’t resist these.” She gestured to her breasts.

  He glanced at them, nodding. “I bet. But you’re not going to turn me. Emma Fitzgibbons tried in college and it didn’t work. Don’t worry. I’m an actor. I’ll not only handle it, I’ll make it very convincing.”

  “But I’m not an actor,” Tonya said.

  “I’ll write up some scripts, stage some scenarios for us,” Josh said. “We’ve got to make it interesting enough for the producers to write it into the show. They’d probably prefer we each find someone in town. But don’t worry. I know the kind of storyline they’re looking for. Let’s pair up tomorrow for the tree planting thing.”

  Tonya nodded. “You’re the boss. And you might as well start spinning our story now. People are going to ask what happened in here.”

  “We met, we wanted some privacy and thought we could sneak off unnoticed. But nothing happened. Right?” He winked.

  “Right. This might actually be fun.” He grinned, his deep brown eyes sparkling and his dimples puckering sexy grooves under magnificent cheekbones. “Let’s make it fun. I’ll go out first; you follow me out in a minute. Turn on your mic and tell me it was nice getting to know me better.”

  Tonya flipped the tiny switch on the microphone attached to her skirt. She fought back a laugh. “It was nice getting to know you better, Josh. We’ll have to sneak off like this more often.”

  “I think we can make that happen, my lovely Tonya.” Josh opened the door and glanced around before stepping out. The people dancing and chatting didn’t seem to notice,
but there was a camera aimed straight at the closet. Josh closed the door behind him, leaving Tonya with the jumble of brooms and cleaning products.

  Tonya shook her head, not quite believing everything that had happened today. While this was a good solution, what a phenomenal mistake joining the show had been. Why hadn’t Nonna sent her a sign not to do this?

  Figuring a minute had passed, she slowly opened the door and scooted out. No one turned to look, but sure enough, a camera was still pointed at the closet. She pretended not to notice and made her way to the bar.

  Josh waved at her from across the room and winked. She was pretty sure a camera had caught that, too. What would Tommy think when he saw this? She wondered if he’d be hurt or possibly jealous. She tipped her nose in the air. Didn’t matter what he thought. They weren’t a couple.

  Chapter 8

  The next day, the crew put her hair in pigtails—which Tonya ripped out after they left—and had her wear overalls with a tight, pink tank top underneath. It was a hot day for spring, with a big bright sun in the sky. She met Josh at the park where crowds of people had gathered to repopulate Willowdale with its namesake tree.

  A few dozen red x’s were sprayed onto the grass around the perimeter of the park. “Get a tree and grab a shovel and bucket. Then bring your date to the spot where you want to plant your tree,” Teague said as he welcomed everyone to the event.

  Tonya and Josh chose a place at the far end of the park. A bag of manure sat next to each x. “This isn’t sending a good message,” Tonya said. “Love is shit?”

  “Not with you,” Josh said.

  She was about to laugh, but looked down instead. Operation fake date was underway. Time to pretend.

  “These are all going to die,” Marge said, a few x’s over. “People have tried planting willows for years with no luck. Finally, they smartened up and quit trying. Don’t know why folks think it’s going to work this time.”

  One of the camera crews focused on Josh and Tonya. She stiffened. She didn’t realize how intrusive the cameras would be. The lens was like a big nosy eye all up in her business. It was disconcerting. “It’s a good publicity stunt,” she said. “Plus it’ll take some time for the trees to die. The cameras won’t be around to catch that.” She narrowed her eyes at the guy behind the video camera. Maybe if she kept being obnoxious they’d feature very little of her.

  “Why don’t willow trees grow here?” Josh asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Tonya said. “I’ve only lived here a few years, never heard what happened to all the trees.”

  A couple took the spot next to them. Tonya glanced over. It was Tommy and Ellen. Jane stood between them, supporting herself on her crutches.

  Tonya waved at them. It crushed her heart a little to see him so cozy with Ellen. “Hey, Tommy,” Tonya said, trying to keep her voice steady. “We were wondering if there’s a reason the willows don’t grow here. Didn’t you once tell me the soil was bad for them?” He’d mentioned something about the trees when they were dating. Her heart ached remembering that special time they’d been together.

  “I know why!” Jane said. “Daddy told me once.”

  The camera crew moved between Jane and Tonya.

  Tonya stuck the shovel in the ground and leaned on it. “So let me in on the secret.”

  Jane blew her bangs out of her face. “Well, see, there was a man and a woman who fell in love a long time ago. And they would meet in secret behind her barn every night under a great big old willow tree, right, Daddy?”

  “You’ve got it right,” Tommy said, smiling.

  “Anyway, the girl’s daddy didn’t want her marrying the man she loved. And they got in a fight right under that willow tree, and her daddy killed him.”

  “Oh my,” Tonya said.

  Jane nodded. “Yep, with a great big sword from the Civil War.”

  “Ew,” Tonya said.

  Jane was wide-eyed. “She was so upset, she burned down that tree and all the other willow trees in Willowdale and set a curse on the town so they’d never grow again. She said the only way a new one would ever grow here again is if it was planted by two people who loved each other as much as she and her boyfriend loved each other.”

  “No pressure there,” Josh whispered.

  “And to this day, no willow tree has ever grown here,” Jane said with a shrug. “Guess they must’ve really, really loved each other.”

  “You explained that perfectly. Thanks, Jane. Hopefully someone’s tree will stay alive after we plant them today,” Tonya said.

  “I hope so,” Jane said.

  “Maybe ours,” Josh suggested.

  Tonya rolled her eyes at Josh as she unwrapped the tree from its burlap. “Doubtful, because I don’t even know how to plant a tree. I grew up in New York City. It’s not the kind of thing we did very often.”

  “Me neither. I’ve never dug a hole, have you?” Josh asked.

  “Nope. But it can’t be that hard.” Tonya took the shovel and stabbed it into the ground. It didn’t go far.

  “While you work on that, I’ll grab a bucket of water,” Josh said.

  “Typical man, running when things get hard,” Tonya mumbled to herself.

  “Use your feet,” Tommy called to her.

  “Huh?” She was supposed to kick a hole in the ground?

  “Jump on the shovel,” he told her.

  Tonya looked at the shovel with no idea what he was talking about.

  Tommy walked over and stuck the shovel in the ground, and jammed one foot along the top of the blade. It sliced into the dirt. “Shouldn’t your new boyfriend be helping you with this?”

  “Are you sure your ex-wife doesn’t mind you helping me?” Tonya asked quietly.

  The two of them glared at each other.

  “And he’s not my boyfriend,” she added. “We have to pair up with someone.”

  Tommy grumbled something under his breath and quickly dug the hole.

  “Thanks. So I just put the tree in there?” she asked, peering at the gape in the ground.

  “Use the shovel to break up the roots. Put down a layer of manure first.” He stared at her for a moment. She parted her lips, wanting to say something, although she had no idea what.

  Josh returned carrying a bucket, half the water sloshing out. “Hey, good work, kid.”

  “Tommy did it,” Tonya said. “You two haven’t met. Josh, this is Tommy Larsen, Willowdale’s police chief.”

  Josh stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “You, too. You’re an actor, huh? I don’t watch much TV.”

  “I’ve been in a few cop shows. Though I’m usually the bad guy.”

  Tommy smirked. “Well, you be good to this girl. Tonya’s…a special friend.”

  “Will do, Chief.”

  “Daddy, look how far I got!” Jane called.

  “I’m coming,” Tommy said.

  Tonya watched him leave while Josh stared at her. “What?” she asked.

  He raised an eyebrow. “He’s not just the police chief,” he said quietly. She glared at him. “Help me get the tree in the hole.”

  “So that’s what the kids are calling it these days,” he said.

  She laughed, aware that the camera was focused on them again. She sprinkled some manure in the hole and snuck a glance at Tommy. He stood behind Jane, helping her lower the tree into the hole. Her heart caught in her throat as she watched him tenderly support his daughter. Suddenly, she was aware of Ellen’s steady gaze.

  Tonya snapped her head away and jabbed at the root ball a few times with the shovel. If she ever did get the dream house with the husband and kids, she wouldn’t be planting a garden that was for sure.

  “Ready?” Josh asked.

  “I guess.” They each grabbed the tree with one hand and lowered it into the hole, then Josh took the shovel and covered the root ball with dirt.

  Tonya picked up the bucket and slowly poured the water over the base of the tree. “Here goes nothing,” she s
aid.

  Josh reached for her hand. “I have hope for our little tree.”

  Tonya wrapped her fingers around his, then pulled away and brushed her hands on her jeans. She watched Tommy, who was squatting next to Jane, Ellen across from him. Then she looked back at the camera, which was still aimed at her. She took Josh’s hand again as her heart thumped madly, then she and Josh walked out of the park.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed no cameras had followed them. They were focused on the other contestants and spectators instead. “That went okay, huh?” she asked.

  “We’ve given producers something to work with. We’ll see if they want to run with our story line,” Josh said, strolling down the sidewalk.

  “What do you mean?”

  “They’re going to look at the all the footage and decide what they want to develop into plots for the show. For example, they’ll have to decide if they want to present Marge as the man-eater she is, or only use footage of her with one guy and develop that idea.”

  “So they’re not just documenting what happens and showing it?”

  “Not exactly. They review all the footage each day and decide how they’re going to shape the story. They’re going to pick and choose from their video clips and if they like something they see, they’ll set up scenarios to push their agenda,” Josh explained.

  “So they could just ignore the two of us as a couple and try to force us into other relationships?”

  “They could. So we have to make our story too irresistible. I’ve got a few ideas for us.”

  Tonya stopped walking and planted her hands on her hips. “So nothing about this reality show is real.”

  “It usually isn’t,” Josh said. “Get used to it. The first show airs next week. It’ll be interesting to see how they spin things.” He paused. “There’s a good chance the cameras could be on us right now. They have zoom lenses. So I’m going to kiss you. Is that all right?”

  “I guess.” Not one nerve inside her looked forward to locking lips with this man.

  He laughed. “You look like you’re about to get a root canal done. It’s not going to hurt. No one’s ever complained after kissing me.”