The Husband Hunt (a novella) (The Bachelor Series) (4 page)

             
Staring outside from a window seat, Jaxie saw Crane pull up in an SUV and get out of the car. She ran outside to talk to him before he disappeared again. Crane was always coming and going, mostly going, it seemed to her. Within sight of him, she stopped rushing and walked like she wasn’t anxious to see him. Everyone referred to him as David, not Crane, and everyone but her had known he was the host of the show. But she’d never watched the show. When Jaxie explained to the girls that he’d picked her up at the airport, the other girls were surprised he’d been the one. They’d had drivers from The Husband Hunt driving pool. “I don’t know why that happened. Maybe they were short a driver,” she’d said.

             
“Howdy, Crane.” She did a little two step and he laughed, his gaze resting on her fancy footwork, then traveling up her body to her face.

             
“Well, Miss Foxie, you look right fine this morning.”

             
“Thankee. Much obliged.” She shrugged. “I’m thinking we’re going riding so if it turns out to be some formal event, I will look very silly.” They walked towards the house.

             
He made a gesture to lock his lips and smiled at her. Again, her heart raced at their exchange. Cameras were just getting set up inside, none running yet, and Crane motioned for them to walk through to the back yard where they “wouldn’t be in the way.”

             
“Are you coming on our private, seven-person date?” Jaxie grinned.

             
“No, I’m just here to say a few words on camera, then back again tomorrow to say a few more words. Then the next day I get to say even more words.” He looked into her face, as if studying her worth. “But then you know how it is to be the on camera talent.”

              She nodded. “But you’re a producer too, I heard. Seems like you do more than just look pretty on camera.” They stood by an arbor of flowered vines, overlooking the pool.

             
“I’m executive producer of the show with three other people, so yes, I have an interest in everything going well.” He looked up in the trees where some birds were squawking. “My office is just fifteen minutes down the road from here.” He motioned towards the driveway. “I’m there part time, here part time.” He looked at her, an expression on his face that she couldn’t read. “I’m always trying to develop something marketable.”

             
She wanted him to mention the cooking show again. “Well, you are very good on camera. I was watching you last night.” She considered herself a good judge of camera appeal.

             
“Thanks. I started out on the Discovery Channel, believe it or not. Hosting a show on wild animals.” His smile was so sweet, and lovely, and genuine that Jaxie felt a hot rush all through her body.

             
“You’re really photogenic too. I watched footage of your spots on King 5. Did you know that I was one of the people who chose you to do the show?”

             
She was surprised. And embarrassed, for some unexplained reason. “Do you like hosting this show?”

             
“Yes. I do.” He flashed her a look. “I mean, sometimes it gets ridiculous, but it’s fun and great exposure and extremely successful, even if you are the one person in the world who hasn’t seen it on T.V. yet.”

             
She laughed. Admitting to him that she was doing The Husband Hunt for the exposure seemed worse than saying she was rebounding from her breakup with Brent, which wasn’t exactly the truth either. “I’m surprised that you chose me.” The air between them was charged with tension. “I’m not sure what to say.”

             
“You could thank me if you’re glad to be here.” He motioned to the mansion. “Or hit me for encouraging you.”

             
Jaxie grinned. “How about I thank you, as I hit you.”

             
When he laughed, she felt all fluttery in her tummy.

             
He added, “Don’t forget to hit yourself while you’re at it. You signed on.” With that, Crane walked into the house, his athletic gait impossible to ignore.

             
Who was this man and why was she more interested in Crane than going on a date with Liam?

*  *  *  *

             
Three hours later, the girls and Liam had finished their trail ride in the hills above Topanga Canyon and everyone was having a romantic picnic for a group of girls and one guy in a grassy field. The crew had set up a dining room vignette in a stand of hickory trees, and it was as picturesque as anything Jaxie had seen in awhile. Checkered table cloth on the grass, mounds of flowers in the center, cowboy hats hung on the backs of their chairs, eating barbequed chicken and laughing about dribbling sauce, Jaxie was enjoying herself immensely. The other girls were sweet, and fun, and feeling each other out, as well as checking out Liam.

             
Feeling more regretful as the hours ticked on, Jaxie finished off a piece of chicken, wondering how she even thought to come on this show. Although it was fantastic to get out of Washington and away from the whole Brent thing and work, it was difficult to pretend that Liam was husband-worthy for her. Come to think of it, Brent was getting less husband-worthy with every new experience.

             
After the picnic, Liam asked for one on one time, first with the girl named Bethany, then with Jaxie. When he held out his hand and asked her to take a walk with him, she slipped her hand into his and they strolled over to a grouping of trees where the crew had set up a love seat and a bottle of white wine chilling in a silver urn.  Before the cameras could set up the shot, Liam leaned in and whispered to her, “Brent’s girlfriend, right?”

             
Jaxie whispered back. “I’m sorry,” looking regretful.

             
His next words were like music to her embarrassment as he plucked off their microphones so the busy crew wouldn’t be distracted while they set up the cameras and arranged the lighting screens. “It’s okay. Did you guys break up, or what?”

             
She nodded and shrugged. He looked confused but she tried to explain by saying, “we just broke up and I was recruited to be on the show the day after.”

             
“Okay, let’s roll,” someone said.

             
To anyone watching the couple on the couch, it looked like two people were simply getting to know one another. One of them was a football player, the other a food critic. “Are you on T.V. in Seattle?” he asked.

             
Jaxie thought she detected suspicion in Brent’s eyes. “Yes, just locally.”

             
Then he asked the zinger. “When was your last relationship?”

             
“It ended last month.” She held her chin in place, not willing to look down on this one.

             
“That’s kind of soon. Don’t you think?”

             
“Not necessarily if it ended amicably and for the right reasons.” A shake of her head punctuated her message. “But, I think you should know that he was a football player.” She waited.

             
Liam shrugged his muscular shoulders. “I’m okay with that. As long as it’s over.”

             
She nodded, but in her heart she was wincing. Why had she done this show anyways? After admitting she’d been involved with a football player, Liam did not delve into who she dated, even though he could’ve exposed her on national T.V.—a fact she found chivalrous. The two made small talk for a few minutes, cameras stopped rolling and they eventually walked back towards the picnic.

             
He stopped her halfway. “Are you here to find love, Jaxie?”

             
Now she felt like the biggest con artist ever. Looking at the grass by her feet, she took a deep breath, fully prepared to tell him the truth. “Well,...” But when one of the production assistants approached them, she never got the chance to come clean. They did exchange a look, and both were wiser for the words not spoken.

*  *  *  *

             
Girls poured out of the Escalade in the mansion’s driveway, now home from the cowboy date. They handed in their cowboy hats to a young man. Jaxie was the last to get out of the car, wanting to finish a conversation with the driver about how to make a béchamel sauce. Stepping out of the car, she added her hat to the pile and noticed Crane exiting the house. “Date card came.” He motioned back towards the door and the five girls from the picnic ran in to see who got the private date with Liam. Jaxie stopped and took advantage of the moment to speak with Crane. He looked good in a polo shirt and jeans, tanned and sparkly-eyed. If she wasn’t mistaken, she would say he looked really happy to see her too. They grinned at each other until he finally broke the silence.

             
“How was your date?”

             
“I think I made more of a love connection to my horse,” she shielded her eyes from the late afternoon sunshine. Again, his laugh brought Jaxie such satisfaction she felt bubbly and proud. “It was nice, though. The date itself and from a production aspect it was beautifully done.”

             
It was as though he hadn’t heard her. A shadow invaded his face, like he’d just thought of something serious and his staring made her suddenly uncomfortable. “Why are you even here?” His eyes squinted. “Camera time, I can understand. You have a budding career and need publicity. That would be the obvious answer, but I heard when the producers asked you for an on camera interview this morning to talk about Liam, you declined.” He moved closer. “Why Jaxie? That would’ve been a good moment to get more air time.” He touched her arm and she flinched. “Why are you here?”

             
She suddenly felt like she was burning up. How much should she admit to this guy who was a producer? She didn’t want to talk about Liam because she was a fraud. If he knew that, Crane would pull her off the show, but wasn’t she thinking about leaving after that date? And if she didn’t voluntarily leave today, tomorrow’s rose ceremony would undoubtedly leave her without a rose. “I’m asking myself that right now too.” Crane was too close. “I’m not sure.” She couldn’t look in his eyes or she’d blurt it all out, right there and then. “I was encouraged by a friend to come on the show when I broke up with my boyfriend, and thought it might be something fun to do.” That sounded good.

             
She looked up at Crane, who was still staring and saw that he looked at her like she was a drink of water to his thirst. This was no casual conversation about motive, this was something more. Why did he care so much about her motive for doing The Husband Hunt?

             
He shook his head and let go of her arm. “Sorry I even asked, then.” His words seemed to pain him. At that moment, standing in the driveway alone with Crane, Jaxie wanted to be eliminated from this stupid show so she could have a conversation with this man without conflict of interest. They were trying so hard to avoid what they both wanted to say. What Crane wanted to say was a mystery to her. She only knew what she wanted to reveal was that she came on the show for a deceitful reason and needed to leave. He was still looking at her, wanting something from her, but all she wanted to do was kiss him.

             
Jaxie had to get inside the house, or something would happen with Crane that might embarrass the hell out of her and put him in a compromised position. “I’ll see you at tomorrow’s cocktail party then.” She disappeared through the arched Spanish doorway and followed the sound of the girls’ conversation about Laura going on a one on one date the next day.

*  *  *  *

             
Jaxie chose the orange print dress, another mini, with gold gladiator-style stilettos and gold jewelry to match the shoes. She loved the color and when she did one final check in the mirror before going downstairs, she liked what she saw. Her hair fell across her shoulders in curls and her makeup was done to perfection. Not too heavy, and not too light. Spraying a little perfume on her neck, she descended the stairs and walked into the cocktail party already in progress, the last girl to arrive. Crane stood across the room talking to the crew, and she couldn’t help but notice he did a double take her way. His reaction was worth the two hours of hair and makeup, the years of hitting the gym and the moments of abstention that afternoon when everyone was drinking margaritas around the pool and eating burritos that she’d made.

             
The crew either hadn’t noticed, or chose to ignore Crane’s reaction because no one turned around and Jaxie descended the three final stairs into the sunken party room to mingle with the group of gals who she considered her friends. At this point in the game, people’s characters were beginning to rise to the surface like cream, or fall to the bottom, like dirt. Already Jaxie had a group she avoided because they seemed too gossipy, too catty and competitive.

             
Her group was talking about Laura’s private date the day before when, from the corner of her eye, Jaxie saw Crane walk over to them. He looked good enough to eat. He wore a dark blue suit with a blue patterned tie to match his eyes and was freshly shaved.