Page 2 of The Love Lie
“What?” Sam snaps, totally breaking her zen—not that it takes much. She’s always been the spice to Emily’s sweet. Some things just never change. But she’s supposed to be her sister right now, so she takes a deep breath and puts a pleasant smile on her face before she turns toward her producer, Nina Chen.
The woman is a petite five-foot-two, but her personality packs a punch. Beneath that saccharine smile, punk-rock hair (half of her black tresses are buzz cut close to the scalp), and combat boots, lies a cunning assassin. It takes one to know one. The moment Sam set eyes on the producer, she knew she’d have to be on top of her game to keep Nina fooled. The woman’s entire job is to pick people apart, manipulate them, and capitalize on their weaknesses to make entertaining TV. Sam knows because she’s spent hours being entertained by said TV, but this time she’s not watching from the comfortable position on her egregiously large bed (at least when compared to her laughably small city apartment). She’s in the thick of it, which means now is not the time to lower her guard.
In two more hours, filming will be done. She can relax then.
I’m Emily, Sam thinks as she switches her tone to something humble and apologetic.Be Emily.
“Sorry.” She smiles meekly. “I zoned out. Did you need something?”
“Just checking in. We’re almost there. How are you feeling?”
Like I was born for this shit.It takes everything Sam has to keep the smirk off her face. Instead, she swallows nervously. “Good. Great! Maybe just a little anxious…”
“Really?” Nina smiles conspiratorially and lowers her voice. “After what I saw in the dream suite, I thought you’d be eager to get engaged.”
As a fan of the show, Sam is aware of the infamous “dream suite” dates. When only three suitors are left, the lead gets the opportunity to have an overnight date with each one sans the cameras. AKA, it’s time to get freaky. Except, she knows her sister and Emily doesn’t do freaky. That’s Sam’s department. So she has no idea what the hell Nina is referencing, and in their little tête-à-tête before the swap Em never mentioned it.
She’s going to have to wing it.
Sam shrugs, playing up her nerves, and offers a vague, “Yeah, well, you know…”
Nina’s eyes fill with sympathy. “Are you afraid he’s not going to propose?”
“What?” Sam rears back.
He’s going to propose.
Hehasto propose.
The whole reason Emily signed up for this show in the first place was to promote her budding jewelry business, Emily Ann Designs, and being turned down on national television issonot a good look. Not that turning down a certified heartthrob’s proposal is that much better, but still. Sam and and her sister spent hours preparing the best way to let Cooper down easy,focusing on the personal growth and female empowerment that defines Em’s brand. Once she makes it through the initial breakup, Sam’s messaging will be on point and sure to gain the viewers’ support. The speech is a practical rallying cry for the business, and now she’s being told it might all be ruined? By a freaking cowboy? Who does he think he is, turning her sister down? Emily is a complete catch. He’s lucky he’s even getting the chance to propose to her, lucky to be breathing the same air, lucky—
Sam breaks off and turns suddenly toward Nina. Wicked sparkles flash in the corners of the producer’s eyes.
Oh, she’s good, Sam thinks, suddenly remembering that this woman was one of the assholes who refused to let her speak to Emily during filming, not even when she explained the need to pass along private medical information.But I’m better.
The only thing that anyone who works for this show cares about is ratings, and there’s only two ways to draw in the viewers—drama or romance. People want a heart-stopping love story or a jaw-dropping explosion. Anything in between is utter crap.
So Sam looks at Nina innocently and offers an amused laugh. “Wouldn’t that be funny? If he told me he didn’t love me, and he couldn’t propose, so we just hugged it out before deciding to be friends?”
“Hilarious,” Nina drawls as her lips twitch with a frown. Sam works to stifle her grin.Gotcha.The producer clears her throat. “Should we go over the schedule one more time?”
“Sounds great.”
Sam smirks and drops her head back again, soaking up the sun’s warm rays as Nina drones on about hair and makeup and the plan for the day. It’s not rocket science and she’s heard it all before, so she mostly tunes it out, choosing to instead focus on the five free days she’ll have to enjoy her network-provided, over-ocean bungalow when all this is through. It’s customary forthe show to pay for the lead to have a few extra days in the final location, normally shared with her new fiancé since the two then have to part ways until the live finale three months later. But in Sam’s case, she’ll be blissfully solo, just the way she likes it. Sure, she’ll have to spend most of her time answering emails, fielding phone calls, and doing the grunt work of an investment banking analyst (this is an unplanned, totally impromptu extended vacation after all, and her boss is undoubtedly already losing his mind because she’s been offline for an unheard-of forty-eight hours), but at least she’ll be doing it with an ocean view.
Too soon, the boat slows to a stop in the shallows of a gorgeous beach bustling with activity. The executive producer, an ice woman named Trish with her white-blonde hair tied in a severe bun, whispers with the director, an utter romantic named Fred with a wide grin on his lips, in the shade of a tent filled with various television screens. Three cameramen wander the shallows in search of the perfect shot. Local artisans scatter rose petals in a path along the sand, leading to an elaborate platform covered in tropical florals. Two drones hover overhead, undoubtedly ready for filming. There’s a table arranged with food and drinks, though no one seems to be paying it any mind. The cowboy is nowhere to be found, not that Sam really knows what he looks like seeing as they’ve never met, but she’s assuming it will be hard to miss a six-foot-two redhead with six-pack abs, if Em’s description of the man is anything to go by…and Sam is sort of hoping it is, because, well, yum. Eye candy. But Nina steps directly in her line of sight before she has a chance to scan the rest of the area.
As if reading her mind, the producer comments, “Cooper won’t be here for another hour. Weren’t you listening? It’s time to film your pre-proposal interview.”
With that, Nina hops over the side of the boat and lands with a splash in the shallow surf. Phil, her personal cameraman,follows. Sam glances down at her floor-length ball gown with a frown.What the hell am I supposed to do?
She could ask Nina, but why give the woman the satisfaction? Instead, she takes advantage of the thigh-high slit in the ivory material and gathers the skirt in one hand before launching herself over the edge of the speedboat.
A horrified cry pierces the air.
Too late,Sam thinks with a smirk as her toes touch cool water then sink satisfyingly into the sand. There’s a small splash, but none of it reaches the fabric bunched around her waist. Half the crew probably gets a clear view of her thong, but whatever. She has a killer ass and she knows it.
“The fuck, Emily,” Nina mutters and shakes her head. “I was just about to get someone to help you down.”
