Page 8 of Enjoying the Ride

“We’re thrilled to have you all here, and we look forward to working with you over the next two weeks.”

A few girls murmur.I glance around quickly and note the wide eyes and soft blushes that creep onto all the other contestants’ faces.

Obviously, I’m not the only one intrigued by Trek, I realize, an unexpected pang of jealousy flashing through me.

“Narax and Kixson,” Trek continues to speak as he gestures toward the other two men, “are my assistants.Together, we will make this competition a fun and no doubtmemorableexperience.After all, the contest will take place in two weeks.I hope you’re ready.”

The room is suddenly abuzz with the sound of ten women protesting.

“Yes, you heard that correctly—the pageant will be held in two weeks’ time,” Trek confirms, his eyebrow cocked in amusement at the babble echoing across the room.

“But that’s so soon!”someone laments loudly.

“I thought we had a month at least!”another girl whines.

The man waves his hands, silencing our voices immediately.

“This will be plenty of time,” he reassures us in a tone that leaves no room for argument.“Don’t worry your pretty little heads about it.In fact, all of you are incredibly beautiful and stage-ready at this very moment.”

We nod, charmed by the man’s soothing voice and authoritative demeanor.

Trek stands up and begins pacing in front of us.We watch his every move, drawn to the magnetism of an alpha male.He gives us a brief smile and I swear my panties begin to dampen.

Get it together, Posey!He’s the guy in charge— you can’t fall for the guy in charge!

“Now, as I said, two weeks is plenty time, but we certainly have a lot to accomplish between now and then.There will be bikini fittings— we provide the outfits—which will take place tomorrow.There will also be rehearsals for a short, choreographed dance which must be learned, and of course, we will conduct mock interviews for the interview segment of the competition.”

I grimace.I know what a pageant entails, but now, hearing of the activities that I’m going to have to participate in, I’m not sure if I really want to stick around.

Especially considering the quality of the competition, I lament with a heavy heart.These girls are so beautiful!I’m practically a turd by comparison.

I sneak a look at Kelly, but she’s completely focused, hanging onto Trek’s every word while furiously scribbling notes into her day-planner.

“That’s all the information that I have for you at the moment.Narax and Kixson will take over in just a moment to schedule rehearsals.Of course, we recognize that you’re busy ladies, so we’ll do our best to accommodate your schedules.But I hope you’ll make us a priority.”

The other contestants nod appreciatively.

“So, if there aren’t any questions?”Trek poses, his tone almost bored.

My hand shoots up without warning.Oh shit, what am I doing?His blue eyes pierce mine, but this time, I’m prepared for the intensity.

“I have a question,” I say, standing up quickly.I tug at my short dress, feeling like I’m on display.To his credit, Trek doesn’t shift his gaze to my body, but instead continues to look at my face.

“Yes.Your name is?”

“Um, Posey Allstrom.Just Posey is fine,” I mutter, some of my initial courage fading.

“Posey,” Trek repeats, the sound of my name in his mouth both familiar and arousing.

I bite my bottom lip before continuing to speak.“I just have one question.I was hoping for some clarification about the grand prize.”

Trek inclines his head as he speaks.“The grand prize is a hundred thousand dollars,” he says in a smooth tone.“Now, I’ll turn it over to—”

“Sorry, I actually have a follow up question,” I interrupt.

He raises an eyebrow.“Is that so?”he asks, his voice low.

“Yes,” I state with more confidence than I actually feel.“I guess I just want to know if there’s anything else?In addition to the hundred thousand?Of course, I’m grateful for the cash, but I mean, like, is there more prize-wise?”

---