Page 18 of Cowboy Seeks Husband
Not that Walker could really get a good look at it with the dozens of crew members crawling all over the place, adjusting the set, the lighting, the fixed cameras. Walker took advantage of no one aside from John paying particular attention to him yet to try to see what all had been accomplished.
Gone were the straw-covered floors and spiderweb-adorned walls. It was also a lot more subdued than he’d braced himself for, if he looked past all the filming equipment and the hive of activity around him. He’d expected boudoir colors and decadent furniture, but instead it was modern and rustic at the same time, the walls painted in soft creams and grays, while the wooden floor gleamed darkly under his feet. Comfortable white couches sat in a spacious living room, arranged in such a way that there was room for cameramen to move about. The kitchen was pretty big too, which made him curious about how much space was left for the bedrooms.
There were only two of them upstairs where the hayloft used to be, each with a bathroom that had a shower and a Jacuzzi. Tessa and Dad would love that when they finally moved in. He winced, laughing a little, imagining them in the Jacuzzi together. He’d have to remember never to use his own key when they were home by themselves.
Each bedroom had two sets of bunk beds and one queen-sized bed, and he didn’t envy twelve men having to share those two spaces. He wondered if they were going to have to flip for who shared the queen beds and who got the top bunks.
Outside, he heard the banging of car doors, and his heart began to race. He sucked in a deep breath and slowly pushed it out of his nose again. He’d be fine. They were just men. Here to try to win his heart and get a cash prize for succeeding. That was all.
The AC came on as he made his way downstairs again, the cool air a relief against the sweat that prickled the back of his neck. He scrubbed his stubbled jaw, wondering if he shouldn’t have shaved after all. But he wasn’t about to pretend to be someone he wasn’t.
Apart from the suit, that is.
And the remodeled barn.
And the pretending to be well-to-do.
Yeah.
Andy walked into the house ahead of another small army of shabbily dressed crew members. “There you are. So what do you think? No, never mind, I don’t actually care. The contestants are taking a spin in the SUVs with their producers so we can grab some shots of their excitement at finally being here.” He said all that in the most cheerful voice Walker had ever heard. “But they’ll be back in half an hour. Want a drink?”
Without waiting for an answer, Andy aimed for the kitchen and yanked open the huge fridge. It was stocked to the brim with food.
“Wow. Who’s going to be doing the cooking for these guys?” Walker asked.
Andy snorted and grabbed a bottle of water. He left the door open for Walker to help himself. “That’s for them to fight out. Theladies, I assume.” Andy made quote marks with his fingers, and Walker’s eyebrows flew up.
“That’s really offensive.”
Andy had the slightest smirk on his face. “C’mon, Walker. I’m a filthy old queen.” He motioned to his shiny, floral T-shirt. “I can say what I want.”
“You’re just trying to rile me up, aren’t you? Is that what you people do? To get reactions on camera?”
Andy laughed, and it looked like his entire posture relaxed. He took a deep drink from his bottle and smacked his lips. “Congrats. Most people don’t ever figure that out until they’ve been on the show for a few weeks. You’re gonna keep me on my toes.” He waggled his eyebrows. “The show needs drama, you see. The producers produce the drama, and I’m the showrunner, which means I’m a producer as well as everything else important. Aside from the star, of course.”
“So underneath all that…” Walker motioned toward Andy’s face and clothes. “You’re also an asshole.” Walker shook his head and then sipped the ice-cold water.
“Oh yeah, absolutely.” Andy patted the fridge. “Wouldn’t be able to do this job if I wasn’t. Fresh food will be delivered every three days. The contestants can put in a list with their wishes, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“I wasn’t about to.”
Andy grinned. “You’re a bit of an asshole too, aren’t you?”
Walker drank from his bottle again and shrugged. “Sometimes.”
“That’s what I thought. Okay, makeup is going to want to take a look at you again.” He squinted up at Walker’s face. “They’ll do something about your hair and probably have a hissy fit over the fact that you didn’t shave. Hell, I like it,” he said when Walker began to sputter. “It gives you that authentic rancher look. Put a cowboy hat on, too.” He gave Walker a sharp nudge with his elbow. “Got an extra I can wear home to my hubby?”
“I doubt it’d fit you,” Walker said. “What with that big head of yours.”
Andy laughed. “I’ll send makeup in, and by the time you’re ready, you’ll get to meet your suitors. Or as Luke will put it, your future husband.”
“More manipulation,” Walker said.
“Oh, yes. And the best thing is, even when you know it, it still works.”
Walker said nothing. He parked himself down on a barstool in the gleaming kitchen and waited. The whole place had been converted in a hurry, and he figured there’d be some problems with some of the construction sooner rather than later, but it was still an improvement. His parents would like living here after the show was done. And he’d have the farmhouse to himself. A little lonely, maybe, but maybe one day he’d find someone to share the old house with. For real.
A new make-up artist Walker hadn’t met before, a girl with very short and very black hair burst into the kitchen, carrying a big white case on a strap on her shoulder. She was wearing a tank top and sported as many muscles underneath as he did.
