The Bachelor

Chapter 27

Julianne was getting anxious now. She wanted to make some excuses like she was sick or she was having a bad stomach just so the meeting with Zach would be postponed. Never had she shared a real date with him alone with a camera guy.

“They said he’s coming. Are you sure you’re not inviting anyone over?” the camera guy whom she knew now as Steve asked her.

“Yes,” she answered, trying to stay on the couch and not pace around like a wife waiting for her husband.

Steve was looking at her in a weird way.

“What?” she asked him.

“You’re not going to dress up or anything?” he nodded his bald head towards her.

Julianne looked down at her simple plain black shirt and dark pants. “No.”

“What are you two going to do for the day?” he asked.

“I don’t know.”

“You should plan something. You’re the host now,” he shrugged.

Julianne stared at him dryly. “So you’re Brent now? You’re making talks?”

Steve grinned. “Hey, I’m just trying to ease away the coldness.”

“You feel uncomfortable around me,” she stated without question.

He smirked, his brown eyes wavering for a moment and then he shrugged. “You make us feel uncomfortable, you know.”

“I do?”

He nodded. “You’re not like everyone else.”

She didn’t answer. Saying anything about her deal with Jack and Zach might lead to some problems and plus, she didn’t know Steve that well to tell him more.

When he thought she was not going to remark anything, he continued, “You know, we camera guys and some other staff talk about you a lot.”

Okay, now, that one was surprising. “What about me?”

He only grinned, “You don’t like being here, do you?”

“What made you say that?”

“We just know. We’re the camera guys, remember? We see almost everything, we hear almost every word.”

“Not a very appealing job, I guess,” she sighed.

He chuckled. “Yes, it’s not. But we also know Zachary Astor likes you very much.”

She just stared at him, not giving anything away. She wondered if they also knew about what happened the night she and Zach were trapped in that small cabin. They had put on cameras all over the island and there was that big possibility they also did that around the ranch. If that was ever true, she would flip like crazy.

“Though the audience bet for Chloe or Pauline, I guess we all know you’re on your way to beating them,” Steve said matter-of-factly.

She scoffed. If only he knew. She’d be leaving by the end of the week.

So, you better make this day worth to last for a lifetime, a voice deep inside her uttered.

 *****

Zach was getting giddy. Yes, yes, he acts like a child, but he didn’t care. This was the day he’d been waiting for. The only day he was dreaming of.

Along the way, he brought tulips for Julianne. Roses were out. He’d given away too much of the damned thing.

“You look anxious,” the camera guy stated.