“Don’t be mad. I did a little thing.”
“What little thing?” Lexi punched her words out like darts as she eyed her friend who was reclining on a lounge chair, her arms propped behind her head. Magnolia’s light eyes were brimming with a secret mischief.
Magnolia laughed lightly. “No need to get your panties in a wad.” A deviant giggle trilled from her lips. “You’ll thank me for it,” she sang as she sat up and trailed her fingers through her long blonde hair.
There was no telling what half-baked plan Magnolia had concocted. The two were sitting on the balcony of the grandly dignified mansion where Magnolia lived with her affluent father who owned a large chunk of the real estate in New Orleans. The mansion overlooked historic Esplanade Avenue.
Ever since arriving in New Orleans two days prior, Lexi felt she’d stepped into the pages of history, chocked-full of culture and flair. Her gaze moved to the double row of large majestic oak trees planted in the center section of the road, their intricate branches stretching out a canopy of long arms. A thick carpet of verdant grass blanketed the sturdy trunks. Soft strains of notes floated in the crisp air from the live jazz music being played at nearby Frenchman Street. A faint scent of creole spice lingered in the air. Across from the trees was a neat row of colorful shotgun houses, rubbing shoulders.
“What did you do?” Lexi pressed, clamping her arms over her chest. Magnolia was from a world of wealth and endless possibilities. After finishing college, she’d gotten a job as the editor-in-chief for one of the most prominent fashion and lifestyle online magazines in the US. While Magnolia was hardworking and much deserving of her success, Lexi suspected that her fast rise to the top was partly owed to the influence of her father.
Magnolia sat up straight. “I signed you up to sing tonight at the fair.” Her eyes danced with glee as she giggled.
Lexi’s jaw fell. “You what?”
Magnolia rushed on. “After your performance, we’re going on a double date. Roman is bringing his friend Charles.” Magnolia pumped her eyebrows. “I’ve only met Charles once, but he’s very easy on the eyes.”
Lexi rubbed a hand across her forehead. “I don’t know which is worse—signing me up to perform at the fair or fixing me up on a blind date.” She threw Magnolia an incredulous look. “In two days, I’m going on a reality show for four weeks.” She threw her hands into the air. “That’s four weeks where I won’t have any access to the outside world. No phones, internet, magazines, newspapers, nothing. Now is the worst time ever for me to meet someone.”
“Sounds dreadful.” Magnolia faked a shudder. “I couldn’t live without my phone.” A teasing smile curved her lips. “I know the real reason you don’t wanna meet Charles. You’re saving yourself for the eligible bachelor.”
“Not hardly,” Lexi scoffed.
“It’s so archaic—all those desperate girls vying for the attention of the one guy. How many girls are there?”
“Twenty. But ten get eliminated on the first night.”
Magnolia wrinkled her brows. “Remind me again … how exactly does music play into the show?”
Lexi raised an eyebrow, an expression of mock surprise overtaking her features. “What! You don’t already know? I thought everyone had watched The Singing Bachelor.” Her lips quivered with unreleased laughter. “Aren’t you supposed to be in the know?” It was fun making Magnolia squirm a little. The two had always razzed one another. Doing so now felt like old times.
“I don’t watch much TV,” Magnolia sniffed as she flicked an imaginary speck off her pants. “Too many other things commanding my attention.” Her words were coated in a surly superiority.
Lexi let out a dramatic sigh. “The idea is that musicians will connect and find love.”
Laughter sparkled in Magnolia’s eyes. “Ah, so it is about love.”
Heat crept into Lexi’s cheeks. “It’s about gaining exposure for my music.”
“So, you’re singing on the show?”
“Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn’t do it.”
Magnolia pursed her lips. “Is everyone on the show into country music?”
“Yep, the show is bankrolled by Wylie Boon from Boonworthy Records.”
“Never heard of him.” Magnolia waved a hand in dismissal.
“Well, you would have … if you knew the slightest thing about country music. Wylie Boon is huge in the industry. The winner of the show gets her own record deal, compliments of Boonworthy Records.”
“And the love of the eligible bachelor,” Magnolia teased.
“Yeah, yeah, that too.” Lexi rolled her eyes. “Not to mention the two-carat diamond ring.”
Magnolia giggled. “Well, diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” She paused, dipping her head as she studied Lexi. “Let’s say you make it past the first cut. Do you really think you’ll be the last one standing?”
“No, I’m not that delusional. I’m just hoping to gain some exposure. Think of all the people who’ll be tuning in to watch. I could have an instant fan base. My hope is to stay on the show as long as possible so that people will get to know me.”
“Makes sense.” Magnolia scrunched her nose. “It still gives me the heebie jeebies to think of all those girls vying for the one guy. I just hate to think of you lowering yourself to that level.”
Lexi rolled her eyes, feeling like a broken record. “Like I said, it’s not about the guy. It’s about the exposure my being on the show will bring.” Even as she spoke the words, a quiver of anticipation ran through her. She was so grateful to Hartley Raines, now Romeo, for giving her this opportunity. One of the other contestants had backed out last minute. The executive producer Trent Oglesby was looking for a replacement, and Hartley suggested Lexi. “People wait their entire lifetime for a chance like this, and it just fell into my lap. The other contestants spent months going through extensive screenings and background checks. How could I possibly turn this down?”
“I hear ya,” Magnolia drawled easily with a mea culpa smile. “Not everyone’s fortunate enough to have Cash Romeo as a first cousin,” she winked.
“Actually, this opportunity came from Hartley Raines … err, Hartley Romeo now. She just married my other cousin Ramsey.”
Magnolia giggled before clearing her throat. “Ahem, I stand corrected. Not everyone’s fortunate enough to have Cash Romeo and Hartley Raines as family.”
“Says the girl who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.” Lexi waved a hand, encompassing their surroundings.
“Guilty as charged.” Magnolia sighed dramatically. “I guess we have to use all of our resources to our advantage, right?”
“Right,” Lexi answered with a perfunctory nod. Lexi had met Magnolia in junior high when she moved to Franklin to live with her mom. The two were inseparable during the two years that Magnolia lived in Franklin. Since their childhood, the two had kept in touch off and on, mostly through social media and Christmas cards. When Lexi learned that the bulk of the reality TV show was being filmed at a mansion in Madisonville, which was about forty minutes outside of New Orleans, she’d called Magnolia. The two had picked up right where they left off.
“About tonight … are you game for singing and then the double date? Puh-leeze!” she begged, pressing her palms together and holding them up to her chin. “It’ll be so much fun.”
“Okay,” Lexi agreed, “but only because you’re letting me borrow so many of your clothes.” Each contestant had to provide their own clothes. Lexi had a small savings, but she was using the bulk of it to pay rent on her apartment during the month she’d be gone. Also, she had to pay utilities and her car payment. Going on the show would cause Lexi to lose an entire month’s worth of wages. Lexi could only hope that the exposure she gained from the show would be worth all of the hassle. Her boss wasn’t happy about her taking a month off work. He’d told Lexi that he couldn’t promise that her job would be waiting when she got back. Going on the show would either be the greatest decision Lexi had ever made or the dumbest. She had no idea which way the pendulum would swing.
Magnolia stood. “Let’s go figure out what we’re wearing tonight.”
“Wait a minute. You haven’t told me anything about the fair. What’s the setup?”
“Setup?” Magnolia asked dubiously.
“What sort of sound equipment do they have?”
“I don’t know. It’s outdoors … at an amphitheater. Does that help?”
“A little. How many songs will I be singing?”
“Uh, probably three or four.” Magnolia shrugged her shoulders, offering an apologetic smile. “I really don’t know.”
“How did you even find out about the venue?”
“One of the photographers at the magazine was talking about it. I mentioned that you were coming to town and that you’re going on The Singing Bachelor. She suggested that I sign you up to sing at the open mic night at the county fair. You have your guitar. That should be enough, right?”
“Yeah, hopefully.” While Lexi was grateful to Magnolia for lending her the clothes and allowing her to stay at her home, she didn’t appreciate being put in an awkward position. “I’m not sure what the rules are regarding me telling people that I’m going on the show, but I don’t think the producers would appreciate me blasting it to the world.”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t mention anything about the show when I signed you up.”
“That’s a relief.”
Magnolia smiled brightly. “I figured that since we were already at the fair, then we could go on our double date afterward.” She gave Lexi a pleading look. “Please don’t be mad. You’ll love Charles.”
“So, Charles is friends with your boyfriend Roman?”
“Yep.” A large grin spread over Magnolia’s lips.
“How exactly did you meet Roman?”
“At the country club. We play tennis together.”
Lexi frowned. “Country club guys aren’t really my type.”
Magnolia’s hand went to her hip. “I know, you like the country bumpkin types.”
“Hey,” Lexi protested, “don’t be knocking where I’m from.” It stung that Magnolia was taking potshots at her home.
“I’m not. I love Franklin and Nashville. You know that.” Magnolia’s voice held a hint of reproof. She pursed her lips as she assessed Lexi. “But it can’t hurt to broaden your horizons a little. Mark my word, you’ll change your mind about those country club boys when you see Charles,” Magnolia chimed.
“I doubt that,” Lexi muttered.
“Trust me.”
“Uh, huh. I’ve heard that before.” Lexi wagged a finger. “The last time I listened to you and skipped chemistry to go shopping, I ended up spending a week in detention and getting grounded for a month.”
“Oh, quit holding old grudges,” Magnolia chuckled as she reached for Lexi’s hand to pull her to her feet. “Come on, party pooper, let’s go find us both something to wear.” Her eyes danced as her voice dripped with drama. “Something that will keep Charles Harrington pining away for you those four long, lonely weeks while you’re tucked away in some mansion, fighting off all those hopeful girls so you can win the heart of the lone bachelor. Even though you’ve never laid eyes on him, you know in your heart that he’s the only one for you.” Magnolia batted her eyelashes.
Lexi could have reiterated that it wasn’t about finding love, but the effort would be wasted on Magnolia, who was determined to needle Lexi about it. “Fine,” Lexi said tonelessly as she allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. “I’ll go on the lousy date.” Anything to shut Magnolia up.
A blind date with a man named Charles Harrington? Lexi detested snooty, prep-school guys. This wasn’t going to end well. Not well at all.
