Reality Romance Reunion
Business-minded Tamara Foles hopes acting as a judge on a new reality TV show, Domestic Goddess, will give her struggling interior design firm the boost it needs. But she doesnât count on her professional demeanor being changed into the mean girl role. Or on her ex, Reid Jacobs, being the assistant director. Whatever may have gone wrong in the past, the passion between her and Reid is still very much alive. Navigating an old relationship made new again is difficult enough without the whole world watchingâ¦
Viewer discretion advised. Mature audiences only.
Contemporary, sexy stories for sassy women
Cosmo Red-Hot Reads from Mills & Boon
www.millsandboon.co.uk/cosmo
Chapter One
Preparations for the reality contest Domestic Goddess are underway. Weâre liaising with our U.S. parent company on this show, and for the first time Iâm pulling double duty as director and producer. Lots of new faces on both the cast and crew. Iâm pleased to be working with Tamara Foles again. I know she wasnât Reality Lifeâs first choice for this show, but I think sheâll do a fantastic job.
Production Notes, Brian Merrick, Director
âThere you go, Ms. Foles, youâre all set. Enjoy your flight to New York.â
I think the poor lady was scared of me. Her tight smile pulled her cheeks up so high they kissed the bottoms of her eyes. The way she shoved my passport back, as though it was radioactive, normally would have had me giggling. But not today. No, today I was about to get on an airplane. Me, in flight. So not good.
âThank you.â I snapped my passport up, gave the woman a brief nod and spun on my heel to face my friend and business partner.
Sophia stood behind the check-in line gawking around Pearson Airport as she waited for me. I loved Sophie as if she were my own sister, but the fact that I got assigned to judge a reality showâand by extension was the one who was about to board an airplaneâwas completely her fault.
Reality Life had wanted one of us for their new interior-design contest show Domestic Goddess on their U.S. station. It was a way for us to introduce our interior design business to a wider audience. It was being taped in New York, the location of Reality Lifeâs headquarters. Plus, we also had an opportunity to bid on a design contract to redo their head office. While Sophia was the natural choice as judge, her skills in the boardroom werenât up to mine. Sheâd suggested we both go, push off our paying customers for the month so we could divide and conquer. While I knew she was the one people really wanted to see on the show, we couldnât afford for us to both leave our customers. Plus, the brass at Reality Life wanted a hard-ass to act as a third judge.
Sophia was many things, but not an Ice Queen. Iâd learned long ago that with a few sharp looks and carefully chosen barbs, I could scare just about anyone. It wasnât something I took pride in, but over the years it had slowly become my default defense mechanism in stressful situations. So I agreed to act as a judge on the show, leaving Sophia to hold down our business while I was away.
All I had to do was survive the flight.
âIâm all checked in and ready to rock.â
âAwesome.â Sophia handed me my small carry-on bag and hooked her thumb into her jeans pocket. âIâll walk you over to the security check-in.â
âIâm fine and can manage on my own.â My cheeks were starting to hurt from keeping my smile in place. The sooner Sophie left the sooner Iâd have to stop pretending. âItâs just over there. Not even thirty feet away.â
âThatâs such bullshit.â She linked her arm through mine and pulled me along. âI know flying scares the shit out of you.â
âIâm not scared. Thousands of people fly daily with absolutely no problems.â And there went my stomach again.
âDo you have something you can take?â
âI already swallowed an Ativan. Really, Sophie, Iâm fine.â
Sophia laughed and gave my hand a pat.
The crowd ahead was being filtered through the security checkpoints. I dropped my bag, turned and threw my arms around her. âIf my plane crashes Iâm going to come back and haunt you and Fynn. Just so you know.â
âDude, if your plane crashes and you donât haunt me, Iâll be totally pissed.â Sophie squeezed me tighter. âYouâll be fine, sweetie. I promise. Call me once you land so that I know you didnât jump out midflight.â
âI know and I will.â Pulling back, I couldnât help but shake my head at the concerned look on her face. âI promise Iâll be okay once I get to my seat. I have a shit-ton of paperwork to go through, which will help keep me distracted.â