The Bridesmaid's Proposal

February is the traditional month of love, when Cupid gets busy. So here is a timely short Valentine's treat. Curl up on the sofa, make a mug of something soothing, maybe have just a little chocolate nearby and take a break with one of our favourite writers, Rebecca Winters!

The Bridesmaid’s Proposal

Rebecca Winters

www.millsandboon.co.uk

“MIRROR, mirror, on the wall. Who’s been the biggest fool of all?

“You have, Reese Bringhurst. But not after today!”

Wavy black hair framed the oval of her face with her well-shaped nose and wide, passionate mouth, the kind the camera loved.

Unfortunately, too many weeks of crying into her pillow every night had taken its toll. A little more base to cover the blotches of red, a touch more liner to accentuate the haunted China-blue eyes staring back at her, and her stage makeup was perfect.

It ought to be.

For two years she’d been applying it herself before leaving for the TV studio to play the minor role of Carly Shaw on a daytime soap. But today it was vital she do a flawless job. It was her wedding day on the set … and her swan song.

When the writers of Laguna Nights found out she was leaving the show, they’d decided to marry her off to her romantic lead, Alex Kieris, who played the part of Fabio Andretti.

Of course it meant the timid Carly would have to step out of character for the first time in her screen life and do something bold, like ask Fabio to marry her. But the writers didn’t worry about things like that.

It would provide the perfect surprise ending for the innocent Carly, who, for a whole year, had fought against her attraction to the older, worldly Fabio because she believed he and the beautiful, cunning Melissa were in a relationship.

According to Phyllis, the director of the show, Carly would be killed off in a tragic disappearance in the jungle surrounding Cancun on their behind-the-scenes honeymoon. Her body would never be found. That way they could bring back another Carly at a later date if they wanted to.

For now it would be the fictional end of the fictional Carly. As for Fabio, the black-haired, black-eyed Adonis who’d received more fan mail in the last year than anyone else on the show, the writers would find him a new love interest to frustrate the out-of-control-manipulative Melissa.

Reese got up abruptly from the stool of her dressing table. “It’s time for your real life to start. Say goodbye to Carly. In a little while, she’ll no longer exist.”

And she would never see her costar again …

Don’t think about him, Reese.

She couldn’t afford to remember the dozens of times he’d kissed the daylights out of her while the cameras had been rolling.

It was imperative she forget those torrid love scenes on the beach with the director orchestrating every gasp, move and sigh.

But most of all, she had to stop dwelling on the many times off camera when she and Alex had talked quietly about life while they’d been waiting for their scenes to be taped.

During those stolen moments, they would discuss their favorite books, music, art. He would give her glimpses into his childhood spent in Athens where he had been raised by his grandparents. Reese had wanted those conversations to go on forever.

For those who didn’t know, Alex was of Greek origin. He had come to America after his grandparents died. At twenty-five he’d gained U.S. citizenship. Apparently he’d done all kinds of work, even some local television in New York before coming out to the West Coast.

Though he acted the part of a flashy, cocky, self-important Italian on the screen, he wasn’t like that in real life. Quite the opposite in fact. He was very patient with her while she asked endless questions about Greece and its history.

Many were the times she’d been so fascinated by what he said, she’d forgotten where they were until the director had suddenly called out, “Places, everyone!” To her chagrin, those precious moments would be gone.

Alex would once again take on the persona of the seasoned charmer Fabio, who attempted to pursue Carly at every turn. For the last year on the show, it had been his mission in life to try to seduce the vulnerable, somewhat shy twenty-three-year-old with his experience and gorgeous male body.

Then six months ago Reese’s aunt Lilian had passed away unexpectedly from an aneurysm. From that time on Alex had been aware of her grief and had encouraged her to talk to relieve the pain. He’d turned out to be a wonderful listener.

So wonderful in fact that their talks had caused something to change for Reese. She couldn’t separate fantasy from reality. When the cameras were rolling and they got into those embraces where she would give in to Fabio before pushing him away, she might be kissing Fabio as the script dictated, but she found herself trying to reach the elusive Alex.

He was the person to whom she responded. She wanted their on-screen relationship to continue after they called it a day at the studio.

When she had realized what was happening, she had known it was time to leave the show. Without hesitation she had phoned her agent, who, after the proverbial weeping and wailing over a bad, bad career move, had taken care of the legalities.