Accept This Dandelion (13 page)

When the next scheduled taping came around, Renee didn’t know what to expect. She hadn’t heard from Ben since their date alone at his apartment, but she also hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him. She fielded several calls from Janice and finally confided her love for Ben. Janice was ecstatic, and Renee leaned toward feeling the same way. But she needed to tell Ben the whole truth regarding why she came on the show. And she still had two other women to compete against for his affections…one of which she really cared for.

As the three remaining contestants gathered in the studio in the dresses the staff requested they wear, Renee and Eva gravitated towards one another.

“Did you get to see Ben this week?” Eva asked under her breath to avoid alerting the crew.

Renee nodded. She didn’t want to share too many details about her date with anyone.

“Me too,” Eva said. “He rented out this whole restaurant and we had a private dinner. Just one waiter and a chef so no one else knew about it. It was really romantic being there, only the two of us. We did a little dancing after the meal even though music was nonexistent.”

Renee got details she preferred not to have, but she smiled and nodded as if she wanted them.

“I had fun, though Ben seemed like he was keeping me at bay. I think he’s having a hard time with this decision. He probably doesn’t want to hurt any of us. But I tell you, if he chooses me in the end, I will be ecstatic. We haven’t been on the show long, but I’ve really fallen for him.”

Renee winced at Eva’s words. She wasn’t the only one falling for Ben. Who knew? Tracy could be in the same position as well. And if Eva fell for Ben as Renee had, she no longer had confidence regarding how Ben saw her. Renee could be in for a world of hurt. She needed to keep her hopes at a moderate level.

“How do you think Tracy’s date went?” Renee searched the studio for the red-haired woman.

Eva shrugged. “She seems happy.”

Renee eyed Tracy as she fluffed her bright hair with a pick. She did look happy. And as confident as ever.

Renee didn’t want to think about the options for any of their futures. Seeing Ben and talking to him alone would help her think more clearly.

The producer walked in and snapped his clipboard against his hand. “Ladies. Your attention please.”

Renee and Eva sauntered toward Mike and Tracy met them there.

“Today’s date is a group dinner, but Ben says he really wants to speak with each of you separately too. We’ll start taping and you can have a drink as a group. Then Ben can have appetizers with one of you, the main meal with another and dessert with the third. The break down might not sound fair, but you will all have equal amounts of time with him. Ben can choose who he wants for each portion of the meal. You’ll ride over to the restaurant in the shuttle. Ben is waiting there. Since we have a good location for shooting the show, we’ll have the elimination ceremony right there. When you aren’t with Ben, you can do your on camera interviews. Does everyone understand the plan?”

The women nodded and affirmed the directions they received.

“To the shuttle.” Mike waved his clipboard toward the exit.

Renee was self-conscious in her glittery blue dress. She finally borrowed something from Janice, and it wasn’t her normal style. She wanted to impress Ben tonight. She needed him to like her personality, but she also wanted him to see her feminine side. She preferred hanging out in comfortable clothes, but she could dress up when she needed to. And with a man like Ben, occasions to be fancy would be plentiful.

More than anything, Renee was uneasy about being around Ben alongside two women he also had connections with. She wondered if he and Eva kissed on their private date. Eva hadn’t given those details, and Renee didn’t want to ask. She didn’t like being in the dark about Tracy’s time with Ben, but she might be better off.

The ride to the restaurant was awkward. Renee was on her way to a date that included one man, her, and two other ladies. They were close to the finale. She knew what she felt for Ben, and it sounded like Eva was on the same path. If Tracy also wanted to be the one left standing in the end, they had a serious love square.

When they arrived at the restaurant, the shuttle driver opened the door, and the ladies filed out of the vehicle. Renee saw no traffic anywhere on the street. She wondered if the TV station cordoned off the entire block for them. She followed Eva and Tracy into the restaurant. Pleasant scents of unknown seasoning and freshly baked bread met her along with the gentle lighting.

Renee spied Ben behind a raised table with drink glasses all around. She couldn’t help but smile when their eyes met. Her doubts fled with one glance.

“Welcome, ladies. I hope you’ll join me for a drink.”

Renee grabbed a glass and eyed the candle at the center of the high table.

“Don’t worry.” Ben winked. “It’s electric.”

Renee smiled and sighed in mock relief. She didn’t care to be on fire a second time. Her dress was too short to waste any material on flames. She wreaked enough havoc during tapings to last her a lifetime. Now, she needed to get down to business and tell Ben how she felt about him.

The contestants chatted with one another and with Ben as they sipped their drinks. Time ticked slowly and Renee hoped Ben would choose her for the appetizers. She wanted her time alone with him to approach sooner rather than later.

“Ben,” Mike interrupted, “we need you to do an interview, and tell the cameras in what order you will be seeing each woman tonight.”

“Excuse me for a moment, ladies.” Ben rolled his eyes. “Duty calls.”

Renee, Tracy and Eva paused their conversation as Ben walked toward the back of the restaurant. The cameras followed him, and the three women were alone. Tracy looked from Eva to Renee and then moved away to check her hair and makeup in the mirror she extracted from her purse.

“What are you hoping for?” Eva asked.

“To tell you the truth, I just want to get it over with,” Renee said. “And I’m not exactly hungry.”

“I understand.” Eva placed her hand over her stomach. “My nerves are in high gear too. What do you think he’ll want to talk about?”

“To be honest, I have something I need to say to him,” Renee answered.

“What?” Eva shifted from one foot to the other.

“Well…” Renee considered her options. Ben should really be the first to hear her reasons for appearing on the show. She needed to come clean, and he deserved to know the full truth in order to make an informed final decision. But Eva was a sweet girl and telling her would be good practice. “I want to tell him about my…motives.”

“Motives?”

“I didn’t really come on the show to find love,” Renee continued. “You might know, I’m on the radio over at 100.4 KGBR.”

Eva nodded. “I listen all the time.”

“Thanks.” Renee accepted the compliment absent-mindedly. “There’s actually an opening for a morning show host.”

“Yeah, I miss Claudia.”

“I want the job,” Renee stated. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted…up until now.” She paused. “I came on the show hoping I could make a name for myself around the city. That way, my manager would see it was beneficial to put me in the earlier time slot.”

“You want to replace Claudia?”

“Exactly. And before the show, no one considered me. My boss said I didn’t have a big enough name to draw listeners. But the show has helped me out, and it’s possible I’ll get the job.”

“Congratulations.” Eva took a sip of her drink. “So, what’s the issue?”

“The problem is, I’m not sure how Ben will take the news. He might think I used him. And he’d be right.”

Understanding lit Eva’s face. “I see. Do you have real affection for him now?”

What a strange conversation. Renee was talking about her emotions for a man with one of the other women he dated. It wasn’t something that happened every day.

“I do,” she answered. “I really do. I care more about Ben than any possible promotion.”

Eva reached across the high table and put her hand over Renee’s. “Then tell him that too. If he’s the man for you, that’s all that’ll matter.”

Tears welled up in Renee’s eyes. Eva was such a sweetheart. She comforted Renee even though she hoped to have Ben herself. If Eva won his heart instead of Renee, she would truly wish them nothing but the best.

* * *

Tracy snapped her compact shut. She had a juicy little tidbit to help her wrench Ben away from the woman who he seemed taken with from the beginning.

Ben returned to the high table as the women finished their drinks.

“I’d like to invite Eva to have appetizers with me.” He extended his hand to her.

Renee smiled. She was happy Eva got to go first, but she wanted the slot for herself as well. She needed to talk to Ben, and she didn’t want to put the conversation off any longer. She didn’t have a choice, especially with the cameras surrounding them.

Ben led Eva to a private dining room off the main area, leaving Renee standing alone next to Tracy. She glanced at Tracy, who smoothed her hair yet again.

“Maybe I’ll go do my interview now,” Renee said. “In case I eat dinner with Ben. Or even if I have dessert, it’ll be over and done with.” She didn’t know why she explained herself to Tracy. The other women raised her eyebrows at Renee as she moved away from the table to the interview area.

“Are you ready for me?”

The camera operator put a plate of hors d’oeurves aside. “Ready.” He adjusted a few things on the camera as Renee stood waiting, her discomfort rising. “Okay, start by telling us what you think of this place.”

“The restaurant is beautiful,” Renee smiled. “I’m anxious to spend time with Ben tonight. I have some really important things to discuss with him.”

“Elaborate, please?”

Renee took a deep breath. She was hesitant to say too much on camera before she spoke with Ben. She already told Eva, and Ben really deserved to be the next person to know. The cameras would take it all in. They would get their chance. And she was sure they would leave nothing out. But no one else needed to hear her confession before Ben. He deserved that much.

“I want to tell him how I’m feeling towards him, and the situation we’ve been in the past few weeks on the show. I haven’t been as open regarding some aspects of my life, and he needs to know more about those areas before he makes any final decisions.”

“Can you tell us how you feel about Ben?”

Heat infused Renee’s face. Her expression probably made it obvious. She decided once she told Ben, the whole city would know. She didn’t need to keep it secret. She held back the details about her possible radio gig, but she couldn’t hold her emotions any longer. “I’m falling for him.”

When Renee returned to the table, she found appetizers spread before them, untouched. Tracy quickly excused herself to conduct her own interview, and Renee devoured a few of the items. She couldn’t name any of them, but everything tasted great. When Tracy returned, she looked from the appetizers to Renee with disdain. Renee was the only person around. She had to take the blame for eating so many of them. Her nerves got to her and with Tracy away, there wasn’t anything else for her to do but dig in.

“How about those Giants, huh?” Renee tried to make small talk with Tracy.

Tracy blinked and shrugged.

“At least the weather has been nice lately.” Renee made another effort.

Tracy fluffed her hair. She obviously had no interest in conversation. Renee allowed the silence to take over. After what seemed like an eternity, Ben and Eva returned. Renee thought Eva looked delighted. She glowed, but Ben appeared serious and stricken. She made a mental note to ask him about it. His relationship with Eva was none of her business, but she considered her a friend, and she didn’t want her to get hurt.

“Renee.” Ben extended his hand to her. “Join me for dinner?”

Renee placed her hand in his. “No problem.” She should have said something more like, “My pleasure.” Or even, “Of course, I’d love to.” Wearing a fancy dress didn’t mean she was any fancier in attitude.

Ben led Renee to the back room where he and Eva had enjoyed appetizers. The table had dandelions lying all over, and Renee wondered if the crew had to put out fresh dandelions every few minutes. The weed didn’t stay decent for long based on her experience, but those on the table looked pretty nice.

Ben pulled a satin-covered chair out, and Renee gratefully sank into it.

“Why did you choose me for the dinner?” Curiosity got the best of her.

“You’re the only one here who enjoys eating.” Ben smiled, the sincerity sparkling in his eyes.

Renee returned his grin. She already had a plentiful amount of appetizers lining her stomach. She still wasn’t hungry, but she didn’t want to disappoint Ben. She would do her best to put away anything they brought out.

“Dinner is served.” A waiter placed plates of fancy lobster before them.

“Thanks,” Ben and Renee spoke together.

When the waiter moved away, Ben poked the lobster. “This wasn’t my idea,” he said. “Though I enjoy seafood, I probably would have opted for burgers and fries.”

“The place on Fifth has the best ones.” Renee wondered how to get into the lobster in order to eat it.

“Randy’s?”

“The one and only.”

“I call for delivery on a regular basis,” Ben bragged.

“They deliver?”

“They do to me.”

Renee chuckled and relaxed despite the stuffy atmosphere. “Okay, it’s time for honesty,” she said seriously as Ben’s laughter faded. “I have no idea how to get into this thing.”

Ben gave her a wink and reached across the table to take the lobster from her plate. He expertly cracked it in several places and pulled the meat from the shell. “It’s a little strange, I know. But it’s delicious. I think you’ll love lobster meat. Here, try a bite.” Ben dipped the lobster into the small bowl of butter that sat on his plate and leaned over the table with a sliver of meat between his fingers.

Was she supposed to take the meat from his hand and cram it in? Before she decided how to react, he had the meat against her lips. She simply opened her mouth. Her lips met his thumb as she pulled it from his fingers, and she began to chew.

“Mmm. You’re right, it’s delicious.” Renee placed her hand in front of her mouth as she spoke. She hoped he would feed her more. She was certain the lobster tasted better because it came attached to his fingers. She wanted to be close to him like the other night. If she could have his arms around her, she would have the confidence she needed to make her confession.

This time, Renee didn’t get her wish, and Ben returned the rest of the lobster to her plate. It didn’t taste the same, but it was still very good after she dipped it in butter before each bite.

“You like it,” Ben stated.

“I really do.”

The stilted conversation stalled as they chewed.

Ben broke the silence when he cleared his throat. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you, Renee.” Renee knew he referenced the other night. He couldn’t be more specific because the TV crew didn’t know about the extra personal time. But he was trying to get across the idea he’d had a nice time when they went on their long date alone.

“Me too.” Renee shoved another bite of lobster into her mouth before she could say more. She was stalling, but the lobster was almost gone and she wouldn’t have anywhere to hide soon enough.

“I hope this experience has been positive for you.” The tension in the air mounted. This date was the complete opposite to the one they’d enjoyed days before. Ben acted stiff and formal and obviously talked more for the cameras. It was weird being on camera, but there was no avoiding it, and Renee needed to take advantage of every minute she had with Ben.

“It certainly hasn’t been what I expected.” She wiped her mouth with the soft, cloth napkin.

“How so?”

Renee scratched the palm of her hand. They were sweaty from the nerves, but they suddenly itched like crazy.

“I wanted to talk to you about that. This experience…you…everything.” She wasn’t being very clear, but with any luck, it would all come out in a coherent manner before their time ended.

“Nothing has been what I expected either,” Ben agreed.

Renee tried to concentrate on what she needed to say, but the room suddenly became very small and hotter by the minute. She removed one shoe and scratched the bottom of her left foot against the leg of the chair while she forcefully scratched the palm of her other hand.

“There’s something you need to know, Ben.” Renee tried to get her shoe back on before anyone noticed, but instead she kicked the right shoe off and started scratching that foot on the table leg as well.

“What?” Ben leaned across the table. “You can tell me anything.”

Renee tried to form the explanation. She had them in the back of her throat, ready to spill out. At first, she thought the stuck words were the reason she was having trouble breathing. But when breaths became even harder to take, she forgot all about her planned admission.

“I…I can’t breathe.” She threw her hands around her neck and stood from the table.

“Renee.” Ben shouted and rushed to her side. “You’re swelling up!”

The last thing Renee remembered were Ben’s strong arms scooping her up. She thought she heard Eva gasp as they flew by. When she woke up later, she was in a hospital bed with beeping and whirring machines around her.

* * *

Ben had been petrified by the expression on Renee’s face when she realized she couldn’t breathe. He had never been more scared in his life. He rushed her out to the shuttle car, which luckily still sat out front and fled to the hospital.

It didn’t take more than a few minutes for the doctors to figure out Renee must be allergic to lobster. Her hands and feet were red from her scratching and her throat was swollen nearly all the way shut. Had they arrived much later, she may have been in serious trouble. They administered a shot and put her on an IV for fluids. She would be fine.

Mike wanted Ben to return to the restaurant to finish taping, and Ben assured him he would, but not until he knew Renee was okay. When her eyes fluttered open, Ben took hold of her hand.

“I’m so sorry.” He squeezed her still swollen fingers.

“What happened?” Renee asked in a weak voice.

“Apparently you’re allergic to lobster.” Ben gave her a sheepish smile.

“Does this mean I don’t get to have it again?”

Ben chuckled. “I think that would be best.”

“But it was so delicious,” Renee complained.

Ben laughed. He stroked the hair away from her face with his free hand.

Ben glanced at the camera over his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have allowed the camera in here, but they insisted when I told them what I planned to do.”

“What do you want to do?” Renee whispered.

Ben pulled a squished dandelion from his jacket pocket and presented it to her. It sagged before her. “I wanted to give you this…sad as it may be.” He sighed. “Renee, will you accept this dandelion?”

“Yes.” Renee took the weed from his hand and placed it against her chest.

“I have to go back to the restaurant and complete the elimination ceremony, but I needed you to know that I want you to stick around.”

“Is this a pity weed?” Renee asked.

“Pity weed?”

“Are you giving me this because I almost died?”

Ben chuckled. Her humor was one of the things he loved most about Renee. She had a way of finding the funny side to any situation. “No, Renee.” Ben attempted to remain serious. “I’m giving you a dandelion to show you how I feel about you.”

Ben watched a smile light Renee’s puffy face. She would probably kill him later when she saw her appearance on TV. He was the person who allowed the cameras into the room. But for now, he enjoyed the expression on her face. To him, she was beautiful even at a larger than normal size.

“I’ll check in on you again soon,” Ben said. “The doctors say you’ll to have to stay for a few days to allow the swelling to go down. You need extra rest, and they want to make sure you remain hydrated and don’t have any further adverse reactions to the lobster. Until then, keep my dandelion close. I’ll be thinking of you.”

Before Renee said anything wacky to ruin the romantic moment, Ben kissed her on the forehead and left.