Accept This Dandelion (15 page)

Renee couldn’t have been more excited for her last date with Ben. In the hospital, he told her it would be a “come as you are” outing. It sounded like her kind of activity. Jeans were the way to go. Granted, she put on her best pair of jeans, but still.

Renee arrived at the studio filled with anticipation. The TV crew whirred around the set, getting ready for the finale which would take place in a few days. Renee couldn’t tell what changes they were making, but the end was near, and she got goose bumps at the thought. She imagined standing before Ben, all dressed up again with hope in her eyes. Once he told her how he felt and offered her the last dandelion, their life together could start…away from the microscope and the TV cameras.

“Renee,” Mike barked with his ever-present clipboard in hand. “Shuttle’s here.”

Renee nodded and headed for the exit. She hoped Ben would pick her up so they could spend even more time together, but she couldn’t complain. She got him to herself for the whole day…except when he had to step away for TV interviews…and despite the fact that they would not be alone with cameras recording them continually.

When the van pulled up to the city zoo a few moments later, Renee wondered if they had taken a wrong turn and pulled over to get their bearings. Ben told her to dress casually, but the TV station would never plan this as a date. It was so normal and everyday…and Renee loved the idea.

As the shuttle came to a full stop at the front entrance, Renee squealed. Ben stood inside the gates waiting for her. Even from a distance his tan skin glowed. She stared as he ran a hand through his hair. She couldn’t wait to get closer, and see the joy on her face reflected in his eyes.

Renee jumped out of the van and jogged under the entrance arch. Several people milled about, and when they noticed Renee, Ben, and the cameras, they pointed and stared. Renee didn’t care. She threw herself into Ben’s arms, and he twirled her in the air.

“Feeling better I see?”

“Much.” The puffiness all around her face went away at the hospital, and the red bumps on her hands and feet completely disappeared a few days later. Though the incident was scary, she now recognized her allergy and would not eat shellfish again. Especially on TV.

“I thought we’d enjoy some time outside and see some animals.”

“That sounds great,” Renee said enthusiastically, still in Ben’s arms.

“Where do you want to go first?”

“Aquarium.”

“To the aquarium.” Ben loosened his grip on her waist and laced his fingers through hers.

“I can’t believe our last date gets to be so…normal.”

“Actually, coming to the zoo was my idea. Since it happened last minute, they weren’t able to clear the whole zoo for a private viewing. But the onsite personnel ensured that we would be able to move forward without too much interference. We have the whole day, and they can edit out any interruptions.”

Renee wrapped her free hand around Ben’s arm. She loved the idea that he planned the date with her in mind. The day would be casual and easy going, and it lined up with her personality exactly.

Once they entered the aquarium, they stepped into another world. It was dark, but a bright blue wall lit up the space before them as silver fish swam in circles.

“I wonder if they ever get tired,” Renee pondered out loud.

“Depends,” Ben said as Renee tore her eyes from the fish and caught him staring at her. “On whether or not they truly love it.”

Renee narrowed her eyes.

“If swimming in circles is what they really love, they probably never get tired of it. They might even look forward to it. In fact, there’s likely nothing that can keep them from their circles.”

“Good point.” Renee wondered if Ben still talked about the fish.

They moved through the aquarium at their own pace, ignoring the cameras following them as much as possible. Near the end they reached a large tunnel that placed them in the aquarium. With water surrounding them above the thick glass and fish, sharks and turtles swimming beside and above them, it was like they were in the ocean.

“People get married here,” Ben said quietly as he encircled Renee’s waist with his arm.

Renee drew in a deep breath. “Where do they put the guests?” She tried to keep the mood light. “In with the sharks?” The display was long and narrow, but there wasn’t much room for seating.

Ben chuckled. “I should have guessed that’s what you’d say.”

Next Renee wanted to visit the lions and bears, but she didn’t mind the walk between the displays. With Ben’s warm hand pressed against hers, she felt complete.

“The lions are so majestic, aren’t they?” she asked as a lioness stared at them without blinking.

“They definitely seem to know what they want.”

“I think they want us…for lunch.”

“Oh, come on. You’d just be a little snack.” Ben tickled her side.

When they arrived at the polar bear display, Renee was fascinated. The large bear dove into the water and began swimming laps in his pool. The way he swam one direction, turned and paddled back had her transfixed. The bear was content, and she was as well.

When the polar bear finally climbed out of his pool and shook himself off, Ben turned to Renee. “Monkeys?”

“Monkeys,” Renee affirmed. She was enjoying the day more than she imagined when they first pulled up. She and Ben were flirting more. They were always physically connected at the hand, but they kept things light for the cameras. There were a lot of things they needed to talk through, but those items were between the two of them and no one else’s business.

Since her hospital stay, Renee decided to back off on telling Ben why she auditioned for the show and agreed to be one of the bachelorettes vying for his affection. She still wanted him to know, but she planned to tell him after he chose her. She didn’t want to ruin the magic the show created. The issue was something they would have to deal with in the real world, but everyone in the city didn’t need to know.

She would tell Ben. For sure…after he made his choice.

When they arrived at the monkeys, Renee let go of Ben’s hand and raced over to the waist-high bar near their cages.

“Oh, what fun,” she said as they swung from branch to branch. The monkeys played and raced through the trees within their enclosure. “A baby.” She pointed to a mama monkey swinging around with a baby clinging to her neck. “It looks like she’s going to fall off.”

“She’ll hang on if she knows what’s good for her.” Ben gazed at Renee.

“Oh, I think she knows.” Renee winked.

They enjoyed the monkeys for a few more moments but when they turned away, Renee observed a red streak rush by her out of the corner of her eye. She glanced down in time to notice a toddler swing under the bar. The little girl put her fingers through the monkey’s cage and gazed up at them with wonder.

Renee looked over her shoulder, trying to place the girl with a parent of some sort. No one was around.

“Ahhh!” the little girl screamed as a monkey reached its paw out of the enclosure, grabbed her bright red shirt and pulled her against the cage.

Renee swung herself under the bar. She grasped the monkey’s paw and tried to pry his fingers from the girl’s clothing.

“It’s okay,” she said as calmly as she could. “Mr. Monkey likes your pretty shirt. Don’t worry. He’ll give it back.”

Renee smiled at the girl, trying to convey her calm spirit as she attempted to loosen the monkey’s fingers from the toddler’s clothing. The girl had big, fat tears running down her face. She was nearing hysteria. Being a stranger, the girl was probably afraid of her. Plus a monkey had her shirt in his grip and wasn’t showing any signs of letting go.

“Okay, Mr. Monkey,” Renee addressed the primate. “Time to release our friend.”

The girl wailed again.

“Let go!” Renee yelled. She tried once more to gently lift the monkey’s fingers from the girl’s shirt. The monkey let out a screech, and Renee jumped back. He pulled the little girl closer to the bars, sending her into a new wave of frantic crying.

“Oh no, you don’t.” Renee reached her hand through the bars and gave the animal a sound slap across the face.

At first the monkey stared at her, stunned. Then, as if resolved that she wasn’t going to let him have his way, he released the girl, belted out another screech, and swung into the nearest tree.

Renee helped the little girl back under the bar and then ducked under after her.

“Emma!” a woman called. “Emma, there you are. Are you okay? You were crying? You can’t run off from me.”

Ben grabbed Renee’s elbow as she stood, and the frantic mother scolded the girl for disappearing.

“Thanks for your help,” the mom said over her shoulder as she escorted Emma from the monkeys.

“She has no idea what happened,” Ben observed.

“Think she’ll notice paw prints on her shirt later and ask?” Renee shrugged.

Ben turned to her and frowned. “Did you really just slap a monkey?”

Renee burst out giggling. “I believe I did.”

“Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

Renee laughed so hard tears bigger than those on the little girl’s face ran down her cheeks. Ben laughed along with her. The two were in hysterics and people stopped to watch them, this time not because of the cameras.

“Did you see the look on his face?” Renee gasped.

“He was like ‘oh no, you didn’t,’” Ben replied.

After a long laughing spell, the two calmed down enough to move on, though they couldn’t stop discussing the incident. They continued through the rest of the zoo until they found themselves out in the corner as far as from the entrance as possible. A couple of elephants lumbered around in the mud, enjoying the evening breeze.

“This has really been something.” Ben’s arm pressed close against Renee’s as they leaned on the bar, and the large creatures sprayed each other’s backs.

“It has.” Renee fought back another fit of giggles as she thought about the monkey. “And I have you to thank. It was your idea.”

“Well, I can’t take credit for everything. There’s one more surprise tonight, and I had nothing to do with it. Come on, I’ll show you.” He grabbed her hand and led her through the flower garden at the back of the zoo. On the other side, sat a small gazebo glittering with white lights. As they went up the few steps to the center, Renee took in the intimate table set up at the center. “Care to have a picnic?” Ben asked as he drew a basket out from under the seat in the gazebo.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Renee said. The day’s activities made her ravenous.

Ben laid out a spread of crackers, cheese, fruit and other items. Before they dug in, the TV crew dragged Ben away for another interview. He disappeared on occasion throughout the day, and they talked to Renee several times as well. Renee resented the interruptions, but it was part of their situation and would be a thing of the past soon.

When Ben returned, Renee had a plate ready for him, and the two enjoyed watching the sunset at the back of the zoo as dusk settled in. Renee told Ben about her family, and Ben described new projects he wanted to take on with ConArt.

As the meal came to a close, a lone violin sounded from somewhere in the garden.

“What’s that?” She squinted into the darkness.

“It’s for us.” Ben stood and extended his hand to her. He led her down the gazebo steps onto the sidewalk nearby.

Renee looked up at him as he wrapped his hand around her waist. His eyes twinkled from the reflection of the lights shimmering on the outside of the gazebo. He smiled at her, but his face remained serious. Renee put her hands behind his neck
,
and they began to sway to the music.

At first, neither of them said anything. Ben bent over and kissed Renee briefly before pulling back to allow a couple of inches between their faces.

“Renee, I can’t wait to be as honest with you as you have been with me.”

Renee blushed. Perhaps she should reconsider her choice to save the truth for later.

“It’s hard for me to keep my emotions inside. They’re so strong. My only comfort is that I’ll be able to tell you everything soon.”

Renee stood on her tiptoes and kissed Ben. Their swaying stopped as they allowed the moment to take over. Renee didn’t want to reveal the depth of her feelings until Ben was able to do the same. She hoped the kiss would show him everything he needed to know.

The set appeared completely different than during previous elimination ceremonies, and Ben wished he could enjoy it. Instead, he reeled from his date with Tracy. Everything went well with Renee, besides the monkey incident. He should have guessed she was too good to be true.

“I don’t want to be the girl who spreads rumors about other contestants,” Tracy said early in their date after Ben deliberately kept her at arm’s length. “But there’s something you should hear about Renee.”

Ben almost didn’t want her to continue. Tracy was the type who could concoct believable stories and bend them to make whomever listened eat them up. And if she’d been indicating any of the past contestants, he might not have cared. But when it came to Renee, he couldn’t resist.

“You really should know this piece of information before making your final decision. I’m not trying to sway you in either direction,” Tracy continued. “You should have all the details so you can make an informed decision.”

Yeah, right.
Ben nodded feigned appreciation. He wanted her to spit it out already so they could get the rest of the date over with.

“Renee didn’t sign up for the show to find love. In fact, she almost ducked out of the tapings entirely when she learned you were the bachelor. She moved forward with the process because she hoped to get a promotion at work. She works in radio, right? And apparently she wants a better time slot or something.”

Ben’s heart beat hard in his chest. He tried not to show his emotions as Tracy spoke. Renee almost dropped out of the program because of him? She told him she didn’t want any of her preconceived ideas of him to get in the way. Was she a better actress than she let on?

Being on the show raised her public profile, and if she desired a promotion in her radio job, the antics she’d pulled would get her name out there. People would remember the girl who caught fire over the one who stood in the background in a glittery dress. Ben wanted to believe in his love for Renee, but too many women had used him in the past. He didn’t want to be a skeptic, but in his book, women were all the same. He thought Renee was different, but what Tracy told him proved him wrong.

“Thanks for the information.” Ben went through the motions for the rest of the date and tried his best to appear as into Tracy as she was him. He held her close, let her kiss him, and matched her flirty tone. His heart wasn’t there, but he had to put on a good show in case he decided to change his mind about the finale.

As Ben watched the final preparations for the last elimination ceremony, Mike approached from the side.

“So…what’s it going to be? Or should I say who?”

Both women were set to arrive at the same time, but they would be ushered to different parts of the studio and wouldn’t see one another. Ben had to tell the producers who he wanted to speak with first. The person who would be first was the one he would let down and the second candidate would be his chosen bachelorette.

“Time’s ticking.” Mike tapped his clipboard. “The ladies will be arriving shortly, and we need to start taping right away. There’s a cooking show set to air live in the morning. We have to re-arrange the set tonight.”

Ben glanced at Mike. He was trying to make the most important decision of his life, and he was being pressured because of a cooking show. He crossed his arms over his chest, bolstered by the pull of his tuxedo jacket across his back. That made him think of Renee’s dress ripping during one taping and he smiled.

“Okay, okay.” He held up his hands. “I know what I want to do. I know what I
have
to do.”

* * *

Renee couldn’t believe she made it all the way to the end of the show. On the first night, she was certain she would be headed out the door. She gave Ben every reason to send her away. Well, almost every reason. She still needed to tell him about her motives for being on the show, but once he chose her and they were together, surely she would form the words in a way that wouldn’t make them sound too bad.

When Renee arrived at the studio a bundle of nerves, she was confident about the outcome of the taping, but she didn’t know how she would react when Ben finally told her how he felt about her.

Renee spent enough time with Ben to read certain things about him. She knew him enough to understand what his eyes said without hearing any words at all. But her love had grown strong, and she wanted nothing more than to admit it to him…and hear him say the same in return.

One of the assistant producers stuffed her in a side room, and she paced. She had no idea when the taping was supposed to begin and whether she would be first. She didn’t know if being first was good or bad since they could edit the show any way they liked. Her palms began to sweat and that reminded her of the lobster incident. She ran over to the mirror to check herself out. Her long, narrow face told her she wasn’t having another allergic reaction. Plus, she could still breathe…mostly.

Renee inspected her hair, which she put back into a bun to keep out of her way. She even curled a few strands around her face to give herself a romantic style. Janice came over the day before with a new batch of dresses for her to examine. She chose a classy wine-colored dress with an empire waist. The velvet bodice was soft underneath Renee’s fingers, and the satin skirt would reflect the studio lights and make the outfit look stunning.

Though Renee believed she looked better than she had during any other taping, her appearance didn’t matter…it never had. This was about love…and Ben.

“Hey, Lockhart.” Mike stuck his head inside the door. “We’re ready for you on set.”

“Already?” Renee asked. She was glad they weren’t making her wait any longer, but she expected at least a slight delay. She followed Mike out the door, almost certain he had glee on his face. He was probably glad the show was almost over. It had been a smashing success all over town, but the local nature likely meant a lot of extra work for him. Renee tried to put herself in his shoes. She caused him even more trouble than the show. As they got closer to the back of the set, she reached a hand out and placed it on Mike’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Mike,” she said. “For everything. I wasn’t the easiest person to work with, but I really appreciate all of the things you did to make this happen. Without you, I wouldn’t have found Ben.”

Mike’s face fell a little. “Um, no problem,” he said briskly. “You’re going to go around this corner to the set. We’ll start rolling as soon as you hit the lighted area, okay?”

Renee nodded and smoothed the dress down over her hips. She wished her outfit had pockets. She desperately needed something to do with her hands. Hopefully soon she would have a dandelion to hold. She took a deep breath and rounded the corner. She didn’t want to put the moment off any longer.

As Renee stepped into the light of the studio stage, she raised her eyes and glanced around. The set was breathtaking. A stone path lined the center of the set with dandelions and other colored flowers lying around it. A small waterfall trickled water over rocks into a pond in a corner. As Renee began to walk, she searched the scene and noticed an archway at the end of the walkway.

Dandelions and twinkling white lights decorated the arch, but as soon as Renee laid eyes on Ben, nothing else mattered. She was on the right path to the man she loved, and she couldn’t wait to reach him. She knew she rushed too fast when her toe caught one of the stones, and she stumbled. Steadying herself, she caught Ben’s eyes and smiled. It was fitting that she stumble into his arms on the night of the finale. Tripping was all she’d been doing since the beginning. But as long as she ended up with him, she really didn’t care how she got there.

Once Renee stood in front of Ben, tears welled up in her eyes. This was the moment she’d waited for all her life. To finally tell someone she loved them, and to hear the sentiment returned. She took a deep breath and tried to lose herself in Ben’s expression.

Renee squinted up at Ben. Something was different. His eyes had a hard edge to them, and she was unsure as to how to translate his appearance. Perhaps he had already seen Tracy and was reeling from the breakup. She couldn’t be sure, and she didn’t like it. There was nothing she could do now but wait and hear what he had to say.

“Renee.” Ben took her hands into his. “You have surprised me since the beginning of the show. I couldn’t believe it when you caught fire.”

Renee chuckled, trying to loosen the tight knot forming in her shoulders.

“No one else had the nerve to push me into the pool. And when your dress ripped, you handled it with such…flair.”

Renee wondered if he would list everything she’d done wrong during the taping sessions.

“I am proud to say I witnessed you standing up to that monkey, and no girl can wreck a car like you.”

Renee’s her heart swelled. The details of their romance were unique and included one screw up after another on her part, but it brought them together and she loved every minute of it. Ben was taking his time for the cameras, but having their special moment on film would be priceless in the future.

“You continued to surprise me, Renee,” Ben said softly. “Up until the very end. What surprised me the most, however, was learning why you auditioned in the first place.”

The room began to spin as Renee felt the blood drain from her face. What was he talking about?

“It is because of those motives that I have to let you go.”

“Wait, what?” Renee blurted as his hands slipped out of hers.

“I’m sorry, Renee.” Ben’s expression hardened. “I know you used me. I have enjoyed spending time with you, and I wish you all the best in your career.”

Renee blinked. He knew. Somehow, Ben heard her reasons for trying out for the show, and why she stuck around even when she wasn’t enraptured with him at first. But he didn’t know she had fallen for him in the process. She couldn’t believe he was blind to her love.

“But wait, Ben,” Renee stuttered. “You don’t understand. You have to let me explain.”

“Explain all you want, Renee, nothing will change.” Ben spoke through his teeth. “There’s another woman involved here.”

Renee cheeks flamed. “Are you saying you’re in love with Tracy?”

“I’m choosing Tracy,” Ben said with force. “You’ve had your moment in the spotlight. I hope you get the new job.”

Renee wanted to grab the necktie from his tuxedo and wipe the tears from her face. At least she would have one last part of him to take away with her.

“But Tracy…” Renee wanted to tell him she wasn’t right for him.

“It’s for the best.” Ben put his hand on Renee’s back and turned her toward the path. “Goodbye, Renee.”

Renee began walking without realizing her feet were moving beneath her. She went through the motions while understanding the city was watching. She had to leave with as much grace as possible. At that point, what else could she do? With no idea how Ben found out her secret, and no clue as to why he took it so hard, she had few options. But she was certain about one thing…her heart was utterly and completely broken.

As she arrived at the side of the set, hands propelled her away from the lights and the heavenly flowers. Someone pressed her down into a chair and put a water bottle in her lap. She drank a little, though not nearly enough to replace the stream of tears coursing down her cheeks.

“Time for your interview,” a camera guy said as Renee stared in disbelief.

Renee looked straight ahead, trying to think of something to say. In the background, Tracy squealed in delight. Ben probably asked her to accept the final dandelion. He wanted to be with her.

“No comment.” Renee pushed the lens away as she stood and raced from the studio. She needed to get out of there as fast as possible. She wanted to put as much space between her and the romantic set as she could…especially knowing Ben had Tracy in his arms. The show was over. She and Ben were over. Her hope for love was over.