The Bachelor by David Dower (read along books TXT) 📖

with enough sarcasm. “So you better not remember my name the next rose ceremony, Astor!”

He decided to take a different approach. “But your name’s already running around my head, Jules. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”

“Don’t call me Jules!”

“I can call you whatever the way I want.” He looked at her and sighed. “Okay, can you calm down just a little bit? Tell me why in the hell you are here if you don’t really want to be here?”

She was silent for a moment, her face thinking. “I applied for a job but ended being the proxy for the lady who backed out. Get it?”

“Ah, now you’re talking.”

“And tomorrow, I will be attending a very important event in my writing career and you’ve ruined it!”

“Wait, wait, stop right there.” He raised his hands and took another step back. “You were desperate enough to be here just to get a job but now you’re telling me you have another place to go to concerning your writing career.” He frowned down at her. “I don’t get it. You already have a writing career and you still applied for a job.”

She blew out an exasperated breath and said, “The job I applied for is supposed to be for research. An important research.”

“For what?”

“For my next work—” she held up her hand and said, “Just forget it. I don’t need to explain to you. Just remember, I don’t want a rose the next ceremony, are we clear?”

“Where are you going tomorrow anyway?”

“Chicago, and now I can’t go because you failed to fulfill your promise, you lying…uggh! Just…uggh!” she whirled around in frustration and he grinned. It was fun to watch her doing that.

Disappointment washed over him when he saw her walked towards the door.

“Just remember what I said this time, Bachelor!” she shouted before banging the door behind her.

Zach was still looking with awe at the door, a smile pasted on his lips. She was really disappointed and angry to have received a rose.

It’s time to make it up to her because he couldn’t just let her go just yet when the fun was just starting.

 *****

Julianne returned to her room which she now shared with Pauline silently.

“Where have you been?”

“Chasing away the devil,” she answered.

Pauline laughed. “You’re really weird, you know that?” She was brushing her blonde hair, sitting cross-legged on the bed. She looked up and pointed with her finger, “Look up there, there’s a camera,” she whispered at Julianne.

Startled, she looked up and there, at the corner of the room was a camera pointing at them. “I didn’t know we’re in Big Brother,” she muttered.

“I remembered it was in the contract though. It said we won’t have that much privacy.”

“The bathroom’s safe, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Yes, I checked. No cameras.”

“Good,” she sighed and dropped on her bed.

“Are you feeling better now?” Pauline asked with concern.

Julianne smiled. At least she was lucky to find someone who was actually nice to her. “Yes, I guess so.”

“Tomorrow’s a big day,” Pauline piped in. “Brent said Zach will choose some of the ladies to take on a date.”

“Yeah, fun,” she answered dryly.

“Wonder where he’ll take his dates. I really wish he’ll take me.”

“He probably will. You’re beautiful and nice. He’ll take a liking on you,” she said with eyes closed.

“That’s nice of you,” Pauline giggled.

She did not answer and pretended to be asleep. Hell, she could pretend to be asleep for days until the next rose ceremony if she could.

 *****

The next morning, Julianne was forced to go down and eat breakfast with the ladies. She was not able to eat something last night and she was famished. The best thing about the place was that the kitchen was completely stocked. And there were a lot of meat.

Her mouth was already watering while she waited for her steak to be edible enough.

“You’re really eating that?” Hanna, the blonde girl, asked her.

“Why not?” she asked.

“It’s gonna make you bloat. And bloated is not good here. We’re on an island.”

Julianne stared at her through her thick spectacles. Hanna, among the other ladies, was in her bikini top and short shorts.

“That’s fine with me,” she answered. She was wearing one of her white shirts so that was not really a problem.

“Eew,” Chloe muttered when she passed by and saw what she had on the pan.

“Gag,” Hanna said and joined her friend at the table with her salad.

Julianne didn’t like too much green on her food. “Food for cows…” Julianne silently commented as she turned her steak over.

 *****

“Hey, ladies,” Zach announced his arrival with a big smile. He was wearing a white shirt, dark pants, and a pair of sunglasses.

The ladies stopped whatever they were doing and beamed at him. Julianne completely ignored him and focused on her steak which at that moment tasted like it was the most luscious thing she had ever eaten.

“I have a little surprise for you today,” he announced.

“Ooh?” the ladies said.

“I’m gonna take two of you shopping.”

There was, as usual, a big uproar from the ladies.

“And to make things fair, I used a little fishbowl technique to choose who among you I’m going to take.” He looked at the women playfully. “Want to know now or do you want me to wait after you’re done with breakfast?”

“Now!” Chloe almost shouted.

“Okay, then, Pauline and Julianne, better get ready,” he said with a chuckle. He announced the names without the drum roll effect and everyone was stunned.

Julianne closed her eyes and bent her head on her steak when the names finally registered in her brain.

“Oh my God!” Pauline gasped beside her. “Julianne! We’re gonna go shopping!” The other ladies were still too shocked from his sudden announcement of the names to even utter a word.

“I’d rather not—” she started.

“Get ready, the boat is waiting and the plane’s fueled,” Zach cut in.

“Where are we going?” Pauline asked excitedly.

Julianne couldn’t help it so she looked up and saw that he was grinning, his eyes on her.

“Chicago,” he answered. Chapter 5

Pauline appeared to be a bit disappointed.

“Chicago? Like I haven’t been there? I thought we were going to Vegas or something,” she grumbled on. They were in their room, getting ready for the trip. “You sure you’re going like that?”

“Yes,” she answered with a nod. She was busy frowning down her computer in her baggy white shirt and shorts. Lucky she brought her own boots.

“But I’m excited anyway,” Pauline continued on. “I want to buy some new stuff to wear in the island.”

“Uh-huh,” she nodded absently. She would not go shopping. She was going elsewhere to do more important things.

When she heard Zach utter the word Chicago, she almost jumped with joy. The man was not heartless after all, she thought. But she couldn’t forgive him just yet. She was supposed to be in Chicago by now and not some unknown, freaking island!

 *****

One thing she noticed: Brent was not always around. It only occurred to her that the host was only obliged to talk to them during the rose ceremony. Now that she thought of it, she remembered seeing one episode of the show and the host was always having those single shots doing a narrative. And she was thankful for that. Brent’s presence reminded her of the cameras and how she should watch her movements.

“Hey,” Zach was already outside waiting for them dressed in a casual attire of jeans, shirt and his sunglasses. His hair was combed up and away from his face but a few strands were dangling on his forehead. Julianne had to admit that he was a pretty sight.

Julianne’s eyes squinted. Not against the sun but against the blasted stingy reflections coming from the camera tagging along with them.

From a distance, she saw Jack Carter talking to some of his crew and she guessed he was not coming. That’s good. She could murder the dude.

“Hello!” Pauline, being her jolly self, greeted Zach.

“Hey, Jules!” Zach waved at her. Was he serious? Really? Waving was for some teenagers who went on first dates. Did he mean anything by that stupid motion of his hands?

She just nodded and walked towards where the yacht was docked saying, “It’s getting hot.”

“Excited?” she heard him ask Pauline behind her.

“Yes, of course,” her new friend answered.

Good thing they were not alone.

But he just wouldn’t let her be by herself. He just couldn’t help it, could he? “So, Jules,” he said, chasing after her, leaving behind the struggling Pauline who seemed to have some problems with her heels.

“What?” she asked snidely without looking at him.

“You happy we’re going to Chicago?” his white smile was a contrast to the dashing sunglasses he was wearing.

“Yeah, I’m jumping with joy,” and if there was anything dryer than her tone, it was the sand beneath them.

“Look,” he said in a low voice, “I’m sorry if you thought I broke a promise, but I don’t really recall making one.”

“Forget it, Astor. Just remember what I said last night,” she retorted sharply. He was right after all and she was actually angrier to herself than him. She was foolish and giddy to have concluded that he said yes.

“Now let me tell you honestly that I can’t promise to let you go next ceremony,” he stressed out.

She froze. “Why?” she demanded.

“Because I like you,” he said with a shrug.

“You don’t even know me.”

“And that’s why I don’t think I want you to go yet. I wanna know you better,” he beamed.

“Well I don’t.” With that, she continued to walk, this time in quicker strides, but he was faster and it seemed not a very hard task for him.

“Why are you so eager to go? Any woman would not pass up the chance.”

“I told you I don’t want anything to do with this show and I told you I have things to do which are more important.”

“Like book signing?”

“Yes,” she retorted.

“How many book signings are there?”

Actually, there were only three. And honestly, the second one was scheduled a month from now. But there was no way she was telling him that. “Why? You’re going to take me to each one of them?”

“If that’s all it takes,” he practically pressed down his head so she could see that boyish grin of his that had been itching at her nerves.

“I’m not really willing to play this game you have going on, so, just leave me alone.” It was a good thing they had already reached the dock and she climbed as fast as she could towards the yacht without taking the help from one of the men already waiting for them.

“Zach seems to really like you,” Pauline pointed out later when he left to get some drinks.

“He’s just being friendly,” she said under her breath.

“Nah, he likes you,” Pauline said with a smile. She wondered why the woman was not glaring at her at all. If it were the other girls, they would now be throwing her in the ocean and wishing for piranhas as they did so.

“You don’t look so stricken about it,” she couldn’t help but say.

“It’s not like I own him or anything, right? I know what I got myself into when I lined up for the show,” Pauline shrugged.

She quietly applauded her friend. Really, it seemed that Pauline was the only sensible person among the other ladies they left behind.

They still had about thirty minutes