Love Elimination

  Love Elimination

  SARAH GATES

  www.harlequinbooks.com.au

  To my loved ones

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About Sarah Gates

  CHAPTER

  1

  Anna Hobbs dragged herself back to the tiny inner-city apartment she shared with her sister. She worked two jobs—at Stressed, a popular dessert café, and at the worst supermarket in the city—and after two shifts that day, her feet were about to fall off. Both shops had been crowded. She hadn’t even been able to fantasise about the reason she was there: her dream to own a dessert café; a dream that was close to coming true.

  Anna was brainstorming names for the café when she walked into the apartment, kicking off her shoes at the door and dropping her keys into the bowl. It was only when she went to flop down on the couch that she noticed something strange. Kate, who never cooked, had set the table with their best wine glasses and a plate of cheeses cut into perfect cubes. Anna approached the table warily.

  ‘Why is there a cheese platter?’

  ‘I wanted to celebrate.’ Kate pulled her long blonde hair into a bun. She leaned across the counter and stabbed at the food. ‘I overheard you making that appointment with the bank this week. I’m so proud of you!’

  A smile stretched across Anna’s face and her heart swelled at the show of sisterly support. After six years of hard work and even stricter saving, she’d earned enough money for a deposit, so she could finally find a property and start her own business. Not only that, but she had the perfect place: a beautiful old brick building not far from her apartment and close to a busy shopping strip. The building was in desperate need of renovation, which meant it was cheap.

  ‘Kate … thank you.’ Even now she was twenty-four years old, receiving a compliment from her older sister was like the first taste of an Adriano Zumbo dish.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ Kate asked.

  ‘I didn’t want to get carried away until everything was signed and official. It’s not quite there yet.’

  ‘Well, that’s stupid. You’re going to get it and you’re allowed to be excited.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Anna took a seat at the counter. ‘If my loan is approved on Wednesday, the first thing I’m going to do is tell Mr Jhadav that I quit. You would not believe the abuse I got today for not chasing after some hundred-mile-a-minute woman who left without her five cents in change.’ It was pension day, which always brought a mass of elderly customers into the supermarket, and Anna had been rushed off her feet. Stressed wasn’t as bad; at least there were no cockroaches and the customers were usually nicer. But it wasn’t her café—the one she’d dreamed about since she was three years old.

  Instead of laughing, Kate started tapping her ring on the counter. Anna took a sip from her wine, waiting for her sister to spit out whatever it was she wanted to say.

  ‘Do you think you’ll have the loan and lease contracts sorted by next week?’ Kate finally asked.

  ‘Maybe. If all goes well, the bank said I could be the proud occupier of 12 Marlborough Avenue by Wednesday,’ Anna said. Talking about her dream now that it was so close was tying her stomach into knots. ‘Will you be around to celebrate? Or will you have started filming Love Elimination by then?’ Anna smiled wryly. No matter how many times she said the cheesy title, she couldn’t keep herself from scoffing. Kate was a producer and even she couldn’t keep a straight face when explaining the show to strangers.

  Her sister rolled her eyes. ‘We start filming the Monday after. I’ll fly out on the Sunday.’

  ‘And will it be better than the last dating show?’

  ‘I’m just hoping our Prince Charming doesn’t get any of the contestants pregnant this time.’

  ‘He got someone pregnant? That’s so sleazy! But at least he got his happy ending …’

  ‘Geez. Don’t you read the internet, Anna?’

  Anna ignored the dig. ‘Are you sure you want to work on this show? Wouldn’t you prefer a cooking or renovation competition?’

  ‘Clearly they need me to keep the suitor squeaky clean.’ Kate took another bite, unfazed by her own lack of modesty. ‘Love Elimination is going to be nothing but fun romance and addictive drama. There will be no scandals beyond the life of the season.’

  ‘I’ll miss you,’ Anna said, thinking of how the highlights of her weeks were their movie nights and early-morning runs. With her saving plan stricter than military regimes the world over, Anna’s social life was non-existent. But Kate deserved to fly to a tropical paradise and oversee the filming of a cast of beautiful people, instead of babysitting her lonely little sister. ‘I’ll have to convince Ben to ditch his new martial arts obsession and stay with me, just while you’re away.’

  ‘Maybe not.’ Kate’s ring tapping was louder and more frequent now. The last time she’d seen Kate work her rings this hard was when Kate had been too scared to admit she’d ruined Anna’s favourite dress.

  Anna’s hand froze halfway to the platter. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘The thing is, we’ve had a bit of a glitch. One of the women has pulled out.’ Kate clutched her glass, taking a long swig. ‘She fell in love with her postman.’

  ‘And you don’t have a replacement?’

  ‘Not exactly.’ The creases in Kate’s forehead deepened.

  ‘You’ll work it out,’ Anna said, preparing for a typical you-are-beautiful-and-intelligent-and-you-can-achieve-anything-you-desire argument. Not that Kate needed it. It was usually Anna on the receiving end and Ben—her closest friend—giving the speech.

  When her sister didn’t reply, Anna continued, ‘I’m sure plenty of drama queens applied. Just pick from one of those.’

  ‘That’s the problem,’ Kate said. ‘It’s all been a bit of a rush. Because that series about the werewolf is caught up in litigation, Love Elimination was given the time slot. Our schedule was pushed forward eight weeks. We found all our contestants through personal contacts, dating websites and off the street.’ Kate bit into the cheese, frowning the entire time and swallowing like the food personally offended her. ‘We need diversity. We need characters. We want drama, turbulence, emotion … cat fights, tears, witty one-liners …’

  ‘If it helps, I graduated school with plenty of girls like that. Feel free to look through my yearbooks and choose one!’

  ‘Actually, I already have those roles cast.’

  ‘What’s your point?’

  ‘We need someone normal—likeable, but who won’t make it to the end.’

  ‘But how hard can it be to find a model and put her on television?’

  ‘Harder than you think. And that’s where you come in …’

  ‘What?’

  ‘You need money, right?’ Kate said. ‘I mean, you have big plans for the renovations?’

  Okay, so she’d clearly missed some sort of transition. Anna met her sister’s eye and saw that she was being analysed like a character on a drama. Kate grinned.

  ‘What if I knew a way you could make twenty-five thousand dollars really quickly?’

  ‘I’d say you’d get caught. And you know better than to br
eak the law.’

  At Anna’s quick response, Kate broke into a full smile for the first time that evening. ‘It’s not illegal, I promise.’ Kate leaned over and took Anna’s hand. ‘I want you to come on the show. It’s twenty-five thousand upfront and all you have to do is laze around in a mansion, occasionally go to a party or on a date with eleven other girls, and all the while pretend to be looking for love. Just play along.’

  A laugh escaped Anna’s lips. ‘Very funny, Kate.’

  ‘I’m serious,’ she said, looking directly into Anna’s eyes.

  ‘Those attention-seeking reality-TV stars don’t get paid that much. You told me yourself: it’s worse than minimum wage.’

  ‘The money is intended to pay an actress to fill the slot. It’s budgeted for emergencies.’

  Anna started shaking her head, struggling to find the words to describe just how against the ridiculous idea she was. No freaking way just didn’t seem powerful enough.

  ‘I am not—’

  ‘Don’t say no, Anna,’ Kate interjected. ‘You need this money and I can give it to you as quickly as you can sign! And I need someone the audience can relate to. All your customers adore you.’

  It had finally happened. The high-pressure TV job had driven Kate insane. Anna shook her head and slipped off her stool. ‘You’ll have to find someone else,’ she said, grabbing her bag and escaping to her room. The door clicked behind her, serving to muffle her sister’s arguments. The whole thing was beyond crazy.

  A few moments later, Anna’s phone buzzed. She swiped at the screen.

  Don’t be stupid. This money could pay for the outfitting!

  Anna thought about the building she’d picked out: 12 Marlborough Avenue. It was perfect. It was also a disaster in the making. If just one thing went wrong, her budget would blow out and if that happened, she might lose everything. Was Kate right? Was Love Elimination actually a blessing in disguise?

  The phone vibrated again. Anna didn’t need to look at the screen to know it was Kate. Instead of checking the text, she stalked back into the living room.

  ‘I’m not made to be in front of the camera, Kate. I can’t go on a reality television show and compete with eleven supermodels with perfect bodies and high-flying careers. Just yesterday you were bragging about getting that woman who looks like Beyoncé and has a PhD.’

  Kate rounded the bench and grabbed Anna’s shoulders with both hands. ‘Yes, you can. You are kind, driven, smart and so, so sweet. And you are gorgeous! Any guy would be lucky to have you, regardless of any supermodel neurosurgeons he has soaking in his spa.’

  Anna opened her mouth to speak, but Kate’s voice only grew louder. ‘You are! You just exclusively date arseholes—that’s your problem! You’ve never received a compliment from a man.’

  ‘What does that have to do with being on camera?’

  ‘You can do this.’ Kate’s voice softened. ‘More than that, you should do this. What have you got to lose? If anything, this would grow your business. The show will be nationally broadcast. You’ll have people lining up around the block to taste your delicious desserts! This is a business opportunity, Anna.’

  The idea gave Anna pause, but she couldn’t show weakness. Kate could be ruthless in getting her way; she was being promoted to producer of Love Elimination for a reason.

  ‘I’ll look like a fool. I know how these shows work. Your editors create drama and misconceptions out of nothing. If anything, the public will boycott my shop …’

  ‘Not with me there. I’ll be vetting all the footage and I’ll have your back. I won’t let them do that to you.’

  ‘And how will they feel about you putting your sister on the show? How will the public feel when they find out?’

  ‘Whether you’re my sister or not, doesn’t everyone deserve a shot at true love? Someone dropped out, so I was able to give you that chance. All you have to say is you want to find Mr Right.’

  Anna stiffened. ‘Wait, is this just some elaborate ruse? Your absurd, Hollywood version of a blind date?’

  Kate rolled her eyes, but didn’t bother replying.

  After a moment of analysing her sister’s face for any sign of dishonesty, Anna sighed. ‘I don’t need a man. I’m happy being single. All I want is my café.’

  ‘Just give it a chance,’ Kate demanded. ‘Trust me. You will work out the loan and lease this week. We’ll pay you the money and you can book your tradespeople. They’ll work on the property and you can relax in the lap of luxury on set. Or work on your menu. Practise some new recipes in the state-of-the-art kitchen.’ She leaned back and pinned Anna with her baby blues.

  Anna’s perfect certainty from earlier was wavering. She pictured herself in a crowd of girls dating the same man. It wasn’t appealing. Nor was the layering on of make-up to withstand the assault of high-definition cameras and bright lights. She would be like a greasy burger in a cake shop—entirely unwelcome and out of place. Whoever the guy was, he’d see that straightaway.

  On the other hand, if Kate made sure she was perceived well, Anna could come out of this with a bunch of pre-bookings for her café. Maybe she could even throw a grand opening. Plus the money could go a long way for a small-business owner.

  Another thought knocked against the inside of her head. ‘Kate, what if he sends me home on the first night?’

  ‘Then you return to your real life after just twelve hours.’ Kate was grinning now, like a child who’d eaten the last chocolate before her sister even found the box. Anna’s mind whirred. She would come back to a café, her café, with the work underway. Getting everything sorted before she left would be a rush, but not impossible.

  ‘Think of what you could do if you play it smart. This money could be like a shortcut. Skip to “go” and collect twenty-five grand,’ Kate said. ‘You could outfit the café with all the little extras …’

  Not for a second did Anna think that mention of the amount was accidental. But she couldn’t help letting it influence her.

  ‘Okay.’ The word slipped from between her lips.

  ‘You’ll do it?’

  ‘Yes. I’ll do the show. I’ll make sure the guy rejects me and I’ll come home and live my dream after a twelve-hour detour.’

  * * *

  After the decision was made, the days ran together in a blur. Anna spent hours poring over financial statements and budgeting until the numbers stuck in her mind. She had every figure memorised, as well as a speech about why the bank should approve her loan. The bathroom mirror watched as she answered every question the bank manager could possibly throw at her.

  The meeting itself was uneventful. She answered a few token questions, signed her name on the dotted line where instructed and walked out with enough money in her account to lease the premises. It didn’t feel real. Everything was too easy. She’d expected to fight for it.

  Her boss at Stressed accepted her resignation immediately—despite the lack of notice. Unlike Mr Jhadav at the supermarket. When she told him she was leaving his eyes crossed over, an expression of strange disbelief and barely disguised fear. But since she didn’t even have an employment contract with the supermarket, she didn’t hesitate to hand in her name tag, shirt and letter of resignation and walk out.

  Anna spent hours in the old building that would house her café. Using brand new tools from the nearest hardware store, she ripped the old cabinets from their walls and created a pile of rubbish at the front of the shop, just inside the door. Any old equipment she could sell went online to earn a few extra dollars. The rest of the time, Anna’s phone was glued to her ear. She contacted a handful of recommended tradespeople, met with them and discussed her plans. When their quotes came in, she’d choose those she was happiest with and contract them to start work on the café.

  On the Friday evening before the show, Ben helped her move all the rubbish into his parents’ trailer and unload it again at the dump. Then he helped her clean the property from cornice to skirting board. Apart from the occasional ques
tion about the café, Ben spent the entire time berating Anna for agreeing to go on Love Elimination.

  ‘You don’t need to go on a TV show to get a guy,’ he told her, rolling up his sleeves to reveal heavy tattoos covering the bulging muscles of his arms.

  ‘I don’t need a boyfriend! For the millionth time, I’m just doing a favour for Kate.’ Ben had his own urban dictionary of insults that he used against the vapid wannabes on reality television. There was no way she was going to admit to willingly becoming one of them.

  ‘That’s right. What you need is a good lay,’ he replied before tackling a line of shelving Anna had decided to keep, pulling it away from the wall so he could dust in the cracks. Anna launched herself at him, engaging in a sword fight to defend her honour—him with the duster and her with the elongated attachment of the vacuum cleaner.

  ‘I do not!’ she cried, swiping for his shoulder as she saw an opening.

  ‘So you admit! You’re not getting any.’ Ben snatched her weapon, holding it above her reach.

  ‘It’s none of your business.’

  ‘And it’s confirmed, ladies and gentlemen.’ He took a bow and threw the vacuum cleaner tube in Anna’s direction.

  She fumbled, but caught it and clipped it where it belonged. Her frustrations, sexual and otherwise, could be used to remove the awful eighties tiles from the kitchen splashback, via judicious use of a hammer and chisel. ‘Oh, just shut up and clean.’

  ‘Sure thing, your majesty.’

  They worked in relative peace until Kate rushed through the door. The bells which Anna hadn’t yet got around to removing jingled with her arrival. How Kate moved at such a speed wearing Eiffel Tower–high heels, Anna couldn’t understand. Or, more to the point, Anna didn’t know how she managed to avoid succumbing to gravity and injuring herself.

  ‘Wrap it up now, folks. Anna and I are going shopping,’ Kate announced, spotting Anna’s handbag in the corner of the room and sweeping it into her arm.

  ‘We are?’ Anna asked.

  Ben shook his head and opened his eyes wide. He reminded Anna of a goldfish. ‘Wow. You’ve changed, Anna. You haven’t even started filming yet and the fame goes to your head …’