to be all about you falling for one of us, right?”
“Of course,” he replies formally, just like Mr. Darcy himself. “I do choose. Ultimately, anyway. However, this is reality television, as they keep reminding me. They need the ratings, and apparently contestants like you help with that.”
I let out a defeated puff of air. “What am I going to do?”
“Well, if you still want to leave,” he pauses and I give him an emphatic head nod, “then I suggest you try your best not to be entertaining.”
“You mean not sing.”
“Emma, if you do only one thing, please promise me that.” With his eyes trained on me, his smile broadens.
I can’t help but return it. I know he’s mocking me for my musical performance, but at least he’s doing it in good humor.
“Or I could break the rules and get kicked off the show.”
“There is that.”
“What could I do, I wonder?” I chew on my lip. “Ooh, I know. I could get caught on camera in a passionate embrace with one of the production crew.”
“Do you want to have a passionate embrace with one of the production crew?”
Between the cameraman with a face full of acne like a pepperoni pizza and the one who likes to show the contestants photos of his pet lizard dressed up in Scottish kilts, the pickings are slim to say the least. I let out a sigh. “No.”
He pats my knee. “Well, maybe you’re stuck here with me for a while longer.”
“I guess. I’ll just have to work on not being entertaining.”
“That could be your best bet, Brady Bunch.”
“What’s with the Brady Bunch nickname?”
I try not to let on how much I like it. I mean, it’s not exactly original, but it’s unexpected from a guy like Sebastian.
“You call me Seb, so I thought I’d repay the compliment.”
“Okay,” I reply warily as I notice how the gold chunks in his brown eyes seem more pronounced tonight. I become increasingly aware of him sitting close beside me, and my body begins to respond. Looking like Mr. Darcy doesn’t help, especially this version. He’s sexy, casual, off-duty Darcy, chilling on the sofa at home. If Mr. Darcy did that sort of thing, which seems completely unlikely, really.
I know it’s only the Mr. Darcy Effect, toying with me once again. It’s perfectly natural, and nothing for me to take seriously.
I mean, it’s not like I’m attracted to Sebastian or anything.
Feeling uncomfortable, I hop up off the sofa to my feet. “Right-o,” I say, sounding as English as him.
He raises his eyebrows at me from his seat. “Right-o?”
“Yes, right-o,” I repeat. “It’s a common phrase here in Texas. It means ... right.”
Smooth, Emma.
He rises to his feet. “Interesting. ‘Right-o’ means right. I will have to fit in as many Texan lessons as I can from you before you leave, shan’t I?”
“Ah, sure. Yeah,” I mutter.
He wants to spend time with me?
“Good. I’ll look forward to my next lesson. Will it be focused on other British expressions used in the Texan vernacular?”
Got it. He’s teasing me.
“The what?” I ask.
“The vernacular. The language.”
“Oh, right. Sure. I knew that.”
“I wonder whether ‘jolly hockey sticks’ and ‘poppycock’ are in common use.”
“Oh, sure. Me and my friends always talk about hockey sticks and poppycocks.”
“Do you indeed?” His lips quirk. “How fascinating.”
His gaze is intense, and I feel it right down to my toes. This is beginning to feel very flirty. Time I refocused the conversation.
“I really need you to insist that I get to leave next time. Okay?”
“I will do my best for you.”
I nod. “Good. Thank you.”
“What about if I asked them to allow some time on camera when the contestants aren’t dressed in Regency clothes?”
“You could do that?” I ask in surprise.
“I can’t promise anything, but I can try.”
Hope begins to ping around inside my chest. “That could seriously change things for me.”
“I imagine it could.”
My mind races. “I could do what I came here to do. Maybe I could get some of the other contestants to wear my label too, that way it’ll get even more exposure.” I look back up at him. “Oh, that would make such a huge difference! Thank you.”
“Thank me if I manage to pull it off.”
“Okay, I won’t count my chickens. But if you could help me out, it would totally make my life.”
He gives a single head nod and says, “I’ll let you know. Off camera, of course.”
“Of course.”
With nothing else to say, and with a weird feeling in my belly, I head to the door.