winked playfully.
“That’s right. You haven’t heard my answer yet, have you?” Something in Sam’s tone made Annie sit straight up in her chair.
“Go ahead, Sam,” Don said smugly. “Don’t keep your fans waiting.”
“I’ve given this a lot of thought, but I’m going to have to say no to being the next Single Guy. I do appreciate the offer, though.”
The audience began murmuring in disbelief.
“Did Sam just say no to Don Carmichael?” sputtered Millie.
“I believe so,” Charlotte said, sounding as amazed as Annie suddenly felt.
Sam was turning down Single Guy.
Don laughed nervously. “This guy!” he said, pointing to Sam. “What a kidder!”
“I’m not kidding, Don.”
Don’s face slowly hardened as realization crept in. “You signed a contract.”
Sam reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a sheaf of papers. “You mean this? I haven’t signed it yet.” He made a big show of tearing the contract in half. Don’s jaw fell to the floor.
The audience roared in confusion.
For a few seconds, no one knew what to do. Then a woman wearing a headset scrambled onto the stage and whispered in Don’s ear. He shook his head. She whispered back more forcefully, then scurried back off camera.
“Um, folks,” said Don, looking as if he’d just swallowed a toad, “it looks like we need to go to a commercial break. We’ll be right back with the Single Gal Reunion Special.”
Millie glanced at her phone. “Holy moly. Twitter is going crazy!”
Annie pulled out her phone and opened her Twitter app. The GasStationSam hashtag was trending number one.
Gas Station Sam says NO to Single Guy! #SingleGuy #GasStationSam #IwantSam
Don Carmichael’s face looks like an eggplant. #SingleGuy #GasStationSamRocks
Wait. I’m confused. Does this mean Gas Station Sam isn’t going to be the next Single Guy? I’m boycotting the show! #GasStationSamforpresident
Does anyone else think that this wasn’t planned? #livetvisthebest #IwanttohaveSam’sbaby
Millie passed her phone to Mom, who then passed it to Charlotte so they could look at the Tweets. “Look!” said Millie, pointing to the TV. “The show is back on.”
“We’re back live in our studio audience with Sam DeLuca, the man who’s taken America by storm,” said Don, who’d managed to regain his signature composure while on break. He paused, then looked into the camera to address the viewing audience. “What you’re about to see and hear is, without a doubt, the most dramatic moment in reality television dating history.”
The camera panned around the riveted audience. Two women in the front row nervously held hands as they awaited the big news. Another woman was chewing on her fingernails.
“While we were on commercial break,” Don continued, “we took a minute to speak to Sam. What we found out will shock you.”
Millie grabbed another handful of popcorn. “Oh no. What do you think it is?”
“Quiet,” Mom ordered. “Sam’s about to talk.”
“Well, it’s pretty simple, Don,” said Sam. “I can’t possibility be your next Single Guy because I’m already in a relationship with someone. It was wrong of me to lead the network on and let them think I’d do the show, but it was the only way I could ensure that you’d bring me down to talk on camera. Because what I have to say isn’t just for Annie. It’s for everyone else in her hometown of Old Explorer’s Bay too.”
Annie nearly fell out of the recliner.
Charlotte’s wineglass froze halfway to her lips.
Millie dropped popcorn all over the floor.
And if Mom’s eyes got any bigger, they’d pop out of their sockets.
“By the way,” Sam said, now addressing the studio audience, “you all know Annie because one of the show’s producers leaked some footage of the two of us when I was down in Florida last month and it aired on Good Morning, USA.”
The audience began shouting. “It’s the woman who wrote him the letter!”
“It’s Annie from Florida!”
“Sam! Are you in love with Annie?”
Don motioned to the audience to calm down. “Now, now, let the man talk. Sam, can you tell us more about this Annie?”
“Her name is Annie Esposito, and she lives in Old Explorer’s Bay, Florida. She saw me on Single Gal and wrote me a letter that changed my life.”
“No!” Don looked as if he’d never heard the story.
“What a big faker.” Millie began scooping up the fallen popcorn. “As if he and his show weren’t responsible for that producer that hounded Sam and took that footage at the bar.”
Pop and Frank Jr. wandered in from the kitchen. “What’s all the ruckus?’ asked Pop.
Frank Jr. nodded toward the television screen. “Hey, that’s Sam on the TV.” His gaze flew to