Free Win a Filthy Bad Boy: A Bad Boy Romance by Lacy Carter

hall. She glanced around the tables filled with couples. Dinner was well underway, but there was no sign of Chad.
     
    To make matters worse, she was early as usual. Punctuality was a habit she adopted from being a journalist. It allowed her to feel comfortable and in control. Showing up before an event would allow her to observe and assess things. Chad, however, was frustrating her routine.
     
    “Would you like to be served now, Miss?” the waiter asked with a smile.
     
    “Five minutes; he's just a bit late.”
     
    The waiter bowed and left.
     
    Bonnie bit her bottom lip and put on a brave face but, all too aware of the cameras, her smile went a little crooked. A few hours ago, Bonnie spent two agonizing hours hunched over the toilet with seasickness. No one mentioned the ship would be so rocky. Now, in the restaurant, she regained her composure and even tried to appear upbeat. But, after humiliation had set in and her optimism faded away, Bonnie felt deflated.
     
    The cameras were at a distance and pretty much out of sight, but that didn't help Bonnie to relax. It was as if everyone in the restaurant were looking at her, feeling sorry for her. The dinner between her and Chad was organized for them to get to know each other, after which they were supposed return to their cabins and give feedback about their first impressions.
     
    “Chad, are you fucking kidding me?” Bonnie muttered. Her faced turned hot from rage.
     
    She imagined Jill’s voice: Easy tiger, try not to be on edge. Don't show you care.
     
    However, it was just as easy to imagine Jill’s voice taking another tone:
     
    Then again… he is Chad DeMarco, Mr. Fucking Steel. What are you doing girl? You should be on your knees worshiping his…
     
    Bonnie got up made her way back to her cabin. She was prepared to spend the majority of the evening brooding in silence in her room.
     
    As she walked through the hallway, the cameras followed her, capturing her every expression: hurt, anger, humiliation.
     
    Leslie asked Bonnie to follow her. They entered a large fawn-colored cabin room and walked into the middle of a phalanx of cameras that awaited them.
     
    “Just tell us how you feel about being stood up,” Leslie whispered.
     
    Bonnie groaned inwardly; she had already given an introduction about herself earlier. She spoke about never dating in high school or college, her break up with Henry, and her life as a journalist. Now she had to talk about being stood up by Chad.
     
    “Why don’t you just tell me what you want me to say?” Bonnie said, looking over at Leslie. The camera hadn't started rolling, regardless. Bonnie was speechless. Thanks to Chad’s no-show, she must have looked the fool in front of the entire world.
     
    “Okay, hold on a second here, folks,” Leslie said. “Look, sweetie, just read off this.” She put extra emphasis on sweetie , punctuated it with a forced eye roll, and handed Bonnie a sheet of paper.
     
    Bonnie read aloud. “I’m not in the best of moods right now. Chad didn't even make the effort to show up to our dinner date… Somewhere in the back of my mind, I imagined we could get to know each other… I love bad boys, but right now…” Bonnie fell quiet and went on reading. She finished. “Really?”
     
    “Trust me, viewers will love it.”
     
    They started filming. Bonnie made the best possible attempt at regurgitating the words. Then she got up and left.
     
    Walking back through the corridor to her cabin, Bonnie was deeply lost in her own thoughts. She swore she would endure the cruise and stop her Chad obsession, cold turkey. She knew his kind: entitled, self-centered, and egotistical. Earlier, when Chad showed up to the cruise terminal looking hung over, it was evident that he couldn’t give a shit about the show.
     
    Well, that was it , Bonnie reasoned. If he was going to play the bastard, she would just have to play the bitch! As she moved toward her cabin, she was so resolute and