Free Paradise By The Rifle Sights (Greatest Hits romantic mysteries book #5) (Greatest Hits Mysteries) by Leslie Langtry Page B

you a compliment?"
    Cindee 's frown deepened. "Oh, so now you'd rather I giggle and swoon when you speak? Like you think the others are? Which is it, Paris? You can't have both."
    This was not going well at all. I turned to Leila. She was scowling at me with her arms folded across her chest. Bridget had four empty rocks glasses in front of her and was nearly passed out at the table.
    Our sushi came , and we ate in silence. This wasn't very good television. But none of the women wanted to talk to me. And I was beyond confused. Wasn't it good that I was looking for a woman of substance? What did I do wrong?
    " Well that was boring as hell," the cameraman muttered as he shouldered past me to the limo. The ride home was silent. I wondered how they'd spin this when it aired. Bimbo women, or idiot Bachelor?
    An hour later we were all in the den for the elimination. Four groups of women stood before me. A tray of pink roses at my left. I had to send one group home.
    Most people who would later watch the sushi episode might think that I would send home Cindee 's group. After all, there appeared to be no attraction between me and those women. What a mess.
    " Wanda, Monterrey, and…" what was the other woman's name? It didn't matter because they all stepped forward with huge smiles on their faces. They were happy they weren't the last group—the group that doesn't get a rose.
    " You're going home," I said.
    I ignored the looks of shock on each of their faces and handed out the roses to the other women. I fled to my suite before anyone could speak. Bad television? Probably. Maybe they'd fire me and send me home.
    The F-Troop theme was blaring in the background. I'm sure the crew was pissed and punishing me for a crappy night. I didn't care. In fact, I didn't really need to be here. The cameramen would be busy dealing with three sobbing women as they packed. I had my own separate entrance to the house, so I used it.
    Of course, once I got outside I realized there was no where I could really go. None of these cars were mine. Maybe I could call a cab? But to where? There might be a small chance Roberto was still around. I headed to the garage to check it out.
    " Roberto?" I called out. The garage held ten cars of various shapes and sizes. The only thing they had in common was that they were all very expensive.
    The sound of a metal tool landing on cement drew me toward the limo. Teri stood up, and upon seeing me, shook her head.
    " Going AWOL, Fabio?" she asked.
    " The thought has crossed my mind." I walked over to where she was and leaned against the car.
    Teri looked me up and down. "You wear a suit to lounge around the house?"
    " They didn't really give me anything else to wear. No shorts, no polo shirts, just suits."
    " I guess you are kind of a slave to what the masses want to see, huh?"
    Was she being a smartass, or was that sympathy I heard in her voice? "Pretty much sums it up."
    Teri leaned against a grey Bentley, facing me. "I heard you screwed everything up tonight."
    " Good news travels fast." I put my hands in my pockets. "I don't want to be here."
    " Then why are you here?" Teri asked. Her eyes looked further into me than I thought possible. To my surprise, I realized that I liked her too. That wasn't like me, to be interested in two women at the same time. The idea embarrassed me. I'd always been a one-woman guy. At least, that's what I'd told myself. Teri was complicating things, and I felt uneasy about my interest in her.
    An idea formed in my mind, allowing me a distraction. "I just auditioned as a favor to Chuck Plimpton—the producer. I wasn't supposed to win the audition—just show the others how it was done. Chuck's a friend of my grandmother."
    Oh , God. Grandma Mary would roll around in her grave (if she was dead) if she knew I'd put her in the same league as this asshole. But this was a better excuse than the one I had before—and I might get some info on Plimpton and get Teri to stop looking at me like