Chapter 7

© Copyright 2008 by Elizabeth Delayne



They entered Los Angeles the next morning, after stopping briefly at hotel so everyone could get some real sleep and to deal with what Tyler called—with a speculative glance toward Jamie---the “even more boring part of reality tv” or would be once they began to use the time to wash clothes, shop and head to the grocery store when the novelty of catered food began to wear off.

Jamie—who had only traveled extensively in the midwestern states, had never been to California. She’d brought her new digital camera with her, with so much SD card storage that she was sure she would never fill it up. Her mom and dad, her brother and sister, her grandparents on her father’s side of the family, had all given her the cards as a going away present.

Of course, she knew why they did it. They wanted details, the whole story. Everyone seemed to expect major things from this trip.

Her mom was a nurse as well, her dad a specialized worker in a factory. There had never been a whole lot of money for traveling, but they had done miracles with what they had. She’d been to all kings of museums, tourists spots in Chicago, seen traveling Broadway plays. She’d been to concerts.

She’d been able to attend college.

So as they drove past a number of sites, she took pictures. Her own pictures. She didn’t have to keep everything she took, and that was the best part of technology.

And when they pulled to a stop, she lifted her camera, and shot a picture before she even let herself think about what she had seen. She wanted first impressions.

She stepped off the bus behind Thessa and looked around. They were on a sidewalk, in front of a intercity play ground.

It felt ... Jamie thought ... grey. And when they asked her what she’d thought, that was what she would say. Her first impression was grey. Despite the blue skies over head, it seemed like she was under gloomy clouds. There was no net on either basketball goal, the court and surrounding concrete cracked, plagued with weeds. The swing set was missing three seats, one was hanging on one side, leaving only one true swing.

It had been years since she’d lived around this much concrete, rows of dilapidated apartment complexes and buildings. She wasn’t used to tall chain length fences. For the last twelve years of her life, she’d spent more time at her grandmother’s Iowa farmhouse, then in the city or near the city, with her family.

Beside her, Felicity had stopped and looked around. She shivered a little.

Small town girl, Jamie remember. Obviously, Jamie thought, this was something that was a little outside of both their comfort zones.

Then out of no where came three vans, and another car. Out of one, with assistants, or producer, or some other network employees, stepped Alani Corsivo. She looked gorgeous in a pair of jeans and an Oxford, carrying off the look with more style then Jamie had on day one. When it finally played on television, Jamie was sure they would make it seem like she’d just appeared instead of an awkward stream of ... business.

Alani looked ... fabulous. Her grandmother had been sure she wouldn’t look as good in person, as she did on television. The little Jamie had seen, she’d been sure her grandmother would be right. No one could improve perfection.

Somehow Alani Corsivo did.

And she walked straight up to Tyler.

There was an easy rapport there, Jamie thought, as she watched the two greet each other like old friends. Tyler gave one of his masculine, knee weakening smiles and Jamie fought jealousy that rose inside.

Why ... when she’d known him for less than twenty ... no less than forty-eight hours.

She would have to remember that. She would have to tell herself that over and over. She looked away, and found the camera watching her.

Great. She could almost hear the tension inducing music they would use in playback.

Her brother had warned her. She thought Tyler had seen it day one. She needed to learn to control her expressions.

Especially if she couldn’t quell this unexpected crush soon.

Tyler — wasn’t perfect. He had some faults. More than the protective instincts that made her melt.

She would just have to find his weaknesses.

And use them to keep herself focused.



Alani stepped around and introduced herself. After she’d shaken their hands and talked with each of them for a few minutes while the network “people,” whoever they were, set things up, Thessa stepped over.

“She’s not the starlet she seemed to be when she showed up,” Thessa said, with some admiration. “She’s nice. We were always sure she wasn’t ... I mean. She’s gorgeous. Who doesn’t want to hate her?”

Jamie laughed.

“Even my fiancé has the hots for her. I think that’s why he was so agreeable to me coming.”

“Well, at least he’s going to be watching you both on screen.”

“There is that.”

“So who picked out your ring?” Jamie asked. She hadn’t had as much time to talk to Thessa as she had the rest. As Thessa came from the east coast, she was the one dealing with the greatest jet lag.

She lifted the ring and they both watched it sparkle on her long, elegant fingers. “He did.”

“How long have you been together?”

“Three years.”

“And ...” Jamie searched her mind for the information, “you’ve been engaged for three months.”

Thessa nodded. “He asked me out my freshman year in college, but I wouldn’t have it. He as a junior and was a player. Then he came back our sophomore year and I ran into him in the student union building. He’d cut his hair. Tucked in his shirt. Said he did it for me.”

“Did he?”

Thessa laughed again. “No ... he did it for a job. But he had a job, and one where he needed to be respectable. So, I fell for that guy.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Yeah.”

One of the producers stepped out with a megaphone. Called them all together. “Let’s get started people. Ty—get your team assembled.”

After getting the how to instructions from Tyler, they grouped together outside the playground, and were filmed walking in one after the other. They stopped and stood in a semi circle as Tyler had prompted them.

Then, with the camera’s still rolling, Alani walked in front. She welcomed them, on camera, several times, in a few different ways.

“Your challenge today is simple and as tough as the concrete you stand on. Your job is take this cracked, aged version of a play ground and turn it into a place that will allow the kids and families a place to truly play ... using the objects found ... in there ...”

She pointed past them and they turned as an eighteen-wheeler turned down the street.

Then the 18 wheeler drove past and the filmed the scene again. The doors on the back of the eighteen-wheeler were opened, closed, and opened again.

So, the challenge began... and so did the noise with the jack hammers operated by Cameron and Tyler, the bulldozer and people trying to talk over it all, telling them what to do ....

But it was a productive noise. Jamie expertly pulled on her latex gloves and with George, Thessa and Felicity got to work cleaning up the playground.

Which might have been a little more productive if they hadn’t been told to put things down, change angles, and do things in a different way.

But in the end, it was the result that mattered.


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