I guess I looked shocked at Trip’s declaration. He got an even bigger grin on his face.
“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,” he taunted me.
Beth slipped her hand up my thigh.
“I call foul,” Zoe announced as she pointed to what Beth was up to.
I don’t believe Beth cared. She found what she was looking for, and Mr. Happy didn’t protest.
“I can eliminate four of you without even trying,” I said, and pointed at Trip, Tracy, Tami, and Cassidy.
Cassidy gave me a look that made me wonder if I should reconsider, but I’d promised her dad, so I stood firm.
“I think Beth currently has the best hand,” I said, making a terrible pun that made everyone groan.
“Caryn found your brother another room. You have a single for the duration of the next two weeks,” Cassidy informed me.
Of course, my security team would want my room monitored. I was impressed that none of my security people ever talked about what they might see. It made me sometimes forget that I was being filmed 24/7. I guess if I were uncomfortable with being seen in public, or had body issues, I might be freaked out.
I think Tami recognized I was having a hard time processing what was going on.
“Come on. Introduce me to everyone,” she said.
Once we were out of earshot, she stopped me.
“Before you dig your heels in, you need to decide if now is the time to make the decision about your love life. Tracy and I have talked, and I was against the ambush. They said you needed to be aware that everyone knows you’re thinking about it. They just want to get their shot at making a case that it might be best if you pick them,” Tami explained.
I just grunted and took her around to meet my teammates.
◊◊◊
“Unca David, Unca David, we got ice cweam,” Mac told me.
Nate looked like he was wearing most of his.
“Did he dump the bowl on his head?” I asked Greg.
“Shut up. I helped Kyle tie his shoes, and when I looked up, Nate had his face buried in his bowl. No way can I keep up with these three alone. I still have no idea how you survived with all five of them when we had our evening out. I owe you big time,” Greg admitted.
“Don’t let him fool you. He had help,” Tami said over my shoulder.
Slowly, I turned toward my former best friend.
“I knew it, I just knew it,” Greg said, pumping his fist in the air. “I told Angie there was no way. She told me you were like a little kid, so they related to you better.”
“Did she?” I asked.
My brother wasn’t apologetic in the least. I grabbed a wet washcloth and used it on Kyle and Mac. Greg was busy trying to hide the evidence of his poor parenting when Angie showed up.
“He had help babysitting,” Greg announced.
“Of course he did,” Angie said, and then saw Nate. “What did you do?”
Nate just smiled at his mom as Greg came clean about not paying attention.
“Someone’s getting a bath,” Angie announced.
I watched as they gathered everything up and had Kyle and Mac hold their hands as they left the ballroom. Nate waved goodbye to me over his father’s shoulder.
I told everyone goodnight and took the elevator upstairs to look in on my boys. Peggy and Pam were sharing a room so they could trade off on watching Coby and Little David. I found Peggy watching the boys, who were both asleep.
“Rumor has it you’re holding girlfriend auditions.”
“I haven’t even decided if having a girlfriend is a good idea or not.”
“Why not? I understand that was what you wanted with me, Harper, and Tami. Tami messed you up, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are really a one-woman man,” Peggy said.
“Do you honestly think that’s still true?”
She sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to her.
“I’ve had the opportunity to watch you since middle school when I dated your brother. You’re basically a traditional man thrust into untraditional circumstances. I mean, I get you going wild, with the opportunities that’ve been presented to you. Actually, in a way, I would’ve been disappointed in you if you hadn’t.
“I’ve also seen you when you’re vulnerable and not hiding behind your mask of the guy who’s always in charge. I know for a fact that you have a big heart. You took in Little David and me, and you treat him like he’s your son. I don’t know many people who would have done that, and I want you to know I’m grateful. After how I dumped you for Mitch, I’m not sure I would’ve been as forgiving.
“That’s what sets you apart. You’re a decent guy, and despite what others may believe, you’ll always do the right thing and not what everyone expects you to do. In this case, the right thing for you is to find a girlfriend, and all that entails,” Peggy told me.
I thought about what she was saying. Even though I’d found a way to date several girls, I knew in my heart I was a one-woman man. I would imagine anyone looking in from the outside would call me on that. But I was raised a certain way, and you couldn’t beat the small-town boy out of me. What I had to decide was if now was the right time to commit to someone. There was a lot to be said for keeping the status quo.
I was reminded of something my uncle had told me. “The best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” I think he said Teddy Roosevelt was responsible for the quote. What my uncle pointed out was nothing remained the same, no matter how much we wanted it to. He suggested that it was better to embrace change and be in control of it rather than wait for events to unfold.
I agreed with him to a point. I’d found that sometimes it was better to see what would unfold instead of pressing an issue. A good example was my contract negotiations for the two upcoming Star Academy movies. If I’d followed Craig’s advice, I would have lost millions. The way I looked at it, waiting was occasionally more of a strategy than it was not accepting change. I knew that I would move forward and do the movie, so I was following my uncle’s advice.
When it came to my current relationships, I realized that eventually, circumstances would cause them to change. I wanted to make sure I didn’t blow all of them up by waiting until we all graduated and went our separate ways. That would be contrary to my life goals. I wanted to see if there was someone special who I would try to continue a relationship with after high school. Of course, I realized that odds were stacked against me, but that didn’t mean I shouldn’t try.
“I think you might be right,” I admitted. “Now, the question is, who?”
“If you want my advice, I would say Zoe.”
“I like Zoe and could see us as a good match. Why do you suggest I pick her over everyone else?”
“She has strong family values and a deep religious core that I expect appeals to you. She’s not afraid of hard work and loves the outdoors. I could see the two of you raising a bunch of kids and being happy. Zoe’s very smart and wouldn’t be a pushover. It also doesn’t hurt that she loves you to death and is cute,” Peggy said.
“She is cute,” I admitted.
Peggy rolled her eyes at me. I kissed her cheek and made my way to my room.
◊◊◊
“I bet your ears were burning. Peggy was just pitching for you to be my girlfriend,” I said to Zoe when I found her waiting for me.
She came to me, and I gave her a gentle kiss.
Zoe stepped back and looked at me seriously.
“I want you to know that I want to be your girlfriend. As much as I like the other girls, I know what I want. I’m putting you on notice that in the end, you’ll pick me.”
Wow. I’d never seen this side of Zoe. I liked it. Something I wanted in a girlfriend was a strong woman who knew what she wanted. It was even better that she wanted me.
“I’m thinking maybe everyone should audition for the role of David’s girlfriend.”