"Forget the master. He cheated on you with another woman, right?" Darcy pinned each woman with a pointed glare and gave them a version of the truth that she hoped would motivate them. "You deserve better than that. You deserve a man who wants you, who will treat you with respect and honor."
Lady Pamela plucked at the button on her glove. "I suppose, but—"
"Listen," Darcy interrupted. "This is what happened. You refused to be mistreated, so you left."
"That is not true," Maria Consuela said. "He threw us out."
"None of the Vamps out there watching television know that."
Princess Joanna narrowed her eyes. "Are you suggesting we lie?"
"I'm suggesting you take charge," Darcy said. "When Corky Courrant comes over, she's going to try her best to humiliate you. But you can stop her. Just say that Roman betrayed you with another woman, so you all decided to leave him."
Cora Lee bit her bottom lip. "Will they believe us?"
"Why not? Take a strong stand on this, and believe me, all the lady Vamps out there will be
cheering for you."
The ladies looked at each other, their expressions still doubtful.
Darcy pushed harder. "If you really want everyone to believe that you rejected Roman, you can say that you plan to pick your next master yourselves."
Lady Pamela shook her head. "It simply isn't done."
"There's a first time for everything. Tell Corky you're planning to choose your own master. Then, no one will think you're shameful. They'll think you're strong and brave."
"I've always wanted to be brave," Cora Lee whispered. "But I was too scared."
"She's coming." Vanda motioned toward Corky Courrant who was bearing down on their table with a vicious, smug smile.
"Don't let her humiliate you," Darcy warned them. "It's in your power to stop it."
The ladies shot desperate looks at Princess Joanna.
She squared her shoulders. Her linen wimple wavered as she lifted her chin. "We'll do it. We'll be on your show and choose our next master ourselves."
"Yes!" Vanda tapped the table with her fist. "This is going to be so cool."
Maria Consuela clenched her rosary in her hands. "I can only pray it will not be as painful as the Spanish Inquisition."
"Nothing's as painful as the Spanish Inquisition." Vanda smiled slyly, her eyes twinkling. "But once we find the Sexiest Man on Earth, he's welcome to torture me all he likes."
With a smile, Darcy relaxed in her chair. She'd done it. She had the five ex-harem judges, the huge penthouse with a hot tub, and fifteen male contestants to compete for the title. Everything was falling perfectly into place. "Let the show begin."
CHAPTER 8
"How's it going?" Gregori asked as they crossed the Brooklyn Bridge on their way home.
"It's great!" Maggie relaxed in the back seat, smiling. "I was going to the break room and passed by the studio where they do As a Vampire Turns. I peeked through the window, and I actually saw Don Orlando in person."
"Okay." Gregori smiled at Darcy. "And how is the reality show coming along?"
"Good." Darcy thought about what she'd accomplished that evening. The limousines were rented.
She'd hired a vampire-owned business to install aluminum shutters on the bedroom windows at the penthouse, so none of the guests would fry while they slept. Two DVN cameramen were selected.
A caterer was hired to provide food for the human contestants. The artist was hard at work, painting two portraits each night. "I only have one problem left. I need to find a host."
"What does the host do?" Gregori asked.
"Well, he's good at breaking bad news. He dresses well and says brilliant things like 'Gentlemen, there is only one rose left, as if no one in the room knows how to count to one." Gregori laughed. "And that's it for his job skills?"
"Well, seriously, he needs to be dependable and someone I can totally trust."
Gregori gave her a worried look. "You mean someone who won't run to Sly behind your back to tell him what you're doing, even though Sly is the one signing the checks."
"Exactly."
Gregori was silent as he turned south onto FDR drive. He drove around the southern tip of Manhattan and was zooming north on the West Side Highway when he took a deep breath and announced, "Okay. I'll do it."
"Excuse me?" Darcy asked.
"I'll be your host. You trust me, don't you?"
"Of course. But you already have a job. Don't blow it off—"
"I'm not," he interrupted her. "Look, I haven't taken a vacation in three years. I mean, Sheesh, I'm a little limited in where I can go. So, I'll take a few weeks off. The show won't last any longer than that, right?"
"No, a few weeks would do it."
Maggie leaned forward. "This is great! Gregori will be a super host."
"Well, thanks." Gregori grinned. "After all, I am a sharp dresser, and I can even count to one."
Darcy laughed. "You're the best, Gregori. Thank you."
"No, thank you. You're actually getting those women out of my house. I'm eternally grateful."
Darcy nodded. "Once they pick the Sexiest Man on Earth and he wins the million dollars, he'll be their new master."
"Poor bugger."
The next night, Darcy took Maggie and the five ex-harem ladies to DVN. She introduced them to Sylvester Bacchus. He ogled Lady Pamela's low neckline on her Regency-style dress. Then, he rushed off to his office to conduct auditions.
"What a dreadful man," Lady Pamela said as they settled around the table in the DVN conference room.
Darcy passed out their contracts. "The good thing about being judges on this reality show is that if any contestant offends you, you can simply boot him off the show."
Cora Lee frowned at the contract in front of her. "I do declare, all these big words don't make any sense to me."
Maria Consuela shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I… I never learned to read."
"Oh." Darcy tried to hide her surprise. "Well, basically, the contract states that you agree to stay on the show until the end, judge the men fairly to the best of your ability, and refrain from… biting any of them or attempting any sort of mental communication for the duration of the show."
Princess Joanna frowned. "We cannot read their minds?"
"No. No mind control and no mind reading."
"But we can make out with them, right?" Vanda asked.
Darcy winced. The thought of anyone else touching Adam made her heart twinge. "I suppose you could. If the men are willing."
Vanda grinned and played with the end of the whip she wore around her waist. "Oh, they'll be willing."
Lady Pamela shuddered. "I cannot imagine wanting any man to touch me. I much prefer vampire sex. It's much more civilized."
"Si," Maria Consuela agreed. "Mortal lovemaking is too physical and dirty. It reminds me of being tortured."
"Okay. That's settled." Darcy turned to the last page of their contracts. "This is where you sign or make your mark."
While Maggie picked up the signed contracts, Darcy handed a legal pad to Lady Pamela since she was able to write. "Now, I need you all to think about what qualifications a man would need in order to be the sexiest man on earth."
Maria Consuela fingered her rosary. "I do not understand."
"The man who wins the contest will become your new master," Darcy explained. "Right now, I need you to choose what sort of characteristics you want him to have. Then, you'll use those qualifiers to judge the men during the show." The women stared at her blankly. "Look, what kind of master do you want?"
"Oh, I know, I know!" Cora Lee raised her hand like she was in school. "He needs to be extremely handsome and filthy rich."
Darcy nodded. "The rich part will be taken care of when he wins the big cash prize. As for being handsome—that may indeed be one of your qualifications. I'll need you to list a total of ten qualifiers in the order of their importance."