The Bachelor, David Dower [uplifting books for women .txt] 📗

guess so,” he murmured and got up. He spent the next few minutes packing the tent and then they were off.

“I can’t believe Pauline and Brenda were that stupid,” he heard her mutter under her breath.

Zach couldn’t give an answer. Julianne was acting really strange, saying words she would never have said before last night. What had gotten into her?

 *****

Julianne was relieved when they finally arrived at camp. Jack Carter met them, his face concerned.

“We’ve been trying to contact you last night. There was no answer.”

“Oh, we got lost,” she said with a smile, waving her hand. “I got to go. I’m really tired.”

Jack looked at her curiously. With the way he was looking at her, she wanted the ground to swallow her up. She knew she was acting strange. Hell, she knew her voice changed into a small chirpy tone. But she reminded herself she was doing this for herself.

“Bye,” she said, waving her hand at both men and started walking towards the cabin. She was famished and she needed to see Pauline. She had to check if they were really okay.

The other girls were in the kitchen, eating their usual food. No one seemed to notice her arrival and she was fine with that. “Where’s Pauline and Brenda?” she asked aloud.

“Upstairs,” Penny answered, forking her salad.

Julianne ran upstairs to her room and found Pauline lying on the bed. “Pauline?”

Her friend turned on her back and smiled at her. “Julianne! Oh my God, I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to worry you guys. We were so drunk. I’m so sorry.”

Julianne dropped her bag beside her bed and crossed over to Pauline’s and sat down beside her friend. Pauline got up and she hugged her. “I was so worried,” she murmured.

“Thank you. I was so worried as well when they were not able to contact you guys last night.”

“It’s fine now,” she smiled and laughed. “You’re fine. How’s Brenda?”

“She’s okay,” Pauline replied. “We didn’t know you guys thought we were lost and—oh God, we’re so sorry.”

“It’s all over now, so don’t worry.” She stood up and smiled. “I’m really hungry. Care to join me?”

“Sure,” Pauline said and jumped out the bed.

 *****

Julianne spent the whole day listening to Pauline and Brenda about their little adventure. Actually, there was not much to tell. They just decided to go to the yacht and had more drinks and then they slept the whole day through. They asked Julianne about her search with Zachary. She told them about getting lost, leaving the part where she decided about her plan and the deal she had with Zachary.

They were in the living room with the other girls when Brent entered and surprised them by saying, “We’re going to have a group date tonight, ladies.”

“What time?” Chloe asked.

“Where?” Amanda chirped.

“What should we wear?” Vivienne asked.

“Dress to impress,” Brent answered. “You will have a dinner date with Zach outside the cabin at seven this evening.” And just like that, he left with the camera man tailing behind him.

Julianne was not at all ecstatic. She was expecting Zach to rest for today after what happened last night. And she didn’t know if she was ready to make a fool of herself again tonight. But there was no choice. She had a plan and she better execute it well.

“What should I dress in?” she asked Pauline later that night.

“Put on that turquoise dress,” Pauline answered. “And those strapped sandals,” she added, holding her hair up.

Julianne took her advice and dressed.

“Who would have thought you have an amazing body?” Pauline said, wide-eyed when she turned around.

“I don’t think—”

“You’re gorgeous. Well, aside from those eyeglasses. Don’t you have contacts?”

“Yes, but they’re too uncomfortable to—”

“Put them on, girl!” Pauline urged. “Oh my God, you look hot. Like I-should-crumble-to-the-ground-and-never-be-seen-with-you kind of hot.”

“You’re exaggerating,” she said dryly, looking for her contacts.

“Come on, get them on. I’ll do your hair and make-up,” Pauline said excitedly when she saw Julianne holding the small container.

Julianne nodded. She had to do this if she wanted to push Zach away and go home.

 *****

Zach was pacing around his room, holding a glass of brandy. He was baffled and curious all at the same time. He had been rummaging for reasons from the events that happened last night that led to Julianne’s sudden change of behavior. He couldn’t find any.

He wondered if she had a bipolar disorder or some sort of a personality thing going on. He was between these thoughts when he heard a knock on his door.

“Hey, Zach, dinner’s going to start any time soon,” Brent popped his head in the doorway.

“Coming, man,” he said and followed Brent outside. He placed his glass on the table beside the cabin door and walked with the host. Brent said goodbye saying he didn’t want to join and that he had some visitors in his trailer. “Go get them,” he gave the man a salute and walked alone towards the big table covered by white cloth that danced with the night wind. There were different kinds of food and fruits on the table, but the girls were not yet present.

“You can sit here,” Fatima, holding her usual clipboard told him, indicating a chair at the head of the table. Zach nodded and sat down before his feet took him inside the girls’ cabin and demand for Julianne to explain everything. That would be stupid, he told himself.

He waited, looking nowhere in particular for quite a long time before the doors of the cabin finally opened and the ladies exited, dressed in splendor. Chloe was first in line along with Vivienne and Hanna. The three of them were dressed in white, and the materials of their dresses left nothing for the imagination. Zach stood up and smiled at them. Hey, he was a man, and a man knows how to appreciate. When he was done looking, his eyes looked for Julianne.

Though she was dressed in something he never expected, and though she looked magnificent especially now that she removed her glasses—much to his amazement and puzzlement—he was not as impressed as he thought. Yes, the woman was incredibly beautiful as he imagined. Yes, her dress was defining her amazing curves as he guessed them to be. And yes, she was wearing her amazing smile as he had hoped for, but he was not pleased at all. He was wholly disappointed. Why? Because the woman walking towards his direction was not the Julianne he knew.

That lady was not his Julianne at all. Chapter 10

Julianne felt terrible and uncomfortable in her haltered dress, but she had to keep up with her role, copying the women’s behavior. Her face felt numb from all the smiling she had been doing all night. Even Pauline had whispered in her ear and asked if she was okay.

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine,” she answered, nodding her head. They were now seated around the table, eating and drinking wine. She could feel Zachary’s gaze landing on her every now and then, but they were seated too far from each other that any opportunity of a conversation was not possible without everyone hearing it.

As usual, Chloe was sitting right next to him and had been entertaining him most of the evening. Julianne was praying though that he would not stare at her too much. That was the main purpose of her plan, right? To camouflage with the ladies so that he would not notice her.

Aside from the fact that she was a great judge of character by being a writer, she learned how to mimic the girls’ behavior by thinking bitch and acting somewhat like it. Not that everyone was a bitch, some of course, like Brenda and Pauline, were just plain fun. She wanted to act like the Desperadas, but like the Dumb Pair, Julianne didn’t think she could give them honor by copying their characters. So there, she chose to be fun and just a little bit bitchy. She didn’t want to steal Chloe’s amazing role.

“That’s your third glass,” Brenda whispered beside her as she poured herself another glass.

“I’m thirsty,” Julianne answered, feeling light-headed herself.

The women near her were engaged in some kind of conversation and she would laugh with them without hearing a thing. And every time she gave off a giggle, she would see Zach looking at her with a frown, and she would giggle some more, silently cursing herself for acting like a lunatic.

Good, so far, she told herself.

“I think you’re drunk,” Pauline pointed out with a chuckle. “You’re acting weird, Julianne.”

“I’m fine, what are you talking about?” she couldn’t help but laugh. She should drink more. It made laughing easier, she decided.

 *****

“So, what are you girls up to after dinner?” Zach asked the ladies, his eyes hovering towards Julianne who seemed drunk. He’d been counting the number of glasses she had and she had quite a few.

“I don’t know, I think we won’t be drinking,” Pauline cried from the end of the table and everyone laughed, including Julianne who he confirmed was really drunk.

Damn, she looks beautiful, he thought. Her hair went with the night wind from the ocean, her eyes twinkling with the lamps on the table; her skin, though a little flushed from all the wine, was like silk and he would give anything to caress those…

He mentally shook his head from the thought. Chloe was talking to him about her life before she entered the show and he had to at least focus and not look like a snob.

After they were done with dinner, some of the girls went ahead to change and take a dip into the calm ocean. It had been a humid day and the waters were not that cold tonight.

Stella, the one with the short black hair, asked him to join them.

“I think the white bikini will suit you,” he heard Pauline tell Julianne as the two made their way inside the cabin.

“Really? Then I’ll wear those!” Julianne answered excitedly, pulling Pauline by the hand.

He turned to Stella with a smile and said, “Of course, I’ll join you.”

“Great!” Sally chimed when she heard and pulled Stella away from him and they excitedly took off inside the cabin.

“They’re so desperate,” Chloe muttered beside him.

He almost snapped something at her but he stopped and smiled. “I’ll go change,” he uttered and left her to walk towards his cabin, his mind full of Julianne. How could she take the courage to swim when she was drunk?

Hurriedly, he changed into his board shorts and grabbed a towel. He charged back outside, determined to finally get her to talk to him and tell him what the hell was wrong with her.

 *****

“Oops!” Julianne cried out with a giggle when she almost fell on her face against the tide. She was still feeling dizzy.

“Watch out,” that same boyish voice said behind her. She could feel his hand holding her by the elbows.

“Oh, it’s you,” she giggled again. “Thanks,” she said with no attempt to pull her arm away from his grasp. She even made a bolder move by facing him, placing her other hand on his shoulder. She knew he was shocked, his muscles clenching before he took a step back. “Afraid, Zach?” she asked. He was about to open his mouth when her friend came to the rescue by coming to them. Julianne almost sighed