The Husband Hunt - Kat's Season (The Bachelor Series) (2 page)

 
           Kat showed Jenny a pair of cutoffs and a Free People hoody. “I know we’re supposed to be dress shopping but wouldn’t this look cute when we go to Maui?” Kat knew that was one of the destinations for the dates.

 
          Jenny playfully surveyed Kat’s body and nodded. “And we’re going to put that drop dead gorgeous size four body into some fine looking clothes. Let’s buy the cutoffs and shirt for Maui, but concentrate today on gowns.”

 
           Just the day before Kat had had her already blonde hair highlighted and it looked sun-kissed and gorgeous. Jenny had advised she do something a little different to up her game as The Bachelorette, and she’d also had bangs cut. Her hair looked good and even though she was about to be rejected by a man on national TV, Kat was feeling good about herself.

 
           Her phone rang just as she slipped into a bright red slinky dress in the dressing room at Stella McCartney’s store. Seeing her mother’s number, she picked it up. “Hi Mom. Are you here?”

 
           “We just landed. We’re getting our bags, then we’ll catch a cab and meet you at the hotel at three.”

Jenny zipped her up and no
dded.

K
at liked the dress too and danced around.

 
           “We just want to be here to support you, Sweetie.” Kat knew they were feeling badly for grilling Liam a little too hard when they’d all had dinner in Napa on her hometown, but Kat had tried afterwards to reassure them that her Dad’s behavior was perfectly fine. Jim and Grace Houston lived in Napa, where they owned a vineyard in their semi-retirement. Her father had not warmed up to Liam at the dinner and it was embarrassing for everyone.

Even though she hadn’t told her mother
that she’d come home from Tahiti without a fiance, Grace Houston knew. As she slipped off the red dress, Kat could hear her mother holding back the emotions of concern. “I’m okay, Mom.” This quick bounce back, made Kat wonder if she’d ever been truly in love with the quarterback or just caught up in the magic of the show’s romantic locations, and unreal situations.

 
           Deciding on five gorgeous party dresses and shoes to match, Kat told Jenny she was done for the day and would resume shopping tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Looking great on T.V. was absolutely essential for the Bachelorette and because of that Kat had upped her game. Not only was she running every day but she’d been working out, doing Barre 3 for the last few months and her 5’ 7” trim body was perfectly slim for TV. And Jenny had said that outfits to flatter that figure were almost as important as choosing handsome men, when it came to enticing viewers to watch. The producers hadn’t told Kat that she had to keep the handsome ones in the show, but she understood how it worked. Ratings were everything. Regardless, she’d promised herself to go with her gut feelings, not get caught up in trying to please the producers.

 
           The garment bags were carried out to the limo where the driver carefully hung the dresses in the back. “I hate to say such a superficial thing but I’m actually excited to wear these clothes, almost as excited as meeting the men.”

 
           Jenny smiled at Kat. “That’s only because you haven’t met the men.” Her eyebrow arched in a dastardly way and the two women laughed.

               The final episode ended, and the crowd went wild to hear that Kat was the new Bachelorette.

 
              “Ladies and Gentlemen, our next Bachelorette, Kat Houston.” Crane welcomed her to the stage and she sat down across from him in the hot seat. The same love seat where minutes before, Liam and Melanie had just professed their devotion to each other.

Crane smiled
and gave a little wink. “What does it feel like knowing that America loves you enough to want you to be the Bachelorette?”

 
           “It feels wonderful. Thank you!” Kat looked out to the sea of mostly women in the studio audience and nodded. “I’m thrilled.” She located her parents in the group and smiled at them, having already informed them before the show that she hadn’t been chosen, and was taking another stab at love by signing on to be the Bachelorette.

 
           “You just watched Liam and Melanie out here. Can you tell us what was going through your mind, hearing that they’re engaged and happy, especially after the shock of not being proposed to in Tahiti?”

 
           She shifted in her chair. “It was three months ago that I was in Tahiti, and a lot has happened in three months.” She smirked at Crane. “When Liam walked me to the limo, I kind of switched off that night. I have a very strong survival instinct and even though I was looking forward to an incredible life with him, once I knew that was never going to happen, I didn’t look back. Almost like he never existed.”

 
           Crane continued. “You were so in love, and then it seemed like you weren’t.” His questioning look and words had been anticipated.

 
           “I know it looked like that.” She laughed. “Don’t get me wrong. I wanted that relationship, but when it was obvious that Liam was choosing Melanie, it was like I realized in that moment that Liam wasn’t the person I thought he was. I started grieving for the relationship I’d anticipated. Does that make sense?”

 
           Crane turned to the studio audience. “Does it?”

 
           Everyone nodded and some even spoke out loud. “Yes.”

 
           “So, it took sorting out in my mind and watching the show every week, but now I have this desire to find the person I thought Liam was. I’m more determined than ever to discover my soul mate.” She smiled, knowing that she’d put it into words as best she could.

 
           “And we are going to help in that quest.” Crane turned to the camera. “In just a few more months, you all will be able to watch Kat’s journey for love.” He turned back with warmth in his smile. “Are you excited?”

 
           “Very. Very excited.” Her heart pounded at the realization that millions of people were watching this moment on national TV, judging her. Looking over to her parents, she nodded and they tried to return the emotion, although the trace of worry was still prevalent on both faces.

 
           A few minutes later when Crane said “Goodnight America”, and the cameras stopped rolling, Kat walked over to a group of girls from the mansion who’d come to cheer her on. She’d enjoyed friendship with most of the girls and they were excited for her opportunity to be the next Bachelorette. “You can be a famous painter after this is you milk all the publicity,” someone said. Kat just smiled.

 
           “When they asked what type of men you like, did you tell them you like men who look like Channing Tatum?”

 
           “Yes, and the Old Spice guy who rides that horse backwards,” they joked.

After
each one of the twenty-five men greeted Kat on the flagstone path at the mansion and advanced to the party room, she felt overwhelmed with the opportunity. So many of them and they were all so handsome. Kat was hoping that somewhere in the group of gorgeous, charming men was her future husband.

Sh
e’d kissed three on the lips, twenty on the cheek, hugged everyone, and watched a contestant in striped pants and a bow tie, glide in on his unicycle. Among the possibilities was a pro wrestler, a sports lawyer, a nuclear physicist, a farmer, a sculptor, a Broadway musical dancer, several business men, a realtor, four sales men and an out of work standup comic. Trying to not judge quickly and shoot herself in the foot, Kat had greeted them all with an open mind. Her hand was kissed, poetry was quoted, men got down on one knee, little gifts were given, and the men strutted and impressed The Bachelorette in hopes of a rose at the ceremony later.

 
           All day she’d been nervous to meet the hopefuls, sure there’d be someone in the group who wanted a wife who’d adore him forever.  Because that’s what she wanted. To find her forever man who would be her best friend. The first time around when she’d been signed up by her girlfriends to be on The Hunt, Kat had been skeptical about the process, but after watching Jaxie and Crane, she was inspired. Not that they’d met as a result of the dating process on The Husband Hunt, but they were deeply in love, happy and thanking their lucky stars every day that they’d found each other. Jaxie had assumed the mommy role quickly and Crane had become this man who couldn’t stop smiling. Kat wanted that kind of love. And lately, dating had become a horrid chore to satisfy some single girl rule that you had to keep social or your dating muscle would atrophy and be dead when the real one came along.

Stepping in
to the room of attractive men, Kat’s heart beat hard against her chest. As a group, they were overwhelmingly handsome, charming, and eager. But she had to remember that men were competitive, and individually, they couldn’t all be so wonderful. Promising herself to look at each man as a potential husband and father and not as a hunky date, she proceeded into the room to make idle chit chat.

The next few hours were
speed dating at its finest. Within an hour, she’d eliminated several of the men in her mind. Although it would be fun to keep the comic around, did she really see herself married to a standup comic? No. And the likelihood that he was on the show to promote himself was about 99%. She had to be firm and let him go, unicycle and all.

 
           “What did you say your name was?” Kat greeted an extremely handsome man who’d told her he was from New York when they’d first met.

 
           “It’s Pierce. And you are...?” He grinned at her.

 
           Of course they all knew her name by now. She was the only woman in the room. “Kat, as in Meow”, she countered. God, he looked like Bradley Cooper with long hair. Her heart fluttered and her head sent a warning signal to calm down. “What led you to be on The Husband Hunt, Pierce?”

 
           His smile widened, revealing perfect teeth and Kat imagined childhood orthodontist bills. “My sisters actually convinced me to do this. And now I’m glad they did.” He took her hand and lightly touched it with his warm lips, gazing at her reaction.

 
           “How many sisters do you have?”

 
           “Ten.”

 
           She almost jumped.

 
           “Kidding, I have two older sisters. They want to see me find the love of my life.” He shook his head. “Dammit, I’m trying really hard to say something unique here but everything I say sounds like a cheesey cliché.”

 
           “It’s okay. You’re doing well. It’s just the first night. We’ll get to some real conversations later.” She wasn’t supposed to hint that she might give anyone a rose but she liked this guy and wanted to get to know him after only five sentences. He exuded a genuine warmth mixed with an almost primal sexuality. She excused herself and moved to another group of men.

 
           Brad was a surgeon from Dallas and she had to wonder how a doctor was able to come on a reality show for three months. What was wrong with him that he couldn’t find love in traditional ways? “How can your patients spare you?”

 
           “I’m going to set up practice after this. I just left my stint as an ER surgeon but I’m getting into private practice next. I’m on hiatus, right now.”

 
           “No more middle of the night shifts.”

 
           “Exactly. I want a life.”

 
           Brad was not traditionally handsome but nice looking with wavy brown hair and deep brown eyes. His steel framed glasses made him look studious in a Clark Kent, sexy way. He was attractive, nothing amazing but looks only made a good first impression and after that it was all personality.

 
           Kat talked at the pool with a group of men until one of them stripped down to his boxers and jumped in the water. “Come on in. Don’t be spoilsports.” He’d had way too much to drink and she tried to not hold that against him but it was a very bad sign if someone got drunk on the first night. When the guy threw his boxers out to the side of the pool and called for her to join him, she mentally crossed him off the list of who to offer a rose. “Sorry Scott, but I’ve got to keep a clear head tonight.”

 
           “Good choice,” someone beside her whispered. Turning, she saw it was the sports lawyer from Atlanta, Ben. When she smiled, he explained. “He’s going to be hurting tomorrow.” A few of the men laughed.

 
           She nodded and walked back in the house to join another group. There were two men she wanted to talk to before she made her final decision on who to eliminate tonight. One was a cowboy from Arkansas, and the other was a personal trainer named Tony. The latter was extremely handsome in a Greek/Italian sort of way but she’d never envisioned herself as the wife of a fitness freak. She loved sports but didn’t want anyone making it a prerequisite in her life.

The cowboy was very cute but she wasn’t sure she wanted a husband who was rural and down home.
Maybe. She’d never known a cowboy before. Judging them this early might eliminate some very good men and as she approached the group, she asked to borrow Colton, the cowboy with the bolo tie and cowboy boots.