Seven Roses: Reverse Harem Romance Read online

  “What? Oh, yeah—I’m Anders Wilkins. Nice to meet you.” He smiled again and looked down at the floor.

  Okay—that was anticlimactic. I guess he can be the first to go if the date is horrible.

  “Our next contestant is a professional bounty hunter—yes, you heard me right. He’s best known for his short lived series on The Reality Network—ladies and gentlemen—Brando Baldwin!” Charles pointed towards the door and the lights flashed on again.

  Brando Baldwin? I think I remember that show...

  The second I saw Brando Baldwin step into the light, I remembered the advertisements for his bounty hunter reality show. They showed him hunting people who jumped bond in some of the most dangerous areas on the planet. In one of the most famous spots from the commercials, he threw a three-hundred-pound man over his head and had the cuffs on him before the guy even figured out what day it was. He was delicious and hot as sin, but I wasn’t sure how in the world he got matched up with me. I couldn’t think of a single thing I would have in common with a bounty hunter. Some of the others were a stretch as well—especially Anders—but he seemed like the furthest from a match.

  I watched as he walked out on the stage and glared at the other contestants like he was sizing them up. A brief grunt followed before he started towards me. He looked like a caveman that had recently shaved his beard. He was actually kind of scary. My knees started to buckle more from fear than actual attraction, but he took my hand in a hard grip before he kissed it. I was a bit relieved when he walked over to join the others.

  “Brando, is there anything you’d like to say to the lovely Lynette?” Charles approached him with the microphone, uttering his catch-phrase as he had with all the rest.

  “Yeah.” Brando took the microphone out of his hand. “I’m a hunter. When I’m on a hunt, anybody that gets in my way, just turns into a victim. Remember that.” He turned towards the other contestants.

  That seemed more for them than me.

  “Okay then.” Charles took the microphone and walked back to his spot.

  One more contestant. I think I’ve already got some winners though—and some early eliminations.

  “Our last contestant.” Charles chuckled. “Well, America—I hope you’re ready for a twist.”

  A twist—a twist before the game even starts—that never happens!

  “The final contestant is a man who recently retired from a job he has held for the last five years and you all know him—the last contestant...” Charles turned to look my way, “...is me.”

  Chaos—the room erupted in literal chaos as all of the other contestants started to chatter and look around in shock. A man I didn’t recognize walked out and took the microphone from Charles Montgomery, who began to remove his jacket. He walked towards me with the same smile I had seen every week when I watched Seven Roses. I felt a lump rising up in my throat as I tried to make sense of it.

  I couldn’t even come up with words to say, but the other contestants were talking about fairness and saying the whole thing was fucked—that part would edited out for sure. Even Anders, who had been silent for the most part, seemed to take offense to the twist. Charles took my hand and placed his lips on it, a sensual kiss that made shivers run down my spine. Charles Montgomery was attractive as hell—I just never considered him someone that I could be matched up with. It definitely changed the game. What if I decided to eliminate him? America would hate me! The world loved Charles Montgomery. My eyes shifted around the room as Charles finished kissing my hand and took a step back.

  “Lyn, I know you weren’t expecting this, but Seven Roses always throws a few surprises in to keep things interesting. I’m competing and by god, I intend to win.” He walked over and joined the other contestants as the man with the microphone stepped up.

  “My name is Henry Bennett and I’ll be hosting Seven Roses this season, but if you thought that twist was crazy—you ain’t seen nothing yet.” He walked over to the bouquet of roses in the middle of the room. “We’ll be right back after this commercial break.”

  Another twist? What is going on?

  Chapter 4: Charles

  My master plan was revealed—almost. I still had one more surprise that was about to rock America to the deepest roots of modern civilization and make family values a topic of dinnertime discussion. It was something that had been burning in my mind for a while but I never found the right girl. What the men standing around the room didn’t know was that none of them were actually matched up with Lyn—except Anders. He was a bit of an anomaly to say the least, but I couldn’t resist having a perfect match on the show. Everyone else, myself included, matched up with only parts of Lyn. Key elements of their personality matched with her, but none of them were suited to be a full-time boyfriend or eventual spouse. They all had a host of challenges that would prevent it.

  Lyn was the same way. No matter how many algorithms I ran, I could only get Anders as a real match. There just weren’t that many guys looking for a young virgin that seemed to be struggling with life in general. Collectively though—we were exactly what she needed. I just hoped she didn’t bolt when I laid it on the line for her.

  “Welcome back, America!” Henry Bennett tried to match my smile, but it was a poor reflection. “I told you there was another big twist and it’s right here.” He pointed to the seven gorgeous roses, a trademark of our show. “Charles, would you like to explain this?”

  “Absolutely.” I stepped forward and adjusted the bouquet. Once it was situated, I reached under the podium and picked up a glass case which was placed on top of the them. “This isn’t a traditional episode of Seven Roses. There will not be any eliminations.”

  “What?” Lyn’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head—I hoped that was the reaction of America as well.

  “You’ve probably noticed that everyone here leads busy lives for the most part. John here is probably the one with the most stability, but he’ll fill you in on a few things when you get your date with him. What I’m pitching is not a dating show, but a lifelong commitment.” I looked around the room.

  “What the hell did you say?” Dawson Mars raised an eyebrow. “I’m not marrying anyone.”

  “Nor should you.” I turned to him. “You’re on the road all the time. The last five girls you’ve dated have went to bed lonely most nights—except the ones that joined you on the road, but that never ends well, does it?”

  “No.” He folded his arms.

  “Lyn is a very special young woman. Not only is she a little hesitant when it comes to dating, she’s still a virgin.” I let that news sink in and saw Lyn’s mouth fall open in shock.

  “What? You weren’t supposed to tell anyone that. It’s private!” She let out a huff and her eyebrows came together with a hint of anger.

  “We won’t have any secrets this time around. Everything will be on the table. The decision you make is the one that defines the way this show ends. You can choose all of us—or none of us.” I walked towards her. “No eliminations. The roses stay bundled together and either you end the show with the bouquet in your hand or you leave all seven of them here to die.”

  “You didn’t tell me any of this!” Her eyes flickered and I could see her anger was rising.

  “Yeah, this is bullshit.” Adrian Cook looked to his left and right. “Is anyone else ready to bounce? This ain’t what I signed up for.”

  “I’m intrigued.” Markus Cole lightly rubbed his chin. “How would that work exactly? Seven guys and one girl?”

  “The one thing all of us are missing in our lives is companionship. Dawson, you screw more groupies than girlfriends. Adrian, you parade around with whatever starlet needs some street cred and agrees to date you—the press loves talking about how people are slumming it when their career goes that far off the tracks.” I looked at the two of them.

  “I mean, I’m not denying it.” Adrian narrowed his eyes at me. “I know I’m a washed-up television star, but I plan on making a comeback one day.”

&
nbsp; “What about me?” John Williams stepped forward. “I’m not a celebrity, I’m not into this stuff.”

  “Tell me about Granite Falls.” I walked over to him.

  “It is a crappy small town, but American Motors is building a plant there, so it’s getting better.” He shrugged. “Not a lot of women though...”

  “Which is precisely why you are here. You’re not going to find the companionship you’re looking for there. I’m offering you that and a whole lot more with a very beautiful woman.” I turned to Lyn.

  “I haven’t agreed to any of this.” Rage was still hanging on her face, making her eyebrows practically swallow her eyes.

  “Not yet, but let’s continue. Brando Baldwin, the hunter. How many dates have you had in the last few years?” I walked over to him.

  “I don’t date.” He grunted and his lip curled in a menacing glare. “That’s why I’m here.”

  “Like most of us, you’re too busy to date. You don’t have the time to devote to it. A meaningful relationship isn’t going to happen when you’re chasing felons across the country, going down to Mexico to round up someone who crossed the border—hell, you’re hardly home.” I looked him in the eye.

  “You’re right.” He snarled again but his face relaxed.

  “And then we come to Anders...” I walked over to the smaller man and sighed. “I’m not sure how you managed to get a perfect match with Lyn, but you’re clearly not going to be much of a boyfriend or a husband to anyone. You’ve logged more stamps on your passport than Brando and Markus combined.”

  “You shouldn’t know that. That information is classified.” He finally showed emotion, but it was more suspicion than anything else.

  “A man of secrets, I like that.” I grinned and put my hand on his shoulder, turning to face Lyn again. “Lyn, you don’t have to decide right now—none of you do. All I’m asking is that you keep an open mind and see this through to the end. Seven days. You can have seven roses in your hand, or none.”

  “I’ll see it through, fuck it. If this doesn’t work out, I’ll just hit you up after the show.” Dawson blew a kiss to Lyn.

  We’ll have to edit that fuck out, but we can make it work.

  “Not an option, Mr. Mars. The contract you signed specifically forbids it. If you violate it, I’m sure you know what will happen.” I nodded towards him.

  “Whatever...” Dawson shook his head back and forth.

  “This is crazy.” Lyn walked down from the steps and over to the group. “I would have given all of you a chance. I’ll admit I’m a little unsure about Anders, even with the perfect match, but I would have agreed to a date.”

  “You still get to date each one of us.” I took her hand, which she pulled away from me immediately. “You’re under no obligation here. Give us a chance and maybe something special will happen that you never expected.”

  “I’m...” She shook her head in confusion.

  “We’ll have an answer from the lovely Lynette, right after the commercial break.” Henry Bennett stepped forward and pointed to the camera.

  Chapter 5: Lyn

  Of all the times to get caught up in a stupid commercial break. For a moment I forgot I was on a television show, forgot that the whole world was going to see whether I agreed to even consider the arrangement or not. Everything was going off the rails so fast I didn’t even know how to figure out where the train was, much less where the track was located. The commercial break gave me a moment to think. It meant they would cut directly to my face when the decision was rendered, whether it was in a minute or an hour. My mind started to spin.

  The show was going to be controversial. There was no way that every single one of us wouldn’t become a household name after Charles Montgomery dropped his bombshell on the audience. If I followed my instincts and walked out the front door, it would never air. Nobody would know what happened except for all of us that had signed a nondisclosure agreement before we were allowed to take part in the competition.

  I wanted to make it as an actress. Once the show aired, it wouldn’t matter if I walked away at the end. Even if it flopped and America revolted, I would have my name attached to it forever. That would be worth guest spots at least—I would be able to churn it into some semblance of fame.

  “I’m...” I paused and felt my acting chops starting to take over. “I’m a little unsure about this, but I think I want to see it through to the end.”

  “Fantastic!” Charles smiled from ear to ear.

  “Seriously?” John seemed more shocked than anyone else.

  “Yes.” I tried to figure out what the narrative was going to be in my head. “I’m intrigued.”

  Hopefully nobody realizes I’m lying.

  “Alright, kill the cameras.” Charles turned to the new host. “We need to go over a few things.”

  “Yes sir!” Henry motioned to the cameras and I saw lights going off around me.

  “Is everyone on board here?” Charles looked around the room. “This only works if you are all convincing.”

  “What the hell...” Brando shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll give it a shot.”

  “I was on board from the beginning.” Markus nodded.

  “Fine...” Dawson rolled his eyes. “I already cleared my fucking calendar.”

  “I still feel like I have no idea what’s going on, but I guess I want to see it through.” John nodded and looked at me. “I was looking forward to our date—I guess I still am—despite the circumstances.”

  “Controversy is my life.” Adrian let out a sigh. “Why not, right? She isn’t going to choose to spend her life with seven guys, so I might as well ride this wave to whatever popularity it brings us.”

  “Anders?” Charles turned to the smaller man who seemed to be stuck in a permanent state of shock.

  “Huh? Um. Yeah, okay.” He nodded.

  “Then we’re set. Let’s make magic people—follow me.” Charles beckoned to all of us with his hand and started walking towards one of the side rooms.

  I was in. Regardless of how strange the situation was, it was going to happen.

  It was very clear from the way Charles directed traffic that he was still very much in charge, even if he named a new host to start the show. I had never seen an episode of Seven Roses start with such a strange twist. It was going to be one of those moments that defined the show going forward or completely destroyed it. Charles was taking a huge risk with his plan. I couldn’t believe he had managed to get the team on board with producing it. The show was such a major success that messing with the formula seemed crazy. I certainly wasn’t an expert, but it was a bit strange. I followed Charles towards the room he was walking to and the rest of the group followed. I could see apprehension spread across most of their faces. When we got to the room, I noticed it was different than I had seen in previous seasons. A lot more furniture had been added and there were television screens along the wall. Once we were inside, he turned towards us with a smile etched on his face.

  “This will be the base of operations.” He waved his hand around the room. “Unlike previous seasons, it won’t just be the audience that gets to see the dates—every moment will be broadcasted for the rest of the contestants.”

  “So, they get to see all our tricks?” Markus let out a disgruntled huff.

  “Everyone here already knows your tricks, Markus.” Adrian stepped towards him. “We saw you strike out the last time you were on the show.”

  “No secrets this time.” Charles hit a button on a remote that showed all of us in the room from different angles. “We’ve gotten hidden cameras everywhere. You’re always on the show, except when you sleep.”

  “Why? I don’t get it.” Dawson looked at the television screens.

  “This arrangement makes us family.” Charles hit a button on the remote which showed the various rooms. “If we’re all going to love Lyn for the beautiful goddess she is, we can’t have any secrets.”

  Beautiful goddess?

  “This s
how is all about secrets. I saw the shit they said about me last time.” Markus smacked his teeth against his lips. “I wanted a shot at redemption.”

  “You can get redemption this time.” Charles turned towards Markus. “This arrangement will create unity.”

  “I’m on your boat, captain.” Markus gave Charles a mock salute. “Just don’t drive us into a fucking iceberg.”

  “You’re all on board with this?” I looked around the room. “This is pretty crazy.”

  The group was hesitant at first. Charles was obviously fine with the arrangement since he was the one who came up with it. Markus seemed more enthusiastic than he should have been, and I wasn’t really sure why he was so willing to cave to everything Charles suggested. Dawson was tuned out, but nodded in agreement with my question. Adrian had a similar response. The two of them seemed more obsessed with taking pictures in front of various icons leftover from the previous shows—they were obviously planning on posting them on social media when they were allowed to start their personal media blitz. There was a lot of nervousness in John, but he shrugged. That seemed to be the most authentic answer he could give. Brando seemed fairly nonchalant about it, but he kept his eyes darting around the room like he expected danger to pop out at any instant. Anders sulked—that was the best expression I could compare to his downtrodden look. I had no idea what was up with him, but he seemed to be less interested than the rest.

  HENRY BENNETT DID SOME promotional work before we ended things for the night, and I found out my first date would be with Markus. Even with the strange situation I was faced with, it was hard not to get excited about going on a date with him.

  When we wrapped up all of the promotional work, I was extremely tired and I was happy to have some alone time. The day had been emotionally draining and it didn’t seem like I was going to get much of a break.

  Once I was in bed, my thought shifted to Markus. He was the kind of man I could dream about, play out naughty fantasies about, and know none of them could ever come true. It seemed that my fantasy was going to crash with reality the next day. I had no idea what he would have in store for me. The last time he was on the show, he was the one I rooted for.