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The threats could possibly be from an insider. Hunter had a crew looking into the messages for hidden meanings, but so far no one had discovered anything other than the words that were pieced together with differing sizes and shapes of font.
“I still think it’s not too late to cancel,” he said, rubbing his chin.
“After a debut episode like that?” Eloise said.
“I thought you didn’t like Snow.”
Eloise sniffed. “I’m just saying, Snow is just getting started.”
Not to mention the other reasons the board had brought to his attention when he’d mentioned wanting to cancel the show when the notes first started coming:It wouldn’t be fair to her or to the men, not to mention the money they would lose out on from sponsors and the expenses that had been paid to get the contestants here—and to keep them lodged at the Elir resort across the street.
“The studio needs this publicity,” Eloise said. “Subscriptions have gone down. The crew has been doing all they can to recoup costs and connection with customers.”
Hunter had processed all of these details a thousand times. He still wasn’t sure this was the best course of action, but the decision wasn’t his alone. There was a reason he’d placed himself as head of security, however. Inheriting the magazine had been completely out of his expertise. Physical wellbeing, however, was another thing, and he’d jumped at the chance to oversee security because he’d needed something he could relate with.
“We’ll monitor the threats,” he said. “We’ll do what we can to track them and to keep anyone from getting hurt."
Eloise frowned. “Do you think someone will be hurt?”
“No,” Hunter said with determination. He would see to it that no one was.
5
The letter arrived at Snow’s door that night. Her heart seized for only a moment until she recognized the show’s seal and realized it wasn’t a threat. She tore the letter open.
Your date with Preston Bywater begins first thing tomorrow morning. A crew will accompany the two of you to a Broadway showing ofObsessed. After the end of the show, you two will venture to the Heartwood Pier Restaurant where you will enjoy a delicious lunch over the ocean. A videographer will accompany you through every aspect of the date.
This is the first of your seven dates on Heartthrob’s Most Wanted. You will be given a candied apple to keep on your person during the date. If you feel things have gone well and would like a second date with Preston, be sure to hand him the apple! But remember—if Preston wins a second date with you, that means one of the other men on the show will lose their chance.
If Preston doesn’t receive the apple, he will take it as a sign that this is his only date with you, and he will be accompanied away from the show.
“Candied apple,” Snow said, peering through the basket the note had come in and finding a mouthwatering, downturned apple on a stick and covered in caramel and chopped pieces of chocolate. “Cute.”
From previous shows, the fruit of choice changed every time. Strawberries had been used during the last season, where the beautiful African-American woman whose name Snow couldn’t remember had ended up selecting a handsome, goofy genius with a ridiculously high IQ and a dashing smile that was still plastered on the occasional issue of Heartthrob. Before that, it had been oranges. Snow wondered who had selected apples for this season.
She sank onto the seat and exhaled, but that didn’t appease the nerves racing through her. Had she made a wrong choice in picking Preston first? He’d been cocky and rude, but captivating too. Tomorrow would show which side fit him better.
What if he tried to hold her hand or kiss her? Would she let him? She was gratified to know they wouldn’t be alone. Every move they made was to be captured on screen. The idea thrilled her and made sleeping more of a challenge than it should have been.
The next morning, Snow dressed quickly, answering the door for her makeup technician and the accompanying cameraman who was, no doubt, capturing footage to be spliced in the final edit of her date with Preston. Were they getting footage of Preston readying for the day as well?
“Perfection,” said May, dusting softly at her cheeks. “So many women would pay beaucoup bucks for skin like yours.”
Snow peered past her for a quick once-over, and her smile spread. She had always found herself beautiful, but with all this individual attention, with May’s ability to emphasize her eyes in ways she’d never been able to before, or accentuate her mouth with the color her lips were meant to be, she couldn’t feel prettier than if she’d recorded herself under a filter effect on her phone.
Snow lifted the device and recorded a QuikMessage video in seconds, tapped out a “About to meet up with Preston and feeling pretty” tagline, and posted it just as a knock sounded on the door.
Preston had curls that would make Snow’s friend and neighbor, Lily’s husky doodle, Poosky, jealous. They were still wet and freshly gelled, and the scent of body wash emanated from him as he granted her a debonair smile. A videographer stood behind him, but Snow concentrated on Preston.
His eyes trailed from her simple peasant top, jeans, to her striped wedges and back to her face again. “You are so smoking hot,” he said.
“You look great too.” And in a black shirt, forest green jacket and jeans, he really did. Her pulse heated. “How did you sleep?”
“Better, since my dreams were of you.”
“Oh?” The easygoing interest she’d had moments before faded. She couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or flattering her.
“How could I not?”
