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hair glistened under the lights. Most captivating, though, were Eva’s eyes. They sparkled with depth. Renee realized right away that Eva was not only beautiful on the outside, but she had real character.
    “Renee.” Renee stuck out her hand.
    “Is this crazy or what?” Eva straightened her short skirt and crossed her legs.
    “Definitely.” Renee glanced around the room. “Have you spoken to Ben yet?”
    “Just got done.” Eva’s smile brightened her face even further.
    “How did it go?”
    “Great.” Eva lowered her voice. “I think we hit it off. I hope to be around to get to know him better. He seems really nice.”
    Renee smiled. That was what she wanted to hear from the other contestants. She nodded. “Good.”
    “Can I ask you something?” Eva bit her lip.
    “Sure, go ahead.”
    “What happened to your face?” Eva asked bluntly. “I mean…it looks like you smeared your makeup off with the back of your hand.”
    Renee laughed softly. “You’re pretty close. I actually used a handkerchief.”
    “A handkerchief?” Eva looked at Renee’s empty hands.
    Renee glanced over to the corner where Ben held court with another stunning blonde. Eva followed her gaze.
    “That handkerchief?” She pointed at Ben.
    Renee nodded and chuckled again. Eva’s eyes widened. Eva’s laugh made Renee giggle harder, and Renee had the same effect on Eva. Before long, they laughed so hard, the other contestants began to take notice. Renee didn’t realize someone stood behind the couch right by her.
    Eva’s laughter quickly slowed as she looked above Renee’s head.
    “Who wants to share that joke with me?” Ben asked.
    Renee spun around in mid-cackle, her mouth half open. Eva tilted her head toward Ben as if to tell Renee to go ahead.
    “I guess I will.” Renee stood a little too quickly. The room spun, and she swayed on her feet. Ben reached over the couch and grabbed her elbow to steady her.
    “Careful. Have they been giving you gals drinks I don’t know about?”
    Great. He suspected she was drunk. It would certainly explain the makeup incident, the loud laughter, and the swaying.
    “I have low blood pressure,” Renee explained.
    Ben scratched his chin, then held his long, tapered fingers out to Renee. As his fingers enveloped hers, a jolt of electricity ran up her arm.
    “Sorry.” Ben glanced in her direction. “The static in this studio is the worst.”
    Renee smiled. For a second, she wondered if the lightning reaction had been chemistry between them.
    Renee allowed Ben to lead her over to the corner where the lighting dimmed to induce romance. Though the bright lights from surrounding cameras were present, a few subtle candles flickered nearby to soften the harsh studio background.
    Renee sank into the chair, grateful to have something sound beneath her. She was still dizzy from standing up too fast, and she didn’t want to make herself look worse than she already had.
    “Renee Lockhart.” Ben recited her name as he leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees.
    “Ben McConnell,” Renee returned. She didn’t really know what else to say.
    “Are you ready to share that joke?”
    Renee blinked. They’d been talking about her first encounter with Ben. “Oh, that was nothing.” Renee’s cheeks grew warm, and her neck started to sweat.
    Ben nodded, allowing her the grace to get out of that particular conversation track. “Okay, tell me about you.”
    “Well, I work in radio.” It was best to get her job in the forefront as soon as possible. Though she was having some issues with guilt, she came on the show to make a name for herself. She would keep an open mind, but she still needed the publicity. “I’m on the midday show over at KGBR.”
    “Renee Lockhart.” Ben searched her face. “Yeah, I think I’ve heard you. You do requests and stuff?”
    Renee nodded. “I also do a lot of behind the scenes things like make commercials, write promos, help out at concerts, that sort of