Love 'Em or Leave 'Em Read Online Free PDF Page B

was scary-amazing. Kind of like a Barbie look-alike.
    "Her daddy's a plastic surgeon and he makes sure Shelby gets whatever she wants."
    Liz and Ashley shared raised-eyebrow glances. Rachel continued, "Her perfect tiny nose was a sweetsixteen gift."
    It sure put Ashley's birthdays to shame. She celebrated hers with a cheap dinner out with her alcoholic dad and his latest flame. If she lucked out, the flame would be at least a few years older than Ashley. One year, the girlfriend brought Ashley a rose. She'd been one of the better ones. Of course, she was never seen again. When Ashley had turned twenty-one, she'd wised up and put contact with her father on an asneeded basis, which meant funerals and weddings.
    "Oh, and then there's Jenny," Rachel added. "She played touchy-feely the whole time. She sat next to Luke every possible minute, and snuggled up to him as though he were her personal security blanket."
    "Sounds like that girl has some attachment issues," Liz joked.
    "No kidding. When we were at the zoo, she took his hand, pulled his arm over her shoulder, and hugged him as they walked."
    "Were you able to get any time with him?" Ashley asked.
    "Not much. It was like prying a dog off a bone to get near him. Between the beauty queen and the canine it wasn't easy" Rachel's eyes lit up. "But he did manage to get me alone in the sky-cab flight across the zoo"
    "Now you're talking. Spill it, babe. What happened? Don't leave out anything." Liz leaned in to catch every detail.
    "It was fun. He is so funny" Rachel grinned and covered her face with her hands, visibly shaking. "He said he felt like a rooster in a hen house with Jenny and Shelby around. And he said he wanted to get me alone to see if I had a voice, since all he'd heard so far were Shelby and Jenny."
    A lovesick girl replaced the intelligent, independent young woman who had hiked across Central America. Ashley was surprised at the transformation.
    "He is so handsome, and he's always aware of everyone around him. Even with the film crews and women positioning for his attention, he always spoke to all of us and kept us entertained."
    More likely he is a womanizer and revels in all the attention. Why else would some good-looking rich guy agree to go on a show where he would be fought over and followed around by camera crews every minute? He was probably some exhibitionist who needed to be the center of attention.
    "I'm glad you had such a great time." Ashley gave Rachel a big hug. It was nice to see her happy to be a part of the show.
    One good thing Ashley learned: there was no shortage of competitive women wanting to win over Luke. Most likely, he would never get a minute alone without two or three bombshells surrounding him. It would give her every opportunity to keep her distance and fade into the background. With any luck, she wouldn't get a rose at the next ceremony and could collect her paycheck and go home.
    "How's it hanging, bro?"
    "Let me tell you, little brother. This is rougher than playing the Vikings at the dome."
    "You jerk. You're swimming in gorgeous women and all you want to talk about is the Vikings?"
    "Like I said, it's rough. Every time I turn around there's another one comin' at me. Some hit high, and some hit low. There're a lot of personal fouls going uncalled." Just talking to Mike made him feel better. There was nothing Luke liked more than to yank his brother's chain.
    Luke heard Mike's wife in the background asking if he'd found anyone he liked yet. "Susan wants to know if you got lucky." Mike said.
    "I did not!" Luke heard her yell back.
    "Sounds like you're hating every minute of it too. So, 'less up. Did you?"
    "No, but there are a couple who are trying. It keeps the game interesting." He'd bet money he could land any one of them if he wanted to. That was the question. Did he want to? He'd spent the past seven years doing exactly that. His life was too shallow, too predictable. But on the other hand, it was simple, with no strings