The Decent Proposal Read Online Free PDF Page B

came to the opposite sex. Like many he relied on alcohol to break down hisinhibitions, and when he was drunk he always went home with someone, if that was what he wanted to do. But he never particularly cared to see these women again, and over the years he’d acquired a reputation he didn’t half mind as king of the one-night stands, which of course led to even more one-night stands. He’d had exactly one serious relationship, but that had been in college—ages ago—and he was in no rush to settle down. No one really took him seriously anymore when it came to matters of the heart—including himself.
    â€œMaybe they picked us because they knew we were single,” he said. “Personally—”
    He edged his chair closer, as if imparting a great confidence.
    â€œâ€”I think it might be a reality show.”
    â€œOh God, do you think?” Elizabeth’s eyes widened with horror. The thought had never occurred to her.
    â€œWell,” he backpedaled, “I’m not sure how they’d film it unless a crew followed us every week, and it doesn’t sound like that’s part of the plan. Plus, even if they did , they’d have to get our consent before they aired anything. So I wouldn’t worry about it.”
    â€œDo you work in reality?” she asked politely, lifting her mug with both hands.
    â€œGod no,” he said. “I do some scripted TV, mainly film.”
    â€œOh, are you an actor?”
    She took a longer sip than needed to mask her agitation. Please don’t be an actor , she begged him inside her head.
    â€œGod no,” he repeated, flushing again, but with pleasure this time. “I’m a producer.”
    Could be worse , she thought, while asking, “Oh, really?” in her best cocktail-banter voice.
    â€œYeah. I have a movie coming out in a few months. Fight on a Flight , starring Duke Rifferson?” This was only half-true. The head of the production company Richard and Keith hadabandoned was the real producer of the movie, but due to their (infinitesimal) involvement in the selling of the script five years earlier, they’d managed to secure low-rent “associate producer” credits on the screen. Everyone in Hollywood embellished their accomplishments this way; it was helpful to trot out technically accurate, impressive facts like this to keep up the illusion you were flourishing. But Elizabeth Santiago did not seem to be impressed. She was staring at him blankly.
    â€œDuke Rifferson,” he said again. “The star of Bennington Park ?”
    She stared, if anything, more blankly.
    â€œThe TV show?”
    â€œI don’t watch TV,” she said.
    Ugh , thought Richard. One of those . It was his turn to stare. Maybe she was super-religious? She was Latina, wasn’t she? He knew there were some crazy Catholics out there. (He’d grown up outside of Boston, after all.) It doesn’t matter , he reminded himself.
    â€œOkay, I’m just gonna say it,” he announced.
    Elizabeth put down her cup.
    â€œI think we should do it. I mean, it’s crazy, obviously, some stranger wanting us to meet for a year, especially since we’re strangers too. But there’s probably some random connection we’ll figure out eventually. Which reminds me—I looked for you on Facebook to see if we had any friends in common but I couldn’t find you. Do you use a nickname or something?”
    â€œI’m not on Facebook,” she said.
    No TV, no Facebook. Forget Catholic, was she Amish? He moved on quickly:
    â€œAnyway, who knows? But who cares, kinda, right? I mean . . . why not? It’s a crapload of money. And if safety’s an issue we can always meet in public places.”
    He grinned again, and so did she, even though she didn’twant to. Wasn’t he going to ask her about herself? But it was obvious he didn’t really care about her, or whatever connected them. He only