The Winner (Romantek) Read online

  In either case, it was obvious that White Star was off her “man of my dreams” list. If this was a dream, White Star had been a nightmare. Well, for a little while he had been a joyful interlude, but she wouldn’t fall into that trap again.

  They rode silently for ten kilometers or so. Eventually, there were scattered houses and the fields were much smaller. Pollyville came into view. White Star stopped and so did Audrey’s horse.

  “There’s the town, Miss. You get back there before someone misses you and sends out a posse.”

  “You can bet I’ll hurry back. I don’t want to stay out here with you for even one more minute.”

  “Fine by me.” He steered his horse off the road and nodded his goodbye with a tip of his hat.

  Audrey flicked the reins lightly and her horse started his slow trot back to Pollyville. It seemed like Audrey’s sought-after wild affair had been a bust. Or…maybe the problem was White Star. Maybe he wasn’t the right one. Could it be Marcus? Maybe. She didn’t have a lot of time to find out. Hopefully, he and Mrs. Brown wouldn’t be too mad. Audrey had to think of some excuse. Even a lame one would probably suffice. This was a dream, after all.

  Chapter 6

  Was it possible that Audrey was a plant? Someone who wriggled into his RAVE in order to get some dirt on him? Certainly, knowing what was in Owen White’s dreams was worth a few bucks. And you didn’t become successful in business without creating a few enemies. It never occurred to Owen that Romantek could merge dreams in real time like this, but now that he thought about it, why wouldn’t they do the merge? It saved them money on the scripts and added a random element to the game. You never quite knew the decision tree each dreamer would climb, and although Romantek had quite a lot of data to work with for each customer, the randomness of putting two people together in the same dream would add a challenging element that many people would enjoy.

  He thought he’d dreamed up a girl like Audrey because she was on his mind as he went into the deep dreaming state. He never got to meet her in real life, so his brain had conjured her up for this RAVE. That didn’t appear to be the case however, judging by her verbal slip.

  Owen didn’t quite know what to do about it, if anything. And maybe the situation was too far gone to be retrievable. He seriously considered killing his RAVE.

  Audrey—his dream girl—had been so fantastic to get to know, to make love to, even to spank. But she wasn’t a dream, and he’d allowed himself to let go with her, had begun to feel something for her. It was an ill-defined emotion, but he sensed it was dangerous. Dangerous for both of them, if she was sincerely interested in White Star and wasn’t there as a spy for some competitor somewhere. And if Audrey, sweet-seeming, unpretentious Audrey, was a plant, then who else might be? Would Romantek add more than one real person to the RAVE? Extreme caution looked like the best option. It was going to add an element of difficulty to the dream, but it was a necessity.

  If Audrey wasn’t a plant, she might not know who he was, and that being the case, he could continue to pursue her, if he wanted. He could drink his fill of her and then leave, no strings attached, no regrets, only good memories to carry forward. They never had to meet in real life, they’d only form a bond in the RAVE and that would be the end of it. Once awake, she’d be nothing more than a sweet dream.

  Owen needed to think about this, about her, and decide on the best course of action. Take a chance that she was a plant? On the other hand, he could be himself and enjoy the moment.

  As his horse trotted along, and he half-heartedly searched for the horse that had escaped the paddock at the Bar R, he thought about his time with Audrey, trying to figure out where he might have slipped up and given sensitive information to a rival through her. The spanking was probably the most dangerous thing he’d revealed, but aside from being called a brute in the news, he didn’t have to grace the accusation with an answer. The Romantek contract had stated explicitly that they would not keep a recording of the RAVE after the dream was over. The script that was playing was fluid, and certainly based upon the actions Owen initiated, but Romantek could never review it.. No one would have any proof of anything Owen did in here. Even if Audrey was a plant, it would be her word against his.

  The missing mare was in an alfalfa field having a party. Owen left his confused thoughts behind for a while as he gathered up the horse and headed toward the paddock.

  * * *

  To Audrey’s surprise, Mrs. Brown didn’t scold her for lighting out as she had done without a word to anyone. She only asked Audrey if she had collected the eggs that morning. The state of Audrey’s appearance, wrinkled, sweaty, dusty all over, didn’t seem to be noticed.

  All Audrey wanted was a bath and a nap, but she would have to settle for a sponge bath and an accelerated trip to the next day.

  As she shucked her dirty dress, loose corset and drawers in her room, she wondered how Marcus would treat her if she initiated a change of days by going to “sleep.” Would the RAVE take up where it had left off, or would the whole escapade with White Star disappear as though it never happened?

  Did she want it to disappear? She was terribly attracted to him. He was handsome, that was for sure, and he had confidence in himself and took no nonsense from Audrey. In fact, he was so entirely the opposite of her last boyfriend that Audrey wondered whatever she had seen in Shane in the first place.

  He had been interested in her and that was enough at the time. But in her dreams, she always went for men like White Star, dream men who could never be part of Audrey’s reality. In this case, White Star was entirely a fabrication. He was no more real than anything or anyone else in her dream. Of course, White Star was also rather stubborn and dictatorial. And the chill he put on the afternoon really made Audrey perturbed. She truly enjoyed making love with him, loved the newness, the exploration, the outlandish locale, and Audrey would never, ever, forget the beautiful, enraptured look on his face when he came inside her.

  Suddenly she wondered if she could get pregnant in a RAVE. Obviously, it would be a dream pregnancy. She quickly checked her arm for the telltale mark where a birth control implant in real life had been put. It wasn’t there, nor on the other arm. Hmm. It appeared there was a new element of chance to be considered.

  The fact was, Audrey like children. She had always wanted to start a family. At the age of 30, she still had a few years to work into the right situation to have children, but with no partner who could father a child it had been out of the question. On her own, Audrey could never afford a baby. She wished, fleetingly, that she could meet someone like White Star in person. He would make a great father.

  But such was not the case. He was part of her dream, though, judging by his wham, bam, thank you Ma’am treatment of her this afternoon, he was not really the man of her dreams.

  She lay in her bed, wishing and wondering what the RAVE had in store for her next. Maybe the overly romantic Marcus was actually her dream man. That thought made her wrinkle her nose, but not for long. Audrey closed her eyes and when she opened them again, it was morning.

  The next two dream days, Audrey got a chance to chat with a few more townspeople as she did errands for Mrs. Brown. Marcus was attentive, but, even though they were alone often enough, he never tried to steal a kiss, except for dry lips on her knuckles. It was disappointing, and she felt like she was killing time rather than having the Romantek-promised vacation. Two real-life days had passed of her five. Of course, she loved doing the chores around the boardinghouse. And some of the boarders were extremely funny and eccentric. One reminded her of her real-life boss, Alvin Finster, but much nicer and quicker of wit.

  On the fifth day of her RAVE, Marcus asked her on another date. He had never said a word about their aborted picnic, which had been a blessing. She realized that all she had to do to diffuse a situation was to close her eyes for about ten minutes and a new day would dawn. Generally, she was enjoying every day so was loathe to use her days up by sleeping them away. It was handy, though, if
you stood someone up for a date. Even though Marcus had never said a word—was that a sign of her dream man?—Audrey still felt rather guilty over the episode. And she was still mad at White Star, though that anger was fading and regret that things had ended on such a bad note replaced the ire.

  Audrey had done her day’s chores and was sitting with Mrs. Brown, trying to learn to crochet, when Marcus came into the room.

  “Good evening, ladies.”

  Mrs. Brown greeted him genially, and so did Audrey.

  “Have you ladies heard that there’s going to be a May Day party at the Bar R on Saturday?”

  “A party?” Audrey asked. That would be a fun dream to play in!

  He nodded and smiled.

  Mrs. Brown was friendly when she said, “They have it every year, Marcus. You wouldn’t know that since you’re new around here.”

  “True enough,” he said. “I would certainly enjoy attending, but only if you ladies would consider allowing me to escort you.”

  Mrs. Brown beamed at him. “I would like that, Mr. Rimley.” She turned toward Audrey. “Wouldn’t you be pleased with that, too, Audrey?”

  “Yes! I’d be delighted.” Then she realized that she had no party dress. “But…”

  “We’ll have so much fun, Audrey,” Mrs. Brown gushed. “We’ll get all dressed up and have the handsomest man to escort us. Why all the other ladies will be pea green with jealousy.”

  This last was undoubtedly calculated to make Marcus’ chest swell at the compliment, and it had its desired effect. He smiled a very dashing smile.

  “I hope each of you ladies will reserve a dance for me.” He spoke directly to Audrey this time, and the hint was understood. He wanted the time alone with her.

  “Of course,” she said softly. She was still plagued by the idea of going to a party in one of her calico dresses.

  Mrs. Brown stood, putting down the crocheting she had been working on as she taught the craft to Audrey. “It’s time for we ladies to retire, Mr. Rimley. I do thank you for the invitation. I’ll look forward to Saturday with great anticipation.”

  Audrey knew when she was being given a clue. Apparently, this day was over. She couldn’t stay alone with Marcus, especially with Mrs. Brown’s knowledge. It was one thing to accidentally find oneself in a room with a boarder, at which time a proper lady made her excuses and left as soon as was polite. But it was another thing altogether to stay behind without a chaperone. Mrs. Brown would be most displeased.

  Putting aside her knotted stitchery, Audrey stood. “You have my thanks as well, Mr. Rimley. I’m sure it will be a splendid event.”

  Smiling, he took her hand and pressed a very chaste kiss on her knuckles. She was getting tired of all that knuckle kissing. Although he was physically appealing, Marcus’ staid and conservative manners were grating. It would be very hard to have a mad, passionate affair with someone so stuffy. She would have to do the seducing herself.

  As Mrs. Brown and she paused by the staircase to say their goodnights, Audrey brought up the subject of what to wear to the May Day party. “I’ve never been to something so grand as that. I’m afraid I have nothing to wear.”

  “Nonsense, my dear. We’ll whip something up. Tomorrow we’ll go to the store and pick out some fabric. We have two days to make you a pretty gown, and we’ll have fun doing it.”

  That did sound like fun. Audrey was learning so many new skills on this RAVE. In many ways, she was grateful to Romantek for making her script so interesting that anticipating each new day was a pleasure. Now, if only she had someone special to share it with.

  * * *

  Audrey and Mrs. Brown spent all but fifty cents of Audrey’s money on fabric, ribbons and ready-made crinolines. Her dress was a very simple blue satin affair that made her eyes look cerulean. It was appropriate for an outdoor event, off the shoulders and showing a little of her tucker. For this occasion, she asked Mrs. Brown to help her lace up her corset—something she had been very lax about—and the result was a teensy little wasp waist that made Audrey gasp. Well, not gasp exactly as she couldn’t take a full breath. They parted her light brown hair in the middle and curled it at the sides, and she wore a little cap with ribbons that wound in her curls. There was no jewelry to go with her outfit, but she tied a blue ribbon at her throat and declared herself ready. She felt beautiful and ultra-feminine.

  Apparently she and Mrs. Brown had done a good job with their version of a Godey’s fashion plate, because Marcus’ eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He was tongue-tied and practically stuttering when they met him in the parlor prior to leaving.

  “Miss Audrey, may I say how lovely you look? A man could get lost in the blue seas of your…eyes.”

  Audrey curtsied as best she could. “Thank you, Mr. Rimley.”

  He gave a charming compliment to Mrs. Brown as well, who wore pale grey, barely adorned bombazine as was appropriate to her station and age. Although, Marcus spoke to Mrs. Brown, his eyes darted to Audrey frequently.

  Marcus was also well turned out, and Audrey told him he looked handsome, which was the truth. He thanked her and offered both of his arms.

  “Let us be off, ladies. We have a party to attend!”

  His smile was endearing, and Audrey had that feeling that she was supposed to spark to him, that it was Romantek’s plan. But, as handsome and polite as he was, he didn’t knock her socks off. She kept comparing him to White Star and finding him less appealing. It was frustrating, and Audrey vowed to herself that she would give Marcus a decent chance.

  The carriage ride to the Bar R was uneventful, unlike Audrey’s prior aborted trip. They arrived in good time, and the party was just getting underway.

  “Don’t forget your parasol, Audrey,” Mrs. Brown reminded her. The parasol, borrowed from Mrs. Brown, was white eyelet with a pretty yellow ruffle around the edge, complementing the color of Audrey’s dress. It was a little awkward getting used to holding it correctly, but she knew that ladies didn’t allow themselves to tan and that sunscreen was something far in the future.

  They alighted from the carriage and made their way into the sprawling ranch house and out the back to where the May Day party was taking place. There was a lovely veranda and a garden of fragrant flowers. Trees dotted the wide lawn. Several tables in the shade were laid out with food, and servants helped people with the food and drink.

  Audrey had the lemonade, of course. No alcohol would be served to the ladies mid-day unless they requested it specifically, which would be mildly scandalous. Audrey wished she had a glass of wine, though. She was intimidated by the bright array of townsfolk, all dressed in their Sunday best and flaunting their best manners.

  Marcus escorted the women to their host, David Ryan, the rancher behind the very successful Bar R. The introductions were flowery, owing to Marcus’ love of sentimental words.

  “I’m very pleased to meet you,” Audrey told the older gentleman, trying to remember her nineteenth century manners. “Thank you for inviting us to your party.”

  “I’m delighted to have you, ma’am,” Ryan answered. His hair was parted in the middle and slicked down, and he wore a thick, neatly trimmed moustache and a black suit. He looked rather warm, as the springtime sun was beating down.

  His wife, Mrs. Natalie Ryan, smiled graciously. “I do hope this will give us a chance to know you better, dear.”

  “I hope so, too.”

  Mrs. Brown would not be ignored. “You look lovely, Natalie. We’ll never catch you in homespun.”

  Natalie laughed lightly. “Come and see my roses, Elmira. The yellow sun catchers are particularly attractive this year.” Spinning their parasols, the two women wandered off, leaving Mr. Ryan and Marcus with Audrey. They chatted for a few moments, but after a short time, it was clear that Mr. Ryan had other guests to attend to, so he left Marcus and Audrey alone.

  People were strolling and mingling, and Audrey felt out of place. She tried twirling her parasol flirtatiously, and wasn’t quite sure she got i
t right. It didn’t seem to matter to Marcus.

  “Are you hungry, my dear?” Marcus was being quite attentive.

  “Yes. Famished.”

  “I’ll fetch you a plate.”

  A moment of panic sent a surge of discomfort through Audrey’s middle. If he left her alone, what was she supposed to do?

  “I can go with you,” she said, turning to head to the tables, hoping her decisive action would work to deter him from leaving her.

  “Nonsense. I’ll be only a moment.”

  But it wasn’t a moment. She stood by herself, watching the people and wondering if she was supposed to mingle. Audrey kind of remembered that women of that time didn’t introduce themselves to people, even at parties. So she waited, and waited. Marcus could be seen by one of the white clothed tables, drinking something from a flask as he waited for food to be served. There was a bit of a queue and he was apparently waiting his turn.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar face—White Star. He was dressed in a gambler’s outfit, complete with red brocade vest and long, tailored coat. His long hair was tied back rather severely, so it got lost behind his jacket. Except for his dark skin, there would be no way to know he was not the usual town gentleman. He saw her, too, and their eyes met for a long moment. Audrey didn’t know whether to smile or not and when she finally decided a smile was in order, his dark gaze moved from her to another young woman not far from where he was standing.

  Jealousy fought for dominance in her chest, against her better judgment. It was just as well that White Star was looking elsewhere for companionship. Resolutely, Audrey turned her back on him and nonchalantly took a few steps toward where she had last seen Marcus, but he was practically upon her, and they jostled the plate he carried.

  “Oh! I’m sorry.”

  “No need to fret, Miss Audrey.”