Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“So, are you saying that you’ll leave the set in the middle of my questioning?” She arched an eyebrow. “On live television?”
“I’m kindly asking you to stick to the script that we agreed on.”
“Well, since you’re the one who is trying to get the public to see his so-called softer side, let’s see how calm you are under some fun pressure.” She smiled and snapped her fingers.
“Going live in three…” someone behind the set whispered. “Two…one…”
“Good morning, ladies of American Chat! I’m your host, Catherine Bailey. Today we’re here with Travis Carter, who is arguably the greatest UFC fighter of all time, and his wife, former world champion figure skater, Tatiana Brave!”
The studio audience applauded as my blood simmered.
“Although Travis is here to tell us more about a new charity he’s starting, along with giving us insight into his Humble City Fitness empire, I want us to get a bit more personal. This is L.A.’s top women’s show after all, right?”
Per our sessions with the body language expert, Tatiana slipped her hand in mine, temporarily distracting me from this blindsided betrayal.
“What was Mr. Carter like on the honeymoon, Mrs. Carter?” Miss Bailey smiled. “No photos have leaked and my book club is dying to know.”
A few scattered “Me too!” and squeals sounded from the audience.
“He was very attentive and sweet,” Tatiana said. “He treated me to a lot of sightseeing.”
“Now, you know that’s not what we’re looking for this morning.” She leaned forward, her smile widening. “We want to know if he’s as aggressive in the sheets as he is in the octagon.”
What in the hell…
“I hate to disappoint you.” Tatiana put on a smile as the audience squealed again. “I’m not the type to kiss and tell.”
“Of course,” she said, turning to me. “Given your reputation for playing the field, Mr. Carter, I’m sure I’m not the only woman here who was shocked to find out that you were settling down and getting married. Can you tell us what it was about Miss Tatiana that caught your eye?”
“Miss Bailey…” I took a small breath, holding back my rage at another unapproved question that had no rehearsed answer.
The room became silent, on edge for a response, but all I could do was look over at Ralph in the front row.
Reputation repair or not, this type of interview wasn’t worth my time, so I shot him the look. The “Come up with an excuse and get me out of this ASAP” wink.
He started walking toward a producer, but Miss Bailey sensed the silent cue.
“Better yet,” she said, “since we’re all just now seeing this softer side of you, why don’t we let your fiancée answer first. What caught your eye about your new husband, Tatiana?”
“His eyes,” she answered. “But I have to admit that I wasn’t his biggest fan when we first met.”
“Oh?”
“I mean, I was attracted to him, but he’s related to someone else I know.”
“Ah, yes, the incomparable ‘Perfect Feather.’ His younger sister.”
“Yes.” She nodded.
“Well, once you received her blessing and began dating, what made you fall hard for him?”
She looked at me, and I waited for her to say, “He was the perfect gentleman,” so I could interrupt and say, “It was hard not to be.”
“He was the most persistent guy I’d ever met,” she said. “He wouldn’t take no for an answer because he was determined to show me he could be a good boyfriend. He’s actually the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.”
“Oh?”
“He was always willing to do anything, and I do mean anything, for me.” She continued to venture off script. “I can’t count the number of times he traveled to see me on a whim, the number of times he knew just what to say to make me have a better day. No man had ever treated me like he did, and…Like I said, he was willing to do anything.”
“I’ll still do anything for you,” I said, completely off guard by her words. “That’ll never change.”
“Awwww!” “Ohhhh” “So sweet!” Several women in the audience swooned.
“On that note, let’s take our first break!” Miss Bailey smiled. “When we come back, we’ll dive deep into a stunning new feature that Travis is installing in every Humble City gym in the country!”
The rest of the interview went exactly as we’d rehearsed with our team, beat for beat.
When it ended, I signed autographs for the audience, until the last fan exited the studio.
“Miss Bailey?” Tatiana said once the crew began unplugging the cameras. “I need to talk to you in private with Mr. Carter.”
“Sure thing, Mrs. Carter.” She smiled and shut the door. “What is it?”
“What you just did to me and my husband today was highly un-fucking-professional.”
“What?”
“Do I need to repeat it?” She narrowed her eyes. “There’s a reason we submitted those questions in advance and you promised not to deviate. You fucking promised.”