Tara Thornton was prepping the bar for the day's lunch crowd when Jake Beauchamp, the postman for Bon Temps, came in with the mail.

"Hey there Tara. Glad I caught ya. I gotta a certified letter that ya need to sign for; ya can do it here and save yourself a trip to the post office."

Tara glanced up from wiping the bar, a look of confusion marring her pretty features.

"A certified letter? Nobody should be sending me a certified letter. Ya sure it's for me?"

Jake shrugged. "Says right here Deliver to Ms. Tara M. Thornton. From 'Moonlight Romance' care of TBBN Studios." Jake winked at her. "Moonlight Romance, huh? Well if you're looking for love I'm available."

Tara smirked as she signed for the letter. Jake was nearing retirement and could have been Sheriff Bud Dearborn's twin brother. He liked to flirt with the young women around town, but everyone knew he was harmless. She was more intrigued by the mystery letter and nodded absently in response when he left.

She was reading it for the third time when her friend Sookie Stackhouse came over to see what had her so distracted.

"This letter says that I've been selected as a contestant for a new reality show called 'Moonlight Romance.' They want me to fly to New Orleans in six weeks to start taping. I ain't never even heard of this show!"

Hearing the words 'Moonlight Romance', Arlene rushed over. "That's the new show that everybody's talking about. They put all these women in a mansion and they get a chance to date a rich bachelor." She sighed, throwing Tara an envious look. "Some folks have all the luck."

Sookie beamed at her friend. "Tara, that's great! But six weeks don't give you much time to prepare."

"You mean it don't give ME much time to prepare," Arlene grumbled. "Just take off for God knows how long with no consideration of all the extra work that's gonna end up on my shoulders. As usual."

"Arlene, didn't you just hear me say that I ain't never heard of this show? I don't know how these folks got my name! And what ya mean by 'as usual?' Ya saying I'm irresponsible?"

Lafayette heard the yelling and came in from the kitchen. "Yo! All this hollering is getting on my damn nerves. Y'all need to chill the fuck out or y'all gonna scare away all our customers 'fore lunch even get started. What's going on here anyway?"

Arlene answered. "Your cousin here got picked to be on that new Moonlight Romance show even though she claims that she don't know nothing about it." She glared at Tara. "I hope you have a good time partying in the French Quarter while the rest of us are back here in Bon Temps working ourselves into an early grave!" She stormed out of the room, close to tears.

Lafayette had a sheepish look on his face that immediately made Tara suspicious.

"Lafayette, did you have anything to do with this?" When he looked at the floor and didn't answer, her suspicions were confirmed. "You entered me on a reality show without telling me?"

"Calm down, hooka. I sent that in on a whim. I wasn't expecting you to get picked. I think you'd show a little more appreciation, since you gettin' a free vacation."

"Lafayette, I don't know if I wanna do this. I really ain't interested in meeting nobody."

"Girlfriend, is you outta yo mind? This is a chance to live in a mansion and be treated like a queen for free. Lots of folks would kill for the chance you got. Just look at it as a free vacation; a chance to get away from all the shit that's been happening around Bon Temps lately. And nobody expects you to fall in love with whatever raggedy ass bachelor they dig up. Everybody knows reality show couples never work out, so just go to New Orleans and have fun."

Tara looked at Sookie, who nodded. "Lafayette's right. You deserve to be the one getting pampered for a change. And who knows, this guy just might turn out to be Mr. Right." Tara rolled her eyes and Sookie laughed. "Now let's get you ready for a trip to New Orleans."

The next six weeks were a whirlwind of activity. After Sam reluctantly agreed to give her time off, Tara found herself in a limousine being whisked away from Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner, Louisiana and heading for a mansion in the Garden District of New Orleans. She wondered what the hell she had let Sookie and Lafayette talk her into.

Tara arrived at the airport and was greeted by a young, red haired, male production assistant. He was dressed in a white polo shirt and khakis; he wore thick black rimmed glasses and introduced himself as Garry Burger.

An extremely skinny woman, in her forties with bleached blond hair, sporting a bright pink tube top, started to scream when Garry held up the poster board with her name on it. He promptly escorted her, Tara and a handful of other women to a limo. The blond woman continued screaming at the top of her lungs all the way to the limo. Tara already felt like a celebrity and the cameras hadn't even started to roll.

In the limo the production assistant explained the rules and contracts over and over again and after the third time everyone stopped paying attention to him. Now, it was all about sizing up the competition.

Tara thought some of the women were pretty and well dressed. She began to appreciated what Sookie and Lafayette did for her in preparation for the show. If they had not convinced her to get a make-over, and a new wardrobe, she would have stuck out like a sore thumb.

She figured by the way they dressed that most of them were either high maintenance, slutty, or a combination of both. Except the one who introduced herself to everyone as Summer; she was certainly the sore thumb in the group.

The women were taken to a fancy hotel and told to get dressed to impress; because at nightfall the cameras would be rolling. Ginger, the lady who'd been screaming since she got off the plane screamed at the announcement, or perhaps it was the showy hotel room they were all in.

Summer did not bother to change from her frumpy sun dress; she opted to put on lip gloss and talk about dolls and cooking the whole time.

Tara was dressed in less than thirty minutes but some of the other women took the entire allotted two hours to put on their ensemble.

Finally, they were all conveyed to a, prestigious gated community. Tara and all the ladies were genuinely impressed with the area. All the houses were enormous, white and extravagant, each and every lawn was manicured to perfection and the mysterious bachelor's pad was no different. There were three limos parked outside a circular driveway with the water fountain center. A variety of women poured out: large, small, older, and young. They were certainly not what Tara expected to see. She figured this had to be a ploy to get ratings by adding such a diverse cast. Tara was convinced no man in his right mind would be interested in some of the women before her.

Promptly at night-fall the three production assistants gathered the ladies together, gave them all name tags and started the cameras rolling. Debbie and Crystal seemed to already be drunk off the free alcohol. Another contestant named Rosie tried to warn the women that they needed to sober up for the elimination ceremony, but her warning fell upon deaf ears. Both of the girls mocked her and Debbie even threaten to throw her drink at her as the camera men and bartenders egged them on and the producers did nothing to stop it, indicating to Tara what kind of show she was participating in. Tara adjusted her dress and tried to control the butterflies in her tummy by drinking some red wine.

A huge man walked out of the mansion. Well over six-feet five inches and weighing at least two hundred seventy pounds, he sported a military buzz-cut and spoke with an East Coast, perhaps New York or Boston, accent. He politely asked for the ladies' attention. Tara knew this had to be the bodyguard and her assumption was correct. Andrew O'Shaunessy, the very fearsome looking vampire, opened the large mansion door and out emerged a man that Tara was sure could not be the millionaire bachelor.

The tall man was dressed entirely in black: tight jeans and a fitted, black button-up shirt that left little to the imagination about his slender, yet well proportioned, and leanly muscled form. His milky pale skin brought out the darkness of his wild wavy hair and the bright blue of his eyes. The way he stood, his legs spread slightly apart with the tip of his large hands partially in his pocket, truly commanded attention. He calmly scanned the twenty-four ladies, his eyes lingering on a few of them, including Tara. Tara had to remember to thank Sookie for picking out the sexy red dress she was wearing.

However, the situation complicated things for her, and she did not expect to be attracted to him. She was hoping that he would look like one of those metro-sexual, Hollywood, overly man-scaped types. She wasn't prepared for the handsome, swagger-licious man that stood before her.

And then he spoke...

"Welcome ladies. My name is Franklin. Enjoy yourself at my mixer and I will make my way around to speak to each and everyone of you. However, there is only enough room in my mansion for twelve of you, so unfortunately I will have to send half of you home tonight. Once I've made my decision I will give the remaining dozen nicknames and invite you into my home where you will each have your own room."

Tara felt her knees slightly give. His accent was brooding and British. She found herself touching her chest and feeling her heart beat faster. A few women rushed over to talk to him and a few more rushed to the production assistants. Tara was surprised at what she heard: the young, pretty, vampire girl named Jessica complained that he was too old and a vampire; a cute blond human named Sarah began to rant and speak about Jesus and sinning; an elegant vampire named Pam said her plan was to steal the woman of a male human, and claimed to be no match for an older vampire. They all asked to leave.

Tara thought about doing the same thing. She hadn't thought the eligible bachelor would be a dead man. However, she found herself torn: in addition to the incredibly alluring Franklin (now politely talking to a still screaming Ginger, a shapely woman named Hadley and a tall, model-looking woman named Yvette). Besides, she had come this far and didn't want to let everyone who was watching in Bon Temps down. She took another sip of her red wine. Suddenly, she was approached by the handsome vampire. He even had a sexy strut, as his long, lean legs moved him closer to her. Tara had to admit that she normally didn't care for stubble on men, but on Franklin, it worked and made him even more appealing.

She held out her hand for Franklin to shake it, instead he kissed it slowly. He smiled slightly, his large blue eyes practically twinkling at her. When he realized she was speechless and staring, a devilish smirk crossed those soft looking lips.

"See something you like, Tara?"

Hell yes…she thought but cleared her throat and tried to appear uninterested, which was actually quite difficult.

He told her that he loved the color red, and that she looked incredible in it. He thought of chocolate covered cherries as he took her in. He even complimented her on her drink selection. The seductive vampire left the normally outspoken bartender speechless; nevertheless, Tara knew at that point she would be chosen and was truly pleased with herself.

Go Tara, Go Tara! Her mind shouted.

After their brief, flirtatious conversation Tara watched him as he talked to several more girls. She watch his body language and eye contact and figured even though he would be inviting a dozen women to stay, her biggest competition would be Hadley, Yvette and a beautiful vampire named Lorena.

Three glasses of wine later the remaining women where all lined up and Franklin began to eliminate each woman three by three. First group up was Jane, Maudette and Denise. He politely told Jane, an older full-figured woman, that she seemed like a fun woman who was full of life, but he felt no chemistry with her. He went on to tell Maudette and Denise the same thing.

He told the next three girls, Isabel, Daphne and Kenya, that he felt they were not interested in him and perhaps he was merely a much needed distraction. Isabel hugged him as she said goodbye and admitted that he spoke the truth.

The final three women to go was Diane (a mocha skinned vampire who looked like she was stuck in the 70's), Holly and Janette. He told them that he felt they were simply not a good match and would perhaps be better suited with someone else.

Holly and Janette left with their dignity in tact; Diane, however, caused a scene, going on about how he couldn't handle a dominate vampire such as herself. She tried to attack Garry, grabbing the skinny man by the neck,and claiming he had promised her that Franklin was going to pick her. Andrew stood in front of Franklin, waiting for his command to defuse the situation. Before he could, Lorena stepped in and forcefully removed Diane's hand from Garry's frail neck, and reminded the 70's vampire, that she was older and stronger. Diane knew she was no match for the two hundred old vampire vixen, so she went off into the night. Franklin complimented Lorena and thanked her for stepping in.

"I adore a woman who is not afraid to take action." He smiled at her and Tara found herself feeling a little jealous at the immediate attention Lorena was getting.

He gave her a nick- name first...

"I'll call you 'Styles', by the way you look and seem to have a lot of style and class, and I cannot wait to get to know you better." Lorena nodded silently with a smug look upon her face.

Tara was next. "I'll call you 'Strumpet'. I noticed you first with your sexy little red dress. I just know you are full of surprises."

Tara didn't care for her nickname, but was pleased she was given one before the remaining ten.

Next was Hadley " I adore your southern accent; it reminds me of the old west. I'll call you 'Cornbread'.

Hadley thought it was cute and kissed him on the cheek.

After her was Yvette, whom he named 'Ushanka'. At the time only, Franklin, Lorena and Yvette knew what it meant and Yvette was visibly upset. She felt her name should have been 'Pretty' or 'Beauty'. She pouted and asked him to reconsider.

"No, no, Ushanka suits you," he said, patting the pouting young woman on the shoulder.

"Ladies, remember to address each other with the names I have given you," he continued with that seductive accent and an impish smirk on his handsome face.

He went on to name Ginger 'Screech' for obvious reasons. She said she loved it and squealed for the umpteenth time. Franklin said she made him laugh and his friend Russell would have to see her in order to believe a woman like that really existed.

Summer was 'Baby Doll', of course she had told him about her collection of dolls. He did not quite know what to make of her and he was curious, thus the reason she was chosen.

The remaining girls had not gotten much one on one time with Franklin, but he still found them interesting enough to keep around so he had to think fast on his feet to come up with their names.

Dawn, a sultry brunette, was 'Hot-Wings', as she'd told him she was currently working at Hooter's.

He named Rosie 'Daffodil' because she had one in her hair and Franklin thought it was cute.

Amy, another waitress, got the name 'Weeds' because she smelled of it and looked high as a kite.

Finally, Debbie was named 'Coke',(not the drink), and Crystal was named 'Bones'. Franklin jokingly advised both of them never turn sideways or the cameras wouldn't see them. Both girls giggled and stumbled over to Franklin. Crystal hugged him while seemingly trying to climb him like a pole, at the same time Debbie shamelessly tried to grab his crotch. Andrew asked the ladies to go back and stand next to the others but they paid him no attention.

Before Andrew could physically remove the ladies, the bachelor bashfully grinned and politely walked them back over to the line and began handing out day-lilies one by one. Once the girl got her flower she was allowed into the house and escorted by Andrew directly to the room of her choice.

Tara decided to take a few minutes to check out her room. It was HUGE, nearly half the size of her mother's entire house. It was also absolutely gorgeous: king-size canopy bed, cream-colored silk drapes and bed linens, blonde wood floors, Persian rug, a wood burning fireplace, and an etched ceiling with a large crystal chandelier. It felt a little weird not having any windows, but she knew the house had to be light-tight due to Franklin, Lorena (Styles, she corrected herself), and the handful of vampire production assistants she had seen. The bathroom was just as luxurious with a large glass enclosed shower and a sunken tub. One of the maids had laid out a selection of bath salts, gels, and scented soaps along with the softest towels she had ever touched. Windows or not, she could definitely get used to this. She took a quick shower and changed into denim capris, sandals, and a peach tank top that complemented her dark skin.

Before long, a production assistant came to escort them down to the entryway to await the start of the tour. He explained that the tour would be filmed, and encouraged each contestant to ignore the cameras and behave naturally. The whole point of Moonlight Romance was to allow Franklin to see the girls' true personalities so he could make a love connection.

As the cameras began to roll, Tara glanced around the room, sizing up the competition. Everyone had changed into casual clothing, but Tara couldn't believe the outfits some of them were wearing. Coke had on a tube top and the shortest shorts that Tara had ever seen in her life. Babydoll had gone to the other extreme and was dressed like something out of Little House on the Prairie, in a red and white gingham dress with a high necked lace collar and long sleeves. "No competition there," Tara thought to herself. Styles, on the other hand, was impeccably turned out in an obviously expensive black and white linen pantsuit; that one would bear watching. Her thoughts were interrupted by a blood curdling scream. Screech had been startled by Franklin's arrival.

"Ladies, if you're ready, the tour will begin," he said in his richly accented baritone that made Tara melt.

"Slow down, girl. You're just here for a vacation," she told herself.

They toured the downstairs first, going through the formal living and dining rooms, and a kitchen that was larger than the one at Merlotte's. Beautiful artwork adorned nearly every surface, and Franklin gave a brief history on the more unique objects. Everyone seemed to be in awe except for Ushanka; she was more interested in the monetary value of each piece than anything else.

"How much did you pay for that?" she asked, pointing to a gold and white porcelain vase.

Franklin smiled but refused to answer. "Naughty girl. Didn't your mum teach you it's bad manners to ask how much things cost?"

The tour moved on to the den, which featured a fully stocked wet bar. Weeds immediately perked up when she saw it and raced over to fix herself a drink. Cornbread remarked that maybe they should finish the tour before she drank anymore, causing Weeds to curse her out until she was in tears. The producers loved it.

Next, they were shown the Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool. Franklin flipped a switch to retract the pool cover, causing Screech to cry out in alarm. Coke had had enough, stalking over to slap the bleached blonde woman across her face.

"Bitch, you scream like that one more time and I'll cut you!" she threatened. Unfortunately this caused poor Screech to scream even louder, so Coke grabbed her by the hair and they fell to the floor in a tangle of flailing limbs.

Tara looked on in disbelief. None of the production assistants made a move to stop the fight. In fact, they were encouraging it. She glanced at Franklin and noticed that his fangs had emerged; he was obviously turned on. Oookay.

There was no telling how much longer the fight would have lasted if the girls hadn't fallen into the pool. Both came up sputtering, and the cameras had to be stopped so they could get Screech calmed down enough to stop shrieking. It was nearly dawn, so the producers made the decision to stop filming for the night. Each girl was escorted back to her room and told to get some sleep. Someone would come round for them the next day to take them to breakfast and to film their confessionals.

The next day the girls, minus Lorena, were fetched by Garry, the red-haired production assistant who'd picked them up from the airport. As he escorted them to the dining room, he let them know they would be keeping late hours due to fact that the bachelor was a vampire. Therefore, "breakfast" would be served in the early afternoon with all other meals adjusted accordingly.

Tara was stunned when she saw the breakfast that had been prepared for them: the sideboard looked to be at least ten feet long covered with just about every food she could imagine, served buffet style. As Tara helped herself to hoe cakes and coffee, she wondered how someone as tiny as Coke could eat bacon, eggs, sausage biscuits and gravy, with a few donuts on the side. She knew why Weeds could. She saw her on the balcony smoking before she came downstairs and ate a dozen muffins, fruit salad, tofu sausage, and juice.

"Ladies, after breakfast you'll start filming your confessions," Garry announced. "These can be short. Just say your name and tell us a little bit about yourselves and why you're here."

Confessions

Debbie (Coke): Staggers into the confession room with a drink in her hand. "This is better than I thought it'd be: free booze and lots of partying! The only problem is too damn many women. I just wish there was more men here." Tips her glass up and drains it. "Jeez, I need another drink."

Summer (Baby Doll): "I have to be honest; I applied for the show when my last relationship failed. I'm looking for a husband 'cause I can't wait to get married and have babies, and I get lots of practice with my little dolls. I treat them just like real kids, they have names and personalities and everything. I didn't know the bachelor was a vampire, which is kinda ironic since my ex left me for a vampire." A look of disapproval crosses her face. "Well, that's water under the bridge. I thought about quitting, but if my ex can find happiness with a vamp, why can't I? Of course he can't father children, but I suppose we could always adopt. It's just a pity he can't taste my biscuits."

Crystal (Bones): As she enters the room, she looks around in awe at the plush furnishings. Gosh, I love this house! Everything is so fancy and clean and new. I really love the indoor plumbing; it means I can take a bath more than once a week!

Rosie (Daffodil): Obviously nervous. "Oh jeez, I hate cameras. I just came on to improve my public relations skills; if I'm lucky the publicity from this will get me promoted to deputy."

Amy (Weeds): She's obviously high when she enters the confessional, and apparently in a philosophical mood. "I love the South. Everyone here is so authentic. I guess I should say why I came on the show. It was an experiment to expand my social consciousness; I wanted to know what sort of men and women would get involved in something like this. I find it even more interesting that the bachelor is a vampire. I can't wait to see how the other girls interact with him."

Ginger (Screech): Walks into the confession room and stares at the camera with a wary, confused expression. "I don't see a priest, who am I confessing to?" [Camera whirs as it zooms in for a close-up] "Eeeek!"

Hadley (Cornbread): "Well what a comfy couch this is."

The curvy blond woman sat on the crimson plush sofa, petting it like her long lost dog.

"My room is very cozy too. The whole house is amazing! I think Franklin gave me the best nickname out of all the girls. He must really like me. Of course he does, I'm just everyone's type. It's something about those vampires, if you know what I mean. It's been a year since I've been with a human, male or female. They just don't do it for me anymore. OHH Vampires!"

She touches her well portioned chest.

"They do it with such passion and well. She blushes. It wouldn't be lady like to go on. I really want to win, this will be the first thing I've ever won. I just hope my past with other vampires is not a turn off to him. I know most of them seem to think it is. Well, I'm off to call my son."

Yvette (Ushanka): "This man, oh this Franklin vampire."

Her Estonian accent strong and full of excitement. She looks around taking in her surroundings, "He is cute and very, very wealthy. I wonder how he makes his money? He will be more giving than the other men and vampires, I'm sure. He will take good care of me. I can just know it. I also know his mansion is worth so much. All of his collection of cars and art and furniture. All the things I want in a man, Yes!"

The alluring woman slowly lifts a leg over her head. "I will take good care of him too. Yes, once I dance for him, he will not be able to resist. "Teie raha on minu."*

She blows a kiss at the camera and sways out of the room.

Dawn (Hotwings): "I am so excited about being here. It is just what I needed. I've always been into vampires. This is like a coming out of the closet for me. Franklin is not like any vampire I've ever been with. He has class and I could get used to living in a place like this. I know he has connections that could get me into the movie business. I'm willing to start from the bottom and work my way up. As long as it ain't porn. I already had a chance to do that in New Orleans. Besides my family would disown me. I'm gonna get enough crap from them when the show airs and they find out I date vampires. Not to mention my male friends who don't like it one bit. She runs her hand through her long wavy locks. Well guess what Billy Jo Simmons, Jason Stackhouse and Jake Morgan, I screw vampires and I enjoy it, more than screwing you all most of the time, ya too drunk. Sorry momma."

Her eyes fill with tears, she grabs a tissue from the box on the ebony oak table. She wipes her tears, takes a deep breath and exits the room.

Tara (Strumpet): She walks into the room, her smile radiant and sincere upon her glowing ebony skin.

"I was told that the viewers would see this but not Franklin. So when ya see this Sook and Laffy, I know you'll be happy with the way I've kept myself up and haven't made an ass of myself like most of these stupid bitches. All their fucked-up-ness, makes me look like a saint."

She chuckles so much her brown eyes begin to water, after a few moments of laughter she takes a deep breath.

"Anyway, this is the confessional room so I am going to confess. This vampire Franklin..."

She takes a deep breath and looks up at the crystal chandelier.

"...Is very attractive in his own dark and mysterious way. And his accent is down right sexy. And that deep voice, hell it is like porn to my ears. But prince charming seems a little bit off. Now don't get me wrong, I am not the most stable person in the world, by any means... But the way he got when those two ditsy bitches were fighting. It was, well, not the way I pictured a classy man like him to react. I have to admit though, he's got me really curious. I hope to get a date with him soon. Once I spend more time with him, I will know better with what I'm dealing with... I suppose," she plays with her shoulder length curls.

"He said he thinks I'm full of surprises. I still wonder what he thinks I have up my sleeve. I'm a little afraid he might be underwhelmed,"She sighs and smiles, her perfect teeth gleaming at the camera.

"Thanks again Lafayette for signing me up. I'm having a lot of fun."

Lorena/ Styles- "I am so glad I am the only vampire in the competition. I can easily separate myself from all the trashy humans. Most of them drink themselves to sleep and I think those filthy shifters are out chasing squirrels or something. Anyway, I must confess, I came here originally to make Bill jealous. I truly thought that I was going to be competing for a human male. However, I think Franklin is just what I need. Bill can have his trashy little waitress. Besides, Franklin makes Bill look like a school boy. He's my type of vampire, dominant, sexy and mysterious. I see pure mischief in his eyes and I must admit..."

She batted her long lashes and smirked.

"It excites me. He's at least a century older than I, so I won't have to teach him anything. In fact, I'm sure there are many things I could learn from him."

The porcelain skinned woman looked into the camera seductively.

"He told me during our brief conversation that he is a close acquaintance of the King of Mississippi, and he has connections to many other vampire kings and queens. I've heard of Russell Edgington and I hope Franklin will introduce me soon."

The stunning brunette crossed her legs, sat back and took a sip of her True Blood.

"With trailer trash, hillbilly strippers, gold-diggers and outright nit wits as competition, I am sure to win. In a few weeks Franklin and I will be dining with kings and queens."

After filming their confessions, the girls were informed that they would be split into two groups for dates with Franklin.

"The first group will be doing a photo shoot this evening for Glenarvon, the premiere magazine for vampire men, followed by a cocktail party at L'étoile," Garry told them as he read from a clipboard. "The ladies of Group One are Styles, Cornbread, Screech, Coke, Hot Wings, and Bones."

Upon hearing this, Ushanka became visibly upset and began shouting at Garry in a mixture of Estonian and English.

"Kuidas on see võimalik! Why was I not selected for this photo shoot?"

"Sorry hon, you'll have to take that up with Franklin; he made the choices…" Garry tried to explain.

"Jama! I am the fantasy of every man!"

"Apparently not," Styles said with an amused smirk.

"Face it, babe; you're on the B-Team," Hot Wings chimed in. Tara seriously contemplated slapping the shit out of her; she wasn't on anybody's "B-Team."

"You other ladies need to rest up," Garry continued. "Because tomorrow evening you'll be going to TBBN's New Orleans studio to appear on a special edition of The Perspective with Victoria Davis, followed by a yacht cruise on the Mississippi."

Ushanka brightened immediately, but now it was Hot Wings' turn to be upset.

"That's the highest rated shows on cable!" She turned to Ushanka. "Let's trade. You do the photo shoot and I'll go on TV."

"How do you Americans say?'Not on your life,'" Ushanka answered smugly.

"No trading, ladies!" Garry shouted.

"But the TV show would be better exposure for my acting career!" Hot Wings whined.

"No," Garry said firmly. "We leave for the photo shoot in an hour. Group One: report to the ballroom. Group Two: you have the night off. Find some way to amuse yourselves, but don't forget the cameras are still rolling."

The photo shoot went surprisingly well. Franklin had chosen outfits for each of the ladies that he thought captured their personalities. Styles lived up to her name in an elegant black velvet dress and blood-red lipstick. Cornbread had been photographed boudoir-style in a lacy negligee that perfectly displayed her dangerous curves. Screech modeled club wear, and Coke was fierce as a leather-clad biker chick seated astride a Harley. In contrast, Bones looked like the portrait of innocence dressed as the "girl next door." The only drama had come from Hot Wings.

"I 'm not wearing this!" she'd snapped at the stylist, indicating the halter top, denim cut-offs, and cowboy boots that had been chosen for her. "Why can't I wear an evening gown like Styles?"

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Mott chose all the clothing for this shoot. I can't change anything."

"I find it hard to believe that he'd put me in something so country and unsophisticated!" she'd raged. "Call Franklin; tell him I want different clothes!"

The stylist did as she was commanded. When she hung up, she turned to Dawn and relayed Franklin's instructions.

"Mr. Mott says you have two choices: either wear the outfit or sit out the shoot. It's your call," the stylist said with a smirk.

Hot Wings heaved a sigh. "Where do I change?"

Franklin had been seriously annoyed by Hot Wings' tantrum. And he was even more irritated now that they were at the cocktail party. All of the ladies had made it a point to thank him for giving them the opportunity to appear in a major magazine. All except Dawn; she'd been pleased with her pictures in spite of the clothing and now she was so busy chatting with the photographer, make-up artist, and hairdresser that she hadn't spoken to him at all. Clearly, launching a career in show business was her top priority.

"Ignore her, she isn't worth it," Styles said, seeming to read his thoughts. She threaded her arm through his. "Let's go get a drink."

Styles had nearly monopolized Franklin's time for the remainder of the party. She was a beautiful, elegant woman, and she'd shown a clear interest in getting to know him better. It was an interest he'd be happy to indulge.

"Andrew, what did you think of the ladies?" Franklin asked as he prepared himself for the day's rest.

"They're all very beautiful," Andrew said diplomatically. "But I think you and Styles made a real connection."

"It sure seems that way. I'm going to take her out, just the two of us, so we can get to know each other better."

"Sounds good, Boss. Do you know when?"

"A couple of nights from now. First we need to get through the interview on TBBN."

"True," Andrew said. "Need anything before you turn in for the day?"

"I'll take a True Blood, please, and then you can go on to bed. I'm going stay up a bit and work on my blog."

"Well don't stay up too late; you don't want to get the bleeds," Andrew said on his way to the kitchen.

"I won't," Franklin promised as he opened his laptop. Despite his irritation with Hot Wings, things were off to a promising start ant he wanted to document every bit of it.

The next evening Strumpet, Ushanka, Babydoll, Daffodil, and Weeds along with Franklin piled into the limousine and headed to the TBBN studios. While Ushanka and Babydoll were obviously looking forward to the interview, Daffodil sat in quiet terror, staring at her hands which were folded in her lap. Franklin tried to put her at ease.

"There's nothing to worry about. I've met Victoria and she's a lovely lady. Just relax and be yourself."

Daffodil nodded but remained silent. Weeds grabbed a crystal goblet from the bar, poured a double shot of brandy, and handed it across to her.

"Here, drink this. It'll help you calm down." Amy thought that a joint would have done a better job of soothing Daffodil's nerves, but she was afraid of what Franklin's straight-laced hulk of a bodyguard might do.

The brandy did seem to help. In fact Daffodil consumed two more double brandies along with a double whiskey during the ride.

"Don't you think you should slow down?" Strumpet asked. She knew there was no way this tiny girl could handle so much alcohol.

"I'm fine," Daffodil chirped brightly. Tara glanced around at the other occupants of the car, but nobody else seemed concerned. She shrugged and sat back in her seat. If they saw no problem with it, neither did she.

By the time they arrived at the studio, Daffodil was quite mellow. Unfortunately her nerves weren't the only things relaxed; Strumpet, Weeds, and Ushanka literally had to carry her in to the make-up room. By now Daffodil had begun to cry, sobbing so hard that the make-up artist couldn't do her job. When Garry came to check on their progress, Babydoll pulled him to one side.

"Garry, I really don't think she's in shape to do the interview."

"She's drunk; we don't need her embarrassing us. Let her sleep it off," Ushanka added.

"I don't care how drunk she is, get her cleaned up and on set!" Garry barked. He turned to one of the junior production assistants. "Get her some coffee. We start filming in fifteen minutes, and if she's not out there I'm holding you personally responsible!"

The interview started off without a hitch. Victoria was just as gracious as Franklin promised, and she had put everyone at their ease within minutes. Daffodil looked a little green around the gills but seemed to be doing well, considering. They were in the middle of a lively discussion about vampire/human relationships when the combination of liquor, hot studio lights, and coffee finally took their toll.

"Oh god!" Daffodil suddenly screamed standing and covering her mouth. She ran to the nearest trash can and was violently sick. The microphone clearly transmitted the sound of her retching.

"Keep rolling! Don't stop the cameras!" Garry shouted, amused at this new development.

Babydoll, who had hurried to be of assistance, immediately unclipped Daffodil's microphone and led her to the nearest ladies room. Once there, she wiped the intoxicated woman's face with damp paper towels and helped her to lie down on the couch. She had just gotten her settled when Garry stormed in, Andrew and Franklin hot on his heels.

"Why the hell did you remove her mic?"

"I'm sorry..." Daffodil wept, but Babydoll cut her off.

"She was being sick, Garry! I doubt anyone wanted to hear that. This is all your fault anyway!" she spat.

"My fault! How dare you blame me when you're the one who ruined the taping?"

"Easy. We told you back in make-up that she wasn't in any shape to do an interview, but you wanted her on set drunk cause you thought it would boost ratings!"

Andrew and Franklin both fixed Garry with hard stares. "Is this true?" Franklin asked icily.

"A little drama never hurts," he said defiantly.

Franklin returned his attention to Babydoll. "I want to thank you for helping your fellow cast-mate. It was very sweet. Would you care to join me on a date in a few nights?"

Summer beamed. "I'd love to!"

"Thank you. Andrew will get back to you soon with the details."

Franklin glared at Garry one last time then stalked out the room in disgust. He hadn't been this humiliated in at least two centuries. He had specifically asked Garry to choose the girls he thought would do best in an interview, and it had resulted in this fiasco.

Andrew noticed Franklin's mood and hurried after him.

"What do you want to do now, Boss? Should we continue the interview?"

"No. I think Victoria has enough for the show. Let's just get the hell out of here and go home."

"What about the cocktail party?"

"Everyone else can attend. I'm done for the night."

"But Boss..." Andrew began, and then quickly shut up when he noticed the look on Franklin's face. "Okay, I'll let everybody know."

The day-lily ceremony was held the following evening. The ladies all lined up and waited for Franklin to make his decision known.

"As you all know, I'm on this show because I want not just a wife, but a partner. By partner, I mean a woman who's willing to share her life with me, not run off looking for fulfillment in other areas." He turned to Dawn. "Hot Wings, you are very beautiful and talented, your attributes should be shared with the world; it's obvious that you wouldn't be happy tied down to one person."

Dawn was upset, but took it all in stride.

Franklin continued. "My career also requires me to interact with the public on a fairly regular basis. For this reason, I need a partner with sound judgment, someone who's able to face difficult situations without losing her nerve. Daffodil, you are a delightful girl, but I'm afraid you wouldn't fit in with my business."

Rosie began to weep inconsolably. She had to be helped off the set by a couple of production assistants. The remaining nine girls were given day-lilies. Styles and Babydoll were informed of when their dates with Franklin would occur.

Later that night, Franklin filmed his confession...

"Tonight I had to make a really difficult decision and send two of the ladies home. Both of them are very beautiful, but I never really connected with Hot-Wings and I think that a relationship would always come second to her career. As for Daffodil, I know she was devastated when I asked her to leave."

Franklin paused and sighed, running his hand through his unruly dark hair.

"I felt really bad for her, but I'm choosing a partner who'll be with me for the rest of her life; hopefully for eternity, and I have to remain objective."

He brooded for a few moments, and then brightened.

"The good news is that there are nine beautiful ladies left, and I'm sure to find my match with one of them."

Switching off the camera, Franklin exited the room and prepared for bed.