How to Date a Dragon

show seems to have one.

“Well, whatever happens”—Candy reached out to grasp the hands of the other finalists—“it’s been a privilege, y’all.”

Dick yanked his hand away.

She giggled. “Why, bless your heart. You must be more nervous than you look.”

The door to the windowless room in the New York TV station opened, and Judith poked her head in.

“Is everyone ready?”

Candy clapped her hands rapidly. “Oh, goody! This is it.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding? We’ve been ready for hours.”

“Sorry. The judges wanted to meet your families.”

Bliss leaped up. “Our families are here?”

“Of course. It’s part of the show and the viewers love it. They want to see the winner’s family react with pride. Unfortunately, we had to tell a few of them how to do that.”

Bliss pinched the bridge of her nose. “Probably mine. I didn’t invite them for a reason.”

“Your family seems to be behaving themselves, Bliss. Don’t be too hard on them for speaking their minds. Families show their love and support in different ways. It’s obvious your parents are thrilled for you.”

Bliss slapped the side of her head. “Oh, no. My boyfriend is coming and doesn’t know how angry they are with him. He’ll be walking into an ambush.”

“They’re still angry that he disappeared? I thought it was obvious why he left.”

Dick leaned forward. “This sounds interesting. What happened?”

Bliss tried to wave the incident off like it was nothing. “Oh, they were just being their usual overly talkative selves and they accidentally insulted him.”

“Really? What did they say?”

She turned on Dick and spat out, “Nothing. Forget it!”

He rubbed his hands together. “It doesn’t sound like nothing to me. Better get those cameras rolling, Judith.”

“Shit. At this stage of the show, it’s not the kind of thing we want happening. Bliss, maybe you should come out here and explain…”

“What is he doing here?” a male voice cried out.

Oh, crap. Too late. Bliss rose and dashed from the room into the hallway, which was clogged with people.

Some of them stepped back and cleared a path so she could see what was going on. Yup. Just as I thought.

Drake stood still while her father poked him in the chest. “You’re not good enough for my daughter. If you want to be part of this family, you have to know how to stand and defend yourself.”

Wow, that’s for sure. “Dad!” Bliss elbowed her way to her father. “Leave my boyfriend alone.”

“But he ran away. One little insult and he was gone.” Romeo Russo was using his hands to talk in grand gestures destined to whack someone in the face.

“I wasn’t insulted,” Drake said.

Bliss reached him and whispered in his ear. “Yes, you were. It was the only way to explain your disappearance.”

“I’ve got this, honey.” Drake put his arm around her shoulder and addressed her parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Russo. I’m sure you must know how unnerving it can be to meet your future bride’s family, and then when you think they dislike you for some reason—”

“Bride?” Mrs. Russo’s hand covered her heart.

“Now, wait just a—”

Mrs. Russo’s other hand covered her husband’s mouth. “Blissy, did you know about this?”

Bliss stared at Drake’s face, looking for a clue. He seemed perfectly calm and happy. Then he winked at her.

What is he up to? “Uh, no, Mom, I didn’t.”

“I wasn’t planning on doing this until after the winner’s announced, but maybe you should know that win or lose, I want you in my life, Bliss.”

The hallway fell silent and all eyes were on her. She tried to whisper in his ear so they wouldn’t be overheard. “Are you sure? Even with the amount of insanity in my family?”

Drake chuckled. “I’m sure. And your family’s insanity isn’t that bad.”

They smiled at each other until Mrs. Russo burst out with, “Say something, Bliss!”

“Like what? I don’t think he proposed. He just said he wanted me in his life. I want him in mine too.”

“Even if your father doesn’t approve?” Mr. Russo asked and crossed his arms over his big barrel chest.

Bliss rolled her eyes. “Even if my father posted attack ads in the Boston Globe.” She palmed Drake’s cheek and kissed him.

Mrs. Russo tried to put her arm around her husband’s considerable waist and laid her head on his shoulder. “I’d say that no matter what happens in a few minutes, Bliss won the biggest prize of all. Love.”

Mr. Russo humphed. “There was a time when a girl had to have her father’s permission.”

Bliss broke the lip-lock to give her father an annoyed glare. “Yeah, and there was a time when you’d have had to pay him in goats to take me.”

Mr. Russo sighed. “Fine. How many goats would you like, Drake?”

“No goats. Just your beautiful daughter.” He swept a stray lock of hair behind Bliss’s ear and kissed it. “Does that mean you approve?”

“And start World War III with my wife if I don’t?”

Romeo Russo extended his hand and Drake shook it.

Just then, Judith reappeared and clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “It’s time to take your seats.”

The double doors to the auditorium opened, and as people filed through, the hallway emptied. Drake dropped Bliss’s hand and said, “Lead the way, honey.”

“I have to sit up on stage, but I’ll find you in the audience.”

“I’ll sit with your folks.”

Bliss chuckled. “You’re a glutton for punishment, aren’t you?”

* * *

Five hours of film later, the three finalists all sat on the edge of their seats. The jumbotrons set up on either side of the stage were used to showcase their work for a large audience. The giant screens made something as small as a greeting card or as flexible as an animated, online card look great.

Bliss had to admit the competitors’ designs were fantastic. Some of them. And some of hers were home runs too. It was really anybody’s contest.

At last the judges returned from their backstage deliberations and presented Judith with an envelope.

This is it. Either fifty grand in my hand or back to the drawing board.

She thought about how she and Drake might use the money. A down payment on a house, maybe? A magazine ad campaign to kick-start her business? There were no stipulations on how the money was to be spent. Bliss had previously only thought about winning it to pay off a small mountain of debt and maybe lengthen the vacation the winner got as part of the prize. She needed a long one.

Judith waved the envelope. “Now, which of our terrific designers is going to win? Will it be Dick for his rock-and-roll lyrics? Or Candy for her inspirational poetry? Or Bliss for her sense of humor?”

The audience began chanting, “Bliss, Bliss, Bliss…”

Judith opened the envelope and smiled at the contents. When she held up her hand, the audience quieted. “I have a check here in the amount of fifty thousand dollars, and it’s made out to…”

She paused so long Bliss thought half the audience might pass out from holding their collective breaths.

“Bliss Russo for Hall-Snark Cards!”

The roar of applause and shock to her system drowned out any thoughts that might have been going through her head. Bliss rose and walked woodenly toward Judith. Before she reached her, she remembered to