rest of the family. Duke took the spot next to AJ and across the room Zack’s parents sat together. Grandpa Dan hunkered down in his favorite recliner and Reese slipped in beside AJ.
“I’m nervous.” Dara Dylan slid closer to her husband.
He put his arm around her shoulders. “He’ll do great. We already know that.”
Even though Atlanta was the last big-city audition, the producers of
“How many cities will they cover today?” Duke looked around the room. He seemed nervous, too, wringing his hands as he sat at the edge of the sofa.
“Two today and two tomorrow.” Reese had studied the format. “Then four more next week. After that they’ll start showing the group auditions.”
“Then what?” Zack’s dad shrugged. “None of us are really sure.”
Reese did her best to explain.
If Zack survived the cuts, he would get busier and more in demand with each passing week. Reese kept that part to herself. The show was about to start and all eyes were on the television.
The music began, the production slick and professional. Reese folded her hands and tried to relax. No need to be nervous. They all knew how this was going to play out. Zack would sing and he would make it. No surprises in this episode. But this was the premiere, so all of America was going to see Zack Dylan for the first time. They were going to see the amazing man he was. The guy Reese had fallen in love with.
Ten minutes into the show Kip Barker’s voice-over began talking about Zack Dylan. “Every year a number of heartthrobs find their place in line with the masses.” A camera zoomed in on Zack, standing with what looked like a group of high school cheerleaders. “But it’s not every year that a heartthrob can actually sing.” The camera cut to Zack partway through a beautiful solo, which he was clearly singing to the group of girls while they fawned over him.
What was this? Reese felt her heart skip a beat and the room started to tilt. The others were glancing at her, checking her reaction. Everyone in the room seemed uncomfortable. Why hadn’t Zack told her about this? She settled back against the sofa and tried to slow her racing pulse.
Kip was still talking. “Girls were crazy about Zack Dylan from the moment he stepped foot in line at Atlanta.” While his voice-over provided commentary, a pretty blonde stood closest to Zack, barely containing herself. As Zack finished the song, the girl threw her arms around his neck. A quick cut and Zack was walking into the audition room.
“Well, hello, hunky young thing.” Kelly Morgan whispered the words to Chandra Olson but the camera caught every syllable.
Cullen Caldwell heard the exchange and chuckled. “Try to control yourself,” he whispered to her.
Kelly gave him a light punch in the arm. “I am trying.”
“Really?” Cullen laughed again. “What I put up with.”
Down the sofa from Reese, Duke broke the awkward tension in the room. “Wow.” He looked at Reese and then at the others. “People are crazy.”
“Definitely.” Zack’s dad cleared his throat. He leaned his forearms on his knees and studied the screen. “I didn’t expect this.”
“Inappropriate.” That was all Grandpa Dan said.
Reese stayed quiet. She felt a strange pit in the center of her stomach. Not once as she looked forward to the season opener had she imagined this. Zack was this season’s heartthrob? And even Kelly Morgan seemed to be falling for him? Reese clenched her fingers and kept watching.
Chandra Olson looked stunning, the picture of professionalism. She was the one who took control of the moment. She asked Zack’s name and then Kelly asked where he was from.
Cullen elbowed Kelly. “Nowhere near New York.” He patted her shoulder. “Settle down and give the bloke a listen.”
“Why can’t they let him sing?” Grandpa Dan rarely sounded angry, but this was one of those moments.
Again Chandra stopped the insanity. She asked Zack to talk about himself. He mentioned that he was a worship leader at church and he told the story of the horse farm. The Kentucky Derby winner came to light and the judges all seemed impressed. Reese sensed a collective sigh of relief in the Dylan’s living room.
Cullen mentioned that Zack looked a little like a young Elvis Presley and Kelly couldn’t seem to resist adding that Zack was even better-looking. Finally Zack was able to sing. Reese knew the song. He had practiced it for her the week before he drove to Atlanta. Tyrone Wells’s “Dream Like New York” came off better than Zack had ever sung it.
All three judges clapped for him and Kelly Morgan was on her feet. “Did you hear that boy?” She danced around and pointed at the camera. “Listen up, America! You just met Zack Dylan! You can say you saw him here first!”
Reese struggled to stay in her seat. Something inside her wanted to run, wanted to chase down yesterday and find herself back on the front porch of her house before sunrise the morning he left for Atlanta. Before he belonged to
Zack made it through to New York, as they knew he would. His mom and sister clapped when the judges announced their decision. Kelly jumped up from the judges’ table and ran around to the other side to hug Zack before he left. She said something about being the first to get a hug from Zack Dylan. All of it began to blur in Reese’s mind. She’d never pictured the guy she loved being elevated to heartthrob status right before her eyes.
After the hug, Zack left the room and the judges commented once more about how handsome he was, how well he could sing. How he was going to take America by storm and how music needed a face like Zack’s. A quick camera cut showed Zack rushing through the doors to the lobby where Kip Barker waited. Zack clutched the red ticket to New York, both hands raised over his head as he whooped and hollered.
Then before Kip could speak, Zack dropped to the floor in the Tebow pose—one knee to the floor, elbow anchored on the other, head in his hands.
Reese felt sick to her stomach. What was happening? Zack would never do this.
“I’m confused.” Dara stood and paced a few steps toward the TV. “Why’s he doing that?”
“No idea.” Zack’s dad looked concerned, his eyes on the images playing out on the screen.
“This is ridiculous. Completely staged.” Grandpa Dan waved his hand at the television in disgust.
AJ and Duke squirmed on the sofa. “That isn’t Zack,” Duke whispered.
Reese said nothing, waiting, watching as Kip joked about Zack being the first contestant to Tebow. Zack popped up and grinned, and the music changed to Taylor Swift’s song “Love Story.” At the same time the shot cut to Zack entering the room of contestants and holding up his red ticket. Everyone shouted and screamed and ran toward him. “And so the heartthrob who looks like Elvis and sings like a dream is through,” Kip’s voice-over confirmed. “Of course . . . some people were more excited than others.”
While Taylor Swift sang on, the shot switched one more time. This time Zack was in the hallway as the blond cheerleader spotted him and his red ticket. Her face lit up and they slowed the footage as she ran to Zack and threw her arms around his neck. “Who knows?” Kip’s voice continued. “We might have our own
The show cut to a commercial, and Zack’s father muted the sound. His sigh filled the room. “Reese . . . I’m sorry. None of us knew what was coming.”
“It’s okay.” She smiled even as tears gathered in her eyes. “He probably didn’t know they were going to play it like that.” She was trying, but her voice sounded shaky. She wanted to run in the worst way. “It’s all for the ratings. That’s what Zack told me.”
Everyone was quiet except AJ. “He had to know about the Tebow thing.” She looked at Reese. “Did he tell you?”
Her question was valid. He would’ve known about that and about singing to the cheerleaders in line and about Kelly Morgan hugging him. Certainly he would’ve known that they’d show the hug between him and the blonde. So why hadn’t he said anything? Why hadn’t he warned her?
