Brewster's Brood - Part 26

Part Twenty-Six

Danny Garney – 3/9/2017 – Friday – 5:48 pm

He’d had to be keeping tabs on these kinds of events for weeks when they were doing early research and study on Max, but it was truly a security nightmare, and they never seemed to get any better. In fact, with this one, basically people could approach from any direction. Sure, there was a gate that people were supposed to walk in through, but the trucks were in a parking lot next to a sidewalk, which meant people could come in from nearly any direction. Thank Christ one of the four sides was bounded by the Bay itself, so unless there were baby-crazed women attacking from speedboats, Danny had one direction he didn’t have to pay too much attention to.

He felt a little bit better now that he wasn’t alone on the gig, though, with Abby keeping tabs on his six for him. “How you feelin’, Abs?” he said, the little earpiece mic picking up his voice through bone conduction. “Got a handle on all the girls in play yet?”

“If you’re asking me if I can run down the bios of all fifty women you handed me dossiers to earlier today, Danny, no I can’t,” Abby replied over the comms with a laugh. She was currently hanging out over by a truck that made smoothies called Slurp Me Down. “But I think I can spot just about all of their faces, and hopefully I can learn the other fifty as we go.”

“Fifty-one.”

“Fifty-one?”

“Adette? The one you were hired to come steal from us? She wasn’t originally part of the one hundred, but got added last minute. So she’s number one hundred and one,” Danny said. “They’re throwing her into the last group so that one’ll have eleven and not ten.”

“Sure sure,” Abby chuckled. “When you’re throwing this much pussy at a guy, what’s one more, really?”

“It’s still one more, and it’s a person we didn’t get as much of a chance to do background on as we’d like,” Danny grumbled. “But with as many moving pieces as this mess has, we aren’t going to get a chance to prep for much in advance. It’s mostly just being constantly on the fly, figuring out what’s coming next and how we manage it.”

“But isn’t it much more fun this way, Danny?” Abby teased. “It’s like the good old days, when we had to be wary about the enemy coming at us from all angles, when we had to be on guard for anything and everything.”

“I somehow don’t think any of these ladies are going to come surging in on a beat-up old Toyota pick-up truck with a .50 cal mounted in the back,” he countered. “I mean, if they are, more power to’em. We’ll have to put them down, of course, to protect the principal, but fair play on them for trying something different and unexpected.”

“I’m not gonna get to shoot anybody on this gig, am I Danny?” Abby sighed as she moved from her position to sit down at one of the benches near a tiny stage where a hipster-looking guy with a banjo was playing old 1930s propaganda songs that sounded woefully out of date.

“Not if I can help it, Abs,” Danny said, moving around towards the back of Max’s truck, seeing someone trying to examine the unmanaged side of the truck. “Not if I can help it.” His voice dropped down to a low whisper. “Investigating possible threat. Standby.”

“Standing by,” Abby replied, her voice suddenly dropping all pretense of amusement and shifting into a professional tone. “Do I need to rotate to assist?”

“Negative, hold position,” Danny whispered. He could see someone mulling around, but couldn’t quite make out what they were up to. But as he closed in, he relaxed a little, seeing it was some scrawny dude trying to read a copy of the menu that had been taped to the back side of the truck. “Hey man,” Danny said to him. “There’s a much bigger menu on the other side of the truck.”

“I just wanted to be able to read it without having to wait in that long ass line.” The dude was about as far from a threat as possible, something that made Danny laugh a little bit. The guy wasn’t a threat to Max. The guy was barely a threat to a grilled cheese sandwich. Danny might still consider putting his money on the sandwich.

“So just walk up front, take a picture with your cellphone, then walk away and look at it at your leisure,” Danny chuckled. “Hell, they change their menu so much, I’m not even sure how recent that menu is.”

“It’s like a month out of date,” Max said, his head poking out of the back of the van. “You’re not gonna find like half of the stuff on that menu on sale today, little dude. Best to just look out front.”

“Awww man…” the waifish hipster whined. “Okay, I’m goin’.” The dude walked around the side of the van while Max and Danny made eye contact.

“What brings you around here, Danny?” Max asked him.

Danny hoped like hell that he and Max’s night out at beers had bought him some good will, so Danny just launched into what seemed like the obvious cover story. “Wanted to get another one of those Cuban cheesesteaks from you before they went off the menu,” Danny laughed. “Was hoping to get someone else to order it for me to save me the embarrassment of admitting just how fucking great that sandwich is. Seriously, man, what are you treating that pastrami with? Cocaine?”

Max grinned, and Danny was certain that the older man had completely bought into the story. “Don’t you know that cooks love hearing how great their cooking is? It’s the garlic and spices I use that gives it that little extra kick. That and a specific kind of pickle. I shouldn’t do this, but come around front and I’ll spot you one on the house.”

“You don’t have to do that, Max,” Danny insisted.

“Nah, don’t be silly, man,” Max said just as he disappeared back into the truck, calling out one final thing. “We’re friends! That’s what friends are for!”

Danny hoped that Max wouldn’t be too angry at him when all was said and done. He liked Max and didn’t like constantly having to mislead the guy, but that was the job, and the job was All. Once the gig was over, he’d make a point to sit down and have a long dinner with Max, where Danny could explain himself and his actions.

As he stepped around to the open side of the food truck, he noticed the people in attendance were starting to veer a bit more towards what he’d expected it to be tonight. In addition to the usual assortment of Bay Area hipsters, douchebags and techbros, there were a number of women showing up to pay personal patronage to Max’s truck. He spotted at least three from Echo Group, and he thought there were others from earlier groups as well, although some of them seemed to be trying to disguise their appearance with sunglasses or hoodies. Considering how busy the truck was, and how Frankie was churning through orders, Danny wouldn’t have been surprised to find that Max had barely even glanced at the line, much less had any idea who was in it.

“Special order up!” Max’s voice came from the pick-up window. Danny stepped up to the window and Max held out a plastic bag for him, which Danny offered a respectful bow of thanks to before taking, walking only a handful of steps over to one of the various sets of tables and chairs that had been set up for the patrons of the food trucks to use.

Opening the bag, Danny found that not only had Max given him a Cuban cheesesteak with extra pickles, he’d also thrown in a box of chili cheese fries and a fork, with fresh diced onions on top. “God help the person who fucks you, Max,” Danny said, about to dig into his food. “Because whoever fucks with you also fucks with me.”

“He gave you free food?” Abby asked incredulously on the comms.

“Mmhmmm,” Danny said as he took a glorious bite of the cheesesteak, the sharp contrast of the pickles and mustard with the pork, ham and bacon all rolling up into a miraculous punch of flavor. “If you’re nice to me, maybe I’ll save you some of these chili cheese fries.”

“You don’t, and I’m abandoning post to go get some of his food myself.”

Frankie Yen  – 3/9/2017 – Friday – 7:19 pm

This whole game that Max had unwittingly gotten himself into was certainly more than a bit intense, Frankie thought to himself, looking at the cavalcade of beautiful women who were milling around the food truck. It hadn’t even been a week yet, and already Max had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions, from moments of depression where he felt overwhelmed by physical affection to euphoria resulting from so many women of such great beauty taking an interest in him.

When Mrs. Churchill had approached him about all of this, the thing Frankie had stressed the most was that keeping Max from questioning all the attention was going to be the hardest thing. They’d been friends a long time, and whenever were paying attention to Max and not his cooking, Max tended to get a little tongue tied. But Mrs. Churchill had insisted that he wouldn’t have to think about that. What she had insisted he think about was answering messages from 100 women about how to approach Max, what he liked, what he didn’t and how to get his attention when there were dozens of other women screaming for him to pay attention to them.

Frankie certainly hadn’t expected the women to throw him some attention, but as it turned out, wherever Max went, there were riches to spill over. Frankie had gotten more than a couple of blowjobs since the whole adventure had started, and while he hadn’t been allowed to fuck anybody, a couple of girls had suggested that if he could find some way to put them specifically into Max’s orbit, maybe he could do them in the ass or something.

The rules of the game had been very carefully explained to Frankie, and so he understood why everything felt so odd and off kilter, women offering anal in lieu of sex, because their pussies were reserved for Max and Max alone. Getting pregnant was the goal of the game, and so it was Frankie’s job to keep Max interested in fucking as many different women as he could. And he was going to keep on doing that job as long as it took.

“Looks like a good crowd of ladies tonight, Max,” Frankie said to him. “I know with the club you’re already so damn busy, but I think a few of these ladies are single and ready to mingle.”

“Jesus, Frankie, let me cook, alright? At least when I’m cooking, I’m focused. After we close up, okay? Not a single second before.”

‘So noted,’ Frankie thought to himself.

MRS. CHURCHILL'S NOTES (Cast of Characters):

The Mark (& Company)

• Max Brewster – The Mark – 42, Caucasian, doughy, with mostly black (although with some gray) hair pulled back into a ponytail, sleeved with tats, tanned skin, brown eyes (near sighted), owner of the Constant Rotation food truck, and long lost grandson and only living relative of the late billionaire Max Brand. Seems like a nice enough guy, but a bit shy and a touch socially awkward. The more women I can get him to knock up, the more me and my team get paid. He had a restaurant go up in a fire and through a loophole, didn't get any recompense from either the building owner or the insurance company, and started the food truck as a way to get a fresh start.

• Monty Brand (deceased) – The Bank – Died at 102 about three months ago. Established the Brand game before his death, whereas his only living relative (Max), gets his inheritance after he's spread their genetic lineage to at least 10 women, although he can't know about the game until after it's over. I feel a little sorry for Max, but he's going to be having so much casual sex that I can't muster up too much sympathy for him. Monty wanted to make sure that both Max sowed his wild oats and also punished him for waiting so long to do so. Monty was a tough old bastard, but he's leaving Max over a hundred billion dollars, so I guess he's entitled to be.

• Frankie Yen – The Inside Man – 38, Asian American, Max's best friend, and his coworker at the Constant Rotation truck. Frankie also owns the house where Max lives in an apartment above the garage. Frankie's been a wonderful resource for us to use, and is in on the game, although he's also a little bit flaky, and doesn't always have the information we want. Doing our homework on the people Max had dated was exceptionally difficult, and I still feel like we're missing some key details that will make the whole puzzle make sense.

• Carlos & Joey Hernandez – The B-Team – The two Hispanic brothers who man the Constant Rotation food truck on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so that Max and Frankie get two days off but the truck is still earning. We're going to have to find some way to convince Max to let these two take more shifts on the truck so that we get more time with him, but Jacinda's got a few thoughts on that, and some of the girls in the game have already coopted one day of the truck's schedule, so maybe it won't be as big a problem as anticipated.

Mrs. Churchill's Team

• Mrs. Helen Churchill – The HBIC (Head Bitch In Charge) – Me. 59, short cut white hair, no nonsense business-like attitude. I've been told I resemble Dame Judi Dench, which I take as a compliment. I'm the woman in charge of the Max Brewster Project, contracted by Monty Brand.

• Jacinda Acosta – The Heir To My Throne– My right hand woman. 29, from Madrid. Black hair, brown eyes, brown skin, could stand to eat a sandwich. Only has about seven months with the team. Stresses out easily.

• Maia Brown – PR – 44, former Kentucky television station manager, in charge of social smokescreens and making sure we don't draw any attention to our operations.

• Lynne Jefferson – Tech – 28, heavy set, African American. Our technical manager, who handles all our cameras and internet connectivity. The newest member to the team, brought on about six months before the start of this project.

• Carmen Vasquez – Graveyard Shift – 37, our late night set of eyes, the one I trust to watch the camera feed when the rest of us are getting our good night's worth of sleep in.

• Doctor (Rachel) Williamson – 44, our staff doctor whose entire job it is to keep an eye on Max's health, to make sure he's not being overtaxed or exhausted beyond his capabilities.

• Danny Garney – The Muscle – 34, ex-Delta Force, chiseled and ridiculously good looking, head of security and Max's personal bodyguard, even if Max doesn't know about it. If there's anyone I'm going to lean on if shit gets out of hand, it's Danny, who's been part of my operations for about three years now, after an injury cut his military career short.

• Liane Jing – Muscle Adjacent – Danny's girlfriend, 26, 6'6” Asian American, gorgeous and playful, knows what Danny's up to, but doesn't mind being used as cover considering it gives her a front row seat to the madness. Liane's been with Danny long enough that I have her under NDA, and if he does the right thing and puts a ring on it, I may even consider bringing her into the team, since she seems to have good instincts at crisis management.

• Heather Bickers – Midnight Muscle – 31, ex-Army Ranger. Danny can't be awake all the time, so Heather's doing nightwatch duty for him, as she has on and off for gags we've been running. Heather's smart, capable and an excellent person to serve as Danny's second.

Alfa Group

• Zoe Hitchens – The Planner – 36, business analyst, light blonde, Nordic, 5'7”, glasses, blue eyes, expensive tastes, the smartest in A group, wants to organize for success, from DC. So far, Zoe's been instrumental in making the group time spent with Max feel natural and organic. I don't think she's after Max for the long haul, but she's definitely invested in making sure the game is a huge success. Might even be a candidate for my team at a later date, post kid or if she doesn't get knocked up. Attempts: 1, Success: Unknown.

• Dana Weismann – The Socialite – 32, heiress/investor, brunette, 5'9”, had nose job/boob job, brown eyes, doesn't care about the money only wants good DNA for her kid. Is presenting herself as the owner of the Berkeley chapter of the Ironwood Estates sex club, something the girls made up to try and sell Max on the story. She's whip smart and seems to enjoy the challenge the game presents. Definitely not wifey candidate. Attempts: 0.

• Michelle Stenson – The Joker – 24, pharmaceutical rep, 5'4”, dark blonde, ex college cheerleader, the ultra flirt, mostly just here to get in, have a good time, get knocked up and get out, from Texas. Seems to enjoying the girls' company more than Max's, but definitely wants to get her cut. No chance of going for wifey. Attempts:1, Success: Unknown.

• Rachel Munroe – The Intellectual – 27, redhead, psychiatrist, 5'2”, wants to keep everyone on the rails, protective of the girls' feelings. Haven't decided if she's going to try and go wifey or not, but is another smart put early in the game, as she's helping sell the story well. Attempts: 0.

• Kelly Coleman – The Damaged Student Athlete – 21, brunette, native Californian, 5'7”, 120, in phenomenal shape except walks with a slight limp, was a rising up and coming tennis star until an accident injured her too much to ever play again, has a chip on her shoulder and something to prove. Definitely not wifey material, but will be a good touchstone for the younger girls in the game. Took one in the mouth and one in the ass to sell the story, so definitely willing to play the game as needed. Has potential to run long in the game. Attempts: 1, Success: Unknown.

• Mai Liang – The Banker – 30, investment banker, 5'6”, slender, 2nd gen Chinese American, tired of feeling like a walk on in someone else's story, does NOT intend to keep Max around. She's got a bit of a chip on her shoulder, but I think she's going to be another get in, get knocked up, get out candidate, and won't care about upping the pool after she's gone. Attempts: 1, Success: Unknown.

• Jenny Westinghouse – The Undercover Cop – 33, strawberry blonde, 5'10”, Oakland detective, keeps strange hours which makes it hard to have a relationship, on 3 months administrative leave following difficult UC assignment, dependable & accomplished liar. I knew Jenny was going to be a key player in our game, but she's taken to it like a fish to water. Might be wifey candidate. Certainly seems like she wants to go for the long game. One to watch closely. Her and Zoe are my current odds on favorites, although it's early. Attempts: 3, Success: Unknown.

• Cara Bianchi – The Tourist – 25, brunette, 5'11”, business owner, visiting from Rome, wants a non-Italian father, in need of money, doesn't want to ever talk to Max. I was pretty impressed with how Dana and Esme handled Cara's incredibly specific demands, and I'm hoping it took so we can just get her out of here, as she's a massive pain the ass. Attempts: 1, Success: Unknown.

• Blake Brown – The Party Girl – 19, 6'2”, blonde, Berkeley student, sees this as an opportunity to have a kid early in life, have the day care and her tuition paid for, studying to get into IP law. She's nowhere near mature enough to stick with Max long term, but she'll be a fun dalliance for him to dip his dick into, assuming she doesn't put him off with her flippant attitude or her incessant textspeak. Attempts: 1, Success: Unknown.

• Esme Santiago – The Team Player – 24, 5'4”, Latina, up from Texas, wants to have a child but dislikes everyone in her small town, intends to go back home after the competition and help her parents run the family business. Doesn't seem like wifey potential, but is working well with Dana to sell the Ironwood Estates story, acting as “manager” of the club. Attempts: 1, Success: Unknown.

Bravo Group

• Zelda Fujikawa – Doctor Wifey – 34, 2nd gen Japanese immigrant, oncologist on sabbatical from a Miami hospital, wants to stay with Max past the game. Extremely pragmatic and determined. Could be a contender. Attempts: 0.

• Anya Petrov – The Eye Candy – 25, Russian model, blonde, fit, definitely in it just for the money, literal zero chance of being wifey material. Am a little worried about her being too passive for the game, but I suspect we'll see the competitor come out in her after a few weeks of Max's head not being turned. Attempts: 1, Success: Unknown.

• LaTonya Jefferson – The Investor – 27, African American, restaurateur from Chicago, not looking to stick around but wants to amp the game to get as many girls pregnant as possible. I like how this girl thinks, in that she's in it to make sure the prize pool gets as big as possible, and doesn't give a fuck about anyone's feelings along the way. Attempts: 0.

• Diane Wilson – The Deadender – 26, brunette, diner owner from small Kentucky town, needs the money, wants the kid. She seems nice enough, too passive to be wifey material, but is definitely going to make sure she gets her oven filled with a bun, as she's up to her eyeballs in debt, and the money to take care of the kid stretches a whole lot further in the Rust Belt than it does in the Bay. Could get cutthroat if the rest of the girls don't give her her shot. Attempts: 0.

• Janet Flowers – The Unrealistic Clockwatcher – 33, nurse from Oklahoma, convinced her clock is ticking despite the fact that she's still got the better part of a decade. Strikes me as overly excitable, and not wifey material, but is definitely not going to throw away her shot. Attempts: 0.

• Olivia Castle – The Realistic Clockwatcher – 41, TV exec from LA, knows her time is running out and that a viable pregnancy is going to be difficult for her if she waits too much longer. Can't tell if she wants to be wifey contender or not, but she's in TV, and that means she will cut a bitch for getting in her way. Attempts: 0.

• Song Min-a – The Foreign Starlet – 25, actress from South Korea, wants a baby completely removed from the press of her home country. Nobody knows who she is here, but she's a massive star in her home country. She had to duck the press leaving, but the longer she's in the game, the more attention her presence might bring. We're hoping to keep her presence in the Bay quiet, but it's not something that we can completely control. Doesn't want to be wifey, so won't be, but wants the father of her child to be a non-issue. Attempts: 1, Success: Unknown.

• Lisseth Rodriguez – The Fugitive – 23, Latina from Arizona, wants a father for her child that her bad ex can't track down. I feel for Lisseth, I really do, and I decided if she gets pregnant, we're going to give her a “signing bonus” to help her relocate after the game, to get away from a particularly vindictive ex-husband. We'll get her settled somewhere in the Northeast with a new name and a new life, away from that asshole. Attempts: 1, Success: Unknown.

• Yael Getschmann – The Bohemian – 31, Jewish, artist/sculptor, split between just wanting the kid and wanting to go for the brass ring. Could be wifey material, but also may not be motivated enough for our boy, who seems a bit of a hustler when it comes to work life, whereas Yael's pretty much had everything handed to her on a silver platter. One to watch. Attempts: 0.

• Charity Morrison – The Kind Soul – 38, blonde, professional caregiver, just doesn't have time to date but wants a kid. I don't know that I've ever met a more aptly named woman. Charity wants a kid, but hasn't got a great social support system for dating, and her work makes meeting new people a giant challenge. No chance at wifey status, but one of the ones I'm personally rooting for to get her fill. Attempts: 0.

Charlie Group

• Marta Youngquist – The Nutritionist– 33, personal trainer, yogi, cook and dietitian. Blonde, slender, pretty in a kind of naturist way. She's been offering advice on what kinds of food to give to Max to keep his sexual appetite and energy up, as well as to increase his virility, although I don't know how much of that is actual science and how much of it is pseudo mumbo jumbo. No way in hell she makes wifey. Attempts: 0.

• Brooklynn Travers – The Fallen Older Sister – 36, actress, heiress to nothing, from a somewhat shattered family. Redhead, sporty, talented, a little conniving maybe. She and her sister were the heirs to the Travers fortune. You know, the one that disappeared just a few years ago, when the patriarch died and it was revealed that the family “fortune” was purely paper fiction. She and her sister are earning decent money acting, but they're used to living large, and I suspect the game is just as much about the money as it is the kid. Attempts: 1, Success: Unknown.

• Guinevere “Gwen” Travers – The Fallen Younger Sister – 33, actress, also an heiress to nothing. Brunette, thin, very pale. If Brooklynn is the populist actress, Gwen's the arthouse rebel. She's also had a long list of disastrous relationships. The two sisters are both interested in having kids out of the spotlight, and so they're doing this for themselves, although I think both have aspirations of turning wifey. Their chances? Not entirely sure. Attempts: 1, Success: Unknown.

• Keisha Jefferson – The Attorney – 37, lawyer from NYC. African-American, highly accomplished. If there's anyone who read every single line of our NDA, it was Keisha, who's here just to get herself a child without the hassle of having a father who wants to be involved in the child's life. She's going to get in, then get out, but she's also going to make sure the game does well and her paycheck is solid. Attempts: 0.

• Erika Lu – The Songwriter – 31, professional songwriter from LA. Asian-American, ex-choir girl, ex-cheerleader, cheery and positive as all hell. Erika's been working with lots of very well known performers, and has probably co-written a number of songs you know and love. She's hard to get a read on, so maybe she's going for wifey, maybe not. Attempts: 1. Success: Unknown.

• Felicita Rodriguez – The Architect – 35, one of the architects from Rodriguez & Sons construction company from Mexico City. Latina, should've been a model. She's got a bit of a chip on her shoulder that her father didn't rename the company to include her when she joined the company. Just wants the anonymity and the money. Not going for the brass ring, I think. Attempts: 0.

• Nina Hanson – The Stylist – 24, a beautician and hair stylist from Cleveland. Blonde, BBW, charming and personable. Needs the money, wants the kid. Feels mostly like a seatfiller, but might surprise us, considering she's remarkably easy to talk to. Attempts: 0.

• Angel MacDonald – The Hard Sell – 27, looks much younger. Blonde, slender, dresses to play into her extremely youthful appearance. I think Angel's going to have the hardest time with Max because she just doesn't appear old enough, so she's going to have to very much play into the “no one takes me seriously” angle, rather than the “I'm a cute little Lolita” shtick she's been using with boys her entire life. Attempts: 0.

• Danielle Fox – The InstaPersonality – 24, brunette from Dublin. She's a fashion Instagrammer TikTok model, and we had a personal talk with her about how much shit she'd be in for blogging or getting anyof this on social media. She's gorgeous and savvy, and is used to looking pretty, but her boyfriend is impotent, and they want a child, so he's given her permission to do this crazy thing while he's uploading prerecorded stuff for the three months while she's away. Attempts: 0.

• Hana Tanaka – The Shut-In – 28, from Nikko, Japan, two hours north of Tokyo up the mountains. Hana is painfully shy, so I'm hoping she's going to pair up with someone else who can get her into Max's bed. She wants a child, but doesn't want to have to find a husband to do it. Attempts: 0.

Delta Group

• Sunshine White – The Hippie – 29, “maker” and metalsmith. You know, I've heard about people like Sunshine for years, how they would spend time at Burning Man in tutus and fairy costumes while welding steel onto the side of an old schoolbus, but I always believed that was sort of a myth, until I met Sunshine, who is so that person. Is local, but way too out there to be wifey material. Attempts: 1, Success: Unknown.

• Aisha Janson – The Comedian – 34, professional stand up comedian from Oakland. She's been a writer and a stand up for the better part of twenty years, and while she's made a great career out of it, she's had some bad run ins with male comics that soured her on long term relationships. She knows not to make material out of this. Attempts: 0.

• Kayla Denver – The World Traveler – 28, a travel writer/blogger who graduated from college and went on a world tour that she's never really come down from. Is best known for her article on how to travel nonstop on frequent flyer miles for basically nothing. Seems like she's mostly in it for the experience. Attempts: 0.

• Tisha Brady – The War Photographer – 33, a photojournalist from Jordan who has spent the last decade in every war zone she can find, which has already won her a Pulitzer. She's a little embittered by life, so she's hoping bringing a life into the world will shock her out of her ennui. Will be a little heavy for Max, but will be a good contrast. Attempts: 0.

• Aiko Cabrera – The Small Town Peruvian– 26, works at a roadside motel in Huaraz, Peru as both desk clerk and maid. She's never been out of Peru before now, although her English is excellent. She's mostly here to see the world, and get outside of her little comfort zone. She's not in it for the long haul, but definitely wants a kid. Attempts: 0.

• Delphine Trudeau – The Fashionista – 25, an up and coming fashion designer from Paris, she's so heavily immersed in the fashion world that she doesn't see many other ways to meet a man outside of that world. I'm mostly intrigued to see how high fashion runs into... Max. But she's French, so I'm sure she'll make it work. Attempts: 0.

• Daisy May Price – The Deep Fried Southerner – 22, works on her parents' farm in rural Georgia, and wants to have a child but knows her parents would never approve without meeting the man, and they have hated all her boyfriends. Daisy May is loud and boisterous and is going to bring volume to the competition. Let's see if Max knows what hit him. Attempts: 0.

• Eliza Sims – The War Widow – 25, still trying to recover from the loss of her husband, Nick, who was KIA in Afghanistan last year. Her whole world fell apart, and she's still sort of grasping at straws, but feels like being a mother will be the first step on her road to recovery. Attempts: 0.

• Rose Whitcombe – The Athlete's Daughter – 20, from England, daughter of professional soccer legend Max Whitcombe. Rose has been trying to find a place for herself, competing in international dressage competitions, but right now, she's mostly just eager to do something to rile her father up. Something of a firecracker. Attempts: 0.

• Ali O'Halloran – The Mountie – 29, from far northern Canada, Ali's been working for Canadian law enforcement since she was old enough to be admitted, but the job hasn't left her room for starting a family. Very friendly and approachable, and hopefully won't get shoved out of space for Max's attention. Attempts: 1.

Echo Group

· Annabeth Winslow – The Nuclear Physicist/Comedian – 33, Annabeth got her doctorate in nuclear physics, but after a couple of years in research, she gave it up to become a stand-up comedian. She’s witty and observant, but at this point, her money’s running tight. Attempts: 0.

· Svetlana Miersk – The Gangster – 28, the daughter of now-dead Russian crime boss Oli Miersk, Svetlana has taken over the family business. Despite being told repeatedly that if she’s arrested the payments would stop and that having a child would be a liability in her line of work, she’s adamant that she wants to take part in the game. So I figure, either way, Max makes out for the best. Attempts: 0.

· Deepika Bashir – The Researcher – 36, Deepika immigrated from India at the age of 16 and has been struggling to find her place to fit in since she arrived in the States. She’s a researcher focusing on human behavior, and specializes in both the flaws and working aspects of neurolinguistic programming, namely how words can get the brain to take certain pathways on its own. She’s whipsmart, although she can be a bit shy at first, so we’ll see how she mingles with the crowd of players. Attempts: 0.

· Bianca Browne – The Mogul’s Daughter – 22, Bianca’s father is Blake Browne, who owns the Browne Bread Brewery, one of the most popular upstart beer companies of the last fifty years. She’s been living in a very insulated world, and is using all of this to get herself a degree of freedom from dear old dad. She’s drop-dead stunning, but isn’t used to having to work for anything, so I expect her to have some learning to do before she gets her head deep into the running for the game. Attempts: 0.

· Tanya Blue – The Retired Porn Star – 38. You would think a former porn star would have no trouble finding somebody to knock her up, but if you believe Tanya, most of the men in the industry are either complete assholes or had vasectomies before they even shot their first scene. Tanya retired about four years ago, and has since gone on to become a writer and a C-list actress, but she wants a kid and she wants it with somebody nobody knows. Attempts: 0.

· Madison Belledin – The Touring Musician – 31, I think Madison has spent most of her life in motion and without a home. Her parents were musicians who drifted from band to band, from tour to tour, and so Madison’s never really stayed in one place for long, or had much of a home. When she was old enough, she followed in their footsteps and began playing whatever was needed for whatever band was hiring. Doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for love. Attempts: 0.

· Evelyn Staples – The Mortician – 25, Evelyn doesn’t spend a lot of time around the living, so she’s not exactly the best at conversation, but she wants a baby and likes the idea of the kid being funded by someone who’s just going to keep his nose out of her business. Attempts: 0.

· Jaybird Nielsen – The Flight Attendant – 38, Jay travels about a million and a half miles every year and has done so for the last couple of decades as a flight attendant traveling internationally constantly. The pay is good and she enjoys being loads of places, but wants to take a couple of years off to have a child. That’s why she’s here. Unlikely to stick around, but her interpersonal skills make her an easy check in the win column. Attempts: 0.

· Gail Hopeless – The Farmer – 24, Gail’s from the middle of nowhere, somewhere in central Australia, and is completely away from her home and comfort zone, but wants to have an adventure while she’s still young, and all this is meant to be that. Attempts: 0.

· Jordan Tanbar – The ‘Influencer’ – 19, It’s funny how utterly confident this girl is despite not having any real basis for her confidence. She claims to be an ‘influencer,’ but she hasn’t got a lot of followers and doesn’t really influence anything. But I think she’s hoping that having a child will help her break into finding an audience. I have my doubts she’s going to be able to lure Max in, but she’s got such faith in herself that it’s going to be fun to watch if nothing else. Attempts: 0.

Foxtrot Group

Golf Group

• Shu Yeoh – The Legacy – Daughter of Gemma Yeoh, one of the Oversight Trio.

Hotel Group

India Group

• Grace Grimaldi – Sixth in line to the monarchy of Monaco.

Juliett Group

• Isabella – The Apocalypse – God help us when she arrives... Perhaps the most unpredictable and dangerous player in the game.

• Adette Schwartz – The Late Addition– Deiter's grand daughter, an entry to the game after it's already started, something I wouldn't normally do, but saying no to Dieter would make things a whole hell of a lot more complicated.. Dieter's not to be trusted so who the hell knows what this girl's real agenda is.

Other figures of note

• Christine DeSilva – The Reporter – God. Dammit.