Chapter 8: Preliminaries

"Okay, here are our lovely contestants" The host, Basil Fields announced.

"Let's go!" Mary Jo pushed Grace out.

"Okay, okay. Let me just get my boobs on straight." Grace grunted.

"Now!" Mary Jo shoved again.

"I'm going. I'm going" She muttered.

"And here are our lovely contestants" Basil said again.

The crowd laughed. Then the 75 or so girls walked on to stage, in dresses and sashes displaying their state or country.

The girls paraded around the stage twice, posed, then walked off.

"After the break, will be our swimsuit contest." Basil announced then followed the girls off stage.

Backstage the girls change into swimsuits. Eric walks over to her.

"Hey, Hart. You looked great out there."

"What are you doing back here?" Grace asked.

"To tell you what I just said." Eric grinned.

Grace saw New York wearing a 1 piece.

"Hey, why does New York get to wear a one piece and I have to wear this?" She said pointing to her bikini.

"You look damn sexy. So Hart, do you need help getting those boobs in?" Eric winked.

"Oh yeah." She said sarcastically.

Eric put his head over her shoulder.

"I was joking. Even though we are engaged I don't need help with my boobs, thank you very much."

"I guess you are right." He sighed. "Damn right I am. Now, get back to your seat before the woman who looks like she has a hernia gets back in here." She scolded.

"Okay" Eric smiled, kissing her. "See you after the prelims"

"Bye"

Eric walked off.

"So," Cheryl started, "that was..interesting. Even though he's you're fiancée but, inserting you're boobs? That was classic."

All the girls laughed.

"Girls! The commercial is almost over. Get ready and in lines." The woman yelled.

"She sounds more and more like Kathy Morningside." Grace muttered to Cheryl, Mary Jo and the other girls from the Miss USA Pageant.

"Wait! I think her name is.Jenny Tobin." Mary Jo said.

"Tobin, Tobin. That's the alias last name her son Frank used. Maybe her last name was Tobin." Grace thought out loud.

"Right!" Cheryl agreed.

"One second." Grace muttered whipping out her cell phone. She dialed Eric.

"Eric! It's me. I'm backstage. Run a CCI on Jenny Tobin. I think she is either related or is Kathy Morningside and get back to me. Okay?"

"Sure. See you later?"

"Of course. Bye" Grace hung up.

"So, what did she say?" Mary Jo asked in her southern drawl.

"He's going to run a check. We got connections."

The girls nodded, knowing she really isn't Gracie Lou Freebush, but Grace Hart of the FBI. But no one said it aloud.

"Ladies! You're cue is coming..now!" Jenny Tobin announced.

"And here are the ladies again for the swimsuit competition." Basil Fields announced.

When Grace went onto stage and modeled, people cheered loudly. Eric was the loudest.