Kathleen Long’s Synopsis

Get Bunny Love

BEATRICE “BUNNY” LOVE has a problem. When her apartment building turns condo, she’s forced to land a “real” job to secure financing – and fast. Accustomed to freelancing as a graphic designer, she has a propensity for creative distraction. From fuzzy bunny slippers to feng shui, she believes in surrounding herself with whatever it takes to increase positive energy flow.

NATE McNULTY craves order. When his Aunt Martha, owner of McNulty Events, announces she’s selling, he’ll do whatever it takes to save his father’s firm. Her first demand is to successfully produce the prestigious Worthington Cup, a regional kennel club show. One event coordinator short, Nate hires Bunny, and the fuzzy bunny slipper fur flies.

In Bunny’s eyes, McNulty Events is gray – from the color of its cubicles to the stripes on the boss’s suit. Having watched her parents live a control-oriented life, the last thing she wants is to work in a similar environment. She makes it her personal mission to improve the firm’s energy flow, and she’s starting at the top.

What she doesn’t anticipate is the change in her own energy field anytime Nate is within five feet, and she can’t help but notice the flashes of vitality in his gaze or the smoldering energy lurking just beneath his controlled surface. One word. Zing .

Nate wants nothing to do with Bunny’s ideas for creating positive energy, although he has a few ideas about what he’d like to do with Bunny herself. From her disheveled hair to her penchant for creating chaos, she’s an unstoppable force setting each of his nerve-endings to sizzle . It’s all he can do to maintain focus and control, but maintain, he will.

Raised to believe control is safe, Nate prides himself on living up to family expectations. His Aunt Martha gave up her dreams to raise him following his parents’ tragic deaths, teaching Nate to sacrifice creative and emotional fulfillment for security.

Complicating things further is Melanie Brittingham, Nate’s high society girlfriend with a fondness for all things proper, tidy and pink . Under pressure from his aunt to propose, an engagement makes perfect sense to Nate until Bunny Love enters the scene. Now, he finds himself torn between society expectations and the excitement he feels whenever Bunny is near.

Tempted as he is, Nate forces himself to focus on the big picture. He must save the firm. To do that, he’s got to please Aunt Martha. He vows to resist the physical pull he feels for Bunny, persevering through sheer McNulty willpower. He will make The Worthington Cup a success and resist the urge to kiss Bunny’s tempting lips. Somehow.

Martha McNulty believes two things led to the death of Nate’s father – his rebellion against the stresses of the firm and his unconventional, free-spirited wife. It would take a fool not to notice the chemistry between Bunny and Nate, and Martha is no fool. Fearing history is about to repeat itself, she realizes she must not only sell the firm, but keep Nate away
from Bunny Love.

As if Bunny wasn’t having enough trouble toeing Nate’s corporate line, her sugar-buzzed mother, Alexandra Love, arrives for an extended stay at Bunny’s apartment. Determined to find herself creatively, Alexandra channels her energies into reorganizing Bunny’s living space.

For Bunny, the rearranged furniture and the freshly painted walls scream stifled, having destroyed the positive energy she worked so hard to achieve. Her mother’s efforts remind Bunny she’s fought control her entire life. She’d be insane to let a suit like Nate McNulty get under her skin.

Meantime, Bunny’s creative chaos is spreading like wildfire through McNulty Events. Why is the furniture slowly being rearranged? And who painted the conference room wall maroon? When the chief financial officer dons a pair of fuzzy bunny slippers, Nate’s had just about enough.

Once Bunny shares her creativity tips with the staff at McNulty Events, she realizes the corporate world isn’t so bad after all. The most difficult thing about her job is denying the incredible attraction she feels for Nate McNulty. She’s met his girlfriend, and while their relationship appears rather vanilla, Bunny respects their involvement, promising herself she’ll resist her feelings.

Things grow even more interesting when Armand Miller, Nate’s rival, displays an interest in Bunny and offers to help her master The Worthington Cup ropes. What Bunny doesn’t realize is Armand has his own agenda. He’s feeding Bunny false information to sabotage the event.

At the request of Martha McNulty, Armand is working to discredit Bunny and ruin The Worthington Cup. If he succeeds, Martha’s goals will be realized. Nate will be forced to fire Bunny and sell the family firm. He’ll marry Melanie Brittingham, securing his future – and safety.

As Bunny and Nate work to finalize Cup details, the sizzling attraction threatens to burst into flame. Bunny can no longer deny the growing vitality sparking from Nate’s eyes nor the way it makes her feel. Nate can’t hide the passion Bunny has awakened deep in his soul. Following
a series of mishaps Bunny attributes to changing energy fields, the pair  find themselves in each other’s arms, sharing a heated kiss.

Later that night, after trying to reach Melanie to break things off, Nate goes to Bunny’s apartment, unable to deny his desire. Trusting her instincts, even though conflicted by Nate’s controlling ways, Bunny surrenders to her libido and heart. She and Nate make love.

Their loving truce comes to an abrupt end at the opening cocktail party for The Worthington Cup. Mayhem ensues when two poodles and a Saint Bernard scuffle, knocking over Bunny’s unconventional event decorations. The result? General bedlam, a small fire, and a decision for Nate.

Martha forces him to choose between his position and Bunny. Not knowing his aunt still intends to sell the firm, Nate reverts to form, though torn by emotions he’s never known. Letting control and decorum guide his decision, he fires Bunny.

Bunny flees the event devastated and brokenhearted. She’d believed Nate a changed man – having discovered life, love and emotion. His cold actions show her she was horribly mistaken. He’s no different than every other man in her past, unwilling to honor her need for creative expression. She’s lost everything – her job, the financing on her condo, and Nate.

The next morning, her mother announces she’s going home. Bunny’s father has embraced her mother’s new business idea and the two will work together to achieve her creative dreams. They show Bunny that even after thirty years of marriage, true love finds a way to compromise.

As she stares at her apartment’s eggshell walls and stifled energy flow, Bunny realizes she’s forced her creative energies onto Nate’s world, just as her mother forced control onto hers. The difference is that Nate rolled with each chaotic blow. Until the cocktail party fiasco, he’d tolerated every creative stunt Bunny pulled. With steely determination, Bunny realizes it’s her turn to prove she’s willing to change.

When she discovers Armand’s plan to sabotage the Cup, she springs into action to save the day. She may have lost everything, but she’ll be darned if she’s going to sit by and watch the event and firm destroyed. She appears at the media day interviews in true McNulty form, wearing a charcoal gray suit, smooth hair and controlled emotions. Imagine her surprise when she spots Nate conducting the press conference dressed in a giant Schnauzer costume.

Nate McNulty hasn’t fought for much in his life, but he’ll fight for Bunny Love. He and Melanie have agreed to part ways, and he’s told his Aunt he won’t toe her line anymore – whether it costs him the firm or not. He’s decided he’d rather die happy than live half-dead.

Determined to show the world how deeply Bunny has touched his life and heart, Nate rents a furry dog suit, appearing for media day in full costume. He’s ready to declare his love for Bunny, but isn’t prepared for someone setting a rabbit loose during his presentation.

The Toy Group canines break off their leads, followed closely by the Herding Group. A frenzied blur of fur, leashes and flashing media cameras fill the arena. Nate fears he’s blown his chances – to win back Bunny, to make The Worthington Cup a success, and to save the firm.

He’s shocked when a polished, smiling Bunny appears from the side of the stage to restore order. With one sharp whistle from her ruby red lips, dogs return to their owners, media attention returns to the podium, and Nate’s heart claws its way from his toes to his chest.

Offstage, they declare their love for each other. The Worthington Cup goes off without a hitch, media coverage is at an all time high, and planning requests flood McNulty Events.

Martha McNulty gives Nate full control of the firm, apologizing for her role in the media day mishap. She realizes it’s time to stop living her nephew’s life and start living her own.

Armand Miller admits to directing Bunny to order faulty dog leads and setting the rabbit loose. He slinks back to his shrinking client base, leaving Bunny and Nate to operate McNulty Events with creativity and flare. After all, what’s one maroon wall, when you can have twenty? For them, life is much more exciting with a little bit of chi and a whole lot of
BUNNY LOVE.