Adventure to Love

by Ramos, Bethany

  He’d probably want to know that a girl he was potentially falling in love with had been sleeping with her boss. Wouldn’t he?

  Six bottles of champagne later, and the women were feeling good. How much time had passed, anyway? They had covered a wide range of topics in their “get to know you” session.

  Harper found out that most of the women had aspirations of breaking into a career in Hollywood. Samantha wanted to become an actress. Amber wanted to direct indie movies. And Lindsay had her heart set on becoming a celebrity stylist like Rachel Zoe.

  As for the rest of the girls, they were actually here for love, if you could believe it. Brinkley was convinced that a man she hadn’t even met yet was perfect for her, and that they were “meant to be together.”

  Kylie wanted to find “the one” to settle down with. And Sarah S. was hoping for a second chance at love after a brutal and quite recent divorce that left her a single mother to her two young daughters. Boo-hoo.

  The only girl that she couldn’t get a good read on was Morgan. No matter what type of sneaky questions that she threw at her, Morgan wouldn’t give her a straight answer. She was able to find out that Morgan had lived in Boston all of her life and worked at some advertising agency. Morgan actually explained her job in depth, but she had a hard time following since it sounded so boo-ring.

  She tried to think of another clever question to throw at Morgan to find out what the girl was hiding. Like maybe asking her how many men she’d been with? That was too obvious. And Morgan wasn’t drunk enough for that yet.

  Or what about asking her why her last relationship ended? Then she could probably get a pretty revealing answer out of her. She could find out if Morgan was clingy, needy, a psycho, or all of the above.

  As she turned to Morgan, she saw a group of men approaching out of the corner of her eye. And they were holding cameras. This was it! The show was finally filming! She had been explicitly instructed not to look at or even acknowledge the cameras. She and all the women had signed lengthy contracts promising that they wouldn’t look at or speak to any of the producers, no matter how freaked out, angry, or agitated they became.

  She changed her tactic. She put her hand on Morgan’s arm and started laughing. Morgan looked back at her in surprise, probably because she was acting like a maniac and laughing for no reason at all. But who cared? Laughter always looked good on camera. A sexy woman laughing was like . . . Madonna or Beyoncé or some other ultra-confident sex symbol that men lusted after and women wanted to be.

  “What are you laughing at?” Morgan asked her point-blank.

  Damn. Didn’t this girl know how to improvise? Didn’t she see the five cameras that had circled their cabana? Apparently not.

  “Oh, sorry. I was just going to tell you this hilarious story!” She laughed again and made sure to show her good side to the cameras.

  Suddenly, the women grew quiet. And thank God for that because she didn’t really have a hilarious story up her sleeve. She was going to make one up on the spot.

  She turned to see what the women were looking at. Oh my God. It was him. Or at least it had to be. He was a walking cliché, but he was goddamn beautiful.

  The man was tall, dark, and strikingly handsome. As he got closer, she saw that his dark brown eyes matched his shaggy brown hair perfectly. His olive skin looked like it was glowing next to the white linen shirt and slim-cut dark blue jeans he was wearing. In a word: yum.

  For one split second, you could have heard a pin drop. And then the perfect silence was shattered by the shrieking, chattering, and giggling of twelve female voices.

  All of the women tried to not-so-gracefully elbow their way to the front of the group to be the first to meet the bachelor. Morgan was the smart one. She held out her hand and asked his name. Why didn’t she think of that?

  The bachelor grinned back at her with a mouthful of beautiful, white teeth. “It’s Ky. And you are?”

  “Morgan.” Morgan smiled back. She seemed to be off to a great start. Harper was going to have to make her way to the front of the group to get a little face time with Ky, stat. But she’d have to get past Kylie, Brinkley, both Sarahs, and Amber first.

  Those girls were like dogs with a bone. They all had gorgeous smiles plastered across their beautiful faces, but they meant business. And as for the women who were hanging back, what was their story? Kymm sat nervously on one of the cushioned cabana benches, picking at her nails and probably waiting for Ky to come to her.

  Well, if she was playing hard to get, she was going to have to play really, really hard. There was no way in hell Ky was going to notice a wallflower sitting in the background. Not when he had eleven other aggressive ladies to choose from.

  And Lindsay appeared to be totally oblivious. She was topping off her glass of champagne and filling up her plate with crudités instead of standing in line to meet Ky for the first time. What was this girl’s game? Either she didn’t give a shit about the bachelor, or she was going for a mysterious, I-don’t-care-vibe, which wasn’t likely to get her anywhere. Amateurs.

  Finally, it was her turn to meet the beautiful bachelor. She turned on the charm 100%. She dropped her voice an octave lower so that it sounded low, throaty, and husky. Her sex voice, as she liked to call it. She rasped, “Hi, Ky, I’m Harper.”

  Although she held out her hand as a greeting, she stood a few steps back so that Ky had to step closer to her to shake her hand. It was that kind of subtle flirtation warfare that made it easy for her to get any guy she wanted. It was all about the subliminal. If a guy unconsciously had to step closer to you, he felt like he was chasing you, without you having to play hard to get.

  Ky beamed back at her. “It’s wonderful to meet you. Where are you fr-”

  But before he could finish the question, a slim, toned arm snaked through his and flipped him one hundred and eighty degrees in the opposite direction. Damn that Amber. No one liked a cockblocker this early in the game.

  Amber pulled Ky toward her spot in the cabana and handed him a full glass of champagne. She giggled as she whispered in his ear, “I thought you might be thirsty. Isn’t this whole scene just over the top? Why don’t you sit down a moment and take a break. There’s lots of food and champagne. And I could rub your back.”

  Um, that was a little obvious, wasn’t it? No guy in his right mind would fall for that kind of cheesy, soap opera come on. But Ky seemed to take the bait. Or maybe he was just playing nice in front of the cameras. That was the thing about a reality dating show. You never knew if someone meant what they were saying or was just doing it for a good sound bite.

  Finally, the women and the bachelor all managed to settle into the cushioned cabana together. The cameras were still rolling. The air was thick with excitement. Or was it tension? There seemed to be a few alpha dog females that were trying their hardest to get Ky’s attention.

  Kylie, Samantha, and Amber were peppering him with question after question after question. Ky sounded like he was at an interview. A very bad interview.

  The women were totally unoriginal. They were asking about stupid shit that nobody really cared about, let alone the viewers. Harper knew that the boring Q and A was going to be edited out before the first episode aired, making it a total waste of time.

  Samantha got the ball rolling by asking if Ky had any pets. But before he could finish answering the question, Amber was on him like a ton of bricks.

  “Oh, a dog! I love dogs! What’s your favorite place to travel? Have you ever been to Paris? It’s such a beautiful, romantic city.” Amber looked meaningfully into Ky’s eyes as she awaited his response.

  “Um, no, I haven’t yet. But I have spent some time in London, which is a great city to visit, especially if—”

  Sarah M. piped up out of nowhere. “So what do you look for in a woman? We would all really, really love to
know the answer to that one.”

  Whoa, Sarah M. came out with both guns blazing. Whatever happened to subtlety and the art of conversation? Clearly, all bets were off.

  Ky took a moment to reflect on her question. It might have been her imagination, but he seemed to turn slightly to the camera to his right as he pondered with a sexy frown on his face. “You know, Sarah, that’s a great question.”

  Sarah beamed back at him with delight. Probably because he’d remembered her name. Big fucking deal.

  She didn’t want to admit it, but she was all ears to hear the answer to that revealing question. If she could just find out what this gorgeous hunk of man was looking for, she could become that woman. And then they would have a chance at falling in love. On TV, no less!

  She would finally be done dating geezer after geezer just because he had a semi-decent body and a fat bank account. She would finally be able to find a young, gorgeous man that matched her perfectly. Someone special she could spend the rest of her life with.

  She felt herself getting sucked into the whole love thing the more the cameras kept rolling. Maybe it was the atmosphere—watching a beautiful tropical sunset at an exotic resort. Or maybe it was the company—a handsome single man looking for love.

  She was actually looking forward to the dating game. Ky seemed like the total package. Someone smart, handsome, and successful that would be perfect to have by her side in Hollywood.

  Ky continued. “Mostly, I’m looking for a woman that could be my best friend.”

  You could almost hear the women sigh with contentment at his perfect, Hallmark answer to the question.

  Harper bit her lip and clutched her glass of champagne even tighter.

  “All of you women are clearly beautiful and have so much to offer. I just want to take the time to get to know all of you and find out if we have the same interests and a deeper connection that we can build on. The best romances start out as friendships, am I right?” Ky asked with a wink.

  The women giggled and began chattering amongst themselves. They all seemed pleased with Ky’s answer. In fact, some of the ladies seemed downright cocky.

  But Harper had had enough. She needed some alone time with Ky right away. She needed to make an impression on him that he would remember for the first voting ceremony or challenge or whatever they had to do to stay on the show.

  Harper stood up and smoothed her cream linen pants. She cleared her throat. “Ky, could I steal you away for a moment?”

  Now you could definitely cut the tension with a knife. All the other bitches were probably wondering, Why didn’t I think of that? But they didn’t think of it first because they weren’t in it to win it like she was. She decided right then and there that she was going to do whatever it took to get and keep Ky’s attention. He was too good a prize to pass up.

  “Absolutely, sweetheart,” Ky drawled back at her. He put his hand on the small of her back to guide her to another cabana on the beach, illuminated by moonlight and a few well-placed tiki torches.

  She allowed a few moments of silence to lapse. She wanted Ky to speak first. He could set the tone for their first one-on-one conversation, telling her exactly what she needed to do to win him over.

  The pair settled down on a wicker swinging bench underneath the cabana. Ky wrapped his strong bicep around her shoulders as they got comfortable. Two cameramen stood behind them capturing each moment of their conversation.

  “So, Harper. Tell me something about yourself,” Ky began.

  “Well, what exactly do you want to know?” She looked up at him slowly from underneath her long (fake) lashes.

  Ky cleared his throat and turned to gaze thoughtfully at the ocean in front of them. “I’d love to hear why you came here in the first place. Are you looking for love?”

  “Yes . . . Absolutely. Why else would I be here?” She giggled. She put a more serious expression on her face and placed her hand on Ky’s arm. “I live in LA right now, and everyone I meet is so superficial. I’m looking for something real, you know? Something that will last. Someone who I can call my best friend and really fall in love with.”

  That was yet another trick she had learned from the Job Fair in high school. On a job interview, you were supposed to use the same wording that was posted in the job description. It was supposed to make the interviewer subconsciously associate you with being the perfect candidate for the job. And the same tactic worked just as well in the dating world.

  “And what about you, Ky? Do you think you’re going to find love here?”

  “You know, I think so. What I’m looking for is a real, honest woman that can become my best friend. Someone that I share the same interests with and have a deep connection with. You’re obviously a beautiful woman with so much to offer. I look forward to getting to know you more.” Ky stared deep into her eyes. The moonlight lit up his face so that he appeared almost ghoulish.

  Was she taking crazy pills, or was that the exact same answer Ky had just given the group not fifteen minutes earlier? This guy really seemed to be stuck on this whole “best friend/soul mate” kick. Either he really wanted a best friend, or he was sticking to a few rehearsed answers for the cameras. Well, she could play that game, too.

  “Yes, I completely agree with you on that one. A best friend is exactly what someone needs so that they can make a deep connection and share the same interests,” she purred back at him.

  Ky nodded with enthusiasm. “I’m so glad you understand. What I really need is a deep connection with someone I can call my best friend.”

  Ky leaned in closer to Harper and tightened his grip around her shoulders. Was he going to kiss her? She hadn’t expected this moment to come so soon in the game. But she was ready. She was always ready for a good first kiss.

  Ky leaned in even closer until his face was just inches from her own. He reached out his hand and cupped her chin. He whispered, “Let’s head back, huh? The other ladies are probably missing us.”

  Chapter 3

  Harper’s Confessional: Ky is so much hotter than I would have ever thought! Our first meeting was like, totally, romantic. Whoever set up that cabana on the beach was pure genius. The moonlight definitely set the mood. I'm just looking forward to getting to know Ky better, and all the other women, too, of course. But Ky told me in confidence that he wants to meet his best friend and soul mate. And that's why I'm here too. To meet my best friend. So, I would say that this is the perfect beginning for our romance.

  By the time that she and Ky had made it back up the beach path to the main cabana, the party had died. The women sat in groups of two and three, drinking and talking quietly. As they approached the group, a young man popped up out of nowhere with a glass fishbowl of plastic room cards.

  In broken English, he said, “You have room key?” and gestured to the circle of cabins behind them.

  Amber, being the closest to the fishbowl, grabbed the bowl and plopped it onto her lap. “Okay, how about I keep everything organized and read off the names on the cards one by one?”

  Amber quickly divvied out the cards to the right women in hall-monitor fashion. From what Harper could gather, there were three ladies to a suite. Which meant she would be sharing a room with . . .

  “Harper, Brinkley, and . . . me!” Amber squealed. “How fun is that? We’re going to be roomies, girls!”

  Great. She was stuck with the Midwestern Dairy Queen and some boring girl who both looked and acted like a teacher for the next four weeks. She really should have read her contract better. She could have sworn they were getting private suites.

  The young man that handed out the fishbowl approached the group again. “You go to cabins now? Tomorrow you meet at—” He gestured toward the huge pool surrounded by five waterfalls in the courtyard behind them. “At eight in morning tomorrow. Okay? Okay?”

  The wom
en took the next twenty minutes to say their goodbyes to Ky. Jesus Christ, you would have thought they were never going to see him again, let alone see him in just eight short hours. Clingy, much?

  She was just glad she had been the first and only girl to get some alone time with Ky that night. She had definitely made the right impression. She was sure to stand out from all the other cookie-cutter women for the rest of the competition.

  Amber linked her arms through hers and Brinkley’s and set out toward the cabins behind the pool. She was chattering a mile a minute.

  Does this girl ever shut up? Harper rubbed her temple with her free hand. She felt a monster headache coming on. There was no way she was going to get any sleep that night. And she needed at least nine hours of beauty rest at a bare minimum.

  “So, I was thinking we should talk about what kind of shower and bathroom schedule works best for everybody? I don’t know about you, ladies, but it takes me about an hour to do my hair in the morning. Believe it or not, these curls are not natural.” Amber laughed and patted her frizzy, and outdated, Victoria Beckham asymmetrical bob.

  I’d believe it. Amber looked like she had gotten her loose, spiral perm done at a cosmetology school. She’d probably never seen the inside of a professional salon in her life.

  It was sounding more and more like a bad summer camp by the minute. But she was more than willing to agree to any shower schedule. As long as she got the girl to shut up, she’d be fine. And as long as she had fifty minutes each morning to flatiron her extensions and airbrush her makeup on, she’d be a happy camper, no pun intended.

  Thank God the suite was gorgeous, although a little too cramped for Harper’s taste. She would have much preferred separate rooms for all the women, but at least they had their own king-size beds and a balcony with French doors that opened up to a picturesque ocean view.