by Sarah Gates
What did surprise Anna now was the way she was accepted into this group. She hadn’t spent a lot of time with any of the contestants recently, except Hadie. Her popularity with Luke made her a pariah in the house and if the women knew the full extent of it, they would be a lot more cruel than they were now. Yet Liu Kun hadn’t blinked at Anna’s presence and Jessica had welcomed her to share the table. Anna didn’t know what to make of it, but she wasn’t about to question it. The women seemed to have forgiven her for any previous favouritism and Anna was relieved.
‘Has Luke kissed any of you?’ Liu Kun asked and Anna’s attention immediately returned to the conversation with a sinking feeling.
‘Why? Did you snag a kiss today?’ Jessica said.
Anna fidgeted in her seat, keeping her eyes locked on her plate and stabbing at the remaining crumbs of pastry. She shouldn’t care about the answer.
‘No. The furthest we’ve gone is hand holding and a peck on the cheek.’
‘I’ve kissed him.’ Hadie hung her head. She looked like a puppy who knew it shouldn’t have peed in its owner’s slippers.
‘Me too.’ Jessica was less remorseful.
A sudden pain shot through Anna. She wrapped her arms around her waist and held herself together. She willed herself not to give anything away, but her body wanted to scream and cry and fling the remains of her coffee into the other women’s faces. She could hardly believe she cared so much. But she did. The image of Luke kissing the other contestants wouldn’t shake from her head.
Luke Westwood was playing with her. Seducing her. Playing right into her vulnerabilities. He was kissing other women. Making out with all of them. And worst of all, his tactic had worked. She felt awful.
‘Anna?’ Hadie asked. All eyes turned to her and Anna choked on a crumb she had sucked off her finger. If her eyes became watery, they would blame it on that. As she spluttered for air, Jessica answered for her.
‘I think that’s a “yes”. They’d probably go further if the cameras weren’t on us twenty-four-seven.’
At the comment Anna coughed so hard she thought she might faint. She shook her head but Jessica ignored her. So much for forgiveness.
‘I would never!’ Anna finally spat out.
‘What about when he took you on that foodie heaven date? To meet that chef you really like?’ Jessica said. ‘That screamed “opportunity to get into Anna’s pants”.’
‘What?’ Anna squeaked in shock. ‘He left me alone with the chef, remember? It’s not like that between us. We’re just getting to know each other.’
‘Okay, I believe you,’ Jessica said, smiling. Did she not hate Anna? Was that just her style of getting information out of others? Anna couldn’t even trust her own instincts any more, thanks to this whole experience that was people pretending to be something they weren’t and manipulating others into giving them some specific reaction.
‘But you’ve kissed,’ Liu Kun said and Anna blushed bright red. ‘So it’s just me who hasn’t locked lips with him?’
‘I bet Yvette hasn’t got near him,’ Jessica said. It didn’t seem to comfort Liu Kun, but it made them all giggle.
‘No, she would’ve planted one on him with or without his consent. Probably without. She’s probably also “accidentally” felt the poor man up.’ Hadie grinned at them.
‘This is mean. She might have her qualities …’ Liu Kun trailed off. ‘I think she’s really here to fall in love. She’s just a bit desperate.’
‘Amen,’ Jessica cried, holding her hands to the ceiling.
Anna kept quiet about what she saw on that first group date: Yvette stealing the first kiss before any of the others had a chance to even speak to him. With just Yvette, Jessica, Rachel, Liu Kun, Hadie and Anna left, the contest was getting serious. She wasn’t about to add fuel to their ill will for each other.
They drained the last of their drinks, but didn’t move. ‘When do you think we can head back to the hotel? I’m beat.’ Jessica looked to the window apprehensively. Anna agreed with the sentiment entirely. She’d had enough drama for one day. A few more slopes would do nothing to improve her mood, not if she had to watch out for Luke the whole time—and she couldn’t run into him again. Not now she’d found out about him kissing other women.
It was a television show and they were all playing exaggerated versions of themselves and following a script nobody knew except the director. But it still hurt. Anna’s insides ached with the knowledge that she wasn’t special. That what she thought was between her and Luke was really the manipulation of the crew. If there had been any semblance of doubt about leaving the show after their molten kiss today, it was gone now. She was falling for Luke Westwood but he was not falling for her. He was playing the field, like the rich, gorgeous, playboy athlete she first expected him to be. And it killed her.
CHAPTER
15
‘What do you mean, no?’ Anna demanded. Pitching ideas, begging, demanding and threatening—none of it worked. The answer was the same. Kate wasn’t even listening any more. Her phone had her attention.
‘No, Joe will not agree to a dramatic exit where you reject Luke. No, I won’t convince Luke to send you home.’
‘Why? Tell me why!’ Anna couldn’t understand her sister refusing to help her now. Going on the show in the first place had been a favour and now she was being held hostage. They were halfway through the second month of filming. It was high time she left.
‘Because you’re so close to the end. When you win, you get the ring. It will pay off a chunk of your loan. And if you’re turning that down to leave it’s because your emotions are getting in the way of your business mind. Which means that you’re falling for Luke. So you should stay.’
‘That’s crap.’
Kate looked up. ‘I have a job to get back to. Now, can I trust you to play this out?’ Her phone beeped and her attention was diverted once again. ‘I have to go.’ With that, she strode from the room.
When the door to Kate’s hotel suite opened, Anna glimpsed Joe on the couch, documents spread around him and his shirt open to his bare chest.
* * *
Anna shook as she dressed, fingers fumbling to close the clasp of her bracelet. Not because she was nervous, but because her anger wasn’t fading. She would have to ride Love Elimination out to the finale, if that’s what Luke Westwood chose. Or she would lose her paycheque.
The dress Anna chose for the latest eviction was a dark charcoal grey. It was the only dress Anna had picked out on her shopping spree with her sister that Kate had let her buy. It hugged her body, but it also had a high, elegant neckline and capped sleeves. They’d been instructed to dress in formal attire, ignoring the weather, and to be prepared for hair and make-up.
When the make-up artists appeared they buzzed around her like flies in the outback. Their hands flitted around her face and twisted her hair until it hung in loose waves. The trio rushed away to the next contestant before Anna had time to decide whether she liked her hair or if the shade of foundation they’d applied suited her skin. Not that any part of Love Elimination was about what she, a contestant, liked. Anna sighed and made her way to the hotel’s ballroom.
‘Welcome!’ Mason Lockier called when all the women had filed in. His voice echoed across the vast space. The crew explained how they’d leave through the opposite door if Luke selected them to stay. Luke would have one last dance with the eliminated contestant.
Anna couldn’t help but roll her eyes. A romantic dance with the woman he was sending home? Were they trying to make the poor woman even more in love with Luke than she already was? Then she realised that it might be her. Would be her, if everything went right.
Determination was clear in each contestant’s eyes: every single woman was prepared to fight for Luke Westwood. Not that there were many left. Just six: Hadie, Jessica, Yvette, Rachel, Liu Kun and Anna, the one person who hadn’t wanted to be there from the start. They were nervous: fidgeting or jiggling on the spot, glancing at each other
or avoiding eye contact. They all thought Luke was perfect. More than that. Each woman thought he was perfect for her.
The one who should be going home was Anna. She was a fraud and as the competition got closer to the end, she felt her lies digging deeper. They planted themselves around everything she said to the other women, feeling all the more real after a two-hour chat to Jessica—who was actually really interesting when they got talking about her life. Jessica could be cutthroat, but she was just trying to protect herself and her chance for love with a kind, successful, handsome man who also wanted to settle down. Or, at least, that was what the show’s producers told her—and all the women—Luke Westwood wanted. Meanwhile, Luke was kissing them all and telling Anna that he wasn’t ready for marriage or kids. That was the only part Anna could still trust to be true.
‘Without further ado, let’s get our suitor in here. Come on in, Luke!’
He walked in like a man born with all the privilege in the world, wearing a sleek, closely fitted suit. Anna wanted to faint, and she wasn’t exactly the type of woman to swoon at the sight of a man. But this man was even more beautiful in a suit than he was in ripped jeans or board shorts. The collared shirt was buttoned at his neck and a tie pressed against his jugular. Anna felt a strong urge to pull the tie away and unbutton the shirt until she could see his neck, and then his abs, and then the shadow of hair leading down into his pants. She’d seen it on the beach and on the yacht date. The image was imprinted into her memory.
‘Wow,’ Jessica breathed.
Anna bit down on her lip to keep her reaction inside. But Luke’s eyes met hers and she knew that he read her desire. Just like he’d felt it earlier, when he kissed her. When she kissed him back.
She shook her head. The gesture was supposed to be imperceptible to the cameras, but not to Luke. She hoped he would see it and know that she didn’t want to stay.
‘Luke Westwood. There’s no getting out of the dramatic announcement today. Tell me, who would you like to stay on the show?’
A jolt ran down Anna’s spine. She hung her head, looking at the ground so she didn’t have to watch Luke. If she let her eyes meet his, she might just melt.
‘Will you please stay …’
Anna couldn’t help glancing up. Luke smiled as he withheld the name for a few seconds. He clearly couldn’t take himself, or this moment, seriously. Even if five of the six women before him were desperate to hear their name. As if being saved from elimination would amount to being loved.
‘Hadie.’
Hadie skipped forwards and threw her arms around Luke. Her grin stretched across her face and happiness exuded from her every pore. Anna was glad her friend had been chosen first. If anyone was to win Love Elimination and Luke’s heart, Anna hoped it was the fun, loving, trusting young mother who had become her best friend on the show.
Hadie left the room and the tension rose once more.
‘Who is next and will not be going home?’ Mason prompted.
‘The next person I’d like to stay is … Liu Kun.’
Yvette let out a small whimper as her name was, once again, not called, and Anna’s nerves grew stronger. It took ten more minutes for Luke to call the final two names: Jessica and Yvette. Each time a name was spoken, the woman in question moved to Luke, embraced him, said a few words, and left the room. Then Mason said his line and the process started again. Until there were two people left.
Anna and Rachel were instructed to stand side by side. The stunning redhead held unusually still. They hadn’t been close in the villa after those first two weeks, but Rachel was one of the first people Anna had met. So when she reached out and grabbed Anna’s hand, holding onto it as they faced Luke, Anna squeezed her hand back.
This time Anna let her gaze run free. If all went to plan, this was the last time she’d see Luke Westwood in person. Photos in magazines or on the internet couldn’t compare to what he was actually like. In real life he commanded the attention of every woman in the room. It wasn’t just the fact that he was on a dating show. Even Kate, who Anna had come to suspect was sleeping with Joe, looked Luke over appraisingly.
Mason adopted a sombre expression. ‘It’s time to choose. Who will be saying goodbye and leaving Love Elimination today?’
‘Rachel. You are a beautiful firecracker of a woman. I have loved getting to know you. You make me laugh and always keep me entertained.’ He nodded at her. Rachel clutched Anna’s hand like it was a lifeline. ‘But I feel like there’s something missing.’
‘Anna.’ Luke turned his hypnotic eyes to Anna. She took a sharp breath. ‘You are gorgeous, natural and kind. You are the person I can open up to, even when I’m not in a camera-friendly mood.’
Anna closed her eyes and took a breath. This was the moment she’d been waiting for.
‘But I’m worried we want different things,’ he said.
It was nothing she hadn’t thought a million times over. Though it surprised her that it had occurred to Luke. Their romantic relationship was always false. He never had to consider her as a serious prospect. Nevertheless, she nodded and tried to look devastated. Strangely, it wasn’t difficult to act the part.
‘The person I’m saying goodbye to today, is …’ Luke settled his eyes on each of them, one after the other and back again. When he looked at Anna, she felt her resolve breaking. She would miss him. Maybe she would ask if they could be friends after the show. Even if the cameras caught her doing it. Even if he rejected her request.
‘Rachel.’
Rachel burst into tears. Anna froze. All thought of what she was supposed to do if her name wasn’t called fled her mind. She’d only prepared for the possibility of dancing with Luke and trying not to crinkle the luxurious fabric of his suit with her hands, trying not to cry as she gave her farewells. He had put her in the final two for the first time. Surely that had meant she was going home? Had he changed his mind at the last minute? Had he seen the regret on her face and decided to keep her on the show?
‘Anna. Please exit the room,’ Mason said softly, as though trying not to spook either woman.
It only occurred to Anna after she spun on her heel and left that she hadn’t acknowledged Luke. Unlike every other woman, she hadn’t hugged him and whispered her thanks. It would be just another thing for the viewers to analyse. Another piece of evidence to suggest that she wasn’t a real contestant. That she didn’t care about winning the heart of the hot, one-time international athlete and mega-rich bachelor that was Luke Westwood.
‘Anna! Oh, I’m so glad you’re still here.’ Hadie rushed forwards. Anna nodded as her friend embraced her. She was in a daze. The air around her was an impenetrable fog.
‘That’s everyone. You can all head back to your rooms now.’ Joe rubbed his hands together. ‘We’ll send a runner for you in the morning. Tomorrow will be another full day so you should all get some sleep.’
‘It’s going to get harder to predict from here on,’ Jessica said quietly. They all glanced around the room, eyeing each other. For Anna, it was always hard to guess who was leaving and who was staying. Luke hadn’t fallen for any of them. The producers had their own favourites. The whole thing was a sham.
* * *
A knock on the door sidetracked Anna’s thoughts. Anna sighed. It was late. Company was the last thing she wanted, but clearly she couldn’t be trusted by herself. Without any distractions, her mind kept returning to the moment when Luke’s lips touched hers. How his rough, unshaven chin chafed against her skin. How his tongue traced her lower lip and slipped into her mouth, burning a fiery trail that she felt all the way down her body.
The knock sounded again. She shook her head, as if it would help to clear the memory, and opened the door. That same face looked back at her. Luke. Only this time he wasn’t covered head to toe in snow gear. A loose-fitting T-shirt hung over his body, matched with fashionably distressed jeans. She had a full view of his muscled arms and the sight lit a burning need inside her. She couldn’t look away. Not even
to demand why he’d break the show’s rules to sneak to her suite.
‘Hey,’ Luke said.
The word was akin to someone dousing her with a cold bucket of water in an unforeseen and unappreciated ice bucket challenge. She started to close the door, but he jammed a foot between the wood and the frame.
‘Please, I just want to talk.’
‘You shouldn’t be here,’ Anna hissed.
‘Exactly. So please let me in before someone sees.’ When she didn’t budge, he added, ‘Come on, Anna. Before one of the crew decides to wander down this corridor. Or worse, a fan. Once you sign one set of goggles they never stop coming. They’re like sharks that have scented a drop of blood thousands of kilometres away.’
Far from being sneaky, he hadn’t even bothered to lower his voice. There was nothing Anna could do except grab him by the arm and pull him inside.
Only when the door clicked shut did she allow herself to breathe again, or notice how close they were standing. Luke reached up and brushed a strand of hair from where it stuck to her lip and tucked it behind her ear. When his fingers fell from her face Anna shuffled back, feeling as if a trance had been broken.
‘What do you want, Luke?’ She hated that her voice sounded breathy and unsure. It was high time she remembered that this was all an act, an elaborate game show constructed by people, including her sister, to entertain the masses. She was a small-business owner from Sydney and he was an international snowboarding coach. He lived wherever the mountains were tall and the snow was thick. They were never meant to work. Hell, she hadn’t even meant to be on the show. But this man made her want to compete for his attention, to scream and shout when he went on a date with someone else—to beg him to run away with her.
‘I want to know why you ran off after I kissed you.’
Heat flooded Anna’s cheeks. She looked at the ground. She couldn’t be trusted to meet his eyes. Not like this, in the privacy of her hotel room with no cameras or microphones. Not after that afternoon.
‘Why did you run away, Anna?’ he asked again. The quiet, patient tone tied knots in her stomach. She pressed her hands to her abdomen and tried to find the right words to say. As if he knew it would foil her search for an adequate lie, Luke stepped forwards and placed a hand on her cheek. He coaxed her face to turn to his.