Dammit. I’d made the classic mistake of mistaking seasickness for desire.
That was a classic mistake, right?
“Let it out,” I said with a sigh, rubbing her back. I pulled a tissue from my pocket and handed it to her. “You okay?”
She stood up straight, wiping her mouth with the tissue. Her skin nearly looked green. “I really don’t feel well,” she mumbled. “God, why did I have that champagne when I know I get seasick easily? I feel so stupid.”
“Yeah, I feel pretty stupid too,” I muttered, rubbing her back again.
Okay, so maybe this particular moment hadn’t been the opportunity I thought it was. Maybe Indi wasn’t looking to kiss me again right now. Maybe she wasn’t looking to kiss me again ever. Did that mean I was going to give up on trying to get with her, though?
Hell no.
Chapter Nine
Indi
I peered over the railing and squinted at Fremantle Island as we drew into the small harbor. We were so close now. The wild island landscape surrounding the quaint little town in the center was gorgeous—craggy cliffs around the edge with the occasional beach, and farther in, rugged mountains and dark green forests filled with ancient secrets. I could easily picture the towering mountain peaks topped by snow during the winter. It reminded me of the national parks back in Washington, only far more isolated, because there was nothing around us but massive expanses of ocean.
“Here,” Blake said, handing me a pair of mini-binoculars.
I held them up in surprise. “Where’d you get these?”
He winked and patted his left pocket. “I always come prepared.”
The closer we got, the more beautiful the island became. In the forest, the only greenery more impressive than the massive dark trees were the prodigious mosses and soft lichens hanging from many branches, which I could just make out with the binoculars. They stood in dramatic stark contrast to the rugged backdrop of craggy rocks, windswept beaches, and crashing waves around the island.
My nausea was all but forgotten as I took in the views. “Wow,” I breathed.
“Wonderful, isn’t it?” came the booming voice of Ed Kramer. “All right, everyone, let’s get ready to get off. There’s cars waiting for us at the docks to take us to our accommodation.”
Twenty minutes later, we were fresh off the boat and ready to explore. A procession of silver vans idled on the road by the pier, waiting to pick us all up. We waited for the crew to finish loading what seemed like a literal ton of gear into the last van, and then we were allowed to get in with our luggage. Our van took off first, and it headed through town before turning onto a winding mountain road and heading north.
Five minutes later, we arrived on an expansive estate on a large plateau up in the mountains. Beyond the wrought iron gates of the estate lay precisely-trimmed green grass, gorgeous gardens, and the most beautiful hotel I’d ever seen.
It was a three-story brown brick Tudor style building with a steeply-pitched roof, exposed half-timbering on the exterior, dormer windows, and massive brick chimneys complete with chimney pots.
“Oh my god, this place looks like a real-life gingerbread house,” I said as we pulled in at the front of the place. “I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere like this.”
Blake smiled, obviously amused by my childlike wonder. “Yeah, it’s nice.”
When we got out of the van, a middle-aged woman was standing outside by the main doors with a clipboard and a smile on her face, ready to greet us. “Welcome to the Candle Cove Inn!” she said. “I’m Loretta. I hope you had a nice trip over here.”
“We did, thank you,” I said, leaving out the part where I’d vomited over the edge of the boat for twenty straight minutes.
“Wonderful. The staff will be taking all your things up to your rooms. May I ask your names?”
“Indi and Blake Summers,” Blake replied. It was lucky he’d answered, because I’d already forgotten that we were using his mother’s maiden name as our married last name. Damn, I needed to pick up my game unless I wanted us to get caught out.
She looked at her clipboard. “You’re on the ground floor, in room four. Here’s your key.” She handed us a key before moving on to the next couple, Donna and Keenan.
“Once everyone has their keys, can you all come and gather around over here?” Ed called out from a grassy patch by the nearest flowerbed. “The staff will be taking your bags in. We need to talk about what’s happening now that we’ve arrived.”
A few people grumbled, obviously having assumed that we’d be allowed to take a few hours to unwind and relax after the long trip out here. Apparently, that wasn’t the case.
“Filming this show can be long and hard work. I know you’re all tired, but we need to film the intro dinner party and drinks, and that’s starting soon in the Candle Cove’s main function room. You can have a few minutes here to relax in the gardens while the crew takes everything in, and then I’ll ask you to head inside. The hair and makeup team will touch you up so you all look brand new and shiny, and then the dinner party will begin.”
This was met with a few less grumbles. People seemed to like the idea of food and drinks, although personally I couldn’t think of anything worse after the seasickness I experienced earlier.
Half an hour later, we were herded into the Candle Cove’s main function room, which was on the ground floor of the inn, near the entrance. On one side was a set of French doors which were currently open, and beyond that I spied what appeared to be a bar. Judging by the number of what I assumed were locals hanging around there, it must’ve been quite a popular watering hole for the island’s town.
Dinner and drinks were served to us at a long table in the function room, and we were told to act naturally while cameras filmed the dinner conversation and first night impressions. I was seated between Blake and Donna, and Amy and Dean were directly across from us.
It was awkward at first, but after a while I started to forget the cameras were on us, and I barely noticed the boom mics hanging down every so often. Blake and Dean were deep in a conversation about sports, and I was chatting to Donna and Amy, whom I’d become pretty fast friends with already.
“So, the burning question that we’ve all been avoiding is….” Donna began during dessert, dramatically placing her spoon down. “Why are we all here? How about you, Amy?”
Amy’s lips pressed into a sad line, and she looked down at her crème brulee. “Well, I’ve always wanted a family, ever since I was a little girl. I never had much as a child, because my adoptive family was pretty poor, so I’ve always dreamed of having my own and giving him or her the best life. The life that I never had. But no matter what Dean and I do, we can’t seem to get pregnant. It’s been causing a bit of tension. So honestly, we’re hoping that being here will help resolve some of that tension, and even if we only come in at third place in the end—that’s still enough money to give IVF a proper try.”
Her voice was so sad, her words barely above a mumble. “I’m so sorry, Amy,” I said, my heart lurching.
Now I felt even worse about faking my way onto the show. There were people here with seriously heartbreaking problems, not just financial ones. Yet here I was, lying my way here just for a shot at a cash prize.
“I shouldn’t have asked,” Donna said, shaking her head. “Shit, I don’t know why I thought this was a good conversation topic. I’m sorry.”
Amy looked up and smiled. “It’s okay. We came here expecting to talk about it at some point.”
“But probably not during the first dinner party. I’m really sorry, Amy, I can be so tactless. C’mon, let’s talk about something else. Something fun,” Donna said. “Hey, I know….which couple do you think will get voted out first? My money’s on that blonde and her husband.”
We turned and looked in the direction Donna was nodding. Down at the far end of the table, the crew was capturing some unfolding drama between a gorgeous blonde and her buff husband. I couldn’t remember their nam
es, but they were already arguing over something rather petty, so I had a feeling Donna’s guess was quite accurate.
“Agreed,” Amy said with a grin. “Am I the only one who can’t remember everyone’s names? I mean, I remember you two and your husbands. And Mike and Meredith too. Oh, and Yuri and Elise Tilden. But I’ll be damned if I can remember the rest.”
We craned our necks and went around trying to collectively remember everyone. The blonde and her husband were Jay and Vanessa Varrone, and the couples I couldn’t remember meeting on the boat were Addison and David Connelly, Annie and Ben Holbrook, Jana and Chris Ramirez, and Jason and Corinne Ashworth. The rest I knew already.
I was suddenly thirsty, so I reached forward only to find the nearest glass water jug empty. Amy and I then looked to her left to see that another jug farther down the table was empty too.
“Ask the guy behind you,” she said, nodding over my shoulder. I turned to see a crew member standing right next to me.
“Hi, can we get some more water?” I asked.
He nodded. “If you go through those French doors and ask at the bar, the bartender will give you another jug. Sorry, I can’t really move while I’m holding this.” He gestured toward whatever equipment he was holding.
I raised my eyebrows in a puzzled expression. “Are we allowed to leave the table?”
“Sure. Contestants are allowed to go wherever they want in the inn. You can interact with the locals who are here as well. You’re not prisoners.”
I pulled my napkin off my lap and set it on the table as I stood up. “All right. Thanks.” I turned back to Donna and Amy. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
I headed through the doors and into the bar. It was decorated in the same manner as the rest of the inn that I’d seen so far—all dark wood, linen-fold oak paneling, and casement windows with diamond-shaped panes. It was truly a beautiful old building.
A harried-looking blonde behind the bar was slinging drinks to all the locals, and she glanced over at me as I approached. “I’m sorry, I’ll just be a few minutes,” she said, obviously right in the middle of a big order.
I nodded and stood there, glancing around as I waited.
“You wanna have my seat?”
I turned to see a middle-aged man looking at me from my left. He was perched on a bar stool, and his scruffy beard and plaid shirt told me he was very much a local.
“I was gonna leave when I finished my beer, anyway,” he went on.
I shook my head, but smiled. “Oh, no, it’s fine. But thank you for the offer.”
He grunted and took a sip of his beer. Then he looked back at me. “You’re with the show, huh?”
I nodded. “Yes. How do you know about it?”
He chuckled. “Lady, everyone on the island knows about it. Small place, and it ain’t often people come here anymore, so when we heard they were filming a TV show here, it was big news. It’s all anyone’s talked about in weeks.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I think it’ll be good for tourism, though. Get more people out here, help the economy a bit. Used to get a lot more vacationers out here, but then…” He paused, then shrugged. “Well, you know what happened, I’m sure, after Tom Howieson was done with the place.”
I frowned. “No, I don’t know what happened. What do you mean?”
He raised his thick brows. “Would’ve thought you’d do a bit of research into the place you’re gonna be staying at.”
“I did,” I insisted. “I read the entire Wikipedia page for this island.”
He cocked his head to the side. “And it doesn’t say anything about Tom?”
“No.”
“Shit. Strange. I guess people don’t wanna remember it. They don’t even wanna talk about it. Most people here will just pretend nothin’ even happened back then if you ask.” He hesitated for a few seconds. “But I don’t wanna freak you out, Miss. Sorry to have brought it up.”
Before I could reply, the bartender came over and asked what I wanted. I asked for a jug of water, then turned back to the man. He couldn’t just keep me in suspense like this! “Who is Tom Howieson?” I asked.
He sighed. “I really shouldn’t have brought it up. My wife always tells me I have no filter when I drink.”
“Well, you did, so here we are,” I replied.
“All right, all right. But don’t blame me if you have nightmares, tonight, ‘kay?”
“Okay.”
“Tom Howieson was a fisherman here, just like me. About fifteen years ago, he cracked. Just lost it one day down at the wharf. Went on a killing spree around the island. He murdered twelve people with an ax before the sheriff caught up to him.”
My eyes widened. “Jesus.”
The man nodded slowly. “Yeah. It was fucked up. I actually found a couple of the bodies.”
“What happened after they caught him?” I asked.
He frowned and looked into his beer. “Well, they didn’t exactly catch him. Sheriff caught up to him by the bluffs over east. He shot Tom, and Tom fell off the bluff and into the water. Never found his body after that, but the fish probably got to it.”
“They never found his body?” I repeated.
“Yeah. But don’t worry, lady. He’s dead. Has to be. Still, a story like that….mass murder and all. Doesn’t exactly encourage tourists.”
I nodded, the hairs on my neck standing up. “I guess so.”
The man looked at the big grandfather clock on the other side of the bar, then stood up. “Anyway, I better get home to my wife. Nice to meet you, lady. Good luck on your show. I’ll root for you.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, still a little creeped out by his story. Why hadn’t the showrunners informed us that a massacre took place on this island only a decade and a half ago? Sure, it was a while ago, and the island was safe now, but still….I knew a lot of people would’ve probably wanted to know before coming here.
The bartender brought over my water a minute later, and I thanked her and started to turn around.
“Boo.”
I almost had a heart attack as I turned around fully to see Blake standing right behind me, towering over me with his hands up. I jumped, nearly dropping the water, and he reached out and grabbed it, keeping the jug steady. I glared. “What are you doing? I almost had a coronary!”
He gave me a cheeky grin. “Sorry. I followed you in here to make sure you were okay, and then I heard that guy telling you all that stuff. Thought it’d be funny to give you a bit of a jump-scare.”
“That’s your idea of funny, huh?” I said. It was then that I noticed a cameraman right near us, filming everything we were saying and doing on a small handheld device. When he saw me looking, he apologized.
“Sorry. On filming nights, we’re meant to follow everyone around and capture everything,” he said. “But that was good. It was cute. People are gonna love you two. They’ll think you’re funny.”
Blake shrugged and leaned down close to me as he took the water jug away from me, seeing as my hands were still trembling too much to carry it properly. “See? I wasn’t being a dick. I’m just helping us win, so you can get all that sweet, sweet moolah.”
Despite my still-racing heart, he managed to draw a smile from me with his impish attitude. “I’ll forgive you just this once,” I said. “But next time, I’m gonna be the one scaring you.”
He winked. “Looking forward to it.”
My smile grew wider, and I sashayed back into the function room, knowing Blake was only two steps behind me. I also knew his eyes were probably directly on my ass, but for once, it didn’t bother me in the slightest…
Chapter Ten
Blake
This first night bullshit was taking fucking hours.
The dinner was well and truly over, but the producers had asked the contestants to move into a different parlor room for ‘drinks and conversation’. Aka, they didn’t get enough drama happening at the dinner table, so they were plying us with alcohol in the hopes that someone
would start some shit. Everyone knew reality TV was all about giving the viewers drama, drama and more drama, even if this particular show was masquerading as a serious ‘marriage fixing’ thing.
Indi was back with Donna and Amy, chatting the night away with a glass of water in her hand. After her earlier sickness on the boat, she’d unsurprisingly avoided alcohol all night. I was only drinking lightly myself, not wanting to get stupidly drunk like some of these other idiots had already done. One guy, Chris, was currently slurring insults at another contestant, Yuri, who’d apparently ‘looked at his wife the wrong way’.
Bet the showrunners were loving that.
I’d been talking to Dean and Mike earlier, but they both went off to find the bathroom a minute or so ago. Now I was hanging out by the edge of the room, watching Indi talk to her newfound friends. I loved looking at her when she spoke. Her face was so alive, so animated, and her eyes always sparkled when she smiled and nodded at something one of the other women said.
Christ, she was beautiful.
I turned my attention away at the sound of approaching footsteps. “Hey, handsome,” came a familiar voice from my right.
It was Vanessa, the blonde who obviously fancied herself as quite the temptress. I’d seen a few of the other men staring at her, but I wasn’t one of them. I only had eyes for Indi, and on top of that, I’d already made a note earlier to stay away from Vanessa. She seemed like trouble, and this was confirmed for me within just a few minutes of conversation with her.
“What are you doing over here all alone?” she asked, sidling right up to me.
“Just waiting for the guys to get back,” I said in a noncommittal tone.
She glanced over at Indi. “I see your wife’s abandoned you already.”
“No. She’s just having fun and making new friends. I have no issue with that. Perhaps you should do the same,” I said curtly.
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