‘Actually yes, since you asked, how about you show more of an interest? In the ladies. Australia does not want to see you making small talk, they want you to flirt and be outrageous. They want you to sneak kisses and hold hands with the girls. I don’t know why I have to remind you you’re here to find love.’
‘I’ve only just met them all!’ he said, frustration making his tone sharper than it should have been. ‘I’ve got the whole world watching me, waiting for me to fuck something up. Waiting to label me an official man-whore. This show was supposed to prevent that.’
Fletcher shrugged. ‘There’s a difference between a man-whore and a guy who is interested. You’re not taking any of them to bed. You’re showing them a good time. If you had a girlfriend, you’d show her a good time wouldn’t you?’
That was the rub, of course. He’d only ever had one girlfriend and she’d not been able to hack his lifestyle. She’d wanted to settle down and have kids and he just didn’t do relationships. Not with friends. Not with his mother. Not with chicks. He got restless. Needed to move. Needed different … everything. If he stayed in one place too long, he was judged. Harshly. One night stands were his thing, acquaintances his limit.
How in the hell was he going to change all of that now? How in the hell was he going to convince the other ladies, the board, the whole of Australia, that he could change his habits and settle down? How was he going to fake a relationship with Eliza where they spent nights together, weekends? He’d have to take her out to dinners, movies, days doing whatever she enjoyed. He was going to have to make her laugh and kiss her occasionally, hold hands, more. How was he going to do it all and keep a straight face?
How was he going to convince himself that it didn’t sound half bad?
Chapter 9
Eliza’s night had consisted of non-stop chatter from Jennifer and the other girls as she relayed her date in very great detail. When she was asked if he’d kissed her, she’d been coy at first, but then had told them all it wasn’t like that. They were getting to know each other. Eliza wondered unkindly if the other woman ever shut up. After a whole hour of way too many giggles, she’d gone to bed, but had tossed and turned.
Her mood wasn’t any better in the morning and by the time she was ready to roll out of bed, she’d decided to forgo her usual caffeine-free coffee and head straight for the hard stuff.
‘Good morning,’ Amelia sing-songed as she joined her in the kitchen.
‘Why are you in such a great mood?’
‘Did you notice Jennifer was empty handed when she came back from her date with Banjo last night?’
Come to think of it, Banjo was supposed to give the first date a rose. It had been in the program. Interesting that he hadn’t. ‘Maybe she got the rose and wants to hide it until the ceremony?’
Amelia gave her a look that asked if she was stupid. ‘Would you hide it? There’s no way anyone would hold that back and not gloat like mad.’
‘I guess.’ So maybe the date hadn’t gone well or maybe Banjo just hadn’t clicked with Jennifer. She was really … vapid. She had almost no personality and Eliza hadn’t really seen anything that made her unique from any other giggling twenty-something in front of a hot, single guy.
Amelia went on. ‘That means maybe he’ll hand one out today.’
They were going to have brunch with Banjo. More preening. More giggling. She was getting a headache just imagining it.
Amanda chose that moment to shoo some of the ladies from the dining room into the kitchen until they were all assembled. ‘Good morning, ladies. I hear yesterday was great and some you really hit it off with our bachelor. Today we were going to do brunch but Banjo has changed the plans and wants to know if you’d all be interested in a game of beach volleyball instead. Followed by lunch and then another one-on-one dinner.’
‘That’s not how it was supposed to go,’ Eliza commented before she could catch herself. She was a contestant now, not a producer.
‘You know as well as I do that things change, Eliza. So, ladies, what do we say? Volleyball is all about high energy, high fives, maybe contact when you’re going for the ball.’
There was a chorus of hell yeahs and I’m ins. Eliza nearly groaned but then she wondered if Banjo hadn’t fabricated the new plan so he wouldn’t have to sit and make small talk. She was definitely happy with that.
‘It’s settled then,’ Amanda said with a clap. ‘Two cars will be here in an hour. Get your swimsuits on and we’ll head down to the beach.’
This time Eliza did groan. Of course they wouldn’t be allowed to wear actual clothes that covered their skin on this date. Rummaging through the ridiculous scraps of fabric she had in her case, she came up with a pair of denim cut-off shorts and a tank top. She put her bikini on under the clothes, laced up her runners, and met with the other ladies by the front doors. Some had just their bikinis on and some, laying a claim to modesty like Eliza, wore summer dresses or sarongs.
She had her hair down but wore a hair tie on her wrist. As the salted breeze pulled at her curls, she was glad she’d thought ahead. Everyone else had their make-up perfect and their hair straightened to lifeless perfection. She envied them all. Even Grace had managed to get her curls straight and Eliza wondered how but before she could start a beauty conversation, two sleek limos pulled into the curving drive and they were off to meet Banjo.
What was he playing at? Had he had the same thought, to end the small talk? Or was he trying to get to know the girls better? She wished she didn’t have to over-analyse every part of the day but it made her nervous that they didn’t have a better plan. She looked over at Amelia who was watching the sights go by out the window, a little smile on her lips. Eliza would have to do everything she could to throw her roommate at Banjo and hope she stuck!
***
Of course he had a plan. He wanted to know just how competitive the women would be when there was a payoff. He also wanted to have some fun and stop fretting the small stuff. So he’d come up with the idea of beach volleyball. It was played all over Australia and beyond so he was fairly sure they’d all be able to play. If he was actually going to be serious about showing the world what they wanted to see, he’d have to whittle the numbers down to women who had things in common with him. The one factor that had ruled his life to date had been competition. He had this drive to win at all costs in whatever event he was competing. He’d need his prospective wife to have the same drive. It was also a good day to see if Eliza had that in her. She’d have to travel with him to at least one event just after Christmas and would need to cheer him on from the stands or risk seeming disinterested.
As the cars drove into the car park next to the sand, five cameras were lifted high and the filming began. He pasted a smile on his face but then relaxed into it. Some of the ladies wore the most ridiculous outfits for volleyball but who was he to complain? His smile slipped into a grin when he saw Eliza had shunned skimpy for practical.
Daniel had joined them and welcomed the ladies, saying loud and clear, ‘Banjo has a special treat for the woman who shows her skills on the sand today. But. You’re not going to know what it is until after lunch. You’ll have to work for it but I guarantee the payoff will be worth it.’
There were hoots and cheers from the ladies with a few jumps from the most excited. Jennifer winked at him from across the sand and he smiled back. The dolphin trainer standing next to Eliza looked the happiest of all, her face tilted to the sun.
Banjo addressed them all with only a little trepidation. ‘All right, we’re going to split into two teams. Amelia is going to be team captain of one side and Eliza will captain the other. This half over there,’ he said with a sweep of his arm. ‘And this side over there. I’ll play on one side and then switch over halfway through. Jennifer will play opposite so when I move, she will move. That way we’ll be more even.’
Eliza snorted. ‘You can’t count, Mr Bachelor. That will leave seven to six every time.’
Banjo grinned. ‘But
I’m stronger so I’m worth two.’
It could have been taken to be sexist, he realised after he’d said it, but then Kirsty laughed and flexed a bicep. ‘That’s what you think!’
So they began. Sophie served a cracker and nearly took two heads off when the ball came flying over the net to thud into the sand. There was laughter and suggestions she go easy. She looked Banjo straight in the eye and said, ‘I play to win.’
Banjo had to admit something flared to life within him then. For the next half an hour, they parried back and forth in words, jibes and hits. Eliza tended to stay to the back of the group and had only really got a few shots in, preferring to leave the ball for the dolphin trainer. Amelia spiked a good one and he ran forward to return at the same time as Molly. Banjo split off at the last second but they collided, his hands going to her waist as they fell in a heap, the ball sailing way out of bounds.
She was laughing and he was laughing but as he untangled from her and helped her to her feet, he noticed the cold looks from some of the other ladies on his team. Molly’s bikini had shifted as they fell and as she readjusted her boobs, he couldn’t help but gawk, pulling his gaze away just before she caught him staring.
‘Time to switch it up, and ladies, seriously, there is a great prize for the player of the day.’
As he got into position on the other team, urging Eliza and Amelia towards the net rather than away, he heard Eliza mutter, ‘Only one player of the day here.’
He only had a second to think about the fact that she watched him so closely, she rarely missed anything. He grinned again and bent his knees, clasping his hands together. When the ball came his way, which it did most of the time, he made sure to bump into Eliza. Not hard, but just as a warning that she was in his sights.
When he stepped out of the way of the next ball, calling, ‘Yours,’ she had no choice but to hit it back. When Molly didn’t get to it in time, they won the point and were up. He held his hand out for a high five and for a moment didn’t think she was going to engage. When she slapped her palm to his, he held on for a moment in a sort of hand shake. He saw the question in her eyes but then turned back to the game. Now that he knew his touch definitely discomfited her, he did it more and more. He played with the other ladies too, bumping hips with Kirsty on a shot that should have broken her own hand, not to mention the lady on the other side of the net who tried to return.
When the other team were talking strategy he turned to Eliza and murmured, ‘Why don’t you play like you want to win the prize?’
She made sure no cameras were on them and whispered, ‘You’re not exactly a prize.’ Her smile took the sting out of the insult and made Banjo laugh.
Then he taunted, ‘Scaredy cat.’
‘I am not.’ Her little nose went in the air and her hands went to her hips.
‘Prove it.’ He didn’t actually think it would work. Eliza was too smart for reverse psychology. But then she played like she did want to win, taking her team from 11-10 to 16-10 within twenty minutes.
When they were all huffing and puffing and flushed from the sun, Banjo called a stop to the game. ‘I think it’s time for lunch if you’re all ready?’
They made their way up the hot sand to a beachside restaurant that had done well to cater for thirteen at short notice, not that Banjo thought the ladies would eat much. He was wrong about that as well. Sitting smack in the middle of the table, Banjo admired the way some of the ladies put away food. Kirsty smashed a burger in record time, while Amelia, Molly and Erika were not far after her, with only fries left on their plates that they were picking at.
He noticed Eliza barely touched her salt and pepper squid, just pushing the food around the polished porcelain. She responded when spoken to directly, but other than that, she didn’t participate much.
Jennifer surprised him with a hand on his shoulder after he’d finished his own burger and chips and washed it all down with a beer. ‘Can I steal you for a moment?’ she asked.
He lifted his gaze to the pretty producer, Amanda, who nodded.
‘Sure.’ What else could he do?
She led him out onto the deck of the restaurant overlooking the beach, trying to curl her fingers with his as they walked. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his board shorts until he sat. ‘What’s up?’
Fluttering her lashes at him, she said, ‘I just wanted to thank you for last night. I’ve never had dinner in a cave with a gorgeous guy before.’
‘What about alone?’ he joked, trying to lighten the moment.
Jennifer laughed along with him for a bit but then went on, her hand resting on his arm, ‘I really just wanted to tell you how powerful I thought our connection was. How I couldn’t sleep last night thinking about you and all the fun we’re going to have in the next few weeks.’
He was kind of shocked that she would be so frank but then, just like the volleyball, theirs was also a game and someone had to win. She was spelling it out for him that she wanted to be in with a chance. ‘Uh, me too.’
After that, he steered the conversation back to neutral and steered Jennifer back to the table. She was going to get him into trouble. He asked Kirsty to join him for a chat next: the plan was some one-on-one while the camera watched on from a distance.
‘So,’ he started once they were settled, the glares of the other ladies sharp between his shoulder blades. ‘Tell me a little about being a firefighter.’
He didn’t have to prompt her much with conversational bait. She was so passionate about her job, just as he’d thought she would be. The same with Molly, a doctor, and a proud one at that. She was one of the oldest of the ladies but of both career-minded women, he got the sense they’d never leave their jobs to travel with him. It made his decision so much easier on which two he would say goodbye to at the rose ceremony. It wouldn’t be fair for him to ask them to tag along when they were out saving lives and making a difference. In his head it sounded like the other ladies were of no consequence but that wasn’t true at all. Most were smart and funny and he’d really enjoyed the morning as well as yesterday, much to his growing surprise.
He’d been approaching the whole debacle as a burden to get out of the way, eleven strangers with him in their sights. But why couldn’t they all have a bit of fun? Today’s laughter had lightened the weight on his chest that he’d gone to bed with the night before after the horror date. A couple of beers and a few chats later and he couldn’t stop the smile, no longer having to force his lips to turn up at the edges.
When next he went back to the group, most having had enough of the food and champagne, he knew he only had one more chat in him, both with patience and with time. He looked at Eliza who was throwing him death stares. ‘Eliza, come and walk with me.’
Chapter 10
He was playing at something. Eliza had seen the calculating way he’d summed up the women from the moment they arrived at the beach. His excuse at first could have been that he wanted a reason to get all touchy feely with everyone but then, after lunch, she realised he was building up to something. Presumably it was the mysterious prize on offer. She assumed he would be the prize, along with all that ego thrown into the mix.
Why did he have to be so damned self-assured all the time? Like he was in complete control of every situation. There had been a few unguarded seconds where she’d almost seen pain on his face but then he pasted on that fake smile again (and she should know since she was the queen of fake smiles) and kept up the chatter with open questions designed to make everyone else talk and for him to reveal very little.
Once they were out of hearing and the camera followed their progress but not their conversation, she turned on him. ‘What the hell was this all about?’
‘This?’ he repeated, feigning innocence but the sparkle in his baby blues giving him away.
‘I worked on the program of events night and day for the series and you’re screwing around with it.’
‘Hey, I’m not screwing around with anything.’
&nbs
p; The laughter in his voice gave her fury more fuel. ‘You can’t keep acting as though this is one big joke for you, Banjo. Lives are at stake here, jobs, houses, hearts.’
His smile slipped and she wondered if she’d been too harsh. He slowed to a stop and then inhaled. ‘I know what’s at stake, Eliza. You think I can keep up the pretences easily? Last night was like murder and then I have to meet Jennifer’s eyes over the table and hear her talk about our “connection”.’
She really only heard the last part. Sinking her toes into the warm sand and tipping her face back to the sun so her expression was unreadable, she asked, ‘Did you have a connection?’
‘The bloody woman wouldn’t shut up for two seconds for me to find out. How is she in the house?’
Her eyes snapped open and she shook her head. ‘Oh no, no, no, no, I’m not talking about the other girls to you. That would not be fair. Aren’t you watching on your spy cameras?’
‘They’re not spy cameras and no, I haven’t been watching. Much.’
Lips pressed to a flat line, she linked her arm in his to keep walking. She didn’t want it to look like they were having a moment. She wanted their backs to the other ladies for a bit longer. ‘Is there any one girl you’ve taken a liking too?’ He’d been pretty hands on with Molly earlier back on the sand.
‘I really wish I had, but no. There isn’t.’
‘What’s with the mysterious prize on offer?’
‘You and I need to discuss what’s going to happen over the next few weeks, when I can invite you, when I shouldn’t. Tonight is you and I having dinner with no cameras or mikes or onlookers.’
Eliza tensed and tried to stop walking but Banjo put his hand on her arm and swung her back around towards the restaurant. Now everyone could see her expression and she had no doubt everyone was watching. Her thoughts raced. ‘You can’t do that,’ she hissed while trying to smile and look like she was having a good time.
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