Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Courtney
Luna looked at what I had packed before she rolled her eyes, grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the show-provided wardrobe.
It took her no time at all to pull a blue dress that somehow managed to almost show my nipples and ass at the same time.
Almost. It was way out of my comfort zone, but the look on her face when I turned around told me it was the right dress for the night.
I mean, it’s all about catching attention, right? Dressing to impress?
I don’t have a full rundown about how the show is going to work exactly.
From my understanding, every day will be different.
For now, I think we’re meant to get to know everyone and then eventually we’ll “lock in” with a partner and…
I guess try to fall in love? Or at least convince the world we’re in love well enough to win that grand prize.
I’ve only worn high heels about five times in my entire life, yet here I am, walking like a baby gazelle through the grassy backyard to the outdoor bar where everyone is gathered.
I look around to see every single person is dressed to the absolute nines.
The women are in beautiful bold dresses and skirts, glittering jewelry and high heels, while the men are all in crisp button-ups, polos and slacks.
We all look like we’re ready for a night of clubbing, not hanging out in the backyard of a tropical mansion.
There are several cameramen setting up, and the bossy guy from my intro is directing everyone into place as Alex comes forward.
“How is everyone doing?”
“Good!” a majority of us answer.
Alex nods. “Okay… let’s try that again. This time, give it a little more. How is everyone doing?”
The guys clearly understand the assignment as they begin clapping and shouting like madmen, even a few whoops and fist bumps to really sell the excitement.
Alex smiles. “Excellent. We’re going to be rolling soon.
First, what I want each of you to do is line up over here.
One by one, we’ll have you do a walk out.
As new contestants join, get excited, get pumped.
Make them feel welcome. This will be our audience’s first impression of you all, make it worthwhile.
Oh, and make sure you act surprised by each new contestant,” he says with a wink.
Several people laugh at that as we all line up.
One by one, they bring in the girls while Alex introduces them briefly.
Each girl brings something different. Kenzie struts across the patio and over to the large lounge area like she’s on a runway.
Cora, swear to God, skips. Luna practically makes love to the camera before giving it a saucy wink, and to no one’s surprise, the other girls just push their tits up and shake their ass in a way I think is supposed to be disguised as them just walking.
I’m the last one, and honestly, I don’t know how to compete with the other girls.
Or even be on their level. So when I’m signaled to go, I paste a huge cheesy smile on my face and attempt to look hot as I walk towards the other girls.
“The last but absolutely not least of our female contestants is Courtney. She’s twenty-eight and from Seattle. You know what that means, fellas. She’s severely lacking vitamin D,” Alex says, like he’s announcing for a gameshow, with a salacious grin.
Gag. Who the hell came up with that tag line? He’s kinda not wrong, though. My pale ass could use some sun… and some D.
“Heyyy!” I say with a wave in a tone I swear I’ve never used in my life.
The girls all squeal and bounce up and down as I come up to them, and the first to grab me is Savannah.
She smiles. “Oh my gosh! You are stunning. I’m Savannah.”
It takes everything in me not to drop the act, but my God, I’m impressed with how well she can pull off being sweet. If only I hadn’t already seen a very ugly side of her.
“I’m Courtney.” I smile as I go down the line of girls, hugging and introducing myself to each.
Once we’re all seated, the boys begin coming out. I don’t know any of them, apart from one, so it’s a nice opportunity to sit back and observe. After all, I’ll end up being paired up with one of them for the show.
“Alright, ladies, try to hold on to your panties, our first guy has a smile that’s going to drop them in a flash. Please welcome twenty-eight-year-old Shane from Cincinnati.”
Shane throws his arms in the air with a wide bright white smile as he shouts, “What’s up, ladies?”
We all cheer and clap as his eyes roam over us all before pausing on Cora.
A deep blush sets into her cheeks before he heads straight for her, bypassing everyone else, then taking a seat beside her.
My eyes can’t help but stay on them as I watch them softly whisper to each other.
Have we just witnessed the first pairing?
I know we won’t be coupling up or whatever for a while, but it seems like they aren’t wasting any time.
“Next up is Andrew. He’s twenty-four, 6’3 and loves to cook. I don’t know about you ladies, but I could certainly eat him up!”
We all laugh, even if Alex’s intros are literally the corniest, most awkward lines I’ve ever heard.
Andrew emerges with his jet-black hair perfectly styled, ducking his head to hide his shy smile.
When he makes it to us, he makes eye contact with each girl and politely smiles before taking a seat in between Luna and Angel.
Angel wiggles a little closer to him, and his smile lifts slightly as he takes her in.
“This next guy likes his women like he likes his coffee… filled with Irish cream. Please welcome thirty-one-year-old Connor!”
We all clap and cheer as a man with a thick red beard rounds the corner with more swagger than I think I’ve ever seen. He takes a few steps before jumping into a full-on front flip. Everyone goes wild, cheering and hooting for him; he eats it up and hugs us all.
“Phew, that’s a tough act to follow. Let’s see what Mason can do for you ladies,” Alex says as a tall blond guy comes walking towards us.
He runs for a moment before jumping into a front flip as well, clearly ripping off Connor, before tearing off his shirt.
Buttons fly everywhere, and he poses like he’s just finished a dance battle.
Alex laughs. “Oh my God! Look at that. 6’5, blue eyes and ready to jump into love.”
Everyone’s pity laughs are growing weaker and weaker with every joke. I feel bad for the remaining guys, honestly.
“You know what they say, ladies, everything is bigger in Texas, and I think Dallas will agree!”
A man with shoulders as wide as a car comes out, cowboy hat and all, accompanied by assless chaps.
For the audience’s sake, he is wearing jeans under the chaps and a black button-down, but that doesn’t stop the gyrating of his hips as he attempts to ride an invisible bull.
The girls are hooting and hollering, the guys are cheering him on and even Luna shouts, “Save a horse and ride ME!”
That catches his attention, he shoots her a wink and drops down on Luna’s other side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as the next guy comes in.
“Did someone order Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome? You ladies are going to have to save me a piece of this one… Introducing Calvin!”
Calvin walks in with a lot more poise than the others. He still has a great energy about him, but it’s clear he has more confidence than half the guys here combined. He doesn’t need a gimmicky thing to gain the limelight. It’s like he commands it, and we’re all flies in his trap.
I’m not the only one feeling this way either. Luna quickly locks eyes with him, and I see it all over her face. Cowboy who? She’s fully locked on to this man, and the feeling looks mutual.
Calvin wastes no time, forcing Dallas to scoot to the side and taking a seat beside Luna, which is actually kind of hilarious because he looks like someone just stole his new shiny toy.
“Here comes Landon! Thirty-one years old from Detroit. He’s a tattoo artist who specializes in colored tattoos,” Alex announces, grabbing all of our attention.
That’s not too hard to guess. The guy is covered in them from the neck down and oozes swagger.
“Man, I really have a desire to taste the rainbow, what about you ladies?” Alex teases.
Landon smirks just barely at his comment before running his hand through his messy black hair as his piercing green eyes take in each person. Fuck. He’s probably one of the hottest guys here, and he knows it too.
Shane is the first to stand up, pulling him in for a bro hug before Savannah, Kiera and Bella all but shove him out of the way.
He makes his way down the line, but when he comes to me, he doesn’t linger for long before he’s moving on to the next girl. I don’t know why that rubs me the wrong way, but it does.
“To finish out the guys, we have Noah! He’s twenty-nine years old from Nashville. He’s looking to find love and settle down, as long as the wife is right,” Alex says and laughs.
Only Alex, though. No one even tries to pity laugh at that one.
I try not to let my excitement show, but I’ve been waiting for him to be introduced from the moment we started.
God. I think he’s better-looking than even I remember.
Seriously, he looks like that blond guy that was in practically every TV show and movie in the early 2000s.
Oh God. What’s his name? Whatever, who cares?
He’s like a hotter version of that guy, and when his eyes land on me, my stomach instantly flips.
Noah is kind and respectful, greeting everyone individually, but when it’s time to sit down, he wastes no time taking a seat beside me. I can’t even attempt to bite back my smile as his thigh brushes against mine.
His head turns, whispering into my ear softly. “Fancy seeing you here, stranger.”
I laugh under my breath as my eyes come to his. “Small island.”