Chapter Nine
Noah
“Bro, ain’t no way Mr. Straight-Laced was the first to get some pussy on this fucking island,” Mason scoffs.
I just smile. His shitty attitude doesn’t bother me. The jealousy radiating off him tells me all I need to know, and he’s not someone whose approval I’m desperate to win.
“I mean, are we surprised? You saw the way the girls were flocking to him yesterday,” Calvin chimes in with a shrug.
“We’ll see how long that lasts. Give me a challenge where I can show off my skills,” Dallas says as he drops to the floor and slowly gyrates against it like he’s already gotten it pregnant.
The entire room erupts into laughter as Shane pushes Dallas over so he sprawls on the floor.
“So, come on. Tell us, how was she, mate?” Connor asks, excitement in his eyes.
I look up to see everyone, even the quiet ones, watching with rapt attention.
Shrugging, I attempt to appear unaffected, when in reality, I’m still trying to catch my breath.
I mean, I was hoping I’d make a genuine connection on the show.
If I’m honest, I’m not here just to win.
I want to meet someone special, settle down, the whole American-dream thing, you know?
I just didn’t expect to find her so quickly, so immediately.
“Clearly, you horny fucks heard plenty,” I tease. “Why don’t you stop worrying about me and my girl and go get your own.”
“Your girl? No one is locked in yet, everyone is fair game, baby.” Shane grins, a mischievous spark in his eyes.
I shoot a narrow-eyed look at him, and he bursts out laughing. I can’t tell if he’s just messing with me or not, and suddenly, I’ll be keeping a closer eye on him. A closer eye on all these guys, honestly.
Kinda hate that they heard her in that way, that they almost peeked in on a special moment between us.
To be fair, though, we were warned that privacy is something of the past. On this island, whether it’s other cast members or crew, you’re never truly alone.
Guess I’m just now seeing the negative side of that.
Everyone drops it, then dives into conversations about the girls they’re all interested in.
There isn’t a camera crew in here catching all of this, but when I look up at the ceiling, I see several of the built-in cameras adjusting and zooming in all directions, so it’s clear we’re most definitely being recorded.
Landon is lying on his bed reading a book when I sit down next to him. He lifts a questioning eyebrow to me before his eyes move back to the page.
“You’re quiet,” I say.
“Yup,” he answers.
I can’t help but chuckle. He’s a grumpy one, for sure. That’s okay, though. I’m looking for a wife, not a best friend.
“What, you’re not gonna chime in and give me and Courtney shit?”
He makes a sound that almost sounds like a scoff as he turns the page. “What you do with that girl is your business. I’m minding mine.”
My brows dip for a moment. It’s not really his words; maybe it’s not even his tone either. Something about it, though, rubs me the wrong way.
“Why do you say it like that?” I ask.
His eyes flick to me, but he doesn’t speak, so I push further.
“Do you have beef with her or something? I mean, we literally just got here. Did you shoot your shot and get rejected or what?”
Landon makes a face like he couldn’t think of a worse idea and sets his book down. “Definitely not. She’s just not my cup of tea. More for you, bro.”
With that, he stands up and heads for the shower.
I don’t know why, but it almost offends me that he’s not into her. I mean, obviously I don’t want anyone else vying for her attention, but it’s kind of a compliment when others recognize how lucky you are.
The door to the hallway opens, and a woman with a headset peeks inside. “Sorry to bother you guys. Noah, we need you.”
I look down at the towel I’m still wearing and reach for clothes when she shakes her head.
“Like that is fine.”
A few of the guys laugh, and honestly, I do too. Not sure America signed up for all of this on day two, but they are the boss.
She leads me through the house before bringing me to what I’m gathering will remain the permanent confessional room. It’s really just a couch in front of a green screen and a shit ton of lights, but I’m sure behind the camera it looks great.
“So, Noah, how was the challenge today?” she asks.
I smile at the camera and shake my head. “Nasty. The textures, the warm foods that should never be warm, and then knowing I’m having to pass that on? Sorry, Savannah.” I laugh.
She smiles at me. “It seems like today wasn’t all bad, though. You got all cleaned up, clearly. Tell the audience about that.”
My grin turns cheesy as I duck my head. “Yeah, I mean. As you can imagine, that game was messy. So, Courtney and I figured let’s do our part and conserve water.”
“Sure sounded like that was all you were doing in there,” she goads.
“Apparently, we were a little loud. The guys let us know about that.”
The woman nods. “As you know, Courtney already did her confessional. Did you know that we asked her who she would lock in right now with if she had to, and she picked you.”
My mouth parts slightly. Not necessarily in shock but maybe relief? She’s a tough one to crack, I haven’t quite been able to read her yet. So to hear that everything I’m feeling already, she’s reciprocating?
“That’s fucking awesome. Really?” I ask, leaning forward and pushing away all at the same time. My gaze drifts to the blank wall to my right as I attempt to control my smile. I’m failing miserably, but at least I’m trying, right?
The woman nods again. “So, now we have to know. If you had to lock in with someone today, who would it be?”
“No question, Courtney all day,” I answer.
She smiles as someone whispers something into her ear.
“What about a second pick?” she asks. “If someone else locks in with her first?”
“They better not,” I tease. Sort of. “Um, God. I’m not really sure. If I’m honest, my eyes have been on her pretty much from the moment we got here. I’m not the type that settles for second place, you know?”
“Great, that’s all we need for today. Thank you,” she says as an assistant opens the door for me.
I nod and stand, holding my towel in place as I step out of the room, almost running straight into someone.
“What the hell?” a high-pitched voice snaps.
“Sorry,” I say as Savannah quickly blinks and smiles up at me.
“Oh, Noah. No worries. I just need to watch where I’m going. They have us running all around. I haven’t even gotten a chance to rinse off your mess,” she teases with a wink.
I laugh. “Sorry about that, I’m competitive.”
“So am I,” she says with an eyebrow waggle as she rests a hand on my chest.
I look down at it in surprise. She was forward last night in our talk but not to this extent. I’d be lying if I said I don’t find her attractive. She’s drop-dead gorgeous. I’m just not sure if there’s much more to her besides that, though.
“We’re ready for you,” the same woman says through the door to Savannah.
“I’ll see you later?” she asks, her eyes practically begging me to promise.
I smile politely. “For sure.”
She grins and does a little bounce before hurrying into the room as I head back to the bedroom to finally get some clothes on.