Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Courtney
The next morning, Luna, Cora and I are eating breakfast on one of the couches in the sun.
The previous evening ended up being pretty mellow.
The crew all went home for the night, which meant we were only being monitored by the millions of hidden cameras throughout the house.
That also meant they didn’t have any big surprises in store for us for the rest of the night.
Thank God.
Apparently, Noah and I weren’t the only ones to make a connection so early either.
That omelet that Cora’s eating right now?
Cheffed up by Andrew. No promises, no expectations.
She was sitting here while Luna and I ate, when suddenly he was carrying out an omelet plated like it should be in a restaurant.
She blushed; he ducked his head and held the back of his neck.
It was adorable, and the romantic tension between them was so heavy, I was tempted to tell them to just make out already.
Both of them are pretty reserved, though, so I wasn’t sure how that would have played out.
I mean, it’s not like she’s going to fuck him in the shower or anything, but give the man something, girl.
I watch as Cora almost bashfully plays with the ear of that stuffed yellow bunny.
She wasn’t kidding when she said she took it everywhere.
She carries that thing all over the place, like a support blanket.
Or, I guess, a support stuffed animal. Whatever we need to get through the day, though, right?
Noah comes walking over with two plates of food, Calvin hot on his heels. They both glance to me and Luna before frowning.
We share a look and smirk.
“What’s all that?” Luna asks.
“It was supposed to be breakfast for you two,” Noah says with a disappointed tone.
“Ah, taking pages out of Andrew’s playbook I see,” I say.
“No,” Calvin defends.
Luna nails him with a look that has him shaking his head and setting the food down on a nearby table. He takes a seat beside her before yanking her into his lap. He tries to whisper something into her neck, but his deep voice trebles too loud, and I hear every word.
“You were supposed to wait for me to make you breakfast. Then I was going to roll over here all romantic and shit.”
She shrugs like she couldn’t care less, but her shit-eating grin tells me she’s lapping this attention up.
“You expect me, a strong independent woman, to sit around and wait for a man to feed me? I think not.”
Calvin laughs, burying his head into her neck once more. It’s not whispering he’s doing this time. Luna’s eyes flutter closed, and she lets out a breathy little moan.
“Jesus, take all of that somewhere else,” I say and toss a piece of bread at them.
They break apart, smiling, and Calvin looks at me. “You’re right. Maybe the showers?”
My mouth drops open as I look up to see Noah barely holding back his laughter. I smack his leg before shaking my head.
“Fuck you all,” I humph as I push my plate of food away and settle back into my seat.
Everyone falls apart into laughter, then the back gate of the yard opens, and several cameramen come filtering through before Alex.
He grins. “Hey, everyone. How’s your morning going?”
“Oh shit!” someone hollers from across the lawn.
“If I could have everyone over here, we’ll go over what surprises are in store for today!” Alex smiles in a way that’s not at all comforting.
All of us gather in a semicircle, directed by Daryll, before Alex stands in front of us and begins.
“I know you’ve all been getting to know each other, some better than others,” he says with a smirk and a wink directed straight at me and Noah.
Embarrassment hits me, and I duck my head as Noah smirks.
“But… with the locked-in ceremony coming very soon, we thought it would be good to make sure all connections are being explored. You never know who you’ll click with.” Alex laughs.
A few people fake chuckles or smiles, and I probably should have too, but sometimes my RBF can’t be overcome with fakeness.
“We’ve set up a little speed-dating area on the upper deck if you all want to come check it out!”
With that, the cameras cut and Daryll directs us all to head upstairs.
Alex walks ahead of us, straightening his suit and tie.
Yeah, the guy is wearing a suit and tie in the heat of…
wherever the hell we are. Definitely somewhere tropical.
The frizz in my hair is the first indicator that it’s too fucking hot to be wearing a suit.
Once we’re all upstairs, everyone is directed to take a seat at the long table set up.
Girls on one side, guys on the other. Each couple gets one minute, and we have to go through the prompted questions on the cards to see if there are any “sparks” as they said.
Once that minute is up, the guys stand and move on to the next girl.
I take a seat at the end, and Luna sits beside me. We both laugh as Noah and Shane sprint to sit in front of us first. I shake my head in amusement as Noah gives me an almost embarrassed grin and a shrug as the cameramen signal they’re ready, one camera on each couple as they set the time.
“Alright, first up,” Noah says as he reads one of the note cards. “If you could only eat one thing every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?”
I don’t even have to think. “Shrimp. I could literally eat it breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
He laughs. “Really?”
“Don’t judge me. What’s your favorite, something basic?”
“Pizza,” he answers confidently.
I can’t help but laugh. “Typical.”
Noah’s mouth drops in what looks like mock offense. “You mean an international delicacy enjoyed worldwide? While you chose the roaches of the sea.”
“Those are fighting words, sir,” I warn before we both dissolve into laughter.
Just like that, a timer goes off, and Noah gives me a disappointed look as he stands.
I wave goodbye, wiggling my fingers to him. “Have fun on your dates!”
He smirks as he shakes his head and moves down the table to the front. Shane slides into his place. He gives me a dazzling smile that only does a little something for me before wiggling his eyebrows.
“Thank God, I thought he’d never leave.”
I roll my eyes and laugh. “Shut up and ask the questions.”
Shane wiggles his eyebrows. “Right away, Mommy. Alright, what is your favorite position?”
As soon as the question leaves his lips, he leans in curiously, dramatically batting his eyelashes like he can’t wait to hear what I have to say.
Sinking my teeth into my lower lip, I let out a laugh that’s only part discomfort because what a fucking awkward question to ask when I have a camera six inches away from my face.
“Reverse cowgirl,” I mutter.
“Oh really?” Shane asks, his eyes tracing over me like he’s envisioning me in that position right now.
“You enjoying the mental visual?” I ask.
“Absolutely. An ass like that deserves to be stared at,” he says and bites his knuckle dramatically.
I give his shoulder a playful shove, and he falls into laughter. I will say that is something I like about Shane. He’s easy to get along with. He comes on strong, and he can be a lot, but it’s all in good fun. He’s a good guy, at least at face value. And, you know, his face value is pretty too.
“What about you? Let me guess, missionary?” I tease.
“Hell no. I’m a modern-day man. I love to let my woman take control. Use me, abuse me, tie me up. I’m down for anything.”
I lift a challenging eyebrow as I rest my elbows on the table. Shane matches my move, his eyes flicking down to my mouth. Does this guy seriously think that’s the perfect segue to making out? He’s insane.
“Something tells me your answer has a lot less to do with being a modern man and a lot more with not wanting to put in any work.”
Shane leans back in his chair, clutching his chest dramatically. “Babygirl, you’ve got me all wrong. I’ll be happy to prove it to you later.”
The alarm goes off, and Shane reaches for my hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it as he sends me a wink. “Until later, cowgirl.”
I can’t help but laugh at his ridiculousness as he moves down the table and Andrew comes to sit in front of me.
He’s polite and greets me with a kind smile, but as he reads the question, I catch his eyes drifting down the table, where Cora is talking with Dallas.
She’s smiling politely, but I notice the worried looks she sends to Andrew.
Oh, she’s got it bad for him. I don’t think she has anything to worry about, though. With the lack of attention he’s paying the rest of the girls, I’d say she’s just fine.
Several speed dates pass and a few things are solidified for me.
I really fucking like Noah. Not just because half these guys are conceited asshats, but because we can actually talk.
We laugh, and we can communicate for longer than two minutes without his eyes going to my tits or spacing off altogether.
Thankfully, we’re nearly done with speed dating when the last guy slides into the seat in front of me. I’ve been dreading it from the moment I noticed he was only a few girls down. Based on the look he’s rocking, I’d say we’re on the same page.
Landon folds his tattooed arms over his chest, his blank face staring a hole into mine as we just sit here.
I wait for him to read the card like all the other guys have before, but no, he stays silent.
Finally, I have enough of his attitude and snap, “Are you going to ask the goddamn question or sit there like a prick?”
He doesn’t react, doesn’t give a single hint that he’s capable of processing any emotions. For several seconds, we continue sitting in silence, and I swear my head is about to explode when his gaze barely flicks down at the card before he speaks.
“What’s the thing that you fear most?”
Lily flashes in my head instantly, and my heart hurts at the reminder of her.
God, I miss her.