Chapter Three
Vivian was no stranger to heat. Every second morning, she spent thirty minutes in the sauna after a brutal HIIT session with her trainer, Jim Anderson.
Muscles screaming, chest pounding, hair plastered to her neck.
Usually, she came out feeling like a warrior, all-powerful and heat-resistant, but this sun was intense.
The air clung to her skin, heavy and sticky, and made breathing feel like its own workout.
And somehow, the later it got, the more oppressive it became.
Which was why she had every door and window closed in her villa and the AC blasting full tilt.
Frankly, she could stay in here forever. And not just to escape the heat.
The space was gorgeous. A king-size bed with crisp white Belgian linen took up one side, tucked neatly beneath a perfectly draped mosquito net.
A sisal rug added texture beneath her feet.
A white sectional was angled perfectly toward the floor-to-ceiling glass doors, which looked out onto the infinity pool and bushveld beyond.
There was a driftwood coffee table holding a collection of finely curated books.
Mirrors were framed in brushed gold. Green plants sat in ceramic vases.
And to the other side was a gorgeous bathroom with quartz countertops, a small kitchenette with a fancy Breville coffee machine, and tucked discreetly by a tall bookcase was a hunter green futon with a copper side table.
“One day you’re going to let me put some blue eyeshadow on your eyelids,” Cindy said, dabbing concealer beneath Vivian’s eyes. “I think it will make your whole look pop.”
“You mean you want to make me look like a clown? Or the Joker?” Vivian said, shaking her head.
Cindy had spent much of last season trying to convince Vivian to dye the tips of her blonde hair pink.
Cindy’s style ideas were not to be trusted.
Vivian had to keep a close eye on her while she did the bare minimum to her face.
Except this time, she found herself a little distracted, but not just by the view.
She was distracted by Sienna, too. The bachelorette wasn’t exactly as she had expected.
That headshot was misleading. Yes, she was gorgeous, there was no denying that, but the photo made her look untouchable.
Cool. Effortless. When in reality… well, how did you describe someone who tripped on the edge of a rug? A rug that wasn’t even curled up.
Suddenly, an elephant trumpeted somewhere in the distance. Vivian nearly leaped right out of her skin.
Cindy laughed. “You’re a little jumpy. Is this your first time in the bush?”
“Isn’t it yours?” Vivian asked, not sure why she was on the defensive. Jet lag? Or maybe just the fact that there were predators everywhere. Just earlier she had thought she saw a vervet monkey swinging through the branches of a marula tree just off her deck. She hoped she was wrong.
Cindy stepped back and began packing up her brushes. “I heard the bachelorette face-planted right in front of you, and now she’s got a head full of stitches.”
“Stitches?” Vivian asked, surprised. Maybe the cut was worse than she’d thought. Maybe Sienna had needed stitches after all.
“That’s what I heard,” Cindy said, shrugging. “Fi is with her now, so we will get confirmation soon.” She lingered, reorganizing her kit even though it was impeccable. “What do you think of her?”
“Who?” Vivian asked, though she knew Cindy was referring to Sienna.
She simply needed to bide her time to come up with an impartial reply.
Besides, it didn’t matter what Vivian thought of Sienna.
She wasn’t the one vying for her attention.
Their paths would only cross again while the cameras were filming, and she hoped for her sake there wouldn’t be any more accidents.
“I think she’s lovely,” Vivian replied, and before Cindy could ask her any more questions, she quickly glanced down at her watch and said, “I should get going; the introductions are happening soon.”
By the time Vivian stepped onto the deck of the main lodge, all the relief she’d experienced in her air-conditioned villa was gone, and she was battling the heat all over again.
She considered asking someone for a portable fan, or even some PA who could blast cool air into her face with a raffia palm leaf, but then Elise showed up looking like a woman on a mission.
“We’re doing things a little differently this year,” Elise said, which was something Vivian had expected since Elise seemed intent on changing things up when things didn’t need changing. “I want you to do a short interview with each contestant right before they meet Sienna. One minute tops.”
“Why?” Vivian asked.
“It gives the audience context,” Elise said, sounding irritated that she even had to explain herself because it was obvious, duh. But Vivian didn’t think so. The entire point of the introductions was to introduce the contestants to the bachelorette. This seemed like doubling the work.
“Fine,” Vivian said, because she didn’t have the energy to argue. The sun was too busy leeching it right out of her skin. “Anything you want me to ask them in particular?”
Elise blinked. And it became clear to Vivian that this was a last-minute add-on.
Clearly, she hadn’t given much thought, which meant it was Vivian’s problem now.
A problem she could remedy, given all her years of experience.
“I’ll come up with something,” she said quickly before Elise’s brain exploded.
“Great,” Elise said. She pointed toward the far edge of the main deck, where a spiral staircase wound down to a terrace below.
“You’ll be stationed over there. The contestants will walk up the stairs, greet you, and then once you’ve asked them a question or two, they’ll cross the deck to where Sienna is standing beneath the shade of the acacia tree. ”
The acacia tree grew straight out of the deck. Its branches tangled with tiny fairy lights that had to compete with the sunset pouring through the leaves. Beneath the tree, where Sienna was expected to stand, flame lily petals in orange and red were scattered like confetti.
“Perfect,” Vivian said. She wanted to ask how Sienna was doing, if she really had to get stitches, but any more time spent with Elise than absolutely necessary would just unravel her sanity, and her shrink didn’t do international calls.
Elise gave one quick nod before she walked off shouting, “Okay, everyone! Let’s get ready. Where’s Sienna? Can someone please get me Sienna?”
“I’m here!” a voice called, and Vivian’s gaze snapped automatically to the open doorway.
Sienna stepped onto the deck. This time she didn’t fall, which was frankly a miracle considering the dress she was wearing.
She had on a long, backless slip of silk that moved when she did.
The soft rose gold picked up every freckle on her sun-kissed skin, and Vivian found herself wondering how many there were and if she would ever get close enough to count them.
And then she saw three parallel Steri-Strips on her forehead.
Wait, were there stitches underneath them?
She couldn’t see from where she was standing, and suddenly she had a great big urge to walk over to her and check for herself.
But that urge was gratefully split in half when the director, Sara Evans, who acted more like Elise’s shadow than anything else, called, “Vivian, you’re up.”
Right. Showtime.
Vivian stepped to her mark. Cicadas droned lazily in the brush beyond the glass railing.
The sun dipped even further, so the sky glowed orange.
And not just orange, but copper and honey and every shade of fire in between.
She caught a quick glimpse of herself in the lens, but frankly, the only thing she could see reflecting back was the sunset, staining her skin gold.
She inhaled, straightened her shoulders, and smiled for the camera.
This was it. This was why they paid her the big money.
“Welcome to Season Seven of The Sapphic Match,” she said, her voice all silky and smooth.
“This year we’ve traded the vineyards for the untamed beauty of South Africa’s Sabi Sand Game Reserve.
” She paused just long enough for the faint breeze to carry her words.
“Ten incredible women are stepping into the wild, literally, to see if love can survive the heat. Over the next three weeks, they’ll face challenges, share laughs, and yes, even shed a few tears.
Some will win a private overnight date under the stars.
Others will ride in safari jeeps across the bush, hoping for a glimpse of the Big Five, but only one will leave here with that final rose. ”
“Cut!” Sara called.
Vivian exhaled and pressed the heel of her palm against her forehead. She wondered if her makeup was still in place or if the sun had melted it off her face.
“Let’s get the first contestant in,” Elise called just as Sara was about to speak. Last season, Sara had taken a leave of absence to navigate the newborn trenches with her wife, and Elise had stepped in to fill her shoes. Clearly, she wasn’t ready to give back those shoes.
“Vivian, are you ready?”
“Born ready,” she said. And she was. Earlier, she had memorized the lineup and knew the first contestant was Holly.
She had studied each bio and committed each face to memory.
She liked to think of her brain as a huge vault with a million different safety deposit boxes, each designated to the various contestants, television personalities, and celebrities she’d met over the years.
Holly ascended the stairs. She was lean, athletic, with a tumble of dark curls that bounced on her shoulders. She wore a pink floral print bodycon dress and silver strappy heels. In her hand was an envelope, but not just any envelope, a jumbo one the size of a small dog.
“Hi,” Vivian said, flashing a smile. “It looks like you’ve got a very important letter to mail.” She tilted her head to the envelope as she internally grimaced at her comment. But what the hell, the viewers loved a bit of cheese.
Holly froze for half a beat, and her dark eyes widened ever so slightly at the unexpected presence of the nearly six-foot Vivian.
The contestant glanced down at the envelope and lifted it up slightly, which made Vivian even more curious as to what it was.
A love letter? A check for some charity that Holly supported?
A life-size photo of her, which had been done before?
“Oh, hi. It’s a surprise,” the contestant said.
“I’m sure our bachelorette loves surprises,” Vivian said, a little disappointed. Not that she showed it in her voice. Or her smile. “I know you’re excited to meet her, but before you do, tell me one thing no one knows about you.”
“Umm…” Holly muttered, and Vivian could see the mental cogs spinning like a tiny hamster wheel on overdrive.
She reminded herself that not everyone was quick on their feet, and that was fine.
Production would cut the seconds wasted anyway.
“I once ate two-day-old chicken I left out on the counter and ended up in the hospital for a week. No one knows I nearly died.”
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t,” Vivian said with just the right amount of sympathy.
“We’re happy to have you here.” She gestured for Holly to make her way across the deck to the acacia tree, where the bachelorette was standing.
She then turned her attention back to the stairwell, ready for the next contestant.
Which meant Vivian didn’t get to see Holly walk up to Sienna. Or how Sienna reacted when she did.
So, the small, inexplicable pang that struck somewhere beneath her ribs didn’t make sense.
Unless, of course, it was just disappointment over not getting to see what was in that envelope.
Yes. That was it. Definitely that. Not the fact that she was desperate to know if Sienna was impressed by Holly or if there was an instant connection.
She yanked that thought out of her head before it could fully form, just as the next contestant walked up the stairs. “Well, hello there, Lucille,” she said. “I love your dress.”