Chapter 30
THIRTY
CALIFORNIA — WAVE
“Well, that was really something, wasn’t it?”
“I’ve never met a woman like her, Tom,” he says.
The whole thing—Molly’s desperate return to the ship, their Romeo and Juliet–esque conversation, her exaggerated antics as she tried to get back on board at any cost, and the heartfelt confession and kiss once the two reunited—caused Love at First Sail viewers to go wild for the two of them after the episode aired.
So much so that the ratings for subsequent episodes nearly tripled, something I learned later was desperately needed, as the show had been decreasing in viewership year over year.
After our little stunt, Glen had pulled Molly and me aside to demand answers.
We played it off like this had been the plan the whole time—a desperate attempt to get Molly out from under Demi’s ever-increasing control, and my attempt to show Glen I was more than just some B-roll operator without any vision. Thankfully, he bought it.
And, better yet, Molly told Glen she would only work with me from that point on, as her DOP and her producer. It was an automatic yes for Glen, who could see the potential in Molly, even without Duncan around. And it certainly made things easier when I pitched our finale plans to him.
I watch the monitor backstage, my arms crossed over my chest and my foot tapping nervously as Molly and Duncan chatter away with Tomlinson about their relationship.
“Great acting, guys,” I mumble to myself.
It’s really too bad that neither of them is into the other, given how perfect they look together.
They even appear to have pretty decent chemistry, if it weren’t for the fact that Duncan’s type is less like Molly, and more like the very tattooed, very goth girlfriend he left back home—something Molly let me know when we were making our plan in Amalfi.
I wasn’t shocked. He wasn’t the first contestant who had come on the show just for the money alone. Hell, that was why Molly had signed up—aside from wanting to see me.
At the end of the day, though, it was the perfect setup. Molly and Duncan looked, and acted, the part of the perfect couple, and neither was going to be upset when it didn’t work out.
Which was the plan—the not-working-out part.
Because no one likes a happy couple.
But everyone loves a dreamboat who had his heart broken and a bombshell who doesn’t want to settle.
“Well, folks, now that we’ve looked back on the love stories that took place this season on Love at First Sail, it’s time we drop anchor.
” I cringe at Tomlinson’s cheesy metaphors, but my stomach does a little flip knowing how close we are to the end.
“After the final contestants were eliminated last week, leaving these three gorgeous couples, you all went online and voted for the pair you think should win. Plus, our eliminated contestants cast their votes as well.”
The projector screen behind the couch lights up again, this time showing Carly scribbling a name down on a piece of paper and handing it to a producer as she walks off the ship.
A few other clips of former contestants doing the same thing play out while the three couples stand from the couch, which is then removed by two production assistants.
When the clip fades to black, the couples are arranged in a line, each holding hands with their respective partners.
I can see Molly shaking from where I’m standing, but thankfully it doesn’t pick up on camera. Instead, she looks demure.
“This is it, the big moment. Are you Love Sailors ready to find out who will sail off into the horizon one hundred grand richer?”
Come on, Tomlinson, get to the point.
The contestants all nod eagerly, and he pulls out a piece of cardstock from his navy suit jacket.
“Alright, here we go… The winning couple of season nine is…” My heart is beating so fast I think it’s going to explode, and Molly’s eyes are shut tight, her hand gripping Duncan’s with such force that I’m a little concerned for his circulation.
But then Tomlinson licks his lips, glancing back down at the card once more before shouting, gleefully, “Molly and Duncan!”
What follows next can only be described as pandemonium.
Tanesha bursts into tears and a distraught Kory tries to comfort her, only for her to push him away and storm off the stage.
Tina and Jean-Luc cheer for Molly and Duncan, then immediately start making out.
The audience stands, screams, claps, shouts, and whoops while streamers and glitter fall from the studio ceiling onto the stage.
Molly genuinely starts crying, her hands shaking from shock.
And then…Duncan gets down on one knee.
Surprised gasps fill the air as a hush falls over the studio, everyone intently focused on Duncan’s shaky hands.
Camera 2, already primed and ready to go, pushes in on Duncan and Molly, and I catch sight of Glen directing Camera 3 to swivel and record the audience reaction.
“Molly,” he starts, his voice trembling—and I wonder if he’s nervous she might actually say yes, which isn’t the plan.
“I know when we were in the hot tub on the last day, you told me that you didn’t want to get married, but…
I can’t live without you. I want you…no, I need you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”
Tension crackles in the air, and it’s so silent all I can hear is the faint buzzing of the monitor beside me. Molly’s eyes are wide, her hand clasped over her mouth as she stares down at her fake boyfriend.
“I… Uh… Oh, Duncan,” she says softly, looking around at the audience and then at Tomlinson. “You know I-I can’t.”
Duncan seems at a loss for words, and I’m curious as to what he’s planning to come out with. We didn’t give him too much direction, though now I’m considering whether or not that was a mistake.
“Um…” he says, looking down uncertainly at the open ring box in his hand, the sparkling diamond twinkling in the studio lights. “Please?”
I stifle a laugh. His delivery is so hilariously sad. Not real, of course, but still.
“Duncan, I really like you. But I don’t even love you yet.” Molly bends down, touching his shoulder to pull him up, and he pulls back slightly at her touch.
“I thought we were soulmates.”
Okay, that’s a little much, dude.
“Can we talk?” Molly says, holding out her hand. He takes it, rubbing stoically at his eyes before following her to the couch, where the two sit facing each other.
Tomlinson sits back down in his armchair.
“You guys mind if I join you?” he asks, and they both nod solemnly. Back in host mode, Tomlinson clears his throat and says, “Duncan, that was a beautiful, heartfelt proposal.”
I scoff. Yeah, right.
“I thought so, too, Tom…” Duncan replies, teary-eyed.
“Molly, do you want to let me in on what’s going through your head right now?” Tomlinson asks. Molly doesn’t even look at him; she keeps her attention completely on Duncan.
“Dunc,” she starts, her words tinged with kindness and compassion. “You have so much love to give, and I’m starting to realize how important the grand gestures are to you. But marriage is one grand gesture I’m just not ready for—and I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready for it.”
Duncan hangs his head, doing a great job of showing real emotion at her words. I’m impressed.
“What’s wrong with me?” he asks, and the audience reacts with a swell of scattered “awws.”
“Oh, babe, nothing is wrong with you,” Molly says comfortingly, squeezing his hand and reaching out to caress his cheek. “You are perfect. We just want different things. You’ll make another woman so happy with how committed you are.”
I wince, but Duncan nods. There’s silence for a few beats, and then Tomlinson jumps in.
“This is such a mature conversation, you two. I’m sad to see that things might not work out, but I think you’ve both learned a lot about yourselves this season.
” Molly reaches out to hug Duncan, and Tomlinson seems to take it as his opportunity to wrap things up.
“We’re going to let these two hug things out, but in the meantime, how would you like to get a sneak peek at our next season? ”
Tomlinson’s voice transitions quickly from “sympathetic friend” back to “live TV dating show host,” and the audience erupts into overwhelming cheers—cued by the crew member at the edge of the stage, who’s starting to look like their social battery has completely run out.
“Things seem to have gone well.” I jump at Sora’s perky voice—the curtains having swallowed the sound of her footsteps behind me.
“Yup, Duncan’s going to have a hard time holding on to that girlfriend of his. He’ll have women throwing themselves at him now.”
“I think if he was able to resist Molly, he won’t have as much trouble as you think,” she says, and I nod pensively. She has a point. I glance at Molly, who is talking in hushed whispers to Duncan as the promo clip for next season plays on the screen behind them.
“Molly did a good job,” Sora remarks. “Hard to believe anyone wanted to make her out to be a villain.”
There’s a small pang in my chest at Sora’s words.
I had spent so many years seeing Molly as the villain in my own story, and I lost out on having her and Morgan in my life because of it.
She could have been there for the big moments—when Dad passed, through bad breakups, and when my career wasn’t going the way I wanted it to.
If Molly had been around, my life might be different.
But there’s no use thinking about what that parallel universe might look like. Because it’s not the one I’m living in right now.
And that’s okay. Because today, in this moment, I have everything—and everyone—I need to feel happy.