Chapter Five
Vivian wasn’t exactly ready for day two considering she hardly slept last night.
It wasn’t the noise that had kept her up, but rather the absence of it.
There were no car horns or distant barking dogs.
There was no Mikey, the quirky man from the street who would come storming into the lobby singing Piano Man just for the hell of it.
Eric, the concierge of Vivian’s low-rise in Hancock Park, would bribe him to leave with Kit Kat candy bars.
Just silence. Except, of course, for every time a lion roared or a hyena laughed, she shot up in bed, ready to fight for her life.
Yawning, she picked up her cup of coffee, touched the rim to her lips, and breathed in the delicious aroma while she stared ahead.
The view from her deck was gorgeous. Morning light spilled like syrup across the acacia-studded plains.
A herd of impalas grazed near the bank and a small group of zebras stood huddled together a short distance away.
If she squinted, she could just make out the graceful bounds of several springboks zigzagging across the grass.
But better than the view was the temperature. A comfortable sixty-eight degrees.
On her lap sat her iPad. The screen glowed with the itinerary for the day.
The contestants were all expected to attend breakfast in the main dining area, followed by a guided bush walk along the riverbank.
Vivian was to join them for the start of it to say something vaguely profound about connection to the earth before reporting back to production to go through the schedule for the rest of the day.
Sometimes, though not often, she felt a little prickle of jealousy when it came to the activities.
Last season the contestants had gone grape stomping, which was an activity she had always fancied doing.
Instead, she had to watch them from the sidelines, fake-smiling like she enjoyed seeing them have fun.
Maybe Elise would allow her to go on the game drive at least. Surely she had some critical insight to offer about the ladies gazing through binoculars, searching for elusive leopards. Either way, she wasn’t above groveling.
And then she caught herself. Just yesterday she had frowned at the thought of dust and heat, and mosquitoes. She’d shuddered every time the lions roared like thunder just beyond the fence line. Didn’t a game drive involve all those things?
So, what had changed? Nothing, she told herself, ignoring the strange buzz in her stomach like she’d somehow swallowed a handful of bees. But the buzz didn’t go away. Even with the coffee. Even after she’d taken a deep inhale. Which is why she was grateful when a knock echoed through her villa.
The door opened, and Elise walked in. She was wearing khaki shorts, a tucked-in white T-shirt, and leather boots that didn’t go higher than her ankles.
Vivian was temporarily stunned at Elise’s calves.
They were far more muscly than Vivian ever would’ve guessed.
She marched across the villa to the deck until she stood right in front of Vivian and tapped her little black Moleskine against her thigh.
“Why aren’t you dressed yet?” she asked, frowning deeply. “You’re supposed to be at breakfast. We’re filming morning moments for B-roll. You’re supposed to be mingling with the girls. Didn’t you get my email?”
Vivian twisted in her chair. “Well, good morning to you too.”
“Morning,” Elise said, but only because she was forced to. “I need you up there. The girls are already jumping into the buffet, and we want some shots of you interviewing them. You know, asking them how their first night went, what their expectations are for today.”
“We’ve never done that before,” Vivian pointed out.
She never ever joined the contestants for breakfast. Not just because she believed breakfast consisted of a cup of black coffee and some peace and quiet, but also because the girls weren’t expected to be dressed up and ready for the day until the first date activity.
“I’m trying something different this season,” Elise said. “You’d know all about it if you read my email.”
“Fine, I’ll go to breakfast,” Vivian said only because she wasn’t in the mood to argue.
She leaned forward as if she were about to get up, which had Elise looking pleased enough to turn around and head toward the door.
But as soon as the producer left, Vivian sank back into her chair and sipped her coffee calmly and slowly and let herself watch the springboks zigzag across the grass for a few more seconds.
When her cup was empty, she closed her iPad, walked back into her room, and got ready.
Today she decided to go with a pale lemon-yellow silk slip dress. Knee-length, thin straps, and perfect for the heat. She threw on flat strappy sandals, grabbed a wide-brimmed hat, her tube of SPF 50 and stepped onto the wooden walkway that led to the main lodge.
She gave a quick glance left and right in case any animal decided to ambush her, and then immediately remembered monkeys climbed trees and glanced up at the branches instead.
“Hi,” said a voice to her left.
Vivian nearly jumped out of her skin. “What the hell!” she cried, whipping her head toward the voice, only to realize it was Sienna walking toward her.
“Sorry,” Sienna said quickly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Why aren’t you at breakfast?” Vivian asked.
The way the words tumbled out sounded more like an accusation than anything else.
She took in a breath to calm her jittery heart, which was only beating so fast because she’d thought an animal had snuck up on her.
“I mean, I thought everyone was already at breakfast,” she said, this time slower and more ladylike.
“I’m running late,” Sienna said, tucking a strand of wavy hair behind her ear. “Had a bit of an emergency this morning.”
“Emergency?” Vivian looked her up and down, searching for any other grazes or bruises.
But she couldn’t see anything. Unless, of course, they were concealed by the safari green linen dress that hung like a fashionable sack off her muscular shoulders.
“What kind of emergency?” she asked. “Did you fall again? Are you okay?”
Sienna’s mouth parted, looking slightly stunned. It was only when she shook her head, frowning slightly, that Vivian realized her hand was out, as if she were trying to save Sienna.
For fuck’s sake. Why was she acting like this?
“I’m fine,” Sienna said after a beat. She looked obviously amused, which made the whole thing feel way more awkward. Vivian wished the planks beneath her feet would just split open and swallow her up. “It was more of a fashion emergency.”
Now it was Vivian’s turn to frown. “What does that mean?”
Sienna laughed, and her cheeks turned a rosy pink. She ran her fingers through her hair. “You remember when I said I was clumsy?”
“I do.”
“Well, I wasn’t lying. Somehow, and don’t ask me how, I managed to spill an entire tub of sunscreen in my suitcase. Everything, and I mean everything, is coated in a gooey mess.” She glanced down at her dress and did a little half-twirl, which Vivian thought was adorable.
“This dress is actually Fi’s,” Sienna added. “I’m lucky we’re the same size.”
“Well, you look great,” Vivian said, feeling heat rise to her neck.
She wasn’t sure if it was the sun rising above the treetops beating down, or the sudden, unbidden thoughts about what was under that dress.
“We should probably get to breakfast,” she added quickly before she allowed her thoughts to drift into even more dangerous territory.
She took a few steps forward, and Sienna followed.
Vivian expected her to trail behind until they reached the main lodge, but the next moment, Sienna was beside her.
“How are the villas?” she asked. “The tents aren’t bad at all.
I mean, you can hardly call it a tent. There’s a bathtub, actual electricity, and everything’s extremely decadent. I know they call it glamping...”
Vivian was only half-listening. A staff member in a khaki skirt and a white blouse with the Ndloveni logo etched on the pocket appeared ahead with a tray of what looked like breakfast: a halved papaya, a golden muffin, a tiny glass of yogurt with granola spilling prettily over the tip, and a silver dome that almost certainly hid bacon and eggs.
She was walking right toward them with her eyes glued to the tray.
Vivian wondered if this was how breakfast was supposed to be delivered to the villas and, if yes, maybe she’d give up her habit of no breakfast and give it a try tomorrow morning.
But before she could get a better look at the papaya, Sienna sidestepped abruptly to get out of the woman’s way and bumped right into Vivian.
Instinct took over. Vivian’s hands shot to Sienna’s waist to steady her.
Which would’ve worked perfectly, except Sienna’s sandal caught on a raised deck plank, and suddenly they were both off balance, tipping toward each other like two trees caught in the same gust of wind.
Their knees brushed. Shoulders crashed. Vivian’s fingers flexed involuntarily against the soft linen of Sienna’s dress before she even realized what she was doing.
And then for a second, neither moved. There was just the buzz of the cicadas, the call of a bird Vivian didn’t recognize, and the smell of Sienna’s perfume.
Vivian stepped back quickly, as if she’d touched a hot stove. “You really are clumsy,” she said, straightening the straps of the dress, even though they didn’t need any straightening.
“I know,” Sienna said a little breathlessly. She brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek and seemed to look everywhere but at Vivian. Which, frankly, Vivian was grateful for. There was no way she could look Sienna in the eye right now and not think about how close they were a second ago.
“It’s a generational curse,” Sienna added.
Vivian chuckled. “You make it sound hereditary.”
“It is,” Sienna said, entirely serious. “My mom fell into a koi pond at her sister’s wedding. My grandmother didn’t keep any glasses in the house because she was always breaking one. I’m just doing my best to carry on the family legacy.”
“Heroic,” Vivian said, smiling even though she didn’t want to smile. Why was she smiling? And why hadn’t she walked away to the dining hall ages ago? Elise was probably waiting for her, furious that she was taking her time.
Right. That was her cue to leave. To move. To remember that she was the host of The Sapphic Match and not some doe-eyed contestant who’d entered the show for a chance at love.
She was just about to bid Sienna goodbye, but then Elise appeared on the deck above them. “Vivian!” she called. “Where the hell have you been? Oh, hi, Sienna. I see you managed to get a dress.”
Sienna smiled and nodded. “Fi helped me out.”
“Well, you should head inside for breakfast. We’re starting the first date soon and wouldn’t want you hungry.” She smiled as Sienna ascended the stairs to the main lodge deck and then gave Vivian the side-eye when she followed her up.
“You know, you really need to forgive me for last season,” Vivian said, though she couldn’t help smiling. Because honestly, she didn’t care if Elise forgave her or not. “And by the way, you look great in those shorts.” She winked.
Elise’s scowl could’ve curdled milk.
And just like that, Vivian forgot all about that little collision earlier. Or at least she pretended she did because, honestly, the palm of her hand was still hot where it had pressed up against Sienna’s side.