Chapter 3 #4
The group greets them to a chorus of thinly veiled threats warning that they better not have been off fucking around, and Blake abruptly remembers that no one knows he and Pax kissed on the beach yet.
Though, from the look on Vincent’s face, it’s pretty clear he’s assuming they have, and he ain’t happy about it.
Still, Ava hasn’t outed them, so Blake certainly isn’t about to. He flashes Vin a sunny smile and helps himself to another beer before shoving Paxton sideways into the pool and then following him in.
Despite Blake’s apprehensive misgivings, there are no new surprises for the rest of the day.
In fact, it’s pretty damn chill. Everyone hangs out in and around the pool, drinking and snacking, playing “get to know you” games that the producers suggest but don’t force them to do.
Two Truths and a Lie, Get-to-Know-You-Jenga, and a thing with M&Ms where the colors correspond to various questions and you answer whichever one you pick out of the bowl.
The whole group mostly stays together, though Blake’s scrutinizing eye picks up that he and Pax aren’t the only ones gravitating towards someone specific and away from the others.
It’s all very new, and no one seems overly interested in peeling off for one-on-one time yet, which Blake thinks is probably for the best. He and Pax can cuddle in the hot tub and drape themselves over each other’s shoulders in the pool just fine with everyone else around — especially since they’re all doing the same thing.
Too much time alone with Pax right now won’t lead anywhere good, Blake knows it. Hell, they spent half an hour together on the beach and ended up horizontal in the sand. They got high in the bushes and Blake was ready to drop to his knees right there.
He’s trying, but he’s not a damn saint, he’s perpetually tipsy, and Pax is basically half-naked all the time in front of him. It’s not the best recipe for self-restraint and celibacy.
Anyway, Blake’s learning a lot about Pax in the group setting, and sharing as much right back.
It’s clear that Pax is directing his answers to questions and to trivia and such at Blake, which is both flattering and intimidating.
For the hundredth time today, Blake both wants to run screaming from this place and to try harder.
Every time Pax takes his turn in a game or answers a “getting to know you” M&M, he makes an effort to turn his body towards Blake, to make eye contact, to talk to him, as if no one else is even there.
The urge to drop to his knees only gets stronger, but Blake also likes Pax more with each passing minute.
And sure, maybe the booze and weed is lubricating the way, making things seem easier, more perfect than the cold, hard reality he knows life to be, but what’s so wrong with that?
Blake’s doing something he never thought he would, didn’t even consider himself capable of just days prior, and he’s proud of that.
A little oil on the gears is the least he deserves — at least, that’s what Blake’s telling himself.
Sometime in the early evening, the producers ask them all to gather on the furniture next to the pool, the same place where Ava dropped her bomb on them the night before.
The camera people set up in front of the space, and there are a decent number of production staff roaming around, so Blake feels like he has a good idea of what’s coming.
This is a moment they want to capture, and to capture correctly, the first time.
As he drags himself up off of the lounger he’s been half-dozing in, Blake catches Pax’s eye and pulls a face. Pax’s only response is to take his hand and lead them both over to one of the two-person loveseats, pulling Blake down insistently, nearly onto his lap.
Ava chimes.
“There has been a breach of the rules,” she says, and every eye in the place goes directly to Blake, Pax, and their guilty-ass expressions.
When all is said and done, the two of them have cost the group three thousand dollars and cost themselves a few budding friendships.
Vincent looks downright murderous, but the other contestants don’t seem to share his bloodlust, so he settles for pouting alone.
Ariana is the only one who seems thrilled for them, catching Blake after the crowd has broken up to fling arms around his neck and jump up and down in excitement.
“So, Paxton,” she says, shifting back only to slap Blake on the arm surprisingly hard for such a little girl. “He seems helpful and… dreamy.”
She’s so bright-eyed and genuine, Blake can’t resist the smile that crops up on his face. He easily lets her hook an arm through his and escort them over to grab some dinner from the kitchen. “Helpful?” he questions.
“Oh, uh…” Ariana looks around furtively and then leans up to whisper in Blake’s ear. “I might’ve been feeling a little anxious earlier, and Pax noticed. He was nice enough to share his ‘medicine’ with me, if you catch my drift.” Ariana (badly) mimes smoking a joint, and Blake laughs.
“Yeah, he’s pretty cool,” Blake agrees, his gaze involuntarily searching the man in question out.
Mr. Pretty Cool is currently standing across the way, eating a chicken leg over a paper plate while watching Ariana and Blake collect their own dinners.
When he sees Blake looking, he waves, mouth full and said chicken leg still in hand.
“Alright, maybe not cool,” Blake amends. “He’s pretty dorky.”
Ariana elbows him in the ribs, in between plopping several giant scoops of rice onto her plate. “Guess dorky must be your thing, Romeo,” she teases.
“Guess so,” Blake replies, before he even realizes what he’s saying.
As soon as dinner is over, production turns the heat up a notch.
They’re all told to prepare for another party, which sends the girls scattering to change outfits and fix their makeup and sends the guys to the bar.
The night is fun, everyone seemingly forgiving Blake and Pax for their slip-up (though Vincent keeps a skeptical eye on them at all times) and accepting them back into the fold.
There are free-flowing shots and glow stick necklaces wrapped around necks and wrists, plus loud music and dancing.
The breeze is warm and the atmosphere is beautiful, the sun’s dying rays taking endless hours to melt completely into the horizon, leaving the sky streaked red and orange for what feels like ages.
Overall, the party turns out to be a fantastic way to take the pressure off of all of them, and the first night of living under the rule change. For a while, Blake is actually able to forget how ridiculously horny he is, how much he wants to “get to know” Pax in a more intimate way.
By midnight, everyone is wasted, and previously guarded inhibitions are beginning to drop even further.
Somehow, Blake finds himself in the pool in his boxers, playing a game of chicken with Leah perched on his shoulders.
Her opponent is a very-wobbly Dani being held up by Dr. Matt.
Blake still thinks the guy has the personality of wet cardboard, but he’s definitely more fun when he’s drunk.
It’s only when Dani finally topples Leah in triumph, assisted by Dr. Matt’s sneaky foot sweeping behind Blake’s already unsteady ankles, that the night goes a little sideways. Dizzy from the booze, Blake’s completely unable to regain his footing, going under the water right alongside Leah.
He sputters as he surfaces, while Leah shrieks and clings to him, yelling about her mascara and asking Blake if it’s ruined.
He laughs, because of course it is, running down her cheeks in black rivulets the more she blinks.
Leah is surprisingly good-natured with it all, making a joke about how if she doesn’t find love here, she’s screwed.
No one is going to want to date her back home after seeing the wet raccoon look she has going on camera.
She’s funny, and Blake thinks she’s pretty cool, so he doesn’t think twice about going out of his way to grab her a towel and help her wipe the worst of the mess away.
It never even occurs to him that what he’s doing might be interpreted as flirting, by Leah or anyone else, because he’s not.
For the first time in a long time, actually, physical attraction or no, Blake’s just trying to be friendly — to make and keep a friend.
Nothing seems amiss until after Dani comes over to where he and Leah are sitting across from each other on two of the poolside lounges.
Blake is ultimately making things worse on her poor face at this point, and Dani rolls her eyes, grabs Leah’s hand, and drags her off to the bedroom to get her fixed up.
As they run away giggling, Blake sighs and sits back, looking around for someone else to talk to.
Vincent and Amber are in the pool, engaged in what looks like a pretty deep conversation.
Sure that he would not be welcomed into it, Blake leaves them be.
Dr Matt is back at the bar, mixing himself what looks like a bucket-sized purple beverage filled with a shot of everything on offer, and Blake wants no part of that.
Finally, his eyes find Pax. He’s tucked into the shadows of the hot tub that sits on the other side of the wall of the gathering area beside the pool.
Catching a flash of a red not found in nature that can only be Ariana’s hair, Blake eagerly shoves himself vertical and stumbles somewhat drunkenly over to his friends.
The hot tub is bubbling ferociously, and it’s late enough now that the breeze coming in off of the ocean has turned cool, so it looks plenty inviting.
“Hey,” Blake says brightly, looking up from the churning foam to find Ariana scowling at him with her arms crossed.
The ends of her long red hair trail over the surface of the water, soaked and darker than the rest as she slumps down in the corner of the tub. “What’s wrong with you?”