‘Nah-uh,’ Vanessa protested.‘Apparently you’re the woman of his dreams.’
‘Bullshit.’
‘That’s what he said on his Insta, and everyone knows that if it’s on social media then ithasto be true!’ She laughed.
‘Wait, what?He put me on his Instagram?’
‘Not pictures, he just mentioned you in a reel.When I listened to your voice note and you said how obsessed he was with taking photosfor the ’gram, naturally I had to check it out.And sure enough, although he literally had zero posts before he arrived, he’s done loads since he got to the hotel.There’s photos of the restaurant, food, the beach and the pool.Then yesterday he posted a video saying that he was so happy that he’d met the woman of his dreams and to stay tuned for more deets.’
That made zero sense.I’d done nothing but give him dirty looks and monosyllabic answers since we’d been introduced.
I’d made it crystal clear that I wasn’t interested in him, so why the hell would he say that?Did he get off on knowing I didn’t like him or think I was just playing hard to get?
Weird.
‘Can I ask you something?’
‘Sure, babe!’
‘Do you think I’m overreacting?I’ve been on a bit of a downer since I got introduced to Jake and he’s started winding me up by calling me things likeSmileyas a joke because he said I always glare and never crack a smile.But you understand why I’m not thrilled with this match, right?’
‘Course I do!You’ve shelled out a shitload of cash to find a serious match who’s looking for something long-term and they’ve set you up with a fuckboy who probably has a longer relationship with a disposable cup of coffee than he’s ever had with a woman, so it’s understandable that you’re disappointed.’
‘Yeah,’ I said, my shoulders relaxing.‘That’s exactly what I thought.’
As hard as it was to believe based on my actions over the past couple of days, I generally was a happy person.I wasn’t smiles and sunshine all the time.But who was?There was just something about Jake that pushed my buttons.
Well, it was more than justsomething. It wasmanythings.
‘And when you add in the experience you had with your dickhead ex into the mix, being set up with another popstar is the shittiest scenario.Other than being set up with your ex, of course.Nowthatwould be a disaster.’
‘Ugh,’ I shuddered.‘Just the thought of that makes me want to throw up.I heard that’d happened with one of the couples at the Spanish Love Hotel.It worked out well for them, but there’s no way it would for me.I guess it shows that things could always be worse.’
‘Yep.So what are you gonna do?Stick it out or ask for a refund?’
Vanessa’s question made my mind drift back to what happened after the film scene performances had ended.
We’d had a group lunch on the beach then I’d spent most of the rest of the day chilling by the pool with a book, which was bliss.Especially because it meant I had zero obligations to spend any more time with Jake.
When I was going to my room, I spoke to Sammie again and asked if they did refunds.She repeated what she’d said before and encouraged me to stick it out for a few more days because she really believed it’d be worth it.
I couldn’t face having dinner with Jake, so I opted for room service instead.
I’d eaten dinner on my balcony whilst admiring the amazing sea views.Then I’d reluctantly submitted my playlist.
As well as the three songs I’d thought about earlier, I also added: ‘All Eyez on Me’ by 2Pac, ‘Attention’ by Charlie Puth and ‘What’s My Name?’ by Rihanna and Drake, which fitted Jake’s personality perfectly.After that I’d crashed out.
‘The hotel only does refunds under very extreme circumstances, like if the match is abusive or threatening,’ I said, bringing my thoughts back to Vanessa’s question.
‘Shit.Looks like you have to stick it out then.What’s the plan for today?’
‘Breakfast, then our first excursion.’
‘Oooh!Where you off to?’
‘No idea.Apparently they keep the locations a surprise.’
‘How fun!’
