“What if they don’t like me?” she says quietly.
I shake my head quickly. “They already love you.”
“They think they do. But that’s because?—”
“Ten seconds to air!” a producer calls out from somewhere across the stage.
“Do you trust me?” I ask, squeezing her hand.
“Of course,” she whispers. “That’s why you’re my producer.”
“Exactly. I’ll be right here. You’re going to do great, okay?”
Molly nods, and I nudge her forward just a bit until she stops at the strip of red gaffer tape on the floor.
“Five, four, three, two?—”
The “one” is silent as the producer counts production in. Or maybe it’s drowned out by the applause from the audience. I sneak a peek out at the dark theater seating and notice a crew member clapping in an exaggerated manner as they stand facing the audience, their only job to make sure people clap when they’re supposed to clap, laugh when they’re supposed to laugh, and sound surprised when…well, you get the point.
From the wings, I can see Tom Tomlinson striding toward Camera 1 as it rolls to him. A broad smile just barely bends the features of his face—he must be fresh off either a facelift or a Botox injection.
“And we’re back toLove at First Sail! Before the break, we caught up with our second couple competing for the coveted title of season nine winners.”
Camera 2 pushes in on the four contestants already on the stage. Kory and Tanesha are cozied up on the couch, Tanesha draped in a stunning yellow gown that pops against the rich brown of her skin. Kory is decked out in a white tux, but sporting a bare chest, and his hair is pulled back in a rugged bun, the sides of his head newly shaved. They’re an attractive couple, it’s hard to deny that—stylish and hot in their own regard. And their love story has been sweet, if a little boring.
Beside them sit Canadian seductress Tina and handsome Parisian Jean-Luc. Their story was more spicy than sweet, each having ditched the partners they had been paired with all season at the last minute and heading to the finale with each other after a whirlwind three-day romance.
“Our next, and final, couple, you should all know. Whether you were a die-hard fan from the beginning or fell in love with their story after her dramatic disappearance and their thrilling reunion in Sicily, I think we can all agree—Molly and Duncan werethemost talked-about couple inLove at First Sailhistory.”
The audience goes absolutely bonkers at the mention of their names, and I swear I hear a whoop from Nolan rise above the din. Molly straightens, rolling her shoulders back and holding her head up high. She may be feeling like a fraud on the inside, but she doesn’t show it.
“Molly, Duncan—come on out, you two,” Tomlinson booms. Molly, as if she’s done this before, struts onto the stage, waving at the audience and doing a cute little run in her heels to embrace Duncan in the middle of the stage.
He dips her and plants a passionate kiss on her lips, then swings her back up. Molly makes a big show of fanning herself, as if that was the single hottest thing she’s ever experienced, and takes Duncan’s hand eagerly as he leads her to the long couch to sit with the other contestants.
“Well, that was quite the welcome, wasn’t it?” Tomlinson purrs smoothly as he sits in an armchair across from them.He leans in toward the three couples, like a therapist about to ask, “So, what brings you in today?”
“We are so excited to be here, Tom,” Molly exclaims, squeezing Duncan’s hand.
“You two have had quite the season. From a poolside rescue on day one, to a very memorable poker game, to a runaway trip after a disastrous trek up Mount Etna, you’ve both been through so much.”
“It’s our love story,” Duncan croons. I roll my eyes and chuckle quietly to myself. He’s certainly laying it on thick. Good—we need that.
“Molly, during your time away, you said you made your way down to the Amalfi Coast. Why there?” Tomlinson drags his gaze away from Duncan and settles it on Molly.
“When I was a kid, I spent time there with my grandparents. I was really missing home and their advice, especially because I was feeling so lost after Duncan rejected me for Carly. I just needed to feel close to them. To figure out what to do,” she explains, choking up slightly at the end—and I can tell that there’s real emotion behind her words.
“We all saw what happened at Mount Etna—the look on your face when Duncan left with Carly was heartbreaking. But as we saw later that episode, Duncan actually left the date early in search of you, Molly.”
“Yeah, I had no idea he did that.”
“As most of you will remember,” Tom says easily, now looking directly into Camera 1, “Molly returned to port just in the nick of time—both before the elimination ceremonyandbefore the Gemstone set sail. It was a big moment, not just in season nine, but certainly one of the most sensational moments inLove at First Sailhistory. What do you say we watch that moment again?”
Molly and Duncan gaze at each other like lovesick teenagers and nod happily.
On the projector wall behind the couch, theLove at First Saillogo dissolves into a clip from the show, in which a car speeds down the dock, trails of dust kicking up behind it.
Anyone else wouldn’t be able to identify the driver behind the wheel.
