Oh God!
Putting the last bottle on the shelf, Harry closed the cabinet and stared at his reflection in the mirrored door. He shuddered at the thought of being on display for the world to see and cursed his own weakness at agreeing to the whole bloody thing. Damn his conscience!
* * *
This was it.
The lights dimmed, and the huge screen at the back of the stage lit up with the familiar blue-and-white logo ofSea of Love. Despite his misgivings, Evan’s pulse sped up with excitement.
“Hello? If I can have your attention, it would be appreciated,” a voice came over the sound system.
The chatter gradually died down as the people in the auditorium gave their attention to the man on the stage.
“Thank you. Firstly, let me welcome you all toSea of Love—”
A cheer rose up, and the guy chuckled, raising a hand to shush the crowd. “My name is Raj Patel; I'm one of the producers on the show. It's great to see you all here and appearing in such good spirits.”
The audience cheered again at the comment.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe how excited everybody is,” Amber leaned across and whispered.
“I hope you’re all looking forward to spending the next couple of weeks at sea. It’s going to be an amazing experience, and I’m sure we’ll all enjoy getting to know each other and we’re going to have a blast.” The applause was immediate and took a minute to die down, Raj hushing the crowd so he could continue speaking. “But it won’t all be fun and games; we have a job to do.” A boo echoed throughout the auditorium. “Now, now, hear me out. Over the next two weeks, we’ll be filming a whole season ofSea of Love. You should all have received the information package containing background information about the show but let me run through some details now to make sure we’re all on the same page and know what to expect.”
Raj pressed the controller in his hand and behind him on the stage, the image changed on the screen. The lights dimmed, and theSea of Lovetheme song blared from the speakers as all eyes focused on the screen. Amber squeezed Evan’s hand, her eyes wide and shining as she looked at him in excitement. He squeezed her hand back before returning his focus to the presentation.
“This is the inaugural season ofSea of Love. The season will be broadcast over ten weeks, with five couples appearing on the show each week. That means there are 100 of you suck—I mean, 100 lucky people in this room right now.” Raj beamed at the crowd, who laughed at his lame joke.
Evan wasn’t so sure that it actuallywasa joke, as he didn’t see anything funny about appearing on the show. He’d seen enough reality TV in his time to know that things weren’t always smooth sailing and some of them probablywouldend up being suckers. He just hoped it wasn’t him or Amber that were made out to be losers. His laughter was more a nervous chuckle, but he forced a grin and returned Amber’s smile.
She must’ve sensed his unease and leaned across to whisper, “We’ll be okay.”
“I know,” Evan whispered back. “You won’t let anything happen to me.”
“Of course, you won’t all be required for the whole fortnight,” Raj continued. “We’ll be filming in sections, doing one segment at a time.”
Someone from the front row called out, “And what will they be? What are we going to have to do?”
Raj shook his finger at the crowd. “Now where would be the fun if I told you that? I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise.”
The crowd booed and hissed in disappointment, with touches of laughter and ripples of conversation.
The photos being projected on the screen were of couples—couples cuddling, picture-perfect couples doing household tasks, smiling at each other as they folded laundry and prepared a meal together. Most of them were young and gorgeous, just like the people in the auditorium. The whole auditorium was filled with couples, all of them vying against each other to prove how well they knew each other. What hope did he and Amber have? Sure, they were besties—sort of—but they didn’t know the intimate details of each other’s lives, the kind of details you only learned by dating someone or living with them.
Evan tried to pay attention as the presentation continued but found his gaze wandering to his fellow contestants and to Amber seated beside him. He wondered what drove these people to apply to be on a reality TV show. He knew for Amber, it had initially been the opportunity for paid travel and the excitement, followed by the desire to make sure Martin didn’t see her back out. For him, it was to make Amber happy and to get his sister off his back. But what about the hundred or so other people who were engrossed in every word Raj was saying?
He looked to the stage again. Raj focused on setting the rules of the competition and explaining the standards of behaviour expected from each contestant. He discussed the schedule and general timings before getting down to the nitty-gritty of the production schedule. He introduced the other members of the team behind the show—production designer, cameramen, audio people, makeup artists, and the list went on. Various people spoke about the roles they played in the production and who to ask if you had any questions.
“Thanks for paying attention. Make sure you grab a schedule from Natalie on the way out.” Raj pointed at his assistant. “And if you make your way to the Continental Drift bar—that’s the bar at the bow of the ship, or the front for all you land lubbers—the launch party will start in half an hour. See you all there for some great food and cocktails. Let’s get the show, and the party, started!”
The crowd of contestants clapped and cheered—Evan wasn’t sure if the applause was for the presentation about the show or for the prospect of free drinks.
He breathed a sigh of relief that it was all over, at least for now. Plus he figured he could do with a drink.
3
The Continental Driftbar was in the forward part of the ship, giving it a great view. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrapped the huge room, meeting in a point at the front of the ship and highlighting the vast expanse of blue beyond the glass. The ship had headed out to sea late the previous evening and since Evan had woken that morning, water had been the only thing to see for miles. Still, the ocean made for a great backdrop, particularly as the sun was starting to go down. A myriad of orange, pinks, and lilac danced across the horizon. Like Evan, the majority of people in the room were admiring the display, many of them with mobile phones or cameras raised to capture the magnificent sunset.
Evan sipped from his glass of champagne, enjoying the effervescence and feeling like a movie star.Maybe Icouldget used to this?He chuckled inwardly and wandered across the room, swaying slightly with the ship’s movement. He wondered how long it would take to get his sea legs. At least he didn’t feel unwell—the dreaded seasickness had yet to make an appearance. He sank into a bucket lounge chair, nearly splashing his drink as the chair turned when his arse hit the seat. He righted his glass and made an experimental movement, the chair swivelling in response. Even when he stayed still, it moved slightly in line with the motion of the ship.Weird.
