“I just hope it’s nothing too ridiculous and embarrassing,” John said, his distaste obvious.
Harry snorted at the thought of John suffering anything he viewed as public humiliation. He wouldn’t even leave the house to grab milk and bread if he wasn’t appropriately dressed.You never know who you’ll run into, Harry. Harry had once thought John’s care about his appearance was a sign of pride and good upbringing—until he realised John was just plain conceited.
“Whatever it is, I’m sure we’ll be in for an awesome experience. It should be heaps of fun.” Amber was so upbeat; it was hard not to feel the stirrings of excitement at the unknown.
“Oh well, I guess we’ll be finding out soon enough,” Evan said with a shrug.
4
Soon enough came much too soonfor Harry’s liking.
At 10:00 a.m. the following morning, they were all back in the theatre for the filming ofSea of Love’sfirst segment. He fidgeted with the piece of paper that outlined the day’s schedule, wishing they’d just get on with it. The anticipation of the unknown made him feel slightly sick to the stomach. Although, after the stilted dinner in the ship’s main dining room the night before and an uncomfortable night sleeping next to John, it was a relief to have something to focus on.
Next to him, John sipped from a takeaway cup of coffee as he peered around the room. He nudged Harry in the ribs. “Look at that couple. The guy in the red T-shirt with that dude in the white shirt? He’s obviously punching above his weight.”
“Oh, for crying out loud, John, they look like a perfectly normal couple to me.”
John snorted. “Normal isn’t going to cut it in this competition. This is about being perfect, being the best.”
“Well, that rules us out then, doesn’t it?” Harry couldn’t hold back the small smirk of satisfaction as John’s eyes narrowed.
“Don’t even joke about that,” John said with a scowl. He waved his hand back and forth between the two of them. “Look at us. We’re both good-looking, we have great jobs, fun personalities—”
“That’s a matter of opinion,” Harry mumbled under his breath.
“What?” John’s eyes narrowed.
“Nothing.” He turned to give John his full attention. “Listen. I don’t know if you’ve read the background information pack thoroughly, but this game show isn’t about being perfect individuals or being physically attractive. It’s got nothing to do with what sort of job you hold or what your salary is. It’s about yourrelationship—how well you know the person you’re planning on spending the rest of your life with.”
“Exactly.” John’s face lit up. “Which is why I needed you to be here with me. You’re the person who knows me best out of anyone in the world. This is our chance to show everyone else just how perfect we aretogether.”
Amber and Evan chose that exact moment to join them.
“Oh.” Amber sighed and batted her eyelashes at John. “Isn’t that sweet? Showing your love to the world.”
“I—” Harry caught his lip in his teeth as John knocked his ribs again. He glared at him before smiling at Amber and Evan. “Morning, guys. Are you pumped for today’s filming?”
Evan looked at his printed schedule dubiously. “I was until I saw the time slots for hair and makeup.”
Not that you need any help in that department.Harry bit back the compliment that nearly fell from his lips.
Beside him, Amber laughed. “I’m keen as. I hardly got a wink of sleep all night wondering what the day had in store.”
“Which meant I hardly slept either,” Evan said. He gave an exaggerated yawn, but smiled fondly at Amber, triggering something strange in Harry’s gut. Harry forced the smile back onto his face as he looked at the two of them.
God, they make a good-looking couple.
Amber was fresh-faced and radiated happiness. Next to her, Evan was a perfect blend of boy-next-door meets sexy stud—blue eyes with smooth, tanned skin and a dimple to die for, but enough scruff on his jaw to give him an edge. Harry’s pulse sped up as he took in Evan’s tight dark T-shirt and the way the sleeves hugged his biceps…Hey, is that a hint of a tattoo peeking out?Harry had always had a weakness for tattoos, but he’d only seen Evan in business shirts in the past. Now he couldn’t help wondering what was under the layer of fabric and—
John cleared his throat. Harry glanced at his ex-boyfriend briefly, not even bothering to look embarrassed, but relieved when the proceedings started.
“If I can have your attention, please. It’s time to announce your episode groupings.”
All eyes in the room, including their small group, turned to focus on Natalie, one of the assistant producers. Harry found himself standing between John and Evan.
“God, it’s just like high school… waiting to see if you got picked for the team,” Evan said. Harry grinned at Evan, who’d just echoed his own thoughts. Evan lowered his voice. “I was always the last kid to be chosen. Not that I could blame them. I can’t throw a ball to save my life.”
“We’d better hope there are no ball games then,” Harry whispered back.
