Lucy glanced back. “I’m not staring.”
Amy laughed and stepped in beside her. “Don’t worry. We’re all staring. That’s the point of the show, isn’t it? We’ve all got our sights on the bachelorette.”
Lucy exhaled and nodded slowly. “Yeah, well, I’m thinking of going to say hi. Break up whatever that is.” She nodded toward the swing where Alexis was leaning in to tellwhatever story Skye seemed extremely invested in. The speech happened barely five minutes ago. How had Alexis already sunk her claws in so deep?
Amy grinned and nudged her shoulder. “About time. Go make an impression before they start circling like sharks.” She glanced at the fire pit, where Vera and McKenna were watching like they were waiting for their cue.
“Aren’t you going to go make your move?” Lucy asked, not sure why Amy wasn’t already on her way to interrupt whatever was going on between Alexis and the bachelorette.
“Not now,” Amy replied. “I’m like Sifan Hassan. Start at the back, hang out in the middle, and before you know it–bam–sprint finish, gold medal.”
Lucy smirked. Out of all the girls on the island, Amy was the only one she could see herself being friends with in real life. Who knew, maybe when this whole thing was over, they could go out for coffee or something. In a purely platonic way, of course. Amy wasn’t her type. Too short, not that Lucy was extremely tall, it was just that she didn’t feel like bending down to kiss. And Amy was far too bubbly. Lucy preferred women of average height and broodiness.
“Alright then,” Lucy said, her stomach suddenly fluttering as she turned to look at the swing. She caught another laugh from Skye, which mildly aggravated her.
What the hell was Alexis saying that could be that funny?
“Wish me luck.” Lucy steeled herself for a second before she took a step forward. Then another. She moved until she was standing right in front of the swing, right in front of Skye, who had just waved off something Alexis had said. Something probably flirty.
Skye’s head lifted, and her gaze met Lucy’s. There was a brief flicker of recognition in her eyes. Maybe even a bit ofwarmth, but Lucy could probably have imagined that, especially when compared to the iciness in Alexis’s eyes.
“Hi,” Skye said, her voice smooth. “Are you here to steal me away?”
“Not steal,” she replied. “Thought I’d say hello before everyone rushes in. Figured it’s better to try early than regret waiting. Twelve girls vying for your attention can get quite time-consuming.”
Skye smiled, and just like that, Lucy’s stomach warmed. Which was insane. It was simply a smile. She got smiles from gorgeous women all the time. But not gorgeous women who were contractually obligated to flirt with eleven other women.
“Maybe this isn’t the best moment,” Alexis said, leaning forward. She gave a tight smile and slid a strand of hair behind her ear. “We were just talking about trips to the Caribbean. Have you been?”
“No,” Lucy said slowly. She knew this was a tactic. Exclude her before she even got a chance. “But I’d love to hear about your trip sometime.”
Alexis’s lips twitched, but she said nothing. Lucy expected Skye to tell her that, by all means, she could steal her away, but she was already moving. “Well, I guess I should probably mingle with the other girls,” Skye said, scooting forward.
Lucy was about to salvage something from the moment and reach out to help her up when suddenly Veronica materialized out of thin air beside her.
“Hi, Skye,” Veronica said sweetly. “I wanted to tell you how excited I am to be here.” She slipped an arm around Skye as if they’d known each other for years and practically waltzed her away without waiting for a response. Or at least giving Lucy the option of stealing her back.
“Great,” Alexis muttered under her breath.
Lucy didn’t bother responding. Alexis was already shooting daggers her way and, frankly, she didn’t have the energy to deflect them. Not after that. She turned and made her way back toward Amy, who was now lounging against the wooden railing with a drink in her hand and the smuggest grin on her face.
“Well, that was smooth,” Amy said, raising her brows.
“Shut up,” Lucy groaned, dragging a hand down her face.
Chapter Five
Skye wasn’t proud of hiding in the bathroom.
Okay, maybe she was a little proud. It was a great strategy. There were no cameras, no microphones, no Marla asking her silly questions like, “How are you doing?” It was just her, a lovely ceramic basin, and the blessed silence of solitude.
She leaned against the counter and stared at herself in the mirror. Her lip gloss was thankfully still intact, and her eyeliner was barely even smudged. She looked calm. Professional. Maybe even a little bachelorette-y in her emerald slip dress that made her feel surprisingly beautiful.
But inside her mind was a damn three-ring circus.
Twelve women. Twelve fricken women. And they all seemed to be here for the right reasons, to fall in love, which was funny considering that was the exact opposite of what she wanted. All she really wanted was to stay behind the cameras, keep the shoot on schedule, and maybe flirt harmlessly with one or two of the contestants without feeling pressured to do anything about it.
There was a sudden knock on the door.
