“It is,” Birdie said. Then she tilted her head and gave a smile that made Alexis rethink every little moment in her life, including right now. “But maybe don’t make more jokes when you’re around the other contestants. I don’t want them to think you’re fun.”
Wait, was Birdie teasing her? Was she flirting for the cameras? Or did she actually mean it? Did she want Alexis all to herself?
“Regardez là-bas!” Marie called suddenly, pointing ahead with her reins. Her horse stepped to the right before she swept her arm over the cliffs that blazed in the sun. The cliffs were striated with bands of red, orange, and gold so vivid they looked painted on. “This is why it is called the Colorado of Provence.”
Alexis seized the moment. She squeezed her heels gently into Magnum’s sides and urged him a few paces forward. Itwas just enough to put some space between herself and Birdie. A little breathing room. Then she asked, “So when will we be stopping for the rosé?”
“Soon, mademoiselle,” Marie chuckled. “Soon.”
Which wasn’t all that soon.
By the time they reached the cliffs, Alexis was certain her inner thighs had been permanently welded to Magnum’s back. She was also certain she would never forgive the viewers for voting for a horseback riding date.
But at least the view was beautiful.
Tucked beneath the shade of a pine tree was a picnic spread waiting for them. A bottle-green gingham blanket was stretched across a patch of grass. It was weighed down by two wicker baskets that had been propped open. One of them had a fat wheel of goat cheese wrapped in paper, a crusty baguette already torn into chunks, and a jar of lavender honey. The other held two bottles of wine. The rosé was so pale it looked like melted rose quartz. Next to them was a pewter bucket filled with ice cubes that were already half melted in the heat.
Birdie reined in her horse first. She looked unfairly good as she dismounted the big beast. Meanwhile, Alexis slid off Magnum like a sack of potatoes.
“You survived,” Birdie said, walking up to her. She gave a quick flick of her head, and her bangs fell perfectly into place.
“Barely,” Alexis said, brushing imaginary dirt off the back of her jeans. She then pointed at the rosé. “But if I don’t get a glass of that in the next thirty seconds, I will lie down in this dirt and die.”
Another joke. Another surprised look from Birdie.
Alexis quickly made her way to the blanket and sat down. For the last thirty minutes, she’d managed to keep some distance from Birdie, but here on this picnic blanket it would be impossible. They would be merely inches apart. Close enoughfor Alexis to smell perfume clinging to Birdie’s neck. Close enough for Alexis to want to curse herself for being aware of it.
She smiled politely when Birdie sat down and busied her hands with the bottle of rosé. But she could only distract herself for so long. “So, tell me,” Alexis said, finally letting her eyes drift to Birdie. “What work do you do?” She had asked Lyra this exact question the other day, except Alexis hadn’t already known the answer like she did now. Birdie owned a bookstore.
Alexis knew it was on the corner of Everett and she knew it was calledBound & Read.Alexis had briefly read it on the business card Birdie had handed her before she’d rudely tossed it in the hotel lobby’s bin.
But the cameras didn’t know that. Neither did Elise nor the viewers.
“I own a bookstore,” Birdie replied, drizzling honey over a chunk of goat cheese she’d haphazardly smeared over a piece of French loaf. “It’s not huge or anything, but we’ve got everything fromTwilighttoShantaram.”
“So, you like to read?”
“No,” Birdie replied, bringing the glass of rosé to her lips. “Iloveto read. Always have.” She chuckled and lowered her head for a brief second before meeting Alexis’s gaze. “You know, I even bought a book to give to you for the introductions.”
“Why didn’t you give it to me?” Alexis asked, even though it was obvious. Their introduction had been catastrophic, if not a complete and utter shock. Even if Birdie had brought a book along, there wouldn’t have been an exchange.
“I wasn’t sure if you liked books. Not everyone does. Some people actually compare reading to doing chores.” She set the glass down on a flat rock dug halfway into the earth beside the blanket. “I read that on a blog a while back. The majority of people would rather eat snails.”
“That can’t be true.”
“It is.”
“Well, I like reading,” Alexis said matter-of-factly. And she did. She could easily curl up on her sofa on a weekend and lose hours to a book.
Birdie smiled. But it wasn’t like any of her other smiles, not that Alexis kept a filing system or anything. It was simply that this one seemed so genuine, like she actually cared that Alexis liked to read. Suddenly, Alexis’s head got all hot, and for a second, she completely forgot that she was intending to send Birdie home tonight. Which she was still going to do. It needed to be done. Right?
The logic made sense in her head… well, mostly.
“What’s your favorite—” Birdie started, but she was cut off by Elise, who suddenly appeared beside the blanket, tapping her watch with her finger. “Thirty minutes, ladies. Then we need to head back.”
Alexis was disappointed, which frankly surprised her, just as much as when she smiled and said, “Wildby Cheryl Strayed. That’s my favorite book.”
Chapter Fourteen
