She arched an eyebrow at him. ‘Not in the slightest. Early days, remember?’
Oliver grinned, deciding he liked Maeve. ‘Yes, early days.’
Chapter 7
Oliver
Six Weeks until Finale
As promised, he got a date a few days after his interview with Paige. He had been trying to get to know Zoë more without attracting Declan’s attention, and he thought it had been going well. Between a short conversation where he’d complimented how nicely she’d matched her make-up to her outfit – something Will swore girls put effort into – and her calling him funny after he’d made what he thought was a rather serious observation on the current state of the internet, Oliver considered his luck to be picking up.
‘Oliver,’ Darcy said, as those sprawled around the garden gathered around, ‘looks like you’ll be getting another chance at love. Take the Lover of your choosing on a date, and remember: hope floats. Ta for now!’
He looked at Zoë, standing to his left. ‘What do you say, Zoë?’
Zoë hesitated for only a moment before replying, ‘Love to!’
‘Great,’ Oliver said, trying not to look at Declan.
Zoë and Oliver walked towards the villa, the cameramen and contestants trailing behind for the pre-date ritual of pep talks and wardrobe advice. Oliver thought he could feel Declan’s eyes boring into the back of his skull. When he looked over his shoulder to confirm his suspicions, Oliver’s mouth went dry. Only Declan could make baby-blue eyes look so murderous. They would have been pretty in any other context.
The girls headed upstairs as the boys spread across the bedroom. Oliver had his limited wardrobe memorised and could probably get dressed in his sleep, but show mechanics dictated that the other boys have their say.
‘Which shirt?’ Oliver asked Niall, rifling through his suitcase. In the corner of his vision, he saw Paige talking to Declan.
‘The white and green one, with the leaf print. That’s your best,’ Niall replied, studying the disorganised inside of Oliver’s suitcase with mild horror.
‘Right you are,’ Oliver agreed, stripping his shirt off and buttoning the new one. As he turned to show off the end result, Declan was standing in front of him. One of his intimidation tactics must have been wearing less and less clothing as the show progressed; today he wore only an indecently short pair of swim trunks.
Oliver swallowed. ‘Wishing me luck?’
Declan glared at him, his jaw becoming impossibly sharper as he clenched it. ‘Look, mate, I get it, I stole your girl and now you want revenge.’ He puffed his chest out a little, crossing his arms in a way Oliver thought was meant to emphasise an impressive set of muscles. ‘But Zoë and I are sound; there’s no splitting us up.’
Everything Declan did was more and more infuriating. He was only talking to Oliver now because he had strayed into his territory by asking Zoë out. Otherwise, he would have continued to pretend that he blended perfectly into the floor.
‘Well, if you and Zoë are sosound,’ Oliver said, ‘why was she flirting with me all week?’
It was an exaggeration, but Paige was standing behind Declan, a cameraman at her side, and he was trying to remember what she had told him about drama. If he wanted to win, maybe feeling ridiculous was a part of the process.
Declan blinked. ‘Oh, I see,’ he said, gaze turning sharp, ‘you’re delusional. Well, that explains it, then.’
‘Let’s see who feels delusional when Zoë has her chance to pick,’ Oliver said, trying his best to mirror Declan’s signature cocky grin.
Declan’s eyes narrowed. ‘I’m looking forward to it,’ he said, his expression mocking. ‘And may the best man win.’ He put out his hand, and Oliver, in some mild state of shock, shook it.
As he pulled his hand away, Paige gestured to the cameraman and Oliver watched them move to catch a shot of Zoë and the girls in the hall. He looked back to Declan, bracing himself for the other man’s anger, but found none. Declan’s face was relaxed, his expression oddly blank.
Utterly bewildered by the altercation, Oliver tried not to dwell on it when he met Zoë in front of the villa and they were escorted to a white van.
The ride was short, ending in front of a dock with a small yacht bobbing off its side. Zoë gave a whoop of excitement. Brian pointed at the unattached microphone packs in his hand and gestured them out of the car.
‘First, you need these.’ After their mics were on, he continued, ‘Let’s get that initial shot again. Zoë, you’ve just seen the boat. This is the most exciting moment of your life.’ His tone was entirely deadpan, and Oliver had no idea if he was joking or not.
Zoë, however, nodded animatedly and waited for a cue before re-enacting her excitement. Brian gave a thumbs-up.
‘I love boats,’ Zoë said to Oliver. At Brian’s signal, they started down the dock.
‘I’ve never been on one,’ Oliver admitted, taking a hesitant step onto the yacht.
