‘That so?’ Declan asked, amused.
Niall shrugged. ‘But I caught the fight against Petrovitch, looked brutal. How’s the wrist?’ he asked with concern, nodding towards Declan’s arm.
Declan took a deep breath. He had been out of the ring for nearly five months now, much longer than he had ever thought he’d be, and he had known there would be questions. He gave them the line he’d practised with his father.
‘It was a tricky break,’ he said, rotating his wrist to demonstrate his full range of motion and ignoring the accompanying pain. ‘But I’m mostly healed. Figured I’d take the summer off before getting back to it, give the other lads a chance to win some matches.’
His eyes inadvertently met Oliver’s, and he was surprised to find sympathy in the sharp planes of his face. Declan’s stomach twisted uncomfortably, but he kept his expression impassive as the clacking of heels saved him from having to change the subject.
‘Hello, boys,’ came a sing-song voice. Darcy Meadows, the show’s host, was perched in a pair of impossibly high stilettos, her platinum hair blinding. She gave the men a dazzling smile, waving them towards the pool and directing them to line up.
‘Hello, Darcy, darling,’ Declan said, letting his northern accent grow thicker as he winked. He was grateful to be getting to the part of the show he knew he’d be good at: charming the pants off the audience.
‘Ooh,’ Darcy said, clearly delighted, ‘the girls will have to watch out for you.’ She turned to the rest of the men with a suddenly grim expression. ‘A quick word of advice before we get started… Your producers can only do so much to help you. You all know that the viewers rule this show. You’ll never be sure when an elimination is coming, so every night’s episode is a chance to create a compelling storyline for yourself. If the audience buys it, you’re safe. If they think you’re insincere or boring, you’ll be voted off.’
Declan looked around and saw he wasn’t the only one shaken by the abrupt turn to seriousness.
‘This may be reality TV, but there’s a fine line between what’s real and what’s not. Be sure you walk it carefully.’
Declan’s producer, Brian, gave Darcy a cue and her smile reappeared with jarring suddenness. ‘Welcome toSummer of Love,boys! Are you ready to meet your girls?’
After a confused pause, the men cheered affirmatively, and Darcy turned to the closest camera. ‘Our expert matchmakers have paired you each with the perfect girl.’ She smirked. ‘We’ll see how well they did in the next few weeks, once each relationship has been tested.’ Declan doubted these so-called matchmakers even existed – he assumed the producers had paired them up for optimal drama. He knew from his sporadic viewing of the show that the original couples rarely lasted.
Darcy looked to the garden gate. ‘Let’s see the girls! Stella, dear, would you come out?’
Stella was stunning, with dark skin, shiny waves and a genuine air that immediately made Declan hope she wouldn’t be paired up with him. There were always a few contestants who seemingly came on the show to find love, and Declan had vowed to himself that he wouldn’t get involved with a girl like that. The only way he could go through with what would come next was to find someone as fake as him.
‘I can tell you all want her,’ Darcy sing-songed, ‘but only one of you can have her. And that lucky boy is…’ She paused to wink at the camera. ‘Our resident hunky Irishman, Niall!’
Stella walked over to Niall, enveloping him in a hug before stepping back and beaming up at him.
‘Niall,’ Paige called over, ‘could you put an arm around her?’
The pair shifted as the cameraman got a few different angles. It almost hurt to look at them, with how perfectly they were matched. Declan worried he’d discounted Niall too soon, that he and Stella had already become the ones to beat.
‘Got it!’ Paige finally called.
Darcy plastered on a smile. ‘Let’s meet our next girl, Holly!’
Holly was a tall blonde with lean muscles peeking out from her sleek black swimsuit. As she walked out, she met each of the boys’ eyes indifferently. Declan supposed she was trying to be intimidating.
‘Holly,’ Darcy said, ‘you’ve been paired up with Jack. Hope you don’t make it into his next stand-up set!’
Holly considered Jack for a beat, her eyes narrowed. He gave her a small, awkward wave, and a hint of a smile played at her lips. She made her way over to him and was pulled into a bear hug as Paige directed the cameraman. After a moment, she gave Darcy a thumbs-up.
‘Great,’ Darcy said. ‘Maeve, come on out!’
A short, olive-skinned girl strode down to the pool. As she drew closer, Declan was struck by her big brown eyes and full lips. She was dressed in a simple black bikini and a matching wide-brimmed hat, somehow making the ensemble look regal. If Declan wanted to win, which he desperately did, Maeve would be a good match, so long as she wasn’t looking for anything real.
‘Hello, Darcy,’ Maeve said, giving the host a shy smile.
‘Well, you’ve turned some heads, love,’ Darcy said. Declan glanced around and saw Callum, Jack and Oliver all wearing similar lovestruck expressions. ‘But only one of these boys can begin the show with you, and that lucky boy is… the voice of the UK’s tenth most-listened-to podcast, Callum!’
Callum punched the air as Maeve looked him over dubiously. Darcy glanced at Paige, and Declan could see the impatience written across her face. Actress, she was not.
‘Maeve, dear,’ Paige said. ‘Could you…’
‘Let’s keep going.’ Darcy unsubtly pushed Maeve towards Callum before calling out, ‘Come out and meet the boys, Lara!’
