Matty raised a hand. “Quiet, everyone. Let’s keep our distance and not make any sudden movements. Remember, you’re the visitors here.”
“Is that a white rhino?” Dani whispered. Her fingers went to her back pocket but then came up empty-handed. Sienna was missing her phone too. If cell phones and communication with the outside world weren’t forbidden, she would’ve yanked her phone out by now, snapped a few shots to edit later before posting the photo to social media. She imagined the others were thinking the same. There were plenty of itchy fingers going around.
Matty nodded. “Yes, luckily for us. Black rhinos are notorious for being aggressive. They often charge if they feel threatened or if something moves near them. You do not want to be the subject of a black rhino charge.”
Sienna couldn’t agree more. She was ready to march her butt back to Ndloveni. She was ready for a mimosa or even a bite to eat. She was ready to see what Vivian was—
She snapped that thought in half before it could materialize. “Well, I guess if a rhino chases us, all we have to do is outrun one other person, right?”
Everyone laughed.
Sienna felt her face go hot. It wasn’t even that funny. In fact, it was a little morbid, and if Sienna had to guess, they could all probably outrun Steven, one of the cameramen, who was always snacking on Twinkies. A healthier alternative would’ve been almonds or cashews, but then thin Steven wouldn’t be nearly as enticing if a rhino decided to charge.
“Maybe we should walk away from the rhino. You know, in case it turns out to be a black rhino instead. I mean, it does look kind of dark, doesn’t it?” Lucille questioned.
Matty chuckled. “It’s definitely a Southern white rhino, but yes, that’s a good idea. We’ll loop back to the lodge. We just need to cross a river.”
The walkie talkie clipped to his belt crackled to life. A man’s voice came through. “Matty, the storm is rolling in faster than expected. Lightning is expected within the next ten minutes. We’re sending a game vehicle to fetch the group.”
Before the words were finished, Sienna heard the distant growl of a Land Cruiser rumbling over the dry earth.
“Well, ladies,” Matty said. “Looks like our bush walk just turned into a race against the storm. Luckily, these storms roll over pretty quickly, so don’t be surprised if you see the sun shining this afternoon again.”
Sienna knew the bushveld weather was unpredictable, but she hadn’t expected the air to suddenly feel so thick and sticky, clinging to every inch of her skin. And she hadn’t expected the sky to turn into a solid wall of darkness. It was both terrifying and beautiful.
Then, all of a sudden, lightning forked across the sky, and the Land Cruiser couldn’t get there quick enough. But it did. Barely thirty seconds went by before the 4x4 came to a stop, dust curling up behind it like a mini sandstorm.
And suddenly everyone was rushing.
One thing Sienna noticed was that the contestants moved around her like she was their queen bee. Everyone seemed adamant to make sure she arrived safe and sound. Which was flattering, if not a little unnerving. Sienna wasn’t used to all this attention. At least not in real life. Most of her praise came from comments on her Instagram photos and videos.
She was halfway to climbing onto the vehicle, her foot just landing on the step when suddenly all the air in her lungs vanished. There, leaning over the backrest of the front seat, wasVivian. Her white hair was so light against the dark sky it looked like it was glowing.
Their eyes met, and Sienna forgot how to move. Everything went still except her pulse.
But then Vivian snapped her head away and cheerily exclaimed in that professional sing-song voice of hers, “Come on, ladies! We want to get out of here before the rain pelts down.” Sienna was promptly shoved into the vehicle.
She ended up wedged between Carla and Trina as the vehicle lurched forward. Her arms flew out instinctively as she grabbed for balance and her hands landed squarely on two pairs of jean-clad thighs. One lovely and squishy and the other as hard as bone.
“I’m so sorry,” she said quickly, pulling her hands back and burying them in her lap.
Trina laughed and brushed a red curl from her face. “Don’t worry, darlin’. You can hold on if you want to. I don’t bite.”
Sienna opened her mouth to say, no thank you, I’m fine, but didn’t get the chance because Vivian was turning around in her seat again, which meant Sienna’s brain forgot the basic mechanics of existing. Why was this happening to her? She just stared. Like an idiot. She was acting like Vivian’s face was a beacon in the storm, and she was a ship steering straight for it when she should be angling for one of the ten perfectly good harbors.
“So, ladies, I’m actually not here to rescue you all from the storm.” Her voice was steady even as the Land Cruiser jerked over another rut and sent her swaying to the side. “There’s another reason,” Vivian said, grinning.
Sienna swallowed hard.
“Two of you will be joining Sienna on the very first date.” She paused just long enough for a dramatic flash of lightning to strike behind her. “Are you all ready to hear what the date is?”
There were collective cheers that were drowned out by a clap of thunder. Sienna remembered something about counting the seconds between lightning and thunder—that every five seconds meant roughly a mile—but the next flash came so quickly after the boom the storm was basically breathing down their necks.
And then, suddenly, the sky opened up. One second the air was thick, and the next it was a full-on deluge. Rain pelted the canvas roof so loudly it sounded like applause. But that didn’t stop Vivian, whose short hair was wild from the wind, from doing her job. “We all know how much damage a flight can do to our muscles,” she said, her voice somehow cutting right through the rain. “Especially a long international one. Which is why the two lucky contestants will join Sienna for an afternoon at the spa. They will be treated to full-body massages with hot stones and essential oils. Champagne will be waiting on ice. Does that sound good, ladies?”
Everyone cheered. Trina beside her whooped and Dani behind her clapped her hands so loudly Sienna thought it was another crack of thunder. She nearly ducked.
But then she caught Vivian’s eyes instead, and for one intense second, it felt like the entire storm had gone still. The lightning stopped. The rain dried up. It was just Sienna and Vivian staring at each other. Or maybe it was just Sienna staring at Vivian. Maybe Sienna was just imagining any connection between them, and this whole thing was about to turn awkward in one… two… three—
