“What do you think?” Themba asked, glancing over his shoulder. He spread his arm out just as they rounded a curve where the trees parted, and the lodge appeared right in front of them.
“It’s… it’s beautiful,” she said, catching her jaw from dropping to her lap. “It’s stunning. I mean…Wow!”
Themba laughed like he hadn’t expected any other reaction. Vivian felt a little silly for thinkingThe Sapphic Matchwouldn’t pull out all the stops.
The main lodge rose between towering leadwood and fever trees. The walls were sunbaked sandstone and travertine-hued plaster that was framed by dark polished teak and dotted with river stone accents. Above, a sweeping thatched roof of golden alang-alang reeds caught the hot midday sun. There was a stone pathway curving toward a grand open-air entrance flanked by carved wooden elephant statues. Everything was the color of honey and sand, which helped it to blend effortlessly into the landscape.
“Welcome to Ndloveni Lodge,” a woman wearing a beige uniform, with her hair sleekly parted and perfectly styled, saidas she handed Vivian a chilled towel and a glass of something fizzing. “Ndloveni comes from ndlovu, which means elephant in isiZulu. It is a nod to the herds of elephants that frequently cross the river in front of our lodge. The lodge was founded in 2003, hoping to give visitors a window into the bush without ever disturbing it.”
Vivian dabbed her neck with the towel, still feeling half dazed by the view. “This is all very…” She needed the right word, and maybe it was the heat, or the sheer shock at the opulence of the place, but it just wasn’t coming.
“Tranquil,” the woman offered.
“Exactly—” Vivian started, grateful someone could read her mind, but then she was cut off by a short woman barging through the open doors toward them.
“There you are!” Elise called, waving at her. Her curly blonde hair was pulled back into a low bun, although there were more strands bouncing around her face than were held back by the elastic hair tie. “Thought your plane was arriving an hour ago.” Her voice was a little blaming, and Vivian reminded herself not to get aggravated. A year had come and gone, and it appeared Elise still blamed Vivian for allowing last season’s bachelorette to admit to having a secret relationship with one of the contestants behind everyone else’s back. Which didn’t make sense because Elise hadn’t been fired. In fact, a little birdie told Vivian that Elise had actually gotten a raise. So, in other words, Elise owed Vivian. It was as simple as that.
“Anyway,” Elise flourished her hand. “The bachelorette is already here. She’s waiting out on the deck. Thought you two should meet before the contestants get here.”
“Great idea,” Vivian said, forcing a smile. But it wasn’t, because all she really wanted was to be led to her villa and shower off the travel grime. “Show me the way.”
Elise turned and headed back inside, and Vivian followed.
The lobby area was open to the breeze. The ceiling soared high with handwoven reed panels and suspended rattan chandeliers. There were plush leather armchairs encircling low teak tables inlaid with cowrie shells. Driftwood pieces stood beside tall clay urns bursting with pampas grass. And on the walls, sepia-toned wildlife prints hung in slim bronze frames. Vivian barely had to take in a whiff to know the air smelled of lemongrass and wood polish. Through the wide glass doors, the main deck stretched wide and overlooked the river. Below, an infinity pool curved along the edge, and beyond that was the bushveld. If she were to look just a little farther left and right, she would see the glass-fronted villas with their wooden decks that seemed to float above the grass. Each villa was connected by a wooden walkway, which was then connected to the tented suites. It was an elevated maze of timber paths and railings all looping back toward the lodge like the branches of an organized tree.
“There she is,” Elise said, pointing ahead toward the deck.
Vivian followed her finger, not that she needed to, because Sienna was standing right in the middle of the deck. Her mocha-colored hair caught the sun, turning it the color of a deep cabernet wine. Her skin was dewy and expensive-looking, which either came from really good genes or the African lighting was just somehow superior. A white linen slip dress floated around her like magic.
Sienna turned and started toward them, already lifting her arm for a handshake from what had to be fifteen feet away, which frankly Vivian found hilarious.
But then Sienna’s sandal caught the edge of a woven jute rug. There was a muffled thump, and Sienna pitched forward. Her hands shot out. But they were too late.
Vivian barely had time to inhale before Sienna went down hard. Her forehead clipped the polished teak deck with a dull thud.
“Fuck!” Vivian started.
But before she could move, cry out, start laughing, or do whatever a person did in a panic situation, Sienna was already pushing herself up, moving way too fast for someone who probably had just sustained a concussion.
“Hi, I’m Sienna,” she said, sticking out her arm.
Chapter Two
Sienna McKenzie had never been good with first impressions. Or second or third ones either. But this morning she’d really outdone herself.
“Let me go get you some ice,” Elise blurted, already backing away. The horror on her face told Sienna everything she needed to know. There was either an egg-shaped lump on her forehead or there was blood. And lots of it.
She dropped the arm she had extended for the second time to greet Vivian, who, by the way, seemed frozen in shock. The woman’s lips were parted, her shoulders were drawn tight, and her eyes were big, bulging orbs of white and blue. Sienna reached up to her forehead with her other hand, praying it wasn’t as bad as it felt. When her fingers came away slick and red, she winced. Not because of the pain, though her head was starting to throb, but rather the humiliation. Not only had she just forehead-planted in front oftheVivian fucking Michaels, but she also had to face the ten contestants later with a literal head wound.
“I can’t believe that happened,” Sienna said when the silence became unbearable. Why the hell was Vivian not saying anything? “I’m so embarrassed.”
Blood was now trickling down her cheek.
Her fingers instinctively brushed at it, but that only made it worse. Where was she supposed to wipe her sticky, bloody hands? On her white dress? And where were the staff? Why hadn’t anyone brought her a fluffy white towel she could ruin?
Vivian finally blinked. “Damn,” she muttered, shaking her head. “That was so bad. How are you standing?”
“Adrenaline,” Sienna offered weakly, trying to laugh, to make a joke of it, but honestly, the only thing it did was make her head pound even harder.
