“That’s the boma over there,” Elise pointed to a circular stone pit before she turned to Sienna and asked, “So, what made you sign up for the show?”
It was a question Sienna knew she would ultimately get asked again, probably during a one-on-one date. She answered as honestly as she could. “I got tired of being alone.”
She left out the part where her mother had sent her the casting link ‘just for fun’ and how Sienna had applied after three glasses of wine she’d finished before Bridget Jones even hadtime to listen to the songAll by Myselfin her pajamas. Or how she’d completely forgotten about it until the producers called her six weeks later.
“I wanted to try something different,” she went on. “I wasn’t meeting anyone in the conventional way, and even dating apps were beginning to feel too predictable. So, I thought, why not try this out? Why not find love in some extravagant way?”
Elise seemed satisfied.
She nodded and stood up. “Well, I’ll let you get settled.” Then she raised a finger to her forehead. “And as soon as Maurine gets here, I’ll send her over to you.”
Sienna thanked her. She watched Elise disappear into the tent and heard the front door click shut behind her.
Then the silence hit. A buzzing kind of silence with the sounds of cicadas and the high-pitched whine of something winged. She sank lower into the wicker chair with her hands pressed flat against her thighs while her stomach fluttered unpleasantly.
She felt sick. Maybe she had a concussion. Actually, she most certainly had a concussion. A glossy bug landed on her knee. She was about to flick it off when the sudden realization of what she was doing in the bushveld finally settled in like the heat.
“I can’t believe this is real,” she muttered to herself.
Chapter Three
Vivian was no stranger to heat. Every second morning, she spent thirty minutes in the sauna after a brutal HIIT session with her trainer, Jim Anderson. Muscles screaming, chest pounding, hair plastered to her neck. Usually, she came out feeling like a warrior, all-powerful and heat-resistant, but this sun was intense. The air clung to her skin, heavy and sticky, and made breathing feel like its own workout. And somehow, the later it got, the more oppressive it became. Which was why she had every door and window closed in her villa and the AC blasting full tilt.
Frankly, she could stay in here forever. And not just to escape the heat.
The space was gorgeous. A king-size bed with crisp white Belgian linen took up one side, tucked neatly beneath a perfectly draped mosquito net. A sisal rug added texture beneath her feet. A white sectional was angled perfectly toward the floor-to-ceiling glass doors, which looked out onto the infinity pool and bushveld beyond. There was a driftwood coffee table holding a collection of finely curated books. Mirrors were framed in brushed gold. Green plants sat in ceramic vases. And to the other side was a gorgeous bathroom with quartz countertops, a small kitchenette with a fancy Breville coffee machine, and tucked discreetly by a tall bookcase was a hunter green futon with a copper side table.
“One day you’re going to let me put some blue eyeshadow on your eyelids,” Cindy said, dabbing concealer beneath Vivian’s eyes. “I think it will make your whole look pop.”
“You mean you want to make me look like a clown? Or the Joker?” Vivian said, shaking her head. Cindy had spent much oflast season trying to convince Vivian to dye the tips of her blonde hair pink. Cindy’s style ideas were not to be trusted. Vivian had to keep a close eye on her while she did the bare minimum to her face. Except this time, she found herself a little distracted, but not just by the view. She was distracted by Sienna, too. The bachelorette wasn’t exactly as she had expected. That headshot was misleading. Yes, she was gorgeous, there was no denying that, but the photo made her look untouchable. Cool. Effortless. When in reality… well, how did you describe someone who tripped on the edge of a rug? A rug that wasn’t even curled up.
Suddenly, an elephant trumpeted somewhere in the distance. Vivian nearly leaped right out of her skin.
Cindy laughed. “You’re a little jumpy. Is this your first time in the bush?”
“Isn’t it yours?” Vivian asked, not sure why she was on the defensive. Jet lag? Or maybe just the fact that there were predators everywhere. Just earlier she had thought she saw a vervet monkey swinging through the branches of a marula tree just off her deck. She hoped she was wrong.
Cindy stepped back and began packing up her brushes. “I heard the bachelorette face-planted right in front of you, and now she’s got a head full of stitches.”
“Stitches?” Vivian asked, surprised. Maybe the cut was worse than she’d thought. Maybe Sienna had needed stitches after all.
“That’s what I heard,” Cindy said, shrugging. “Fi is with her now, so we will get confirmation soon.” She lingered, reorganizing her kit even though it was impeccable. “What do you think of her?”
“Who?” Vivian asked, though she knew Cindy was referring to Sienna. She simply needed to bide her time to come up with an impartial reply. Besides, it didn’t matter what Vivian thought of Sienna. She wasn’t the one vying for her attention.Their paths would only cross again while the cameras were filming, and she hoped for her sake there wouldn’t be any more accidents.
“I think she’s lovely,” Vivian replied, and before Cindy could ask her any more questions, she quickly glanced down at her watch and said, “I should get going; the introductions are happening soon.”
By the time Vivian stepped onto the deck of the main lodge, all the relief she’d experienced in her air-conditioned villa was gone, and she was battling the heat all over again. She considered asking someone for a portable fan, or even some PA who could blast cool air into her face with a raffia palm leaf, but then Elise showed up looking like a woman on a mission.
“We’re doing things a little differently this year,” Elise said, which was something Vivian had expected since Elise seemed intent on changing things up when things didn’t need changing. “I want you to do a short interview with each contestant right before they meet Sienna. One minute tops.”
“Why?” Vivian asked.
“It gives the audience context,” Elise said, sounding irritated that she even had to explain herself because it was obvious, duh. But Vivian didn’t think so. The entire point of the introductions was to introduce the contestants to the bachelorette. This seemed like doubling the work.
“Fine,” Vivian said, because she didn’t have the energy to argue. The sun was too busy leeching it right out of her skin. “Anything you want me to ask them in particular?”
Elise blinked. And it became clear to Vivian that this was a last-minute add-on. Clearly, she hadn’t given much thought, which meant it was Vivian’s problem now. A problem she could remedy, given all her years of experience. “I’ll come up with something,” she said quickly before Elise’s brain exploded.
