‘Okay, but just to be clear. I’m not interested in Giovanni. You can have him back as soon as we get a chance to swap,’ I tell Mimi.
‘I like that you think he’s interested in you. But let me tell you, it won’t be your choice. He is into me, and I will steal him off you.’
‘Okay, whatever. I’m just saying there’s no need. I will give him to you.’
‘And I am saying I will steal him off you.’
‘But you don’t have to, because I am giving him to you.’
We are squabbling over him like he’s a piece of meat. It’s exhausting.
‘He is into me. Not you,’ she says huffily, stomping away.
Pointless. Such a pointless conversation.
I go into the Beach Hut and sit down wearily. Some people just have to have the last word. Luckily, I’m one of them too. I’ll have to make this quick. I am hoping that Cam is making his way to the blind spot, and I am anxious to see him. I’d like to know what Porscha has planned for me and Giovanni because whatever it is, it’s not happening. She wants to paint me as a villain, a homewrecker, that I’m not one of the girls. Well, we’ll see about that.
‘Erm, hi there.’ I gulp nervously as I stare into a camera lens fixed into a wall. It is surrounded by an elaborate pink picture frame. ‘I, erm, just wanted to say that I can see Giovanni is totally into Mimi, who is a lovely, lovely girl. And I would definitely not want to stand in the way of true love. Which she seems to think it is.’ I am babbling because I have not thought this through. ‘But to be honest he’s just asked me if I’d be interested in a threesome so I’m not sure he’s feeling it as much as her. That might be the Italians for you. Or maybe he’s polyamorous. He loves a mixed metaphor, I know that much.’ I shrug nonchalantly, run my hands down my super soft, figure-hugging dress that Cam gave me, to straighten it out. ‘Anyway, we’ll see what happens, but I’m sure it’ll all work out for them.’
I smile sweetly to camera and slide out of there. Instead of turning right to go back to the main villa, I turn left and flatten my back to the wall, inching along to the blind spot. Cam pulls me in close behind the bin and disables my microphone.
‘Did you see the look Mimi was giving me?’ I whisper.
‘Oh man. You are going to light up our screens, Libby. Just keep being yourself and you’ll be fine.’
I give him a look of relief.
‘I put the fire extinguisher back, by the way. Good to know you’ve had training.’ He can barely speak for giggling.
I roll my eyes. ‘Please don’t air that to the world. God, everyone is going to think I’m such an idiot.’
We start giggling quietly into each other’s shoulders.
‘I’ll try and find out what Porscha’s up to, but from what I have seen, you can more than hold your own out there. You’ve been brilliant so far.’
It’s exactly what I need to hear. Our bodies are pressed up against the wall. I can feel the firmness of his body against mine. My breasts are almost popping out of my dress. He hesitates and moves back slightly to give me more room. Our faces are an inch apart. I want to kiss him so badly.
‘You better go before someone notices you’re missing,’ he says, breaking the spell. ‘By the way, you look beautiful in that dress.’
I warm at the compliment and bite my lip seductively, lost in his kind eyes, his gentle tone and his overall niceness. He feels like home. Like fun. Like nights lying on a fur rug in front of a roaring fire. Like a whole lifetime of joy just waiting for us to realise it.
‘Don’t look at me like that,’ he whispers in my ear, before pulling away to give me a look that suggests the exact opposite. He opens his mouth to say something but thinks better of it.
There’s an energy between us. He can feel it. His eyes search my face.
‘Christ, Libby,’ he pleads in a low voice. He steps closer and runs a hand lightly down my arm. ‘We shouldn’t.’
Yes, we fudging should. It’s the blind spot.
The seconds tick desperately by as my heart thumps in my chest.
Here we go again. Kissing moment take three.
I reach up and pull him to me.
He smiles and blinks slowly. ‘Are you sure about this?’
I can barely get the words out. ‘Never been surer.’
