Henri’s phone pings.
‘Make your way to zee furpeet. It is time to do zee ultimoot steal.’
‘What’s he saying?’ shouts Mimi. ‘I can’t understand a bloody word.’
Henri looks hurt, which gives Kassy the immediate hump. ‘Leave him alone, Mimi. I’d like to see you speaking French. He’s doing his best. Just because we can’t understand him doesn’t mean you have to say it out loud.’ She turns to Henri. ‘Does it, On-ree? You speak the good English. Yes?’
Well, he certainly speaks better English than you, I think, feeling sorry for him. Mimi looks affronted as we follow the boys to the firepit. The girl power from earlier is evaporating like steam into the warm night breeze. We are surrounded by twinkling lights. The pool area looks amazing, lit from underneath. All of the flower beds are ablaze with lights of every colour. It is a brilliant feat of engineering and certainly helps us to feel like we are on another planet. Far, far away from the ordinary world. Where people behave in a rational manner. Where cares and worries are more than just simply about hair and make-up. I also have no idea what time it is or what day it is. I’m starting to forget how long I’ve been in here and where I came from.
Henri is lagging behind on the way to the firepit. ‘Hey,’ I say. ‘You are a brilliant singer. Thank you so much for doing that. Did it take you long to practise?’
Henri breaks into a huge smile. ‘Yes. Two dayz. Sank you, Libbee.’
Because I’m a teacher and therefore it’s in my nature to show off any linguistic skills I may have, no matter how poor, I say, ‘Je vous en prie.’
Henri’s eyes light up. ‘Tu parles français?’
‘No,’ I say. ‘But I’d love to learn. Life is a learning journey, as I always say.’
He gives me an appreciative smile as we take our places. Music is piped through the speakers to announce the arrival of the goddess that is Destiny. We all watch her surreal, slow-motion entrance down the catwalk, through the massive silver heart, hair gleaming, tiny dress swishing around her slight orange frame, huge unmoving fringe curled under to perfection, until she comes to a stop in front of the roaring firepit.
‘Islanders, tonight we have a special surprise for you. Carlton and Mimi are going on a date!’
This is not news. Mimi has been squawking about it non-stop all day to the point that I’m pretty sure we all just want them to disappear and get on with it.
She repeats herself. ‘Carlton and Mimi are going on a date! Yaaaay!’
We dutifully yay along with her. A movement along the bench where we are sitting in a semicircle attracts my attention. It is Carlton. He is looking at me, and at the mention of going on a date, he rolls his eyes. Then, to my horror, Destiny catches him and turns her gaze to me as though I’m somehow complicit.
‘Unless…’ Destiny says. ‘Unless someone secretly steals him away!’
Cue gasping and looking at each other as though we are shocked to our cores.
‘Libby and Amber, please come and stand with me. As you know, tonight each of you must steal a man.’
We get up and I daren’t look back at Mimi, who is whispering furiously with Binky and Kassy about how sly we are in not telling them. We turn to face the remaining Islanders. To be honest, I can barely be bothered. I’m only interested in one man on this whole continent, and he’s forbidden fruit.
My thoughts drift to Cam and I can’t help wondering where he is. Is he watching me right now? Is he hidden somewhere in the villa or is he back at the production village listening to the crew bonking away? My heart flutters when I think of how, if I wasn’t in here, I could be hiding in his trailer, or we could be in a holding villa. He would be chaperoning me and showing me the delights that Mexico has to offer while I lapped it up, eager to learn. I snap out of it.
I shouldn’t be here.
It’s just crossing my mind to announce that I’m withdrawing from the show when Destiny barks at us, ‘Ladies! Choose a man to steal. Who is your secret lover?’
Amber leaps straight in. ‘I choose this man because he seems very sensitive and gives me a good vibe. He caught my eye from the start, and I’d like to get to know him more. I choose Giovanni.’
Giovanni looks pleasantly shocked. He gives me a look that is almost an apology. As though I would have picked him.
‘I’m sorry you’ve missed out, Libby. Better luck next time,’ he says cockily as he takes his place next to Amber. He gives her a cheeky wink.
Now they all think I fancy him. It’s so childish.
Destiny booms, ‘Ooh, burn! Well, that’s Libby told. Libby, how are you going to get revenge on Giovanni? He clearly thinks you still have the hots for him. Who are you going to steal to make him jealous?’
Henri is now the only man sitting alone around the firepit and taking him from Amber would have been an easy swap, meaning no one is left out… but he has made his intentions towards Kassy very clear, so choosing him now makes this very awkward. If I don’t choose him, he could be dumped from the island. I may as well fall on my own sword. I will make my shock announcement to leave and perhaps they’ll keep him in.
Everyone is looking at me. ‘Erm, the thing is. I’m not sure I want to choose anyone because I think I’d like to leave the?—’
‘You can only choose one! Choose now! Who is it?’ Destiny has a wild look about her and because I have a penchant for knee-jerk reactions around authority figures, I swiftly look across all of the Islanders.
