“In Vegas, when I was there for a gig and crashed the bassist’s bachelor party. You made a lot of money off us that night. Do you remember?”
I scan my memory. I’d served—and scammed—countless bachelor parties. But then I can picture him, how he leaned across the bar, getting close enough that I could see the golden flecks in his eyes.
“But you had long hair.”
He laughs. “I did, but I cut it. Probably for the same reason you dyed yours blonde.”
My mouth drops open.
“And then in the airport, and on the plane, with your story about the funeral. Which I totally believed, by the way.”
“I’m sorry. That was a dick move.”
“It was. But I get it. And I see how you’re playing the game here, too.”
I’m uneasy about where this is heading. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I think you do,” he says. “The thing is, I actually think we’re compatible. I bet that kiss looked amazing on camera. We’d havethis odd couple vibe that people would go crazy for. I really think we can make this work.”
I feel a sense of cognitive dissonance as I try to connect his cool calculations with his kind, sweet demeanour. “I just don’t understand.”
“What don’t you understand?” There’s no hint of antagonism in his tone.
“I just thought, I don’t know, that you’re this good guy, and now you come at me with this big scheme, and it just doesn’t make sense.” I have to admit I’m intrigued. I didn’t take him for anything more than a Golden Retriever. Credit where credit’s due—he played the player.
“I can be a good person and also want to win. Those things don’t have to be mutually exclusive.”
“So we just—scam everyone?”
“Maybe,” he says. “But isn’t this whole thing a scam, and we’re all just running it in our own way?” He gives me a searching look. “Everyone knows the truth here—no one thinks this is real. Not the other campers, not the producers, and certainly not the audience. In fact, we’d only be giving them exactly what they want.”
“Which is?”
“The fantasy, on a silver platter. Cute, tender moments. Maybe a little bit of drama. A redemption arc, where we find our way back to one another, stronger than ever. And we win with the possibility of forever, which is the sweetest con of all.”
He’s got this whole thing figured out. “Hypothetically, if I were to go along with this, how would we do it?”
“Well, you’d have to let Sue-Ellen have Isa, for starters.”
That would be a relief. But it’s risky. “And then?”
“And then you choose me at the Couple-Up Ceremony. We could do a slow burn, maybe a bit of a ‘will they won’t they’ thing, and then—”
“Hey!” An angry voice yells from the shore. Tyler. Shit. “No talking without mics! Out of the water, now!”
Kei waves good-naturedly and starts swimming back to shore. “Sorry, Ty! Just came for a dip, didn’t realize she’d be here too!” He turns backto me. “Think about it,” he says with a kind smile, before launching into a powerful front crawl.
I follow behind him, struggling to keep his pace. Me and Kei? Maybe it’s not the worst idea. This time yesterday it would have been a hard ‘no,’ but then I’d seen him sing, and then, that kiss…
Was the kiss all part of his plan? Am I here playing checkers while he’s playing chess? Just when I’m starting to understand this world, who I have to be and what I have to do…
This changes everything.
Chapter Fourteen
The ringing of the morning bell is met with groans from all sides. Isa is cuddled into me, big-spoon style, his hot breath on my neck. Across from us, Damian, who is in Harmony’s bed, covers his head with his pillow. Harmony pushes herself up on her elbow, her face ashen. “Oh my god,” she croaks. “Am I dying? Is this what death feels like?”
“What was in that punch?” Sue-Ellen moans from across the Bunkhouse.
