Page 39 of Unscripted

Sure enough, Olivia was walking out, having finished her date with James.

I stood and smoothed out my dress, suddenly overcome with nerves. I turned to Jess and Chiara.

“Do I look alright?” I asked, keeping my voice low and hoping that my anxiety would not be picked up on camera.

“You’re stunning, Pop!” Chiara said, and Jess nodded her agreement enthusiastically.

I mentally thanked the Bella Amore gods for the two girls who had quickly become my good friends.

Straightening my posture, I turned and walked across the lawn. I stopped before the double doors leading into The Bungalow and took a deep breath before pulling them open.

Stepping into the space, I couldn’t help but laugh. The entire pool house had been turned into one massive bedroom. Red velvet curtains covered each wall and a large neon sign that said “GET IT ON” hung above the bed, which itself was heart-shaped and covered in pink silk sheets.

As I walked through the room, the ridiculous decor settled my nerves. This is a dating show, I reminded myself; one that included copious amounts of neon and velvet. I thought of Blair and of Harry telling me time and again to enjoy myself while I was here. I could do that. I could, at the very least, try to have a bit of fun.

I exited the room and stepped out onto the private back patio. There, sitting at a cafe table set for two, was James.

He stood when he saw me and met me halfway across the space to give me a hug. It thrilled me to find that he was well and truly tall; six-foot-four if I had to guess.

We separated from each other and sat at the small table. A bottle of champagne rested in an ice bucket, and as I got comfortable in my chair, he filled my glass. A third drink tonight! Even if the date ended up disastrous, the bubbly alone would make it worth it.

He picked up his glass and held it to mine, clinking the rims together.

“To getting to know you,” he said, with a sweet smile.

“Cheers,” I replied, returning his smile before taking a sip.

“So, Poppy,” he said, “tell me about yourself.”

“Well, I’m from America, obviously.”

“I had a feeling you were,” he said, and I let out a laugh.

He had a sense of humor; what excellent news.

“I wonder how you could tell,” I joked.

“This must be wild for you, coming from the States and ending up here.”

“Yeah, it was definitely not on my bingo card for this year, but here I am.”

“Well, I’m glad you are,” he said, looking directly into my eyes.

He was so hot—his gaze so disarming—that I could have passed out then and there. Instead, I let out something that I hoped sounded like a cute giggle.

We chatted for a while longer, and I learned he was from Surrey, was a semi-professional rugby player, and had a younger sister. Before I knew it, our time was up, and a producer’s voice sounded from a speaker, instructing us to head back to the garden to join the other Bellas.

As we walked through The Bungalow, both laughing at the over-the-top decor, his hand landed on my lower back, guiding me out the doors. A chill raced up my spine at the small touch.

Walking back into the garden and facing the other Bellas was like coming back from winning the Olympics. Everyone cheered and clapped, and a few of the guys got up and put their arms around James, welcoming him to the villa and pulling him away for a debrief.

I teetered over to where all the girls were gathered around the fire pit. Everyone was talking at once, eager to hear how it went and what I thought about James.

As I filled them in on our conversation, I could see Olivia on the edge of the group, her eyes ping-ponging around the yard, looking anywhere but at me. She had just been on a date with the guy, and I was about to gush over how great he was. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings so for the next ten minutes I answered all the questions thrown my way while also trying to appear completely nonplussed about the situation.

If I were being honest, it wasn’t just because of Olivia that I was trying to play it cool. I also didn’t want to get ahead of myself and reveal just how excited I was about James quite yet. I was well aware that it was all a game; that he had gone on two dates to stir the pot and cause the exact situation I found myself in. Still, he seemed to be a genuinely nice guy and even in the short time spent together, it felt like we got along well. I already knew I wouldn’t mind being matched with him.

I tried to keep my wide smile in check but couldn’t help it when it cracked through now and again the rest of the evening.