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Kendra pulled her shoulders back. “Why bother? It’s not going to come to anything.”

“It will if our viewers wish it to,” Ivy said.

“You can’t force a relationship on me. I’m keeping up this pretense because Diadora is so desperate for good promotion.”

Ivy held up a finger as she sent a message via her wrist comm. “Let’s see where your hunk of grumpy loveliness is.”

“He’ll be here. If there’s one thing I know about Faron, he’s reliable. He always has logic and practicality in the front of his mind. As soon as he found out about this, it would have gone in his calendar.”

“He might have a logical mind, but he’s a lousy timekeeper.”

If he didn’t show, it would be the perfect reason to stop this madness. Kendra hated the thought that people were scrutinizing their fake relationship and passing judgment. How could they enjoy doing that?

She felt a little guilty as she recalled the reality TV she’d watched on Earth. She’d voted for the couple she’d liked the most and the ones she wanted to be booted out. Who was she kidding? If she’d been watching this play out, she’d be glued to the screen, lapping up every second and watching how the relationship developed.

“At last. Here he is.” Ivy gestured along the corridor. “Oh dear. He looks like he’s been told his favorite kitten is sick.”

Faron strode toward them, his expression sour.

Kendra felt a shiver of concern. He looked really pissed about something. Maybe he’d had bad news from home.

“This is not a good start,” Ivy said to Faron as he stopped in front of them. “Your date has been waiting for you.”

“You need to leave,” Faron said as he barely spared Ivy a glance.

Kendra hid a smile at his surly tone. Faron had gotten the measure of Ivy and wasn’t standing for any of her nonsense.

“I’m staying right here,” Ivy said.

Faron jabbed a finger at her. “You and those camera bots need to go.”

Kendra’s nerves faded as her worry took over. There was something dangerous lurking in Faron’s eyes. He was raging mad, and she didn’t know why.

Ivy jammed her hands on her hips. “You agreed to this. That means you agree to the cameras being here.”

“Ivy, can you give us five minutes?” Kendra grabbed Faron’s elbow. Although they weren’t best friends, she didn’t want Faron to snap Ivy in two if she kept prodding at him.

“To do what?”

“I need a word with Faron to make sure everything is great before we start filming.” Kendra ushered him along the corridor out of Ivy’s hearing. “Is everything okay with you?”

He took a deep breath and pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. “It’s my family. They are being... difficult.”

“Is someone in trouble?”

“They are all physically well. It is not that.” He sighed and stared at the ceiling. “You smell. I shouldn’t be here.”

“You don’t want to be here because of the way I smell?” She discreetly sniffed her armpit.

His smile was tight. “I mean you distract me. I like your smell. But this is wrong for us.”

Kendra shrugged. “I don’t think either of us should be here, but I’m not sure we have a choice. I know I don’t.”

“It’s not that.” Faron grabbed her arm and pulled her closer, a flare of panic in his eyes. “This has to end.”

Kendra swallowed her disappointment. It made sense. This was wrong for both of them, but she wasn’t ready to let Faron go, not when she could see he was hurting. “We don’t have to spend the day together if you don’t want to.”

“That’s for the best.” Faron turned to go.