Page 77 of Love on the Island


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Silence. And plenty of it.

‘And the public voted for…’ She touches her earpiece and proceeds to stand staring into space for a count of ten seconds, rather like an AI robot powering down.

We are all quite spooked when she jerks back to life and reveals where we are going.

Twenty minutes later, we are dragging ourselves back to the main villa. Morale is at an all-time low.

‘The public must really hate you,’ says Mimi giving me a sympathetic look as we make our way from the firepit back to the main villa.

‘Or they hate all of us,’ I say, trying to counter the argument. ‘What makes you think it’s just me?’

She stops to put a hand on her hip, tilting her head. ‘Purleese, girl. You’ve done nothing but get people dumped from the villa since you got here and you’ve like, stolen every man you can get your hands on.’

‘Not true,’ I say. ‘Besides, the public might be genuinely interested in Mayan industrial history.’

‘At least we won’t get eaten by tigers,’ says Amber, trying to look on the bright side. ‘I’m not sure I could cope in the jungle when it’s dark. I hate the dark so much.’

The thought of my recent trek into the jungle with Cam makes me smile. ‘Wrong continent. Right terrain.’ I say almost to myself. ‘Although, I’m fairly certain it will be even darker down the pothole.’

Ambers bursts into tears. ‘I can’t do this. I’m off to the Beach Hut to tell the world about my dark phobia.’

Mimi tuts. ‘How convenient. I have a fear of rope, but do you hear me bleating on about it?’

It takes all of five seconds before she runs after Amber. ‘Amber, honey. Babe. I’m here for you. Let’s do the Hut together.’

I stare after them.

Porscha will make extra sure that I won’t be seeing Cam while I am in the villa. My heart droops at the thought. He is the only thing about being in the villa that sparks joy. Everyone in here, with their flip-flopping allegiance, seems to have a hidden agenda and would gladly throw me under a bus to win the one-hundred-thousand-dollar prize money.

When Amber and Mimi return from currying favour with the nation, we go to the dressing room to take our make-up off, and discuss the shock of tonight’s events.

‘I think we’ll see them again. And even if we don’t, then I’m sure they’ll have a great time on the outside,’ mulls Mimi. ‘I bet they come back in as Casa girls. Maybe the boys will come back in too, but to be honest they didn’t exactly rock my world. I can’t even remember their names.’

I shake my head in despair.

‘Giovanni told me that he heard Carlton telling Henri that he was going to say that he’s open to having conversations with all three of us. He doesn’t want to tie himself to one girl as it is still early days,’ Amber says as she wipes off her heavy foundation and bright pink lip gloss. She looks innocently over to Mimi. ‘I think it’s only fair that I talk to him if he pulls me for a chat.’

‘Girl, why would you say that to me? You know I have my eyes on Giovanni and Carlton.’

‘Hold on, girl. You can’t claim all the guys and expect us not to give them a chance. Carlton is clearly not into you. He made a strategic decision.’

I’m immediately suspicious. It would be just like Porscha to force us girls into a war over the boys.

‘For your information, Carlton told me that he wants us to be coupled up because he is sick of Libby leading him on and then dumping him at the last minute. I wouldn’t call that strategic, would you?’

‘That is literally the very definition of strategic. Isn’t it, Libby?’ says Amber.

‘Divide and conquer, they call it,’ I say.

They eye me dubiously.

‘What is?’ Amber says, looking a bit guilty.

‘What we’re doing. They have us bickering like schoolchildren when really what we need to do is learn to trust each other and unite against them.’

Amber stops vigorously moisturising and Mimi puts down her face wipes, as the penny drops.

‘What’s the plan?’ Amber asks, coming in close.