Winner Takes All

by Katie Price

  Chapter 30

  It was the night of the sixth rose ceremony. The previous week Dylan had sent home Carmel and Kat, though Charlotte couldn’t say she was wholly surprised. They’d each only had one alone-date with him throughout the whole process while the others had had several by now. With only seven women left, the atmosphere around the pool was tenser than ever. Dylan and the women sat together on the terrace, sipping wine and talking, Dylan inviting each girl in turn for a brief alone-chat as had become the custom on ceremony nights. Each girl got three minutes or so with him. Charlotte was first. As they walked into the villa, hand in hand, she could feel six pairs of eyes burning into her.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ Dylan asked as they cosied up on a sofa, smiling into each other’s eyes.

  Charlotte held on to his hand. There was no doubt about it, she was falling hard for him and would be crushed if he sent her home.

  Dylan looked into her eyes. ‘Can I be honest with you?’ he asked.

  ‘Of course, Dylan, you can tell me anything.’ Charlotte felt the cameras circle them. Even after several weeks it still made her uncomfortable to be having an intimate conversation like this in front of two cameramen. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to it.

  ‘I really like you,’ Dylan continued. ‘We have so much in common and I can’t stop thinking about Barcelona.’

  Charlotte blushed. ‘Me too.’

  ‘But I get the sense that you’re holding back and you’re not fully ready to commit. Like, no matter what I do there’s a barrier between us. Am I crazy?’

  ‘No, you’re not crazy. This is a difficult situation for me. There are six other women here all desperate for you. No matter how close I think we’re getting, I know you’ve grown close to other girls too. I knew what I was getting into but I guess I just didn’t realise how hard it would be. And … I have fallen for you, Dylan.’

  He edged closer. Her pulse raced. ‘I’ve fallen for you, too,’ he said softly. ‘But I need to know if you’re really into this.’

  ‘I am. But … I’ve been hurt before …’ Her voice trailed off. It was true. Charlotte felt that she couldn’t compete with all the other confident, beautiful women here and was terrified of having her heart broken. Please don’t hurt me, she wanted to say, but before she could utter another word she and Dylan were kissing and, at that moment, nothing else mattered.

  It felt like hours had gone by but Charlotte knew it must only have been a minute. Dylan was an amazing kisser, keeping his hands wrapped gently around her waist. She knew she wasn’t the first woman he’d locked lips with here, but it was her first kiss with him and she was going to savour every last second.

  ‘Excuse me, Dylan?’

  Charlotte and Dylan broke apart to see Gabriella gazing at them. How long had she been standing there?

  Dylan cleared his throat. ‘Hey, Gabby.’

  ‘Sorry to interrupt. Could I talk to you? Charlotte, the girls are waiting for you over there. Your prosecco must be warm by now.’

  What could Charlotte say to that? She was pissed off with Gabriella for ruining their moment, and had every right to be, but the last thing Charlotte wanted to do was cause a scene in front of Dylan. He did at least look embarrassed by the interruption.

  ‘Oh, okay, I’ll see you back there, Dylan.’ As she reluctantly left them together Gabriella grinned at her.

  Back at the sofas Charlotte sat down next to Melody, telling her about her first kiss with Dylan.

  ‘I really like him,’ she whispered.

  Melody raised her eyebrows and glanced over to Dylan and Gabriella, who were returning from their alone-chat. Gabriella looked incredibly smug. She sat down on a sofa and started whispering to Mackenzie, her partner in crime it seemed. Georgia was once part of the Mean Girls gang but since coming on to Dylan so brazenly and staying in the competition when everyone thought she’d leave, she seemed to have been booted out of that crew entirely. She sat alone, sipping wine and twirling a lock of long hair around her finger. No one talked to her and Charlotte still felt sorry for her.

  ‘Alex, can I speak with you?’ Dylan asked, and he and Alex sauntered off hand in hand, making Charlotte’s heart sink. Alex was so beautiful and confident, Charlotte couldn’t imagine any man not falling at her feet. She suspected there was strong chemistry between Alex and Dylan.

  ‘Take no notice,’ Melody said quietly when she noticed Charlotte’s distress. ‘He has to flirt with everyone, remember?’

  Charlotte topped up her glass and Melody’s. ‘So how do I know if he’s genuine with me or not? He could be spinning the same lines to all of us. Clearly he’s into Alex, too, and the rest.’ She glanced at Gabriella and Mackenzie who were still whispering to each other and giggling. Georgia turned around sharply.

  ‘It’s rude to whisper,’ she snapped, but the Mean Girls only laughed harder. It really was like being in school again.

  ‘Georgia, come sit with us,’ Charlotte offered, ignoring Melody’s frown.

  ‘I wouldn’t get too close to her, you might catch something.’ This from Mackenzie. Charlotte had never warmed to her, fake boobs always out on display and thrust in Dylan’s direction. And she didn’t make any effort with the rest of the household. Georgia ignored the snide comment and went to sit with Charlotte and Melody, appreciating the offer. Gabriella stared intently at the three of them, making Charlotte uncomfortable. That look was so intense it was creepy.

  ‘How’s it going with you and Dylan?’ Gabriella said, not taking her gaze off Charlotte. The others all stopped talking.

  ‘It’s going great,’ replied Charlotte.

  Gabriella narrowed her eyes. ‘That was only your first kiss though, right?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Why do you think he waited so long? Nysha got it on with him in the second week.’ Nysha looked at the floor, embarrassed. ‘And almost everyone else,’ Gabriella continued. ‘It’s weird, isn’t it? He could barely keep his hands off me on our first alone-date.’

  Charlotte had opened her mouth to reply when Alex and Dylan returned to the group. ‘What did we miss?’ asked Alex.

  No sooner had Dylan sat down than Mackenzie shot to her feet. ‘My turn!’ She smiled sweetly, stretching out her hand to him. Charlotte had to admit that Mackenzie was most men’s dream woman: long blonde hair, big eyes, big boobs. Dylan didn’t need asking twice.

  ‘Gabriella, can we grab you for a quick piece-to-camera?’ asked Lyndsey.

  ‘I’m going to the toilet,’ muttered Charlotte. She stalked off to the bathroom, hoping to shrug off her bad mood before Dylan returned. Charlotte knew the key to dealing with women like Gabriella was to ignore them – they only wanted a reaction – but rising above Gabby’s not-so-subtle comments wasn’t easy. In fact, Charlotte was getting more and more irate. She’d understood that there would be some challenging characters in a show like this, but the fakeness of Gabriella, and the way Dylan was falling for it, was sickening to see.

  Charlotte took a few deep breaths in the bathroom to calm herself down. Don’t let her get to you, don’t let her get to you.

  She made her way back down to rejoin the group. As she walked past the terrace, Gabriella was being interviewed in one corner. Charlotte normally would have walked straight by, but what she overheard Gabriella saying stopped her dead in her tracks.

  ‘The chemistry between me and Dylan gets hotter and hotter every time we’re together,’ she boasted. ‘The way he is around me, I know he’s not like that with everyone else. And you know all about our night in the hot tub. Well, that speaks for itself.’ She giggled coyly. ‘The truth is, Dylan is mine. I am head over heels in love with him and I know he feels the same way about me. Obviously, he didn’t actually say it, I know he can’t, but his look told me everything I need to know. Dylan and I are going to be together. I know it.’

  ‘Thanks, Gabby,’ said Lyndsey from behind the camera. Charlotte scuttled off before she was spotted.

  ‘He’s taken Georgi
a away for a chat and they’ve been gone a lot longer than three minutes,’ Melody said when Charlotte sat back down.

  ‘What do you think they’re talking about?’ she asked.

  ‘Maybe they’re not talking,’ said Alex, with a stony expression on her face.

  Dylan reappeared alone, looking forlorn. The women glanced at each other. ‘I’m just going to come out and say it,’ he announced to the group, looking disheartened. ‘It wasn’t going to work out with Georgia. I’ve said goodbye to her. She’s packing her things now. I think we should get on with the rose ceremony.’

  Gasps came from the group. Charlotte had to admit she was happy there was one less woman in the competition, but to send someone home even before the rose ceremony? That was serious.

  Jas appeared then. ‘Ladies, let’s all line up by the garden, please. Dylan, when you’re ready.’

  An assistant rolled out the white-clothed table with just four roses resting on it. The six remaining women lined up in two rows of three, all taking deep breaths to calm their nerves. What on earth had happened in the space of one evening to make Dylan decide to send Georgia home so abruptly? Had she come on too strong?

  They stood silently as Dylan picked up the first rose. ‘Tonight has been tough for all of us. We’re getting to a difficult stage of the competition. Emotions are running high. But every week I need to think more and more seriously about who I want to be with. Tonight I found out some information about Georgia that made me realise she was not the girl for me. With only two more weeks to go I have to keep in this competition the women I think I can see myself with. Alex, will you accept this first rose?’

  She beamed and walked up to him. ‘Of course I will,’ she said, giving him a hug.

  He picked up the second rose. Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief that her name was called then and hugged Dylan tightly as she accepted. Nysha made it through too. Then, Dylan took a deep breath and read out Mackenzie’s name, but when she ran up to him, he did not pick up a rose. ‘Mackenzie, I have to say goodbye to you.’

  ‘Why me?’ she shouted.

  ‘You told me some uncomfortable truths about Georgia tonight that made me question her authenticity. She’s still been keeping in touch with Gary. There’s no way I can keep her in, knowing that her feelings for me aren’t genuine. But the way you told me, with such pleasure, made me look at you differently too. I don’t know if you’re the woman for me. I’m sorry.’

  Mackenzie stormed off, crying. The other contestants whispered to one another. Was Georgia really still in touch with Gary after what had happened?

  Gabriella and Melody both stood waiting. There was only one rose left. Everyone was glancing at each other, even the crew behind the cameras.

  Dylan took a deep breath. ‘Gabriella. Will you accept my final rose of the evening?’

  She practically fell over herself, she was so giddy with relief. ‘Yes, Dylan, of course!’

  Charlotte was gutted. Melody was easily her best friend in the competition. Ever the gracious loser, Melody hugged everyone goodbye.

  Charlotte hugged her back tightly. ‘I’ll really miss you.’

  ‘Well, we’ll just have to meet up back in London in a couple of weeks, won’t we?’

  ‘I’d love that.’

  Melody leant in and whispered in Charlotte’s ear, ‘You got this, babe. Go get him.’

  ‘I wish you were staying.’

  Upstairs, she helped Melody put the last of her belongings together. ‘Oh, wait,’ she said. ‘I left that lipstick I borrowed off you by the pool, let me go get it.’ As Charlotte dashed back out, she came across Gabriella and Mackenzie whispering together on the staircase, though they didn’t see her.

  ‘You said just Georgia would leave if we told him that – why me too?’ hissed Mackenzie, clearly still upset at being sent home. ‘You told him too, didn’t you, Gabs?’

  ‘Of course I did,’ Gabriella whispered, hugging her. ‘Darling, I have no idea why he didn’t get rid of me too, I’m sure he wanted to. I told him everything about Georgia and Gary, word for word like we agreed. I’m delighted she’s gone but so sad you’re going too!’

  They moved off in the direction of the bedrooms and Charlotte raced away so they wouldn’t see her. What a weird conversation.

  Lipstick retrieved, Charlotte reached her and Melody’s bedroom door where she ran straight into Gabriella. Charlotte froze, awkwardly.

  ‘Saving the best for last.’ Gabriella smiled, clutching her rose to her chest.

  Chapter 31

  Richard was heading home for a rare early night after an exceptionally brutal week in the office when he received an unexpected, but welcome, phone call.

  ‘I’m sorry for phoning on a Friday night.’

  ‘No, it’s fine, Lila. I was just on my way home. You sound upset. Is everything okay?’

  ‘Urgh, just my stupid sister. You know I told you how she kicked off about us hanging out? As you said she would.’

  Richard’s mouth curled into a smile, but he tried to sound serious. ‘Yes. Oh, gosh, she hasn’t had another go at you, has she?’

  ‘Worse. Now she’s told Meg and my parents, and they’ve all phoned me saying how insensitive and thoughtless I am.’

  ‘Oh, Lila, that’s dreadful.’

  Her voice started to break. ‘Why does everyone insist on treating me like a child? You know, not one person has actually congratulated me on my new job? Not one member of my family has asked how I’m feeling.’

  ‘It’s not fair at all. What can I do to help? How about a night out, my treat? Come and meet me at St Paul’s. I’ll take you for champagne and you can bitch and rant the night away. No judgement.’

  Lila laughed. ‘I’m sure you’ve a million other better things to do.’

  ‘Nonsense. I hate hearing you so upset. Meet me at Madison’s in forty minutes. You hungry? I’ll reserve a table. Don’t you worry about a thing.’

  ‘Okay. Thanks, Richard. You’re a real friend.’

  ‘My pleasure.’

  He hung up feeling very pleased with himself. Jas would be beside herself by now. He could just imagine her prissy face screwed up in rage. So much for his quiet night in. However, Richard suspected this would be much more satisfying.

  Two hours, three vodka and tonics and two bowls of salmon linguine later, Richard beckoned the waitress over.

  ‘Another round?’ he asked Lila, but she shook her head.

  Richard’s double vodka arrived, this time without the tonic and he knocked half of it back in one go. Lila eyed him suspiciously.

  ‘You’ve barely touched your food. Everything okay?’

  Richard sniffed and rubbed his nose. ‘Yeah, fine, fine.’

  They were seated in the bustling restaurant, teeming with City boys and girls out to play after a gruelling week’s work. Richard’s table had a stunning view of the London skyline. He had insisted on a big night out, no expense spared.

  ‘After this we should head over to Nelson’s. It’s much more fun.’

  Nelson’s was a swanky members-only bar that had just opened in the heart of the City and entrance to it was hard to secure. Not when you were a high-flying trader with money to burn, though. Lila raised her eyebrows. ‘I’m impressed. Thanks for this, Richard. I really needed to let off steam.’

  He rested a clammy hand on top of hers. Lila looked ravishing tonight in tight-fitting black leather trousers and chunky black heels, her lips painted hot pink. It looked like she’d raided Jas’s wardrobe again as he recognised the flimsy white top from his wife’s Instagram page. Richard looked at Jas’s profile several times a week. What had started out as idle curiosity had turned into another addiction. One night recently he scrolled all the way back to her first post, dissecting each picture for clues as to where she was and who she was with. Not that he’d ever tell Lila that.

  ‘Hey, no need to thank me,’ he said softly. ‘It’s so unfair the way your family treat you like you’re an outsider. Jas was alwa
ys jealous of you.’

  ‘That’s not true.’

  ‘Come on, you know you’ve got the looks of the family. Jas could barely contain her jealousy every time she saw you. Always talking about you. It was weird.’

  Lila shifted in her seat and pulled her hand away. ‘That doesn’t sound like Jas. I know we’ve had our differences lately but I don’t think she’s that jealous of me.’

  Richard realised he had pushed that one too far. ‘No, no, I just mean she never gave you enough credit, that’s all. Listen, let’s get out of here. I fancy a change of scene.’

  Nelson’s was tucked away in a dark, secluded street that made it seem more exclusive and decadent. Richard held the cab door open for Lila but there was only so far that the cab could go before they had to get out and walk the rest of the way to the bar. The entrance was a black door with no sign on it. The only indication that the club was here were the paparazzi loitering outside, hopeful of catching a glimpse of an A-lister stumbling out. Once buzzed in, a dark and narrow staircase led downstairs to the dimly lit club, which was decked out with leather-covered sofas and wall panels. Lila nudged Richard when she spotted a famous pop star and her entourage at one table, and a gang of British actors at another.

  Richard had managed to get them a tiny booth in the corner where they were squashed in together. A waitress brought over a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket and four shots of tequila.

  He handed a shot to Lila. ‘Patrón? Only the best.’

  She giggled as they shot back both in succession. Richard sunk another one straight after. He was going for it, tonight.

  ‘You know, I’ve really enjoyed the last few weeks, Lila,’ he said. ‘I mean, I’ve known you for years, obviously, but only as my sister-in-law, never as my friend.’

  ‘I know what you mean. I hope we can stay friends after the divorce.’

  Richard bristled slightly at the D-word. It was a reminder of Jas winning and it made his blood boil.

  ‘It’s such a shame things couldn’t have worked out with you and Jas,’ Lila went on. ‘It would be great to have you around more.’