Harper glared at Kendra as she scooted to the edge of the bench to make room for Kendra and Ky. Ky made a big spectacle of checking the goose egg forming on the back of Kendra’s pretty, dirty-blond head. After Kendra insisted she was fine, Ky spent the next fifteen minutes giving her a scalp massage using acupressure points that he’d “learned online.”
Brinkley was concerned about the broken glass that was shattered all over the floor. It didn’t look like there was anyone extra around to clean it up. The captain was still fiddling with the sails. He seemed oblivious to the fact that he had nearly knocked out one of the girls on the date.
And now Kendra and Ky were wrapped up in their own little world of scalp massages and back rubs and gentle whispering. Hitting her head was the best thing that could have happened to Kendra on the date. Lucky girl.
Brinkley sighed and bent down to pick up the largest pieces of glass. She placed them onto the empty champagne tray. At least now there wouldn’t be a second accident on the boat if someone cut their foot on broken glass. That was the last thing they needed.
“Yeah, that sail came out of nowhere. I’m just lucky I wasn’t standing near the edge of the boat because I would have been knocked overboard,” Kendra murmured into Ky’s shoulder.
“Well, if you were knocked overboard, I would have had to jump in and rescue you,” Ky murmured right back.
“You would do that for me? Isn’t that just the sweetest thing?”
Hopefully, this lovey-dovey private conversation would end soon. But there didn’t seem to be an end in sight. She didn’t want to interrupt because it seemed rude.
Harper clearly didn’t have a problem with interruptions.
“Okay, you two! Enough of this!” Harper interjected in what was supposed to sound like a lighthearted, jokey voice. “Save some conversation for the rest of us, why don’t you?” She smiled a broad smile that showed her back molars.
Ky came to his senses. “You’re right, I’m so sorry. Can you ladies please forgive me? I just wanted to make sure Kendra was feeling okay after her accident.”
Harper clapped her hands. Like she needed to do anything else to get the group’s attention. All eyes were on her to see what she would do next.
“I have a fun idea. How about a game of truth or dare? I mean, all we’re doing is sitting on this boring boat looking out at the ocean, so we might as well do something interesting, right?”
Brinkley had to hand it to her. Harper must have brainstormed and come up with a long list of camera-friendly activities to make sure that she would get the most airtime. She’d been under the mistaken impression that she should just be herself and see what happened. So far, it had gotten her nowhere.
And truth or dare? What on earth was Harper thinking?
She knew exactly what Harper was thinking. Harper was the kind of girl that boldly suggested games like truth or dare just to get the opportunity to kiss the guy in question. Even though this wasn’t the seventh grade, it felt like it.
Brinkley had hated truth or dare then, and she hated it now. But she didn’t want to be the only one to say no, not when the cameras were capturing her every move.
She smiled and nodded as the other women agreed, giggling with excitement. Harper took control of the situation, smooth as always.
“So who’s going to go first? How about . . .?” She surveyed the group.
Please don’t call on me, please don’t call me, please don’t call me. Brinkley cast her eyes to the ground, pretending to inspect her brand new cork espadrilles, also from Target.
“Brinkley! You’re so quiet and sweet. We hardly ever hear from you. So . . . truth or dare?”
God, what was she supposed to do? She couldn’t refuse. Ky would think less of her, and it might make him vote her off first. But she couldn’t do a dare yet. She couldn’t be the first one to choose dare because what if it was something embarrassing, like taking her top off?
At the last second, she chickened out, “Truth.”
Harper smiled, like the cat that caught the canary. “That’s a fun one. Let me think . . . How about you tell us how old you were when you lost your virginity?”
She felt heat rise to her cheeks. Why on earth would Harper ask that question? What was she supposed to say on camera? Her mom, her dad, and even her grandmother were going to be watching the show.
But she couldn’t lie, could she? This was the time where she was supposed to be getting to know her future husband. And what if he found out that she didn’t tell the truth in a stupid game like truth or dare?
Brinkley whispered back, “Twenty-two.”
“Sorry, what, honey? You’re going to have to speak up.” All eyes were on her. She felt a drop of sweat roll slowly down her spine.
“Twenty-two, twenty-two!”
“Hmm, that’s . . . interesting.” Harper caught Kendra’s eye and began to giggle.
Ky smiled at her in encouragement. Or maybe in embarrassment. She knew that twenty-two was pretty late in life to give it up. She had been with Cooper all through high school and had told him she wanted to wait until marriage. But by the time she graduated college, marriage seemed so far away.
And since Cooper was the one and only boyfriend she had ever had, she finally decided that it was safe to have sex with him. As long as they didn’t do it very often, and as long as nobody found out about it. But now everybody was going to know. Even her parents and her 80-year-old grandmother. This was just great.
“Kylie, how about you go next? Truth or dare?” Harper didn’t try to hide her excitement as she licked her lips.
“I’ll go with dare. I’ll be the first one. I don’t care.” Kylie smirked.
“Okay, I’ll have to think about this and give you a good one. How about . . . You be the first to jump into the water?”
Kylie hesitated for a second. Brinkley didn’t know if she was going to go for it or not. She had on flawless makeup, and her hair was blown out like a curtain of silk that sat on her shoulders. Maybe she didn’t want to mess up her face for the cameras. Maybe she was afraid of the ocean. Maybe she wasn’t a strong swimmer.
Splash! Kylie was in the water, sundress and all, before Brinkley could blink an eye. She didn’t see that coming. The women and Ky cheered and shouted to her as they leaned overboard to watch her swim.
“You guys should come in! It’s beautiful, and the water is so warm,” Kylie called up to them.
“Miss! Miss! Do you not remember I told you not to swimming? No swim! Please come up now!” The captain was irate.
Brinkley vaguely remembered a few safety instructions before the boat set sail from the shore. Swimming was a prohibited activity without a life vest, lifeguard, and a team of cameramen in the water.
Kylie slowly pulled herself up the ladder on the side of the catamaran. Her wet dress clung to her curvy body, making her chest look even bigger, if at all possible. Ky couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of the real life wet T-shirt contest happening in front of him.
Harper noticed immediately.
“Okay, I’m next! I choose dare. Does anybody have a dare for me?” Harper waited two beats before answering her own question. “Oh, I’ve got one! How about I dare myself to kiss the bachelor?”
Before anyone in the group could confirm or protest, Harper had her lips locked on Ky’s. The cameramen zoomed in from their various posts around the boat. They didn’t want to miss a second of the action.
The kiss seemed a little long in Brinkley’s opinion. Like twenty-five seconds too long with way too much saliva. The three women watched the lip lock in uncomfortable silence. They literally had nowhere else to go and nothing else to do. What were they supposed to do? Look out into the ocean to give the two lovebirds a little privacy?
Finally, Kylie spoke up, “Okay, guys, break it
up! This is truth or dare, remember? Let’s keep it PG,” she joked in a not-so-joking tone.
Brinkley silently thanked the Lord that one of the women had had the guts to speak up. Because it definitely wasn’t going to be her. After the whole virginity question debacle, she didn’t want to be cast as the prude character on national TV. Better to keep quiet so that she didn’t embarrass herself any further.
Ky leaned back against the railing of the boat with a satisfied smile on his face. “Well, ladies, we only have a few more minutes before we have to head back to shore. I can tell you that I’m definitely sad for our date to end.”
“But before we head back, I have to hand out something special to one lucky lady.”
Oh. My. Goodness. It was the moment everyone had been waiting for. Who was going to get the medallion? Brinkley seriously doubted it was going to be her. Unless Ky had managed to see through her shy exterior and had found something special in her. Which was exactly what she was hoping for. Maybe, just maybe—
“And I’d like to give the tribal medallion to Harper! Harper, it has been great getting to know you so far, and you have truly made this mini date special. Will you please accept this medallion?” Ky asked.
Harper jumped up as if she’d just won an Oscar. And everyone knew exactly why she was getting the medallion. It wasn’t because she was so “fun” or “charming.” It was because her borderline slutty behavior had paid off, making her the winner of the group date. It really wasn’t fair.
“Thank you, sweee-eeetie!” Harper squealed as she wrapped her arms around Ky. She looked as if she was about to lean in for another two-minute kiss when she was interrupted by Kendra.
“So isn’t another girl supposed to go home?” Kendra drummed her fingers on the railing, either out of nervousness or irritation, Brinkley couldn’t tell.
The three women left were Kendra, Kylie, and Brinkley. And compared to the other two, she didn’t stand a chance. She prepared herself for the worst. Being one of the first women voted off in the group date rounds was going to be devastating. But as long as she didn’t cry on camera, she could put on a brave face until she got to the airport.
“Yes, ladies, I was just getting to that. Unfortunately, I also have to send one girl home. I want to first of all say that you are all absolutely beautiful. Any man would be lucky to have you, but I do have to make a decision. And I’m going to go based off of the connection that I feel. It’s just so important to me that I develop a strong connection and can meet someone who will be my best friend.”
Brinkley gulped.
Ky continued, brows furrowed with concern. “So, I have to say goodbye to Kylie today. I’m sorry.”
Come again? That was the last thing Brinkley had expected. She was already mentally packing her bags and saying goodbye to her new friends and the beautiful tropical island getaway. How had she managed to make the cut?
Before she could gather her thoughts, Kylie was gone. Kylie gave Ky a quick hug goodbye, and she was escorted to a small motorboat that had appeared at the side of the catamaran. Apparently, when they meant that one woman was going home, they meant that she was going home right away. In a daze of elation and sadness, Brinkley watched as Kylie’s motorboat sped away until it was just a speck on the horizon.
When the group arrived back at the resort, the women were buzzing about Kylie’s exit. Brinkley knew what they were thinking. They were probably wondering how on earth she had made the cut when someone as gorgeous and as well-endowed as Kylie had gone home. She was wondering the same thing.
But Ky said it was all about the connection. And if he had chosen to keep her, then it must have meant he had at least some sort of connection with her, right?
A small glimmer of hope made her shiver with anticipation. She didn’t want to count her chickens before they hatched, but she couldn’t deny that it was a good sign she had won out over a total bombshell on the first group date.
Maybe Ky really did see soul-mate qualities in her. Maybe they had a lot more in common than she had first thought. She couldn’t wait to find out.
She excused herself from the group that was chattering and buzzing next to the pool. She walked across the property to her suite. She just needed a second to compose herself off camera, and the only sure place for some privacy was in the restroom. Cameramen followed her all the way to the restroom door, which she firmly locked behind her.
She didn’t know if she was cut out for this. If someone like Harper was going to win the group date, then shouldn’t she just go home now and save herself the embarrassment? It was a given that she was going to be embarrassed on national TV.
Already, her closest friends and family members were not only going to find out that she had lost her virginity at the ripe old age of twenty-two but that she had been secretly having sex with her boyfriend this whole time. She didn’t know which was worse, that she’d been an old virgin or that she was having sex before marriage.
She tried to hold back the tears, but she couldn’t any longer. It felt so good to sit by herself without any cameras in her face and let it all out. She hadn’t known it was going to be this hard to constantly have people watching her every move. And picking apart what she said and dissecting everything she did. She was a nervous wreck.
She would have given anything to talk to her pastor about it. Or at least to be able to call or e-mail her mom for a few words of encouragement. Before she left, she’d had a long sit-down with her pastor about whether or not the whole reality TV thing was a good decision. He assured her that as long as she felt peace about it, it was. And that maybe it was an opportunity that God was giving her to meet her future husband.
Her mother had agreed. She’d told her in her sweet, simple way, “Honey, you just do what makes you happy. If Cooper doesn’t make you happy anymore, then maybe this new man will.”
But now she didn’t feel peace or happiness. And she couldn’t ask anyone for advice because she was restricted from the telephone and e-mail for the next four weeks. Which now seemed like an eternity.
Chapter 5
Brinkley’s Confessional: My date? I think it went pretty well. But I’m just surprised to be here. I mean, Kylie was a beautiful, smart, funny girl. And if she went home right away, I don’t know what that means for me. I just hope that Ky sees something special in me. I just want to stick around for longer because I’m not really ready to go home yet.
By the time Brinkley had dried her tears, retouched her makeup, and made her way back to the pool, Group 3 had finished their date. Kymm didn’t make it back, and Morgan was the group winner, sporting yet another tribal medallion necklace.
Ky stood in the center of the remaining women, talking and answering questions. He looked up and caught Brinkley’s eye as she approached the group.
He clapped his hands to get the women’s attention. “Ladies, she’s here! Brinkley, we’re glad you made it back.”
He was?
“There’s one more special announcement that I have to make. Out of the three winners from today’s mini dates, I’m going to choose one woman to take with me on an exclusive Jungle Adventure date this evening.” Ky smiled broadly.
Great. That had absolutely nothing to do with her. It was between Cori, Harper, and Morgan. And she would bet that Harper was a shoe-in to win. Again.
“Ladies, I have to tell you that I had an amazing time on all the group dates. You women are truly special and a pleasure to spend time with. But the woman I’m going to choose to go on the Jungle Adventure with tonight has really intrigued me, and I want to get to know her better.” He paused to smile at the cameras.
Harper preened. She made it clear that she also thought she was the likely winner for the evening date. Brinkley would have killed for that kind of confidence.
“So, I would love to ask Morgan if she would be my date for the e
vening. What do you say, Morgan?” Ky held out his hand, waiting for her response.
Brinkley giggled. She would have loved to have a picture of the split second that Harper’s name wasn’t called. Harper looked surprised, then crestfallen, then irate. She didn’t seem to understand that there were other women in the competition that Ky also wanted to get to know.
Morgan cleared her throat, “Um, sure, why not?” She placed her hand in Ky’s.
“So without further ado, Morgan and I are going to go get ready for our evening date. The rest of you ladies can enjoy your stay here at this beautiful resort and help yourself to the poolside buffet.” Ky took Morgan by the hand and escorted her back to the cabin suites behind the pool.
Brinkley didn’t know what time it was, but the sun was still high in the sky. If she had to guess, she would say it was about 5:30 PM. Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right?
Her secret emotional breakdown had given her a release. She felt calmer and more relaxed. She was ready to make the most of her vacation, even if she didn’t know when she was going to be sent home.
She helped herself to a glass of rum punch. She pulled up a lounge chair next to Cori. Cori was in a heated conversation with Harper about why neither of them was chosen for the top date. What did Morgan have that they didn’t? And what exactly was Ky looking for if he didn’t choose from the two most beautiful women in the competition?
Brinkley thought it was a little presumptuous to call yourself the most beautiful women in the competition. Sure, Harper looked like a swimsuit model. And Cori had the kind of exotic beauty that made you want to take a second, a third, and even a fourth glance. But Morgan was pretty interesting, too.
Adventure to Love Page 5
