Page 52 of Alice Chen's Reality Check

As I inhale my breakfast burrito, I flip open my suitcase.

“Is that what you’re planning to wear?” Daniel asks as I pull out a Cindy-approved outfit.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing, it’s great. I just figure we should coordinate. You know, pretend to be on the same team?”

Fair point. I have to admit, matching will make Daniel and me look like we belong together. Like Tarun and Kendall’s matching foodie outfits, or Brittany and Jaxon’s cowboy boots. Maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll become “Reasonably Fashionable Nerds” instead of “The Asians.”

“It’s not a terrible idea,” I admit. “We could try it.”

“As always, your words of praise mean everything to me.”

I ignore that. “Do I need to change anything out?”

“No. I have something that’ll work,” Daniel says, and he grabs clothes from his own suitcase.

He takes off his shirt, and I realize that I need to be anywhere other than here. I rush into the bathroom to change. When I come out again, Daniel is putting sunscreen on. He’s dressed in white shorts and a blue-and-white-striped shirt that complements the deep-blue romper I’ve chosen for the day.

He glances over at me and breaks into a smile. “We look nice.”

“Almost like we’re a real couple,” I say. “Ready to head downstairs and flaunt our new relationship?”

He takes my hand, and I’m proud of how steady my heartbeat is as I lace my fingers with his. “Ready when you are,darling.”

—

I must have slept in later than I thought, because Daniel and I are the last couple to leave the villa. Leah is already waiting for us at the foot of the winding staircase, tapping her toe impatiently on the pristine marble floor.

“There are my winners,” Leah says when she spots us. “How was the suite I snagged for you? Did you get a chance toconnect?” she asks, looking over the two of us.

“Working on it,” I say at the same time that Daniel says, “Never been closer.”

“Okay, maybe work onthat,” Leah says, circling her index finger inthe air between us. “But hey, you’re dressed nicely and holding hands. I’ll take it.”

Daniel and I walk hand in hand the whole way down to the beach, and thanks to our practice yesterday, I manage to relax into it and just enjoy the sun on my skin as we make our way over to the rest of the contestants.

“Oh, so it’s true,” Ava says, eyeing the pair of us. This is the first time we’ve been seen together since Dawn Taylor’s announcement yesterday, and it feels like Ava is staring daggers at us. Daniel squeezes my hand.

Game on. I squeeze Daniel’s hand back and plaster on my best “talking to parents at Open House” smile. “Yep,” I say breezily. “I can’t believe it either. I feel like I’m in paradise.”

“I think it’s so beautiful that you two found true love from the ashes of heartbreak,” a lilting voice says. “I’m Firefly,” the woman adds when I glance at her. I realize I’ve seen her before—or, at least, I’ve seen the back of her head before. She was the one making out with her partner on the first night. Today, she’s wearing a sari that matches the bright green of her hair. She still has on the black combat boots and the fingerless black gloves from the first day.

When she sees me taking in her clothes, she makes a face. “My producer asked me to wear a sari today. I guess they’re playing up the ‘we have an Indian contestant’ angle. Something about trying to bring in theIndian Matchmakingdemo? But I’m not going to throw away the rest of my style.” She links arms with the handsome Black man next to her. “Oh, this is Bacon, by the way.”

He’s still in full Burning Man–style desert gear, with a black vest and black goggles on his head. “Hey,” he says.

“Bacon?” Ava asks. The judgment is dripping from her voice.

“Because he’s so hot and tasty,” Firefly deadpans, and then bursts into laughter.

“She’s ‘Firefly’ because she’s the light of my life,” Bacon says. “Also, she likes to light things on fire.”

“We like to go by our Burning Man names,” Firefly explains. “It started out as a bit, but then it just stuck. Anyway, we’re totally rooting for you and Daniel. It’s giving true love, you know?”

“True love?” Ava says with a snort. “More like a true loophole. I know you guys got together so you wouldn’t be eliminated. Normally I’d file a complaint, but you’re not worth the effort.”

With that, she stalks away from us. Bacon shakes his head. “Don’t let it get to you. There’s always going to be people who doubt your love. Firefly and I had a hard time when we first got together, too.”

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