I jumped up and down before embracing him.
Arnie appeared surprised and confused by my sudden drive, but to his credit, he bounced along with me as if he were just as pleased.
Not even fifteen seconds later, Eli and Sofia opened their door and maneuvered their way onto the mat next to us, looking defeated. She placed both hands on her hips and glared at me.
I wanted to roll my eyes. What did she care if they lost? Second place all but guaranteed her that continued partnership with Eli. It wasn’t like Arnie was going to snag her first.
“Are we ready?” I heard Rita hiss to the camera operator as she sashayed toward us in a tight camo jumpsuit. Shay and Brady hovered behind the operator and both gave her a thumbs up as they jotted things down on those tablets they always carried. What I wouldn’t give to read those notes. I wondered what was so noteworthy about us.
The camera panned across Arnie and me. Rita moved to stand between the first and second place couples.
“Wow, that was a close one. But congratulations to Arnie and Calla for winning this round! From third to first is quite the turnaround. And you—” she turned to Eli and Sofia. “Last to second isn’t half-bad either. Perhaps this could meanyou’re seeing some real improvements in your connections to your partners.”
I tried to catch Arnie’s eye, but he was too busy fidgeting with his glasses to notice.
“This means that for the next challenge, Arnie has the first pick of partner, followed by Eli.” Rita gestured back toward the two cages at the end where Grant and Rachel, and Trace and Danny, were still stuck. Rachel looked pissed off, and like she was going to rip Grant’s head off if she didn’t get out of that cage immediately. Trace and Danny, on the other hand, were laughing at their poor performance. He seemed like a completely different person with her than he had been with Rachel.
“Unfortunately for you four, your fates might be handed to you. Rachel and Grant, since you failed to get out of your first cage, Grant will have the last pick at the next challenge.”
Grant seemed unbothered by this news, but Rachel shook with irritation. “Someone else better pick me. I’m not doing another challenge with this dingbat.”
Rita chuckled. “I see it’s not quite smooth sailing for some couples.”
She held her smile for a fraction longer than felt natural as she waited for the camera to focus on her. She clapped her hands and gestured back to the giant lodge behind us. “Time for you to get cleaned up before meeting back in the lodge. Hopefully, you’ll take the time to learn more about each other, because some of you seem to be struggling to find your ideal match.” She gave us all a pointed look. “Remember what this show is about.”
A sinking feeling took hold in my gut. Why did it feel like her gaze lingered on me for just a little too long? Arnie and I had won, hadn’t we? Surely, we would seem like one of the more compatible couples out here. I glanced at Eli only to findhim openly staring at me. He tipped his head in my direction. My face grew hot, the same way it always did when I made eye contact with him.
I didn’t care what anyone said. There was more to compatibility than chemistry and romantic feelings. Arnie and I were a good pair, and we were sticking together no matter what.
“Are we done? Did you get it?” Rita asked, her smile falling.
Shay held up an ‘okay’ sign with her fingers. “Perfect.”
“Great,” she said before pulling out her phone and walking away without so much as glancing at us. Rita had never spoken to us outside of filming. Where did she go all day when she wasn’t out here introducing a challenge?
Eli shuffled toward us and nodded at Arnie before dipping his head to look at me. “Good win.”
“Thanks,” Arnie said. “I don’t know what got into Calla, but she carried me through that challenge.”
My ears burned as my face turned red under Eli’s stare. His lip curled upward. “It did seem like there was some kind of new fire lit under her, didn’t it?”
“I-I just was in the zone today, I guess. It’s easier when I’m not blindfolded.” I forced out a laugh that sounded phony even to my own ears.
The rest of the group joined us.
“What a stupid challenge,” Rachel said. “Grant not only couldn’t figure out the puzzle in the first cage, but I’m pretty sure he actively worked against me to ensure we lost.”
Arnie laughed.
“Why would I even do that? You’re impossible!” Grant huffed.
“Maybe he and Calla should pair up,” Arnie teased. “She basically did all the work today.”
Rachel’s face softened. “Don’t sell yourself short. You’re a hell of a lot better at communicating than this clown.”
Arnie blushed as he and Rachel continued to talk. Were they—were they flirting? There was no way. They were the least compatible two in the bunch. She would eat him alive. She’d said so herself when we first picked partners. I was just being paranoid. Besides, she got last place this time, and the guys were picking. It wasn’t like anyone could steal Arnie from me.
“This one figured out the code, but couldn’t figure out how to enter it into the second lock fast enough,” Danny said, hooking a finger next to him at Trace. There was no hostility in his actions. In fact, I thought I detected a hint of playfulness.
