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“There is merit to this,” Oliver said, scratching his scruffy jaw. I liked the five o’clock shadow on him, even though it was barely midday. “Communication has to be our priority, but you don’t have to share every detail if you don’t want to. At least just let us know you enjoyed yourself and had a good time.”
I nodded and kept my voice even as I listed our activities. “It was fantastic. We made dinner together, explored the little island, fucked on most surfaces in the little hut, and bonded.”
“What was that?” Aaron shifted in his seat.
“We bonded?”
“The one before that.”
I batted my lashes and smothered a laugh at Aaron’s insistence, and to be fair, I’d slipped that one in there to cover all my bases but wanted to keep some details to myself.
“Hey guys,” Diego said as he joined us after putting the bags upstairs.
Aaron leaned forward with heat in his eyes and whispered, “Later.” He turned away from me and raised his voice as he looked at Diego. “Hey, man.”
They clasped hands and slid their palms, then ended the little handshake with a snap. When had they put that one together? Or was that something all men were born knowing because I could have sworn I’d seen Zander and Daniel do the same one. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and smiled as I watched them, happy to see everyone getting along and on the same page.
“Anything else happen this weekend?” I asked Oliver.
“Not really, just the usual. The weather was nice, so everyone hit the beach or the pool. There have been no challenges for us to do. Daniel officially asked Gia to be his girlfriend, and Julie has been teasing Ryan incessantly.”
I nodded along, following the words, and then my brain registered what he’d said. I shrieked. “They’re official?! That’s amazing, and so, so sweet!” I gushed. “I need to congratulate them!”
“They’re boning upstairs. Might not be a great time to give congratulatory hugs,” Diego said with a laugh. “I heard them through the walls when I put our toothbrushes away in the bathroom. Let them come downstairs first.”
“Good call.”
* * *
Two days later,we were divided into pairs and standing on platforms erected in the sand under the bright blue sky with the ocean lapping mere feet away.
“Good morning, housemates!” Troy called as he strolled into view. The cameramen were split, two trained on our host, and the others pointed at us. We all cheered our welcome, excited about our last group activity.
“Today, you’ll be taking part in a workshop led by the lovely Zainab, where you’ll explore what you’ve learned from your time here and how you can apply it to life off the island. For some of you, that means with the partners you’ve met while participating inLove on Display. If you haven’t met your match, you’ll discuss how to take what you’ve learned and use it when you eventually find your person.”
I looked over at Aaron, who had been paired with Nicoletta, and Diego, who was with Cheryl. Was I being irrationally territorial over them? You bet your ass I was.
Cheryl had gone for Diego when we took our little break, and from the looks she’d given him since we got back together, those feelings weren’t entirely resolved. But I trusted Diego, and after our weekend getaway, I felt closer to him than ever.
That didn’t mean I had to enjoy their pairing for this workshop.
“There are easels beside your platforms, and you’ll find canvases, paints, and brushes in the boxes. But instead of painting what you see for yourself, you’ll listen to your partner and interpret their wants, transcribing them onto the canvas. Zainab will guide you in communication and assist you if you need anything.” Troy waved to the palms swaying at the edge of our clearing, and a beautiful woman with dark hair and a flowing yellow dress emerged.
We all clapped, welcoming our instructor and getting excited about our project.
“Good morning, everyone!” she said. “Troy is right. I am a communications specialist, particularly for couples who wish to deepen their relationships and learn to share more of themselves with their partners. A critical skill to have in my field is to not only hear your partner, butlistento them. Find the subtle emotions buried between the words and translate that onto the canvas before you. Is there longing, despondency, hope, sadness, and/or desire? It is your job to hunt those emotions and interpret the driving force behind the words you hear.”
That sounded amazing, to be honest. So often, I was caught up in work and focused on what needed to be done by when that I was guilty of not truly listening to what my partner was saying. I looked at the platform beside mine, finding Ryan and Julie standing shoulder to shoulder, tension evident in their bodies. My ex looked at me instead of Zainab, and his lips were downturned. Had I not heard him properly when we were together? It was a distinct possibility.
“All right, housemates. You have an hour and a half to talk, paint, and learn from your partner. You begin now.” Troy clapped his hands, and Oliver strode over to the box, flipped the wooden top, and started hauling out supplies.
I helped him gather everything, and we sat cross-legged in the middle of our platform with the canvases on the miniature easels in front of us. We’d dotted paint along the edges of the palettes and were holding our brushes poised over the colorful array.
“Tell me, Sophie, what do you see in your future?” Oliver asked in a serious tone.
I thought about it, not expecting to find the question so impactful. “I never expected to find one guy—let alone three—that I connected with here. Sometimes, this whole thing feels like a fever dream, and I’m about to wake up in my office with papers stuck to my face and my pin cushion poking me in the ass.”
“So you’re having trouble looking forward because this feels like a dream?”
