Episode 11
994 Words
"So that's how you want to play it? Fine."
Emily watched Nicholas stumble forward, his deliberate attempt to make her fall having backfired. She regained her balance with practiced ease, ignoring the cameraman who had zoomed in to capture what should have been an embarrassing tumble.
"Problem with coordination?" she asked innocently, loud enough for the mics to pick up.
Nicholas's jaw tightened. "Just a misunderstanding. Left foot this time—yours, not mine."
"Crystal clear," Emily replied with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
The three-legged race was clearly designed to create awkward physical contact between contestants. Emily had expected to be paired with Jessica or Mike—not Nicholas, who seemed determined to manufacture a compromising situation between them.
Ahead, Kevin and Jessica were making steady progress despite Jessica's theatrical complaints about her designer sneakers getting dirty. Mike and Aaron had developed a surprisingly effective rhythm, pulling ahead of the others.
"On three," Nicholas instructed. "One, two—"
This time, Emily deliberately stepped with her right foot when Nicholas moved his left, creating another stumble. But instead of falling, she grabbed his arm, steadying them both.
"Sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all. "I think we need to count our steps. Right, left, right, left."
Nicholas's expression darkened. "Are you deliberately sabotaging this?"
"I could ask you the same question," Emily replied under her breath, maintaining her camera-ready smile.
From the sidelines, Brad shouted encouragement through his megaphone. "Remember, folks! The winning team gets a private dinner with premium champagne in the garden pavilion tonight! A perfect opportunity for romance to blossom!"
Emily noticed Kevin glancing back at them, his eyes calculating as he observed their struggle. When he caught her looking, he winked conspiratorially.
"Shall we actually try to win?" Emily asked Nicholas. "Or would you prefer to keep attempting to make me fall on top of you for the cameras?"
A flash of surprise crossed Nicholas's face before he recovered. "Fine. Right foot first, then left. Follow my lead."
To Emily's surprise, he actually synchronized with her this time. They began making up lost ground, their movements gradually becoming more coordinated.
"You're better at this than I expected," Nicholas muttered.
"I'm better at most things than people expect," Emily replied.
As they approached the halfway mark, Mike and Aaron were still in the lead, with Kevin and Jessica close behind. The production assistants had set up water obstacles—small puddles they needed to navigate without breaking stride.
"Jump on three," Nicholas said as they approached the first puddle. "One, two—"
They cleared it perfectly, landing in unison. Emily felt a small surge of competitive satisfaction.
"Not bad," Nicholas conceded, the ghost of a genuine smile playing at his lips.
They were gaining on Kevin and Jessica when disaster struck. Jessica, apparently losing her balance, veered sharply to the side, directly into Emily and Nicholas's path. The collision sent all three contestants sprawling to the ground, with Nicholas landing partially on top of Emily.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Jessica exclaimed, though Emily didn't miss the calculating gleam in her eyes.
The cameras rushed in to capture the tangle of limbs. Nicholas, to his credit, quickly rolled away from Emily, but not before the damage was done. The production team had gotten exactly what they wanted—compromising footage that could be edited to suggest whatever narrative they chose.
"Are you okay?" Nicholas asked, actually sounding concerned as he helped Emily up.
"Fine," she replied tersely, brushing dirt from her clothes.
Brad's voice boomed through the megaphone. "And we have our winners! Congratulations to Mike and Aaron!"
The two men had crossed the finish line, Aaron looking surprised at their victory while Mike pumped his fist in the air.
"You'll enjoy a special dinner tonight," Brad continued, "while the rest of you will have time to reflect on the importance of teamwork in relationships."
As the contestants dispersed, Emily felt a hand on her elbow. She turned to find Kevin standing beside her.
"Interesting tactics from Jessica," he murmured. "Almost as if she wanted to create a specific scenario between you and Nicholas."
Emily nodded slightly. "Nothing happens by accident on reality TV."
"True," Kevin agreed. "But I wonder whose script she's following—the producers' or her own?"
Before Emily could respond, Nicholas approached them. "We need to talk," he said to Emily, his expression unreadable.
Kevin raised an eyebrow. "I'll leave you two to it, then." He walked away, but not before giving Emily a meaningful look that said their conversation wasn't over.
"What is it?" Emily asked Nicholas once they were relatively alone, though she knew at least one boom mic was likely hovering nearby.
"I should apologize for what happened during the race," Nicholas said, his voice low. "It wasn't my intention to make you uncomfortable."
Emily studied him, trying to discern whether this was genuine or another performance for the cameras. "Wasn't it?"
Nicholas hesitated, then said, "Meet me by the pool after dinner. We should clear the air—without the entire production team listening in."
With that, he walked away, leaving Emily to wonder what game he was really playing. The encounter had further confirmed her suspicion that nothing and no one in this house was exactly what they seemed.
As she headed back to the house, Emily noticed Jessica speaking intently on her phone again, this time standing half-hidden behind a large oak tree. When Jessica saw Emily, she quickly ended her call and plastered on a smile.
"That was quite a tumble we took!" Jessica called out cheerfully. "Hope there are no hard feelings?"
"None at all," Emily replied. "Accidents happen."
But they both knew it was no accident. And as the day progressed toward evening, Emily couldn't shake the feeling that the "accidental" collision was just the opening move in a much larger game—one with rules she was still trying to decipher.
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