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Everyone claps again, and I have to force myself to join in, my palms suddenly sweaty around the champagne glass. My bio-father hasn’t called me yet, but he will once he catches wind of the prize money. He’ll want his cut.

Rhett leans in, voice low. “Try to look excited.”

“I’m excited.”

“You look about as thrilled as a goldfish before a colonoscopy.”

A laugh bursts out before I can stop it.

He winks, and something warm unfurls in my chest, something I wrestle back down as he murmurs, “There you go.”

My eyes linger too long on him, and I note how his dark hair curls behind his ears, how his eyes glint with amusement.

I clear my throat and focus back on Mina.

“For the next six weeks, this will be your home. Basically, y’all will eat, sleep, and breathe each other—though hopefully not in that order.”

I hope not. These next six weeks can’t be a vacation from work. I hope to see clients during working hours, like the five I saw today.

Speaking of, my hands and neck still ache. I press my thumb into the knot atop my shoulder, trying to work it loose.

When I glance up, Rhett’s watching me, real concern in his eyes.

I drop my hand like I’ve been caught doing something wrong.

“With the help of your friends and family, we’ve had bags packed for each of you. Gentlemen?” She claps, and bellboys roll in, each toting a black suitcase like this is The Bachelor: Mystic Meadows Edition.

“In order for you to have an immersive experience with your partner, you’ll be staying here, at the resort.”

What? My stomach drops straight through the floor.

Holly raises her hand. “I have a question.”

“Yes?” Mina asks.

“When are we gonna be on TV?”

Holly has wheat-blond hair and wears a crop top, cargo pants, and sparkly sneakers. From her makeup, I can tell she’s a contouring queen, and from the looks of her outfit, she’s high maintenance—perfect for Jace.

Not that I’m interested in him getting his comeuppance, but Holly’s going to be a handful.

Mina answers with a smile. “We will be streaming the competitions on the resort’s social media pages. There won’t be TV, per se, just the streaming. Does that help?”

Holly drops her arms to her sides and scoffs. “I guess so.”

Which means, I guess not. So Holly’s here for the exposure.

“Are there any other questions?”

Logan raises his hand. He’s got short brown hair and wears a maintenance shirt and dark slacks.

“Yes, Logan?” Mina asks.

“Will we be able to work during the day?”

“Yes, I’d like to know that, too,” I add.

“Since most of our challenges will be in the evening, starting tomorrow, you should be able to keep your hours. However, do keep in mind that you’ll want to spend as much time with your partner as possible. This will help you in the challenges we have planned—trust me.”