"Just give each of us an opportunity to convince you that we are telling the truth. One evening -- the other one of us will cross the island and spend the night there."
A thrill shot through her. A night alone. With each of them. What could that mean?
"And no funny business." He added. "All we want to do is give you the chance to hear each of us out without the background noise of us squabbling."
It was hard enough to resist them as it was, but if she was alone with one of them? What if one of them lost control? What if they couldn't hold themselves back? After all, she had heard them say about her how straightforward could a night alone with one of them be.
"Please, Melanie. We owe you this much. You must be so confused by all of this." His dark eyes pleaded with her and he reached his hand towards hers, but then pulled back at the last moment.
"Okay," she said, "I'll do it. But just like you say, this isn't about me choosing between you two; it's just about helping me to figure out what's going on here so that I don't go crazy before we get rescued."
"And we will be rescued, Melanie. You can trust me on that. Do you really think that our father and little brother will let us disappear into the ocean like that?"
It was true. Eventually this crazy dream would end, but in the meantime, she needed to hold on to her sanity and maybe onto her heart as well. This would all seem very different once she was back home in LA going to work as a low-paid flight attendant while they continued to jet off around the world with their supermodel dates and celebrity friends.
"When do we start?" She said. The man gave a broad smile, relieved.
"Tonight," he said. "after we build the campfire then one of us will go to the far side of the island."
"Who goes first?"
"It's your choice."
"Don't make me do that." She said, and reached a hand out to him, but he pulled away.
"You first." She said instantly. Melanie suddenly wanted to punish him for rejecting her like that.
"It's okay." He said. "Strong is pretty keen to be the first to be with you so--"
"I want you first." Melanie said with determination. She wasn't going to make it easy for him. Let's see you pull away from me tonight when we're all alone Mr. Billionaire.
"Okay." He said, his head hanging down, brow furrowed with anxiety. "I'll tell Sebastian--," he corrected himself, "I mean I'll tell Strong."