Throb

We arrive at the Malibu house that Miles rented to shoot most of the show. I choose to hang back, watching the action through the camera feed in the three-car garage they’ve turned into a makeshift studio. Miles jumps right into the thick of things.

Some of the crew I know from Montgomery projects, others are new. Joel Blick comes over to greet me. “They let anyone in around here.” He slaps me on the back, grabbing my hand for a shake.

“Joel. How the hell are you? Didn’t you retire yet?” I prod, knowing he’s only in his fifties.

“I’m never retiring, I’d have to hang out with Bernice all day.” He rolls his eyes and says it like he’s joking, but he isn’t. And I don’t blame him, I’ve met his wife. I’d work as much as I could if the alternative was spending my days with Bernice complaining all day.

“You the director?”

“Yep. I didn’t know you had an interest in reality TV,” Joel says.

“I don’t.”

He smiles knowingly. “Miles drag you into investing?” He lowers his voice so no one else in the crowded room can hear him.

I turn to face him, growing serious. “Is it a bad investment?”

Joel looks away, coming back with the only answer he could give that wouldn’t throw Miles under the bus, yet still not require lying to me. “Reality TV is risky. When you hit, you hit it big. Look at Survivor or The Bachelor. But it’s anyone’s guess what will hit these days. Young people are a fickle audience. Their appetite changes faster than we can keep up. I’d say faster than they change their underwear, but sitting behind the camera all day, I know most of ’em don’t wear any.” He shakes his head ruefully.

I nod. The monitor I’ve been halfheartedly watching pans to focus on Kate. Joel keeps talking, not realizing he’s lost my attention. Kate looks beautiful, all dressed up in a pale blue gown that shows off the tan she deepened while playing in the pool today. My moment of joy is quickly replaced by an ache in my chest as Flynn Beckham walks to where she’s standing alone outside on the deck. The lighting from the sun beginning to set creates a romantic backdrop.

“Pull in on three,” Joel yells into a headset. I watch as the camera pans in on the couple.

“Wow. I didn’t think you could look more beautiful than you did today in the pool.” Flynn takes Kate’s hand. She looks down at their joined hand as he twines his fingers with hers.

Kate smiles, her response timid, like she’s not used to receiving compliments regularly. Only, I can’t imagine that to be true. “Thank you. You clean up pretty good yourself.”

“What were you just thinking about? You looked a million miles away.” Flynn takes a strand of her hair and tucks it gently behind her ear. His eyes never leave her face. It’s difficult for me to watch, disappointment mixed with a hint of jealousy builds inside of me at seeing another man touch her. Yet I know I have no right to feel this way.

She hesitates, looking away for a second, and then back. “Sorry. I was just thinking about last night.”

I knew it. You’re thinking about me too, aren’t you?

“You should be thinking about tomorrow, not yesterday.” Flynn leans his head down, dragging her eyes back up to his.

Tilting her head to the side, she asks, “What’s tomorrow?”

“Our date.” The asshole smiles so big, I want to smack the smugness from his face.

“You want me as your first stranded date?”

“Cut! Camera three, fade to black,” Joel yells, and the picture I’m staring at fades away, along with my hope.

An hour later when Miles finally comes back from the set, I feel deflated. “Have you been watching?” he asks excitedly.

“I watched for a little while.” My tone is curt. I’ve never been one to easily hide my emotions too well. But Miles is riding high and doesn’t even notice.

“There’s so much chemistry going on in there, the set might explode.”

“That’s great, Miles.”

“We’re on a fifteen-minute break and then Flynn is going to announce his pick for the first stranded date. I’ll be able to wrap up in an hour, then we can head back to the studio.”

“Great.” My brother completely misses the sarcasm in my tone.

Joel comes back out of the house, just as Miles goes back in. Taking the seat next to him, I decide to watch the final scene, against my better judgment. Roaming cameras tape random exchanges between the contestants, finally settling in on a couple as they pan in outside near the pool area. Flynn appears on camera again, only this time he’s with Jessica.

My interest piques back up as she lays both her hands flat on his chest. She looks up at him from beneath big, round, hooded eyes laced with long, thick black lashes that offset her sparkling blues. She really is attractive. A bombshell, one whose curves radiate sex appeal. Apparently Flynn thinks so too. “I’d love to get to know you better in private,” she coos at him, her voice sultry and seductive, full of hidden meaning. Normally, she’d be exactly what I would be into.

Flynn seems to get caught in the web she weaves, as easily as she spins it. “I’d love to get to know you, too.” He rubs her bare shoulders before he continues, but the exchange is different than it was with Kate, less intimate. “There are a lot of stranded dates coming up.” Fuck! He’s hedging.

Not thinking it through before I open my mouth, I turn to Joel and do something uncharacteristic of me. In fact, it seems more like a Miles thing to do. “Tell Flynn to ask Jessica on the stranded date,” I demand.