Page 55

It turns out that Skye is right. Kayaking isn’t too difficult. It probably doesn’t hurt that the lake is mostly still, with only a few gentle waves bobbing the kayaks up and down. Even Skye, whose eyes widened a little too much as Isaac helped her into her own kayak, seems to have chilled out again now we’ve been taught by Lauren and Kim’s producer, Wai, how to go forward and backward and to turn. Although, Skye never looks especially bothered by anything, so that might just be, you know, her face.

Once all six of us are tethered to the pier, Grayson and Jordy walk to the edge to stare down at us. I instinctively turn to Skye, to check in on her, I guess. It’s her first time seeing Jordy since she found out who he really is. Her face is pretty blank, but the corner of her mouth noticeably twitches into a small sneer as she catches sight of Jordy. It disappears as quickly as it comes, and she swallows, hard. Like she’s trying to force down her emotions or something.

I look back to Jordy to find him staring right at me, and something flashes in his eyes. It feels like a message I’m supposed to be able to read, but I, for one, am stumped. Why did he decide to keep me? He obviously isn’t that interested in me. He even said so to the producers last week. So why am I sitting in this kayak at all?

Does he realize I’m messing with him? Is he messing with me right back?

That fucker.

“I forgot I get motion sickness,” Perrie whispers next to me.

Jordy vanishes from my mind, and I flip around. “Oh no. Are you okay?”

“Mm. Debatable.”

“We should ask if they have any pills.”

“It’s too late. They won’t kick in in time. I’ll be fine.”

Damn it, she’s right. It’s too late. Gwendolyn claps to bring our attention back to the crew. “Okay, ladies, time to get started.”

We know the drill. Smiles plastered on, eyes on Grayson and Jordy.

While Grayson is in his suit as always, Jordy is dressed in such a clichéd, preppy sailing outfit there has to be a level of self-aware irony somewhere. In a light blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up, white shorts, and a white Balenciaga baseball cap he wears backward, he looks like he’s stepped out of some sort of sailing-themed photoshoot.

Jordy Miller, a knockoff royal who talks like a knockoff Brit and dresses like a knockoff Hamptons douchebag.

Be still, my beating heart.

“Did you pick that outfit out yourself, Jordy?” I ask, as Francesca and Kim give me furious side-eyes.

He forces a tight smile. “No, Maya, I did not.”

“Oh. I won’t bully you about it, then,” I say sweetly.

“Muchappreciated.”

Grayson, as usual, goes first. “Welcome, ladies, to beautiful Lake Loreux, where the glacier-fed water is clean enough to drink, and cold enough to give you a heck of a shock, as I’m sure you’ve all noticed by now.”

I trail my fingers in the water to test it, and shudder. I make a mental note not to fall in.

Skye dips her own fingers in and grimaces at me.

“Today’s challenge is simple. See that buoy in the distance? Your goal is to kayak up to it, around it, and back. This will be a race, so the first person to tap the pier again will be crowned our winner. That person will be heading off with Jordy to a penthouse suite in Loreux to spend the night… reacquainting themselves with each other.”

Ohgagme.

“Are you all ready to go?” Grayson asks.

“Yes!” we chorus.

“Beautiful,” Gwendolyn chimes in. “Now, just one more time for me, with a little more oomf?”

We do it seven more times.

Then we’re being untethered, and suddenly, my heart starts pounding. Scoring a whole night alone with Jordy would give me the sort of advantage I could only dream of. I could make him remember what we had together, I’m sure of it. And there’s a chance I could win this race. Maybe. The other girls might be driven by love, but I’m driven by pure rage, and rage brings adrenaline, and adrenaline bringsgold medals.It’s why there are no calm celebrities. The ones who are only look that way because they’re really good actors, as angry celebrities often are.

“Get ready,” Jordy calls.