Shiny Demon

Please Please Please

Bill, blinded by his bucket-covered head, bumped clumsily into Nicky, who was wearing a toxic-looking red lipstick. Camilo was sporting a pair of lacy pants that made everyone feel a little inadequate.

Or maybe that was just Seb.

He was looking as undignified as everyone as AJ released him from a chain of her knotted lingerie. They'd just finished the Truth and Dare challenge, an absurd game that no one seemed to be playing correctly. Not that it mattered. The objective was to play out ridiculous scenarios and in that, they'd succeeded.

As everyone tried to resume some state of dignity, a text came in, which Nicky read aloud.

Islanders, tonight is a recoupling. The boys will be picking who they want to couple up with. Please get ready and gather round the fire pit. #gentlemenschoice

AJ slumped like someone had let the air out of her. She had been positively euphoric since Stevie had kissed her as one of the dares. Seb had gotten an uncomfortably close view of it, and AJ had been floating around like a balloon tied to his wrist ever since. But there was no way for her to couple up with Stevie in a boys' choice recoupling.

Stevie's phone pinged.

As the only single Islander you also will be choosing in tonight's recoupling. You will be picking first. #firstcomefirstserve #ladiesfirst

A thread of tension yanked at her words as she finished reading. All eyes fell on Stevie. Some filled with worry, some with hope, some with jealousy. She dodged their looks and made her way over to him. "Seb," she said in a high, tittering voice. "Fancy a smoke break?" Without waiting for him to respond she pulled him away toward the bean bag chairs. "Sorry," she murmured into his shoulder when they'd put some space between them and the rest of the group. "I had to get out of there before one of them grabbed me for a 'quick chat.'"

"No problem," he answered. "I'm used to it after being dragged around by AJ's knick knocks all afternoon."

She smirked. "Sounds like a good time to me." She dropped his arm and collapsed into a bean bag chair. He loved how she sat. Her body always looked fully possessed and at home with itself. She didn't spare mental energy worrying about the attractiveness of her posture, and she wasn't afraid to spread out. Once she was comfortably sprawled across the bean bag, she looked over at AJ who was now doing pull ups at the gym. "She is so fucking hot."

"She's a good egg." Seb sank down into the seat next to her. "A fun partner. I'll give you that."

She gave an enthusiastic nod of agreement. "I'll say. She's more fun than pretty much every date I've been on."

"These lads not up to your standards?" He had to admit hearing her talk shit about the other guys was enjoyable.

"No, it's not that. It's just..." She wrinkled nose in thought, her nose ring shimmering in the bright sun. "So much small talk. It's weird."

"Not a big talker?"

"I like talking. Just not the chit chat you have to do on your way there." She let her head fall back and closed her eyes again, drinking in the sun. "It's just a lot, three dates in a row. "

"Oh you poor thing," he said dispassionately.

She cocked her head to give him a look. "Like you wouldn't be bitching and moaning if you had to go on 3 dates in a row with a camera shoved in your face the whole time." That did sound truly awful. She totally had him pegged.

"Fair enough."

She laid her head back again and was quiet for another moment before releasing a tired sigh. "See, this is easy." She waved her hand between them without opening her eyes. "Those dates were so awkward. Too much pressure for there to be chemistry. They may be interesting and charming but you'd never know it under those circumstances." She popped an eye open and one side of her mouth twitched as she peeked back at AJ, who was now doing burpees. "Or like... I get back from those dates, run into AJ, and it's immediately nice and easy." She unsuccessfully tried to suppress a pleased little smirk. "We share a little kiss. It's a good time."