King of the Castle

The Dating Game

Before my date can begin, I have to get dressed up for it, and before I can get dressed up for it, I have to go and reassure Bobby.

He meets me half-way across the garden, lacing his fingers in with mine, pulling me close to kiss me, one hand on the back of my head, his lips to my forehead. Just needy enough without being overbearing. I like that he's the one seeking me out, that he isn't shying away from being jealous.

"A date?" He says, as we pull back, a smile spilling on his face. "Lucky you."

...

That is not jealous. At least not outwardly. It could be passive-aggressive, but that's not Bobby either.

I smile back. "I'd rather be going with you."

"Of course," he winks, swinging our hands together. He nudges softly into me, playful, as he brings us to face the Villa. Bobby begins a lolling walk, one with no speed to it, the most meandering of paces he could muster. "Still. Try to have fun, aye? As hard as that's going to be without me, but Henrik seems like a nice enough bloke. Go easy on him."

I let out a laugh.

He's masking, of course he is, clearly, trying not to show how nervous he truly is. I like that. I like everything about it. From the attempt at a cover up to what he's covering up. I like him nervous. Hopefully, he'll step it up a notch. I can't be doing with cool indifference when I'm going out on a date with another guy.

The lads are in the bedroom with Lucas and Henrik while they get ready, so Bobby parts with me at the bottom of the stairs, leaving me to go up and face the hell that is the woman's dressing room.

Up there, I get berated about Bobby, about Henrik, about Lucas. It's a good time for me to show off my relationship with Bobby, and when Marisol pulls out some psycho-analytic B.S. about how Bobby being cool with the date means he might not really care, I resist nicking her glasses off her face and instead point out that the reason he's so relaxed is because he knows he's not got anything to worry about. I also point out how hard Gary's been going at it in the gym, taking note of the differences in lads who have nothing to worry about, and those who have everything to fear.

Bobby and Noah are at the foremost of the crowd when it's time to part. I am taking the goodbye kiss as a personal challenge, determined to out-cute Hope and Noah and make them eat it, giving them a taste of what it's like to be destroyed by me.

Noah is the first one I catch eyes with when our tongues are back in our mouths. I can see it in his eyes; he's got his game face on. It's a good reminder that take the bigger picture into account.

I should enjoy Lucas, sure, but I need to not get carried away. Noah would just fucking love that if I destroyed myself as the game began.

For it being the first time we left the Villa, it was a strange car ride. We had to be quiet, all four of us, packed into one car. Lucas was in the front seat, and when I went to budge all the way up behind the drivers seat so I could feely gaze at the side of his head, Henrik came in the other door, forcing me to sit in the awkward middle seat.

I may actually hate Henrik. From his stupid long hair to his dopey laugh, to always getting in the way. I need to get rid of him, I need him gone. He's going to drive me so nuts that I completely lose my cool with him. That's not a risk I'm willing to put up with. God, I am dreading having to spend the next however long stuck in a one-on-one with him.

If my date with Henrik ends up being good for one thing, it's all that free time to look over at Lucas. Finally. I clock Henrik noticing, but he never says anything, just getting more awkward. If he wants to feel uncomfortable, that's on him.