Page 85 of Unscripted

That didn’t make sense, of course, from a production standpoint. The boys coming back from Chateau Desire would be ratings gold, and I was sure the producers would do the most to capitalize on it.

So I waited, trying to distract myself until the sun began to set, and it became clear it would be an evening shoot. With shaky hands and a nervous stomach, I got dressed for the night, trying to find some kind of solace in the routine of getting ready.

Walking out from the glam room into the hallway, I immediately knew we were about to dive right into things when I saw two producers by the door instead of one.

Before I could comment on it to Ella, who was standing next to me, a voice sounded out behind me.

“Hello, ladies,” it said.

I turned to find the woman who had spoken.

Cecilia. The show’s executive producer whose face I hadn’t seen since walking into the villa all those weeks ago.

Cecilia didn’t strike me as the type simply to drop by to say hello, so seeing her confirmed my suspicions. There would be no cocktail party; the Matching Ceremony would happen right away.

“Follow me to the living room, please,” she said.

There were no cameramen lurking around nearby, so whatever was happening must not have been meant for air.

We filed after her and took our places around the couch.

Ben and Harry, as well as a few other producers, were here as well, leaning against the front door. Harry gave me an encouraging smile that somehow made me more nervous.

“Ladies, tonight is the end of Chateau Desire.”

Well, she was certainly wasting no time launching right into it.

“The guys are back, and they are waiting by the fire pit. Some have new matches, some have stuck with their original partner. You’re all about to find out but, first, we need you to decide what you want to do.”

This was it. The moment of truth.

“This bit isn’t for air so no need to draw it out,” Cecilia said, her directness oddly putting me at ease. “One by one, please let us know if you want to stay with your current partner or pick a new one.”

She nodded at Ella, who sat at the end of the couch.

“Stay,” she said.

Chiara was next, “Stay”

Olivia chose to partner with Tom, and Samantha chose Louis.

“Stay,” I said when it was my turn. My stomach tightened at the thought of Callum having to do the same thing. It wasn’t that I was worried he would choose someone else. We had been through too much for either one of us to mess it up intentionally. I knew all of that, logically, and yet I was still a bundle of nerves.

What if our time apart led him to actually think less of me? What if he had reverted to that cold, indifferent man I met all those weeks ago?

It was too much to keep up with, the thoughts and worries and anxieties swirling around my head, so instead I tried to focus on the task at hand and let the routine of production ground me in the moment.

“Right, let’s bring Tom and Louis in,” Cecilia said, motioning to a production assistant standing by Ben and Harry. “Girls, line up by the garden door, please.”

We all stood then, crossing the room to the hallway.

Cecilia didn’t follow but simply stood and watched us as we filtered out of the living room. “Good luck,” she called out before crossing to the front door, pulling it open and disappearing into the night.

An inspirational moment from the captain of the ship.

Not.

As soon as Cecilia was out of sight, Ben and Harry sprang into action, shuffling us into place at the door. They claimed it wasn’t in any particular order, but I didn’t believe them for a second. I knew every moment of the night ahead would be meticulously planned and orchestrated. The Chateau Desire Matching Ceremony was typically the second-most-watched episode of a season next to the finale.