Craft Beer & Roses

Chapter 20

Firelight glinted off the jeweled necklace against Aviva's warm, bronzed skin. She, along with Meera and Kat, stood on shaky legs, waiting for one of the boys to call their name. So far, Eddie picked Dana and Suresh chose Arlo. 

Aviva felt that she'd hardened herself over the last few days enough not to feel as affected by his decision as she might've been before. Though perhaps her indifference shook Suresh more than he'd expected, he made sure to find her eyes over the flames of the fire pit after his choice, and she took note of the mild anguish that washed over his face.

Alfie's phone buzzed, and he hopped up on his feet. "Wow, alright. That's me!" He looked at each girl, weighing his options carefully. "Okay, this is...way harder than I thought it would be." He chuckled nervously, eyes clearly shifting between Aviva and Meera. 

Aviva's gaze drifted to Finn, matching the soft smile on his face. They hadn't finished their conversation from earlier, but she was so certain he felt the same way she felt about him; she didn't want to lose hope. She turned back to Alfie as he continued reasoning out the choice he was about to make.

"This girl is the whole package. Incredibly sweet and a complete stunner. She's caught my eye for a while now, and I would hate to see her go home so soon..."

Meera subtly bounced on her feet, antsy with anticipation.

"Aviva." Alfie said.

The model froze in place, mouth agape. Aviva's smile twitched; she squeezed her eyes shut for a second, figuring she must be in some sort of dream. An alternate universe where things didn't make any sense.

Surely he didn't say me...I misheard.

When she opened her eyes, Alfie was facing her fully.  "Aviva?"

Her smile faltered. "Me?"

"Her?" Meera asked simultaneously.

Aviva looked over to Finn. She was confused; he didn't seem shocked at all – none of the islanders did. Alfie avoided Meera's gaze as Aviva lumbered forward, her whole body rigid. She took hold of Alfie's hand, sending him a tense smile as they sat on the bench beside each other.

Finn's phone pinged loudly. He let out a loud exhale and stood up to his full height. Kat gripped Meera's hand and scooched closer to her body.

"Your shampoo smells so good babes..." She whispered, much louder than she'd probably intended. Meera forced a laugh, giving the dancer's hand a gentle squeeze.

Finn cleared his throat, plastering a brilliant, pearly smile on his face. "Not my favorite position, I'll be honest." He winked at the girls before him. "This choice definitely won't be easy, and it'll be a shame for either of you to go."

As Finn moved through his speech, Alfie inched closer to Aviva, placing a hand over hers. "I know this was probably not what you were expecting."

Though her eyes were focused ahead, Aviva addressed Alfie's comment. "That's one way of putting it...not that I'm ungrateful or anything."

Tested and tormented is what Aviva would say if anyone asked her to describe her experience in the villa so far in two words or less. She knew that somewhere the producers had set this all up. A calculated, emotionally manipulative stunt established to pull the most authentic reaction from her. Or it was personal; it was really starting to feel personal. If Finn had gone before Alfie, she believed that he would've chosen her. 

Then maybe Kat would be the one going home tonight. Not Meera.

Meera's eyes began to water as she clicked the text off her phone. The islanders rushed forward, gathering her into a strong group hug. Alfie held onto her a little longer, whispering apologies and other sweet words into her ear. Meera sniffled and nodded, turning her watery eyes to Aviva. The islanders headed off to the villa to prepare for Meera's goodbye, but the two women hung back.