Craft Beer & Roses

Chapter 4

**Author's Note: When Aviva says it's 25 degrees, it's in Celsius, which translates to about 75 degrees Fahrenheit**

Hunger ultimately won the battle of priorities. Aviva sank into a bean bag with a heaping bowl of freshly cut fruit. She speared a pineapple chunk with her fork and brought it to her mouth, sighing as the juice trickled down her parched throat. The air had cooled with the setting sun, sending a pleasant breeze across the garden.

It still hadn't fully sunk in that she was on Love Island. A few weeks after her drunken application, she initially ignored the unrecognizable number on her phone. Upon listening to the voicemail, she surprised herself with how eager she was to jump at the chance. Even if she didn't find new love, at least she had a shot at winning the money and maybe rebuilding some confidence along the way. Aviva's biggest dream was to open her own tattoo parlor. Her work had garnered hundreds of thousands of followers on her socials, resulting in a booming client base that her current employer simply couldn't keep up with. Fifty thousand pounds would be exactly what she'd need to broaden her professional horizons and make a go of it on her own.

Keep the money or split...

Aviva twirled her fork in her bowl. If she ever had the fortune of winning Love Island, she assumed that whoever was by her side would be worth something. But what if they weren't? Could she betray her partner like that?

Imagine having everything you thought you knew about your partner come crashing down on national television?

She pulled a strawberry into her mouth. What would she do if the roles were reversed? What if her partner kept the money?

Before she could finish her train of thought, someone violently slumped into the beanbag beside her. Aviva's fork clattered in the bowl, and her last few pieces of fruit spilled to the ground.

"Oh dammit! I'm sorry!" Dana immediately fell to her knees to collect the stray morsels off the grass.

"No worries...I was nearly done anyway." Aviva reassured her, placing the bowl to the side. "How are you doing?"

Dana dropped the mussed-up fruit in the bowl and plopped back down with a sigh. "Alright. Been hangin' out with Eddie all day, fancied myself a girls' chat! How's things with Casanova?

"Oh you know, shit on more shit." Aviva lamented.

"Ah I'm sorry, babes. Hopefully the next coupling isn't too far off." Dana reached out to Aviva and placed a comforting hand over hers.

"Yeah, I guess he'd go and move on with one of you lot...would you crack on with him, Dana?" Aviva eyed the blonde curiously.

"Me? Nah, bit too messy for me." Dana scrunched her face in disgust. "And who would I be to go and ruin the beginnings of a great friendship with you?"

Their brief moment of camaraderie was broken by the shrill ping of Dana's cell phone.

Dana cupped her hands around her mouth, "I've got a text!"

Islanders, it's time to see how much you've learned about your new partner! Head to the firepit for the Couples' Quiz. #CoupleGoals #FirstTest

______________________________

The islanders gathered around the firepit with their respective partners. Finn stood at the center, a pile of colorful cardstock stacked in front of him.

"This is exciting – I'm looking forward to getting to know some people more!" Alfie emitted with a clap of his hands.

"Some people, Alf? And who might they be?" Finn prodded, tapping a card against his palm.