Whiskey and Scotch

Chapter 1

Okay, this is it. This is happening. Deep breaths. 

I tried to calm myself as I grabbed the door handle, ready for the signal that the camera crews were ready to film my arrival. The signal came, and I took one final breath before pulling the handle and exiting the vehicle, trying to look as effortlessly sexy as possible. I must have somehow pulled it off on the first take, because I got the thumbs up from one of the crew members.

Love Island 2019. Fifty thousand applicants each year, and somehow I was one of the lucky ones chosen. And not only that, but I was picked to be one of the original five girls, the ones who would have the best chance at making an impression and ultimately winning – assuming we could form a connection strong enough to win over the hearts of the viewers.

The irony was, I never sought to be here. I hadn't even watched the show until I was halfway through the interview process and figured I should probably get an idea of what I was getting into. If I had known earlier, I probably would have protested harder when my friends decided we should all apply. They said we probably wouldn't be picked, that it was all just for fun.

But I did get picked. And now I'm here. I figured I may as well make the most of it and enjoy myself.

I gave my head a slight toss as I turned to watch the arrival of another Jeep identical to the one I had just stepped out of. The camera crew moved to the new vehicle to repeat the process, and I watched as a tall, dark-skinned woman with long braided hair and a bold bikini emerged from the vehicle, stumbling slightly as her foot met the pavement.

"CUT!" One of the producers yelled. "I'm gonna need you to try that again, hun," she said.

They filmed her exiting the vehicle a second time, this time without incident. She squealed as she ran to meet me and I gave her a warm embrace.

"Hi, I'm Hope!" She stepped back and gave me the once-over. "And I absolutely love your outfit. You're rocking it, girl!"

I was wearing a strappy green bikini that perfectly set off my red hair and green eyes. I had chosen it knowing it would make a perfect first impression, setting off all my best features and enhancing the curves of my figure, without being too revealing – just enough for the sexy but mysterious look I was going for.

"Thanks! It's so nice to meet you, I'm Josie. Oh my god, are you as nervous as I am?"

"A little bit, but mostly I'm excited. So excited I almost fell flat on my face coming out of the car!" She laughed.

That would have been hilarious.

"That would have been awful! But I'm not gonna lie, I wouldn't be too upset if I end up flat on my back at some point in here, if you know what I mean," I responded with a smirk.

She giggled. "Come on, let's go inside and explore – I think you and I are both interested in checking out the bedroom."

We entered the villa and immediately began to explore the large, beautiful place that would be our home for the next month. "Wow!" I exclaimed. "This place is incredible!"

"I can't believe I'm actually on Love Island! It's so surreal being here, I feel like I need to pinch myself – oh, here's the bedroom!"

The bedroom was huge, and brightly decorated with the signature Love Island blue, yellow, and pink hues. Cheeky sayings from previous seasons of the show covered the walls and some of the furnishings. I giggled at the large "do bits society" plastered on one of the walls.

I flopped onto the closest bed. "Yaasssss, this is comfy."

"Isn't is weird that we're going to be sharing beds tonight with guys we've just met?" Hope asked, sitting next to me.