Sitting on the coach on their way to the aquarium, Molly gave the man next to her another side glance. She might as well have stared though, because Ben’s eyes were firmly fixed on the notepad he’d brought along, which he’d write in every now and then. Phones weren’t allowed, but it seems Ben had found another way not to engage with her.
As her gaze skimmed over him, a flutter in her lower belly told her what she didn’t want to admit. She might now prefer blond hair and blue eyes, but broodingly handsome still worked for her, too. And it pissed her off that he could happily ignore her when she found it impossible to ignore him.
‘Did you know the Birmingham aquarium has a tunnel that goes all the way round so we get to see the fish swimming above our head and below our feet? And when I say fish, I also mean sharks because they’ve got some of them, too, which is so cool.’ He turned to look at her, giving her a narrow-eyed look from those hypnotic hazel eyes. Now she had his attention though, she wasn’t sure what to do with it. ‘Sharks are fish though, aren’t they?’ She babbled on. ‘Some people think they’re mammals but I’m pretty sure I heard they were fish because they breathe through gills. I wonder if we’ll see some otters, too? I know they definitely aren’t fish, but a lot of aquariums have otters. Ooooh, and penguins. How could I forget about them? They’re my favourite, they’re so funny. I really hope we get to see some penguins as well.’
He gave a small shake of his head and focussed again on his notepad. She noticed a little furrow between his eyes as he frowned and crossed out the last thing he’d written.
Annoyed at his lack of response, she nudged him with her elbow. ‘What do you want to see?’
He gave her a wry glance. ‘The exit?’
‘Well, I can see this is going to be a really fun afternoon.’ She looked around the luxury coach, listening to the babble of conversation. The lilt of laughter. Automatically her eyes found Duncan and she felt a jolt of pain as she saw him and Jasmine talking quietly to each other, his attention totally focussed on her. ‘If you’re going to be this uninterested on every date, why did you sign up to this show in the first place?’
He let out a deep exhale, closed the notebook and slotted it into the inside pocket of his jacket. ‘I didn’t.’
‘Okay, that’s far more believable than thinking you actively signed up to be on a TV dating show. But there’s no way I buy into the producers seeking you out because how on earth would that meeting go?’ She put on a different accent. ‘You know what would be a real asset on our show? A guy with no social media profile who doesn’t like talking to anyone, never mind cameras. Oh and who’d be totally uninterested in whoever we partnered him with.’
That little frown appeared again. ‘Who said I’m uninterested?’
She waved her hand towards his jacket pocket. ‘Err, you’ve spent the last half an hour giving that notebook way more attention than you have me.’
‘Sorry. I wasn’t aware you wanted my attention.’
‘I don’t. Well, not in a I want to date you again way.’ She blew out a breath, taking another moment to listen to the sounds of lively chatter. To watch Duncan give Jasmine his trademark cocky grin. ‘But you were right, we’re stuck together for the time being so it makes sense to try and get on.’ If only to give Duncan something to think about.
Those eyes rested on hers, swirls of greens and browns that still caused her heart to jump. ‘We didn’t used to have to try.’
Memories of them together flooded her mind; her laughing at him trying to prove he could do whatever yoga pose she’d been trying. Him calmly staring back at her with a quiet intensity that always made her giddy. The way he’d always noticed things about her, what she wore, when she’d had her hair done.
Unable to hold his gaze, she glanced out of the window, waiting a few beats for the images to leave.
‘Rays.’
Puzzled, she turned to find him sporting a crooked smile, a mix of amusement and irony that made one of his dimples pop. And her heart miss a beat. ‘Sorry?’
‘I’m looking forward to seeing the rays.’ He gave a little shrug of his shoulders. ‘Always had a soft spot for them.’
Okay, she could do this. Push all their history aside and talk to him as if they were strangers who’d been forced together on a dating show. ‘Me too. It’s their smile. You know, when they float over your head in the tunnel and you see them from underneath, they have this curvy mouth and eyes thing going on, and it looks like they’re grinning at you. It’s so cute.’
‘Their eyes are on top of their head,’ he pointed out. ‘You’re looking at their gills.’
‘Well, yes, I know that.’ She was sure she had. ‘But it still looks like they’re smiling. And it’s still cute,’ she added for good measure.
‘It’s the way they move.’ He gave her a mild look. ‘That’s what I like about them. They’re graceful.’
‘So not because they look cute and smiley then.’ She smirked. ‘I should have guessed that. In fact, I’m surprised you’re not a fan of the sharks. They’re aloof, kind of cold-looking. And that evil grin is right up your street.’
‘Is that really how you remember me?’ An expression crossed his face that she’d not expected. Hurt.
‘Not all the time, no.’ He’d not been aloof when they’d met. Sad, yes, she remembered that, but he’d made it quite clear he liked her. That he enjoyed spending time with her. And she’d thrived under his obvious interest, floating along from day to day on a cloud of blissful infatuation, rolling right along into love. Until the day she’d overstepped and planned too far ahead.
‘When then? That last time we met? Because I told you, my head wasn’t—’
‘In the right place. It wasn’t me; it was you.’ She shook her head. ‘Please let’s not rehash all those clichés again. This is Molly and Ben take two. We’ve never met before and against the odds we’ve been matched together on a dating show. Which reminds me, you didn’t really answer my question earlier. What are you doing on the show if you didn’t apply?’
‘My sister asked me to come on.’ He paused, and for once looked uncomfortable. ‘She works on the show.’
Molly gaped at him. ‘You have a sister who works on The One? Why didn’t I know that?’
He glanced away. ‘I don’t remember us talking too much about our families.’
No, she thought. Their time together had been too intense to involve others. At least that’s how it had felt from her side, happy to exist in their love bubble, cushioned from everything else happening around them. Until the bubble had burst. ‘Which one is she?’
‘Rachel.’
‘Assistant producer Rachel? The one who smiles sweetly at you and before you know it you’re agreeing to everything she says.’
His lips twitched. ‘That’s her.’
‘Wow, if she got you on here, she really is good.’
‘Apparently so.’ He let out a sigh. ‘She was in a bind, the guy who was meant to be matched with you, pulled out.’
Molly clicked her fingers together, the pieces of the puzzle finally slotting together. ‘I knew it.’
He glanced at her warily. ‘Knew what?’
‘That there was no way any dating algorithm or professional matchmakers would have put you and me together.’
* * *
Ben watched as something that looked a lot like relief crossed Molly’s face. She was happy they hadn’t been matched.
She really didn’t want to be with him.
And the way her eyes kept darting to where the personal trainer was sitting three rows ahead of them, it was brutally clear who she thought her match should have been.
‘Actually, I filled in the questionnaire.’ When she gave him a disbelieving look, he felt compelled to add. ‘Felix and Stephanie, the relationship experts, thought we would make a good pairing. Better even than your original match. That’s why they wanted me on the show. Not just because I’m a single male.’
Her eyes went wide. ‘Did you know I was the person they were matching you with?’
‘No. I wasn’t given a name or a photo. I was as surprised as you to find myself sitting opposite you.’ He recalled the horror in her voice when she’d realised it was him. ‘But not nearly as upset.’
‘Oh, come on, part of you must have been looking forward to meeting a potential love interest.’
Maybe I have. The words were on the tip of his tongue but he swallowed them. She wasn’t interested, and he wasn’t sure he could, or even should, go down that route again. ‘Honestly, I was dreading having to spend time with a stranger, be on my best behaviour. With you, I don’t have to pretend.’
She screwed up her face, her nose wrinkling in a way that made his heart trip. ‘I’m not sure whether to be insulted or not.’
‘I meant it as a compliment. When you’re not shooting daggers at me, I enjoy your company.’
She sniffed. ‘Fine.’
There was a long pause, the silence speaking volumes. She doesn’t enjoy yours. She used to though, he thought grimly. Maybe he could persuade her to enjoy it again. ‘So you know why I’m on the show. Why are you?’
‘To marry my soulmate.’ Her gaze once again drifted over to Duncan before darting away again. Coincidence? Or did she really think the arrogant git with the muscles could be her perfect match? ‘Plus I love this show, it’s my favourite. Watching couples dating, falling for each other, working out whether they want to get married … it’s addictive. You should tell your sister that. I told her when she interviewed me but she probably thought I was saying it to get in her good books. Truth is though, me and…’ She hesitated. ‘Me and my ex used to watch it together all the time.’
‘Your ex?’ He felt an unexpected twist of his gut. Of course she’d dated after him. It had been three years.
‘Yeah. We split up a couple of months ago.’
‘And that’s when you decided to apply to go on the show?’
She glanced away from him to stare out of the window. ‘Pretty much. Oh look, we’re here already. Amazing what a bit of conversation can do to pass the time.’
He followed her off the coach, appreciating her back view. She was dressed more conservatively than he remembered, her clothes looking like they were off the peg rather than the bohemian creations she used to make herself, yet he couldn’t help but notice how well she still filled out her jeans.
They walked side by side towards the entrance, Molly making passing comments to the others, a wave here, a quip there. A chat with Natalie, who was waiting with her microphone, ready to sniff out the unguarded remarks. Something Molly was bound to offer as that was her all over, open, spontaneous. She had a way about her that made people want to engage, be folded into her warm, happy aura. It was the reason he’d been drawn to her when they’d first met. He’d been sitting at the bar in a quiet pub, drowning his grief and guilt in alcohol, when someone had bumped into him, causing him to spill some of his drink. Irritated, he’d turned to glare at the person who’d practically landed in his lap … and the indignation had drained away when the beautiful redhead had smiled at him. He’d barely heard her rambling apology, far too distracted by the wide curve of her mouth, the pink of her cheeks. The way her eyes had radiated warmth.
‘Ooooh, look, they’re feeding the penguins in ten minutes. Bagsy we do them first.’
His attention snapped back to the Molly in front of him now, green eyes glittering with that same warm enthusiasm. It was unsettling to find he was as drawn to her now as he had been then, only now his grief was dulled and as for his guilt … maybe he could shove it into a box, lock it up tight and bury it at the back of his mind.
‘We wouldn’t want to miss that delight,’ he murmured. Trying his best to ignore the camera crew, he placed a hand on her lower back and guided her past the others who’d stopped, presumably to work out an organised, systematic way through the aquarium.
‘Exactly.’ She beamed triumphantly, and his heart thumped against his ribs.
Yes, the attraction was every bit as intense. And every bit as terrifying.
The penguins did as penguins always do. They waddled, swam, swallowed down the fish in an alarming single gulp. Molly was enchanted by them, though. He could tell by her animated expressions, the way she clasped her hands. The mind-boggling torrent of facts that poured from her mouth at an impressive rate.
‘Look at them go,’ she breathed, watching as two penguins threw themselves into the water. ‘They’re one of the most streamlined animals in the world. They may look a bit dodgy on land, but when they’re swimming their body is kind of tapered at both ends, so they’re like a torpedo zipping through the water. I remember reading that the Gentoo penguin is the fastest. I think it goes something like twenty miles an hour which is giving it some considering how small they are.’
He wasn’t required to say anything in return. Just to nod occasionally, to make eye contact so she knew he was paying attention. And he was. Maybe not so much to the facts – penguins were daft birds that smelt of fish – but he was charmed by her.
‘What’s next?’ She asked when the penguins had hoovered up all the fish.
He glanced over at the site map, strategically placed along the walkway, a helpful guide, alongside the arrows on the pavements, to ensure the most efficient way around the aquarium.
One they were clearly going to ignore. ‘By my reckoning if we head left, we’ll find the otters. Then a right will bring us to the tunnel, and the sharks.’
‘Excellent.’ She started marching, then came to an abrupt halt. ‘Wait. They were all the things I said I wanted to do.’
He frowned. ‘And the problem is?’
‘You were paying attention. I didn’t think you were. I mean you looked like you were listening, but I didn’t think you actually were.’
‘Molly.’ He heaved out a breath. ‘When did I ever not listen to you? Not pay attention?’
‘I … I don’t know.’ He watched her throat bob as she swallowed. ‘I guess I assumed, as you broke off with me, that you’d stopped being interested in me a while before that.’
Regret stung his eyes. That she’d ever thought, for one minute, that he’d grown bored of her. ‘I didn’t stop.’ His voice felt rough, emotions embarrassingly close to the surface. ‘How could I, when you’re so captivating?’
Her expression went from one of amazement to disbelief in a matter of moments. ‘If I was so captivating, then why…’ She turned away from him. ‘Forget it. Let’s go and see those otters.’
She started walking, but he was aware of her giving him furtive glances. ‘Before we do the tunnel,’ she said finally, after he began to worry he’d somehow got penguin poo on his face. ‘We should divert to the rays.’
Her smile was tentative, almost shy, and it wrapped around his chest and gave it a soft tug. ‘Is that the cute, smiley rays?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Okay, okay. You were listening. I get it.’ She gave him a side glance. ‘You know what’s really great about the rays though? They’re graceful. Apparently.’
She darted him another smile and something slithered into his chest, opening it. But then she shook her head and when she turned away, whatever it was, slunk straight back out again.
Later, he realised that feeling had been hope. He wanted another shot at a relationship with her. Even if it was under the glare of cameras and an audience. And even if he wasn’t convinced he deserved it.