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They were seated at the bar, the show having ended when one of the producers had pulled the plug on the sound system and ordered the cameras to stop rolling. He’d looked on the verge of having a heart attack and had screamed something that sounded a lot like ‘Get rid of that darn cat!’

“You’re not seriously considering sticking around, are you?” Chase asked, incredulous.

“Of course I’m sticking around! I didn’t come all this way to get kicked off this island so soon.” She tilted her chin. “I have every right to be here, same as you.”

Chase couldn’t believe his ears. “But you’re a cheat!”

Gran had heard through the grapevine that two of the seductresses had had to drop out at the last minute and had sent in her and Scarlett’s applications to be their replacements. Only they hadn’t mentioned their ages, and they’d used pictures from a stock photo website. And since time was of the essence, they’d been quickly sent the go-ahead. Only when they’d suddenly appeared in the lineup had the production team realizedthat the two ladies they’d figured were part of the kitchen staff were in fact their much-sought-after new replacement seductresses.

“Look, I told that idiot that if he dares kick us off the island I’m going to sue him for ageism. It’s time that senior citizens get their due. It’s not fair that only the young get to have fun. He quickly backed down after that.” She smacked her lips as she bellowed, “Waiter! One of ‘em umbrella drinks for me! Yeah, the fruity ones!”

“You’re going to ruin this whole operation,” Chase said, as he rubbed his face.

“Nothing of the kind. I’m going tosave your operation. You didn’t think this through, Chase. You and Odelia infiltrated the show as fake candidates—“

“Not so loud!” Chase hissed.

“But who’s infiltrating the seductresses, huh?” She thumped her chest. “Me!”

“Oh, God…” Chase muttered.

“You didn’t think, sonny boy! Where do you think the danger is coming from? Exactly those wily seductresses. They’re the ones setting up this whole kidnapping scheme. Listen, I’ve got it all figured out. The seductresses seduce the men, right?”

“Mh.”

“And of course they want to keep them once the show is over, cause these are some pretty fine specimens. Not the kind of guys who normally go for the stripper type, right?”

“Are you going somewhere with this?”

“Just listen! So once the show is over, and the cameras are gone, and the free booze, and the sun and the beach and the rest, these men of course land back in reality with a thud. Back to work on Monday. Back to their regular lives, with their regular fianc?es.”

“If they’ll still have them,” Chase muttered.

“Of course they will. This is just one long stag party. But these women don’t want it to be over. They want to hook these men once and for all. So how to work it? By getting rid of the competition. They whack the future wives, step into their roles and bingo! A great life awaits. With a pretty boring husband, granted, but that’s why adultery was invented.”

“You’re forgetting one thing.”

“I doubt it.”

“The women are on the other island.”

“So? They don’t get abducted straightaway, do they? These women must have accomplices waiting until the candidates return to the States, and nab them first chance they get. Now where’s that drink? Hey, waiter! I can see what you’re doing, you sneaky little twerp! You’re serving the bimbosfirst! Wanna get sued for ageism? Cause I’ll do it! Thanks,” she added, and took a satisfied sip from her umbrella drink. “Aaah,” she said, closing her eyes. “Now that hits the spot.”

Chapter 21

That night, a first campfire was being held on both islands. As Kimmy had explained, the campfire was when the candidates were all gathered around a fire and shown footage of what their other halves were up to on the other island. It was usually a moment fraught with a certain measure of dread, as Clint liked to throw in a couple of grenades in the form of infidelities engaged in by the candidates and watch the fallout.

Odelia, as she took a seat, glanced at her fellow candidates. Jackie looked extremely jolly, as her blood was now presumably one hundred percent pure alcohol after having knocked back more G&T’s than probably was good for her. Tina was chewing her bottom lip, looking anxious, and Joanna was yawning, indicating it was way past her bedtime.

After the show had wound down, the six Chippendale wannabes had mingled with the contestants at the bar, and immediately one of them had hit on Odelia. She’d made it clear from the outset that she wasn’t interested, though, earning her a wounded look from the male model. The moment he’d vacated his seat another one had taken his place, and this one hadn’t taken no for an answer, and had spent the rest of the evening trying to break down her defenses, which of course was what he was being paid to do.

He wasn’t an unpleasant guy, though, so she’d endured his company, but had steered the conversation resolutely away from the more romantic topics.