Page 22 of Forever is the Sweetest Con
“But for the first day, it’s Gentlemen’s Choice.” The guys cheer and clap one another on the back.
I fix my gaze on Isa.Pick me, I silently implore.
“But don’t worry,” Natasha continues. “It’s only for 24 hours—every day at noon, we’ll meet here for a Bunk Shuffle, and you’ll be assignedyour bunkmate for the next twenty-four hours. Once you’ve all been bunkmates for one day, the girls will get to choose their bunkmates going forward at the first official Couple-Up Ceremony. Sound good?”
More clapping and cheering. All this enthusiasm is exhausting, and it’s only an hour in.
A balding guy in his early thirties appears and places a placard bearing each of our names at our feet.
“In the name of fairness,” Natasha continues, “we’ll go alphabetically. That means Damian, you’re up! Which girl would you like to share a bunk with tonight?”
“Slow it down!” Gabby calls from the sidelines. “Take some time before answering, okay Damian? And I want you to use this phrasing: ‘The girl I want to bunk with is…’ Got that?”
Damian nods. He glances down at Harmony’s name plate. She leans toward him, smiling confidently. He pretends like he’s thinking, rubbing his chin and furrowing his brow for the camera, but then his face bursts into a smile. “The girl I want to bunk with is…Harmony.”
We all cheer wildly as Damian plants a kiss on Harmony’s cheek and then stands behind her with his arm around her waist.
“Let’s hear it for our first couple, Damian and Harmony!” A cameraman hovers around them, catching their satisfied smiles up close. “Garrett, it’s your turn now. Which girl do you want to share a bunk with tonight?”
Garrett shifts, nervously. He’s looking at me. No! Don’t choose me! Leave me for Isa! He clears his throat a few times. “The girl I want to bunk with is—”
“Louder, please, Garrett,” Tyler calls. “You’re mumbling. Speak clearly into your mic.”
Garrett clears his throat again. “The girl I want to bunk with is…” Not me, not me, please not me. “Sue-Ellen.”
Oh, thank god.
Sue-Ellen holds her smile as Garrett jogs over to her, but she flinchesas he puts his arm around her waist. I cheer with more genuine enthusiasm than I’ve felt so far.
“Alright, Giovanni, you’re next! Which girl do you want to get to know first?”
He stands, hands on his hips, staring directly at Valeria. “How long do I gotta wait?” he asks Gabby.
“Just a minute.”
“’Kay. I know who I’m picking, though.”
“That’s okay, it’s just to build suspense for the audience.”
“’Kay.” He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, like a kid who needs the bathroom. “That long enough?”
Gabby sighs. “Yes, okay, go ahead.”
“The girl I wanna—what am I supposed to say again?”
“The girl I want to bunk with is.”
“Got it. Okay, okay. The girl I wanna bunk with is Valencia.”
A pause. “Valeria,” calls Gabby, exasperated. “Can we do that again?”
It takes a few tries for Giovanni’s pea-sized brain to get the phrasing right, but Valeria doesn’t seem to mind. Maybe I’m not the only one who’s faking it.
“Moving on!” says Natasha, once Giovanni is finally standing with Valeria, looking as if he’s staked his claim. “Isa, it’s your turn. Which girl do you want to share a bunk with for your first night?”
I arch my back, slightly, pushing my chest forward. This is not the time for subtlety. Isa clocks my efforts and winks at me. I hold his eye contact. And then—what, why is he looking at Sue-Ellen with that little frowny face, like he’s sad he can’t pick her?
“The girl I want to bunk with is…” He’s still looking at Sue-Ellen. But then his eyes slide to me. “Cleo.”
