The Model Couple [on hiatus]

🌻 Chapter 26

🌻

We re-enter the hut ready to do our interview. We see that Hayden and Ellie are just finishing. Hayden comes over for another hug, "We're going to go find our rooms." He leans down and looks me in the eyes, "But I want to see you later, okay?" I nod.

Ellie also gives me a hug before she goes, "I had fun with you today. Sorry it ended so poorly." I assure her that I had fun too.

Ryland and I go into the adjoining room. As soon as we enter I see Neil looking at me. I try to give him a smile. He moves quickly behind the camera. Rhiannon motions us to sit on the wicker loveseat with green and white wide striped cushions.

"Sounds like you two had a fun day. Tell me about it."

I'm so grateful to Ryland because he isn't usually talkative, but today he chats it up with Rhiannon like they are old childhood friends. He tells about our day of shopping and answers all of her follow up questions. Rhiannon addresses a question or two to me. But I'm able to answer them quickly.

As we're leaving I hear behind me, "Brooklyn, can we talk?" I turn to see Neil with a hopeful look on his face.

Ry grabs my hand, "Actually, we need to get to our rooms."

I pull back from Ry, "I can talk to him for a minute. You can go ahead if you don't want to wait."

Ry looks perturbed, nothing new. "I'll wait." Ry doesn't even move away to give us space, so I motion over near the window in the meeting room.

I say right away, "I'm so sorry we left you. I didn't want to, you've been nothing but nice to me." I hear Ry give an annoyed huff. We ignore it.

"Don't worry, I heard that you didn't want to leave me behind. I'm not mad." I return his smile. "I was just wondering if you had some free time, maybe we could hang out together." He has a hopeful look again.

I bite my lip. I really don't want to break more rules. "I promised Stacy I'd follow the rules from now on. And, you know, we're not supposed to fraternize and all."

"Oh." He looks super disappointed, but hope enters his eyes again as he says, "Maybe we could get special permission."

I'm about to say 'sure' to this but Ry comes and takes my hand, "Stacy's not giving special permission. Just do your job, and leave this one alone." Then to me, "Come on, let's find our rooms." Ry hands me my shopping bags, I almost forgot them.

I look back and give Neil a little smile as Ry pulls me from the hut. One hut over, at the front desk, they tell us we are both in hut twelve. "We are staying together?"

"Yes Ma'am, each model set has a two bedroom hut. Yours is down the path to the beach, second one on the right.

We leave the hut to go find our room but on the way we run into Hayden who convinces us to eat dinner with him first in the cafeteria hut. Inside there are square tables set in an array with a buffet on the side. The greeter, a woman in a floral strapless dress and flower in her hair, explains that there are many traditional Hawaiian foods and we are to eat as much as we like.

I grab a plate and take little scoops of salad, fruit, and bits of chicken with various sauces. At the end of the line there is a Hawaiian man in a colorful blue tie-dye skirt that hangs to his knees with a knot holding it together at one hip. He wears a headband made of braided palm fronds, holding back his long black hair. He has a leather strap around his aboriginal inspired tattooed arm. He's wearing a necklace made of shells with a shark tooth hanging down in the middle. Did I mention no shirt? He is so buff and tan. His chest has no hair and he gives me a beautiful white toothed smile.