Part Two: Just Married
When Tim wakes the next morning, it takes a few seconds for him to place where he is, and as all of the events of the prior day come flooding back he squeezes his eyes shut again. Why couldn't it have all just been a terrible dream?
But he is a creature of routine, and they have a flight to Mexico in a few hours, so if he has any hope of squeezing in a quick workout he needs to get his ass into gear.
He turns onto his side to check on the woman that is, crazily enough, technically his wife, and… yup… turns out he is still crazy attracted to her, even without all the glam and frill from the wedding. Lucy is in pretty much the same position she had been the night prior — curled into a tiny ball so close to the edge of the bed that Tim had honestly thought she'd eventually end up on the floor. The only difference is that she's now facing in toward him instead of facing the wall.
He'd briefly considered offering to take the floor, but ultimately realized there was no way he could do that every night, so he figured they may as well rip that band-aid off, too.
He slowly exhales as he gazes at her sleeping form, a strange mix of emotion swirling in his gut — the weight of remorse tinged with apprehension commingling with an unexpected wave of something other than complete apathy toward her. Not quite fondness, but also definitely not the deep-seated aggravation he'd been feeling toward her, and, well, really everything the day before.
It certainly doesn't mean he wants to be married to her, but obviously, that train has left the station. Setting aside her involvement with that cursed article, objectively, he can't entirely discount the fact that he's been paired with someone who, at least on the surface, appears to be a decent, intelligent, and mildly entertaining human being.
He certainly could have done worse. And given his behavior yesterday, he probably deserved worse.
Tim is still wary that the expectations she had coming into this are going to be problematic for them both, but perhaps there's a middle ground between being a complete asshole and proclaiming his undying love to a complete stranger to explore.
Tim isn't in the room when Lucy wakes, and for that, she is deeply grateful. Shockingly, she isn't actually looking forward to spending more time with a man that has been perpetually irritated with her since the moment they met.
Her disappointment is still weighing on her. She had come into this with the best of intentions and admittedly high hopes. But less than twenty-four hours with this man has violently catapulted her right back into reality.
She's never been someone with a long list of criteria she expects in a partner. Never entirely understood the allure of the bad boy or the jerk (though, admittedly, some of the looks Tim had sent her way yesterday were certainly putting that notion to the test). But, ultimately, she's only ever had two non-negotiables — her significant other has to be someone with a kind heart and someone that treats her well.
And the version of himself that Tim had shown her yesterday is far from checking the box on either.
But even despite the mounting evidence that this process isn't going to work for her, that she isn't going to be a part of one of the seven couples that finds their happily ever after, hope has always been something Lucy has had difficulty giving up.
Some (including, apparently, her new husband) may see it as being naive or childish or starry-eyed, but it's a fundamental part of who she is. It has gotten her through her very worst times, and it's not something she will ever apologize for. If her perfect match can't stand or appreciate that part of her, then maybe he's not so perfect for her after all.
Lucy is on the floor attempting to get her overstuffed suitcase closed when Tim returns to the room. He's still sweaty from his workout, and for a moment Lucy can't see or process anything other than his arms in that muscle tee. Forcing her gaze to his eyes, she has to immediately remind herself that, again, no amount of hotness compensates for being an asshole.
She's confused when he strides toward her, fully having expected they would continue on with their unspoken pact to ignore each other until forced to do otherwise. Her eyes widen in surprise when he shoves a cup of coffee and two small paper bags in her direction.
He's gruff and to the point when he finally speaks, "I didn't know how you like it or whether you were a breakfast person, so just toss it or whatever if you don't want it."
Lucy is speechless for a second, touched, but also floored, by the unexpected thoughtfulness. Maybe this is his version of an olive branch? She accepts the offering and peers into each of the paper bags. Tim had clearly raided the coffee station for her — there's a whole array of sweetener and creamers options for her to choose from. The second bag contains a warm croissant that smells so good her stomach actually rumbles. Well, that's a little embarrassing.
Her cheeks are tinged pink when she finally looks back up to thank him, but he's already halfway into the bathroom.
"Thanks," she says to his back, figuring now is not the best time to let him know she is more of a tea person. She can certainly use the caffeine after yesterday, regardless.
He pauses, and when he turns back, his eyes have that glimmer of irritation that is beginning to feel like a trademark of his, at least it seems to be his default expression for her, anyway.
He sighs, and again, Lucy is caught off guard when he quickly closes the distance between them and drops onto the floor beside her. He places his hands on the top of the suitcase, forcing it down, and it's not until he arches an eyebrow and jerks his head toward the suitcase in a 'what are you waiting for' gesture that Lucy realizes he's expecting her to zip it shut.
And she should probably be grossed out — he's literally still sweating from his workout, but somehow the mingling scent of his soap and deodorant and exertion could not be more intoxicating to her. She can literally feel the heat radiating from his skin as she maneuvers around him, and her proximity to him in this state has her thinking all sorts of thoughts about his sweaty skin pressed up against hers in a very different context.
He's back on his feet as soon as Lucy has completed her journey around the bag and when he extends a hand out to help her to her feet, she realizes her dick of a husband is apparently capable of being kind of a gentleman.
And that may actually fluster her more than imagining what it would be like to be underneath his perspiring body. She is certain she must be a tomato by the time she is on her feet and meeting his gaze, but if he notices, he doesn't let on.
As usual, his expression is cool and guarded, whereas she is almost positive he must know she is thinking dirty, dirty thoughts about him. He has this way of looking at her that makes her feel like he can see exactly what she is thinking or feeling at any given moment. It's disconcerting, to say the least.
The flight to Mexico is pretty uneventful. Tim continues to exist somewhere on the spectrum between not rude and almost pleasant, but they pretty much keep to themselves — him with his headphones on and eyes closed as he tips his head back against the seat and Lucy finally breaking into a political thriller that had been sitting untouched on her coffee table since she bought it six months ago.
When she moves to retrieve her luggage from the overhead bin after they land, Tim places a hand on her waist to stop her, and good lord, when his fingers unexpectedly graze the bare skin that's been exposed by her reach, Lucy momentarily forgets how to breathe.
"I've got it," he says as he reaches up around her to retrieve the bag with significantly less effort. And even though she scrambles to get out of his way, his chest still presses against her back as he retrieves both of their bags. And nope. That is most certainly not her thighs that are involuntarily clenching as she can feel every firm muscle of his upper body moving against her. It most certainly is not.
What is this man doing to her? She's flushing so hard she can't even meet his eyes when she mumbles a hurried 'thank you' before moving the hell away from him so she can remember how to behave like a normal person.
Lucy keeps her gaze fixed out the window to take in the scenery on the shuttle ride to their resort in Riviera Maya and Tim takes the opportunity to study her. While she hasn't actually done anything concrete to indicate it, he has the sense that she doesn't much like him. Which, after yesterday, is hardly surprising.
But she's also been acting a little strangely all morning since he handed her that coffee — flushing and avoiding his eyes and tensing anytime he gets near her. It's actually kind of adorable, and he is starting to suspect she might have a bit of a crush on him or something.
Which, in itself, is even a little endearing. God knows the physical attraction isn't lacking on his end. But ultimately, it makes him feel wary. Maybe if she had come into this with lesser expectations and he was capable of being a little more open, they actually could have had a pretty damn good time together over the next eight weeks.
But she is here for a husband, not a fling. And he can't in good conscience carry the weight of that expectation when he already has such a strong sense of how this will turn out. Contrary to what his behavior may have conveyed the day prior, he doesn't actually want to hurt her at the end of this.
He may have agreed to this solely (okay, mostly) to prove a point, but he hadn't actually come into it with the intention of hurting anyone in the process. He had never even imagined they would find a partner for him given the disdain he'd expressed throughout all of the matchmaking nonsense. And even when they told him they had found a match, it hadn't really hit home that he would suddenly be so responsible for another person's feelings — that his choices had actually already taken something away from his perfect match — until he had come face to face with her yesterday.
When they arrive at the resort and spot the overwater bungalow that will be their home for the next six days, Lucy is practically bursting with excitement. And though his response is not nearly as evident, he has to admit he hadn't imagined their "honeymoon" would land them somewhere so incredible.
They make their way down the dock to their assigned villa, lugging their bags behind them. Once inside Lucy makes an immediate beeline for their private deck, only pausing momentarily to gasp in delight at the panel of glass bottom floor as she tramples over it.
"Oh my god!" she exclaims with unadulterated glee, running back into the room to grab Tim by the forearm in an attempt to drag him outside, "You have to see this, Tim! It is incredible — ooh, wait! We should film our reaction on the couples cam and —"
Lucy stops short as soon as she realizes what she is doing. She releases her hold on his arm immediately and takes a step back from him. "I'm sorry — I — it's just really amazing and I wanted you to see it," she explains more soberly, looking suddenly embarrassed.
He watches her for a moment, wondering what it must be like to see the world through her eyes, before allowing the side of his mouth to quirk upward in a half smile. "Are you getting the camera or what?" he prods gently.
And when she returns the smile with a small one of her own before nodding and turning to dig the camera out of her bag, he realizes that amusement seems to have filled in for his aggravation from the day prior.
They are in a literal paradise for the next six days; maybe it's not the worst idea to try and get some enjoyment out of this part of their journey.
The couples cam is one of the methods they are using to capture footage of their experience. It's intended to fill in gaps when the film crew isn't around — on days when the crew is occupied shooting with other couples, before going to bed, first thing in the morning, or any of a number of situations that might arise between a newlywed pair that would benefit from the privacy or intimacy that being followed around and directed by an assortment of strangers lugging around heavy equipment would never allow for.
They are contractually obligated to turn over a minimum amount of footage each week — some of which is dictated by production (e.g., before heading to the airport, they each had to film their own 'on the fly' interview to sum up their first impressions and whether anything might have happened between them on their wedding night) and some of which is left up to their discretion.
And Tim has to admit filming their impressions of the accommodations is a painless enough option for burning through some of their required time.
Camera in hand, Lucy positions herself on the deck so she can capture Tim's response.
"Holy shit," Tim breathes when he steps out onto the platform, trying not to laugh out loud at how enthused Lucy is to see his reaction. And though it is more muted than hers, he is not any less amazed. This may just be worth a week of reality TV nonsense… or even eight.
Their "deck" is actually a fully furnished outdoor living area, an outdoor shower clearly intended for couples, and their very own infinity pool jacuzzi combination all overlooking an unbelievable, uninterrupted ocean view that is nothing like Tim has ever seen.
They film a mini tour of their villa and their absolute shock that this is all theirs over the next six days (well, mostly it's Tim filming Lucy after he tires of being the one in front of the camera, and it's clear Lucy has far more to say than he does). Once they've completed their rounds, Tim moves toward the railing of the deck and gestures for Lucy to follow, so they can get a shot together with the view of the ocean behind them.
They huddle together until they are both in frame, and when he sees Lucy's delight reflected back at him through the screen, he impulsively wraps an arm around her to pull her closer into his side. Her joy is infectious, and at the moment it's making him happier than he's been in a very long time.
She's still practically vibrating with energy after they've settled in and unpacked, but Tim can tell she's making an effort to keep it reigned in for his benefit. She walks over to where he's sprawled on one of their deck lounge chairs and hovers uncomfortably for a few seconds, chewing on her bottom lip before venturing, "We have a few hours before we need to be ready for filming and the group dinner. And I was thinking — well, I read about this really amazing trail that's not far from here… I — uh, would you want to come with me to check it out?" She pauses, seemingly trying to read his reaction before quickly adding, "Or I could totally go on my own; we obviously don't have to do stuff together when we're not filming. Which… yeah. I should probably just go on my own. Never mind."
She's already turning on her heel to head back inside when he finally responds. "Lucy?"
She turns back to face him from the doorway leading back into their room.
"I would be interested in coming — but I'm not entirely sure if I'm still invited."
She laughs softly and nods, shooting him a shy smile that sets something light and fluttery into motion in his stomach. What the actual hell?
Maybe Lucy's not the only one with a bit of a crush.
That night is their first group event — cocktails and tapas on the beach with the five other couples going on this insane journey along with them. One of the good things about this season (if you ask Tim, anyway) is that they matched two more couples than a typical season, which means less time filming overall for each individual couple. But it also is apparently going to make for a decent amount of chaos at group events, if tonight is any indication of how future events will go.
Tim already knows the men from all of the pre-wedding events like the bachelor party, and there are a few with similar military backgrounds or interests (football) that he's even really connected with, which makes being amidst the ruckus of the broader group a bit more bearable. He's surprisingly curious to hear how everyone's marriages (truly, it sounds absurd even to think!) have been going so far.
"She's a great girl, but she's not really my type… physically. So, yeah. I don't know. I feel really bad because she's trying really hard, but it's just one of those make-or-break factors for me, you know? Sorry babe, it's not going to happen," one of the men, Chad, says as he updates the group on how things have been going with his match, Elyse.
Tim frowns, acutely aware of what a complete and total dick Chad sounds like, and a little uncomfortable that, though his concerns about Lucy are different, maybe the way he's handling the situation isn't.
"It's been good. Megan and I have a lot in common, but we're taking it slow. It's weird — being thrown together like this," Alejandro shares.
Malcolm dishes about his experience thus far next. "Oh man, we were all over each other as soon as we got back to the room. I've never had this kind of physical chemistry right off the bat with anyone. Camila is easily the hottest woman I've ever been with. I feel like I won the lottery."
"I don't know. Gianna's been pretty standoffish. Not entirely sure what I'm supposed to do. She's not really doing a great job of hiding that she's not thrilled that I was her match. And like — sure, fine, that's her prerogative. We all knew that was a possibility coming into this. But, it's pretty shitty, you know? We're here, away from our family and friends and exposing ourselves to potential humiliation on national TV, and the one person you have to go through this with decides they aren't even going to try. I'm not gonna lie — it really, really sucks. And it's very, very lonely," Michael concludes.
Tim swallows, the slick of discomfort again climbing up the back of his throat. He glances over to where Lucy is catching up with the other women and wonders briefly what she would say about him and their experience so far.
"Well, clearly, we can see how things are going for Bradford so far," Alejandro ribs. "He can't seem to take his eyes off of her, not that anyone could blame him."
Tim turns his attention back to the group and can feel the heat of embarrassment at being caught out rising to his face. They are waiting for his update.
He raises a hand to rub the back of his neck. "Uh — yeah. She's — yeah, she's pretty. Obviously," he offers dumbly.
"But?" Malcolm prods him on.
"But, yeah. I don't know yet. It's only been a day, but I have a pretty good gut instinct about people, and I think that we're probably just too different to make anything work long term." He leaves out the part about how he also hadn't really come here with the intention of making anything work long term.
"Well, no reason to kick her out of bed while you figure it out. Am I right?" Chad offers crudely.
Tim frowns but doesn't bother to dignify his suggestion with a response, turning his attention to Arjun as he describes the reaction he had when he realized he already knew his new wife, Sonia, through mutual friends.
They mingle for most of the night, floating between tables and catching up or meeting the spouses they haven't yet had the opportunity to connect with. And by the time he's a few drinks in, Tim doesn't even entirely hate the experience.
And though he knows some of the men quite a bit better than he does his new wife at this point, it's Lucy that he finds himself regularly gravitating back to, her that he wants to be around more than anyone else here.
She's a talker; he'd already suspected that, but it's more than confirmed when he sees her interact with the rest of the group. But during the lulls when it's just the two of them standing side by side sipping their drinks, she doesn't force conversation with him. She's not withdrawn or closed off, just quiet in a way that he finds incredibly easy to be around, her happy golden energy buzzing around him in a way that he had not expected to be so appeasing.
The comfortable silence between them holds as they follow the path along the beach back to their bungalow, and even as they ready themselves for sleep. And when they settle into bed for their second night together, she still turns away from him to face the wall, but this time she's not quite so close to the edge.
