Someone definitely hit the fast-forward button on time. The past few days had been a nonstop blur of final promotion events for Lovestruck, and before I even had the chance to catch my breath, I suddenly realized that today was the first day of filming A-List Escape.
It was not even four in the morning yet, and Beth had already called me three or four times to drag me out of bed. Each call was spaced maybe five minutes apart. Right on the dot at four, she showed up in person. Just like always, she spun me around like a human top, handed me a quick sip of cold brew and a bite of French toast, and just like that, here we were, on our way to my private jet.
"By the way… where exactly are we going again?" I frowned. "I suddenly forgot everything."
"Agh. I've told you more than a dozen times already, Pat," Beth clicked her tongue. "I seriously don't get how you can memorize thousands of lines but still forget something like this."
"Sorry. I guess it's been a while since I was forced awake this early. My brain hasn't fully turned on yet. And honestly, I still have no idea where that place is."
"Well, technically, we're not filming there," she explained. "We're flying to a local airport in Niue first, then taking a short cruise to an island."
"O… kay. So what's the island called?"
Beth shrugged and shook her head.
"The good news is, once we land, the production team will take care of everything."
"And there's no bad news, right?" I asked nervously.
"The bad news," she said calmly, "is that I actually don't know where the filming location is. Apparently, it's a nameless island. Not even marked on the map."
My eyes widened, my mouth falling open in shock. "Pardon?"
Beth quickly tapped on her iPad and turned the screen toward me.
"Look. This is Niue. It's already a country on its own. And around it… Do you see any surrounding islands?"
"Oops," I admitted, shaking my head.
"Anyway, don't stress too much," she added lightly. "From what I've found, they've spent almost a decade preparing for this project. They even built resort villas and all kinds of facilities."
"Oh man. Why does that sound kind of suspicious? What if I disappear there without a trace?"
"Well, you said yes to it yourself during the interview with Laila. Live on air, remember? My hands are tied."
"Just kidding," she laughed. "It's going to be an interesting experience."
"Yeah, sure. A whole month. No packed schedule. Not much traveling. Try not to overthink it and take this chance to rest."
I leaned back into the car seat and slowly closed my eyes. The moment Beth said the word "rest," my body relaxed almost instantly. It had been so long since I last felt sea breeze on my skin, breathed in fresh island air, escaped the city noise, or lay on soft sand beneath a star-filled sky.
And somehow, without warning, her image slipped into my thoughts.
She was unbelievably cute.
Those sparkling eyes. That face. There was something about her that made people feel calm, yet strangely drawn in. It was hard to explain.
"That girl really is pretty, isn't she?"
"Yeah… I couldn't agree with you more. Wait. What?! Who are you talking about?" I jolted upright, eyes wide as I stared at Beth.
"Haha!" she burst out laughing. "The girl you kept asking me about at the gala. Mimi from Bonnie."
She laughed even harder. "I didn't expect you to be daydreaming about her."
"Hey, no," I protested quickly. "I thought you were talking about my grandma's shy cat, Mimosa. Whenever I feel relaxed, I think of that cat."
"Right. Sure," Beth smirked. "Your face is bright red, you know."
I laughed awkwardly. "But she really is beautiful. Cute, yet somehow very captivating."
"Really? Oh my gosh. Excuse me? Did I hear that right?" Beth stared at me, eyes wide in disbelief. "Pat is actually saying a girl is cute?"
"Am I not allowed to compliment people?"
"It's worse than that. I distinctly remember you saying all girls look the same and you can't tell them apart."
"Wow. Okay," I sighed softly.
"So is this the legendary love at first sight?" she teased. "Did lightning strike? Are you already plotting how to pair up with a rising idol star on the show? She totally got you, didn't she?"
"Whoa, whoa. Calm down," I laughed. "I'm just saying she's pretty. I've never found someone that captivating at first glance before, sure. But that's just appearance. I haven't even properly talked to her yet. Love is a stretch."
"That's exactly why you should find a way to run into Mimi again," Beth said, clearing her throat. "It's an opportunity. If you're interested, move forward. That's the point of this show anyway. These reality dating programs blur the line between real and staged, but as long as participants show progress, the audience eats it up."
"There are still other girls and guys, though," I replied. "Let's just see how it goes."
"Haha. Of course." Beth gave a thumbs-up.
She then pulled out a photo of Bonnie and pointed at Mimi. "Still, that girl really does have national treasure-level looks."
Mimi's radiant, sunlit smile in the photo completely stole my breath. Somehow, she seemed even more charming and captivating in real life. I found myself genuinely hoping to see her again on the show, to learn more about who she really was.
That quiet curiosity made me nod softly in agreement with Beth.