Page 36 of My Irresistible Enemy

“A lot better than they did last year, if they want to avoid a repeat. Don’t you remember how big the fallout was? Advertisers pulled their support, the network head had to make a statement, the old judges had to do a whole apology tour. I mean, come on. They cast us for a reason.”

“Yeah, to get their diversity points, and then to send us home without ever giving us a chance to win. Which is insane, anyway, because I never once mentioned that I was bi, and I didn’t even want people to know, but—”

“Whatever, dude. It happened. And we can use that to our advantage. If they can play dirty, so can we. Think about this from a PR perspective. If we were filmed, I don’t know, holding hands or something, and then suddenly one or both of us was sent home? Just imagine the backlash.”

I sighed. “They could just say it was how the votes fell out. I’m not likeable, remember? And you can’t bake, unless something’s changed in the past three days.”

“Yeah, but that’s us on our own. Together? As a team? People are already talking about us online, and that’s just when they think we hate each other. Imagine how much more they’d talk if they thought we were a couple. The network would be insane to let us go if we were driving their numbers up.”

“Who would even believe it? We’ve done nothing but fight since the show started.”

“So? Opposites attract! Some people fight instead of flirt. Maybe things just moved crazy fast for us, and now we’re in love.”

I shook my head. “No one’s gonna buy that.”

“Nolan, you’re giving people way too much credit. How many times has some well-meaning straight person in your life tried to set you up with someone you hadnothingin common with, just because you shared a sexual orientation?”

I couldn’t help thinking of the phone call I’d just had with my mom. It wasn’t exactly the same thing, but still, I didn’t like how close to home Aiden’s words hit.

“Trust me.” He leaned forward, bracing his hand just below mine on the doorframe. “People will buy it.”

“It still feels wrong. Like we think we’re better than viewers, trying to trick them into something.”

“It’s not thinking we’re better than them. It’s just—people want to believe in happy endings. What’s wrong with giving them one?”

“Because it wouldn’t be. It would be a lie.”

“But it’s not hurting anyone. Is it so wrong to give people something to root for?”

Aiden’s eyes were shining. How had we gotten so close? He was only inches from me—near enough that I could smell his tangerine-y shampoo and feel the heat coming off his body.

Near enough that I could remember what his skin felt like against mine.

I took a step back. Shook my head. I had to keep it together.

It didn’t matter what my mom thought. It didn’t even matter if it would help me stay on the show. Every second I spent in Aiden’s company pushed me closer to losing control. And that was something I couldn’t risk.

“I’m sorry.” I pushed the door closed. “The answer is no.”

* * *

“Alright, everyone, we’re going to split you up now and get shots of you doing research for your pie challenge,” Tanner explained as we stood outside Adair’s quaint public library later that afternoon. It had been a hot and sweaty walk through town to get here, and I hoped they’d let us into the air conditioning soon.

“They’ve only got three computers here, so Miriam, Lucinda, and Omar, you’ll take those. Cadence and Wade, we’ll have you looking up vegan cooking. Aisha and Nolan, you’ll be looking up heirloom fruit and vegetables, and Aiden, we have you on historical pie-baking methods. Nora’s got everyone’s assignments written up—just find the books using the call numbers she gives you and be ready to talk about them on camera. Sound good?”

Tanner smiled at the group of us, clearly expecting assent, and sighed when Wade raised his hand.

“Yes, Wade, what is it?”

“Well, I wasn’t planning on making a vegan pie,” Wade said, scratching his beard. “So if I have to spend all my time looking up something I don’t need—”

“Wade, Wade.” Tanner shook his head, his smile growing condescending. He sounded like he was talking to a seven-year-old. “You’ll have plenty of time to pick your actual recipe and practice your bake tomorrow. This is just for the cameras. Don’t worry so much, okay? Now, they only cleared the library for us for two hours, so we need to get everything we can in—yes, Aiden? What is it?”

I turned, on edge. Aiden couldn’t actually mess anything up for me right now, but every time he opened his mouth, I found myself bracing for impact.

It didn’t help that my cock was still far too interested in Aiden. He was wearing another tight T-shirt today, and my mom—I shuddered to admit—was right about the way his ass looked in just about anything. He was wearing jeans today that fit him like a second skin. He looked good, and the fact that he knew it did nothing to dampen my interest in him.

Correction—mybody’sinterest. The rest of me couldn’t have cared less.

---