‘Okay, I think I am going to bed too,’ Rosa says.

‘Babe, stay,’ Gunnar pleads.

‘No, no, it’s my bedtime,’ she insists, laughing it off.

‘I’m going to walk her home,’ Gunnar says, looking just a little disappointed. ‘Goodnight, guys.’

‘Goodnight,’ we all call after him.

And then there were six. Three couples. Only two left in the competition.

‘Lila, Eva, are you down for a blindfold?’ Ali asks.

‘Sure, why not?’ I reply with faux confidence.

‘Yeah, sure, why not?’ Eva chirps after me, sounding even less convincing.

Ali stretches out the elastic on an eye mask, holds it over Eva’s head and carelessly lets go. She places mine on with a little more care.

‘You’re going to like this,’ she whispers into my ear.

‘What’s going on?’

‘Don’t worry,’ she replies under her breath as she hugs me. ‘This is all for you.’

With my eyes covered all my other senses become heightened. The air smells warm and salty, the breeze tickles my bare arms. As an unexpected rip of thunder tears through the air I jump out of my skin.

‘We’d better wrap this up,’ Ali says. ‘It must be that storm that’s coming.’

‘What are we doing?’ Eva asks.

‘Okay, so,’ I hear Ali start. I can’t see her, but I can imagine the hand gestures that are accompanying her words. If actions speak louder than words, the wild hand movements that always accompany Ali’s words are probably what give her so much volume. ‘Our ladies are blindfolded. Men, you have to kiss both ladies, and then the lady chooses the best one and if it’s your partner, you get fifty bonus points.’

‘We’re kissing?’ I say in disbelief. ‘All of us.’

‘You don’t have to kiss Eva,’ I hear Ali say. ‘I imagine she would though.’

‘Erm, I don’t kiss my friends,’ I hear Eva snap back.

‘Nope, just their fiancés,’ Ali replies. ‘So, men, don’t say a word. When I tap you, kiss one girl, then the other. If you think perhaps a girl might not want to kiss you, don’t.’

I do wonder if this after-hours Mr & Mrs Valentine Island is something that happens every year, or if this is something Ali has orchestrated. It seems very her, and she appears to be running the show. This whole thing feels like Ali’s unnecessarily convoluted way to get me and Freddie to kiss. I appreciate what she’s trying to do, but she’s barking up the wrong tree. This is a sham relationship to win money. I keep telling her and telling her, but she just won’t listen.

‘Okay, first man, you’re up,’ she says.

With my eyes closed I can hear much more clearly. I hear kissing coming from Eva’s direction. I scrunch my eyes tightly shut under my blindfold, as though it might make my hearing better, to try and work out what’s going on. The thought of Freddie kissing Eva makes me feel sick with jealousy. I suppose she’s already kissed my real man, I don’t want her getting her claws into my fake one too.