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About the Author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KANEANA MAY studied television production at university, graduating with first-class honours in screenwriting. She went on to work in television, including roles as a script assistant on All Saints, a storyliner on Headland and a scriptwriter on Home and Away. Since becoming a mother, Kaneana has turned her attention to fiction writing. Kaneana loves to read—mostly YA, romance and women’s fiction—and also loves watching TV and films. Writing, boot camp, coffee, chocolate and champagne are just some of her favourite things. Kaneana lives on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales with her husband and three children.

For more about Kaneana, check out www.kaneanamay.com or join her over on Facebook or Instagram where you’ll see her sharing loads of her life, loves, and writing.

Dedication

For Alex, who will always be

‘the one’ for me.

For my mum, who had total faith that, one day,

I would become a published author.

Thank you for championing me every step of the way.

Chapter 1

1

Darcy glances to Ben, the cameraman who has been assigned to her for the day. ‘Ready?’

He nods. ‘Rolling.’

‘Okay, Bonnie.’ Darcy smiles, picking up a pen so she can make notes on Bonnie’s application form. ‘Can you tell us a bit about yourself?’

The woman is visibly uncomfortable and Darcy’s first thought is that she’ll probably look awkward on screen, but then Darcy glances at the monitor to her left and sees there’s a lovely vulnerability to Bonnie’s nervousness. Maybe she shouldn’t cast her off too quickly.

‘I’m Bonnie Yates, I’m thirty-three and I own a photography studio up the coast.’

Darcy already knows this due to the detailed application all the girls have completed. Today is more about getting a sense of how easily they talk in front of the camera and how they interact with the other girls. Thirty-three is getting on the old side, but they do need to cast at least one or two older contestants.

‘What about your living arrangements?’ Darcy queries. ‘Do you rent or own? Do you have housemates?’

‘I bought a townhouse about eight years ago. It’s just me.’

There’s a sting in Darcy’s heart at hearing the sadness entwined in Bonnie’s words. She should be used to the contestants’ loneliness by now; this is her fourth season working on The One but she’s still not as tough as she should be. She can handle desperation, but for some reason loneliness makes her want to hug them.

‘So, we want to know a bit about your dating history,’ Darcy says. ‘Have you ever been in love?’ In the early days of her job, she used to feel like she was rudely prying, but she’s asked the question so many times over the last few seasons that it now just falls from her lips.