Darcy almost screams with delight. They’re kissing! This will be great for ratings! She wants to high-five herself. She’s always felt a bit uncomfortable ‘directing’ that kind of thing, but she pulled it off easily this time. And they’re still kissing! She looks at Ben, who is filming the whole thing. He glances back and raises his eyebrows. He knows Darcy’s very pleased with herself.

She watches Ty and Bonnie again and admires how good they look together. Maybe this kind of show can actually work.

She feels her phone vibrate in her pocket and quickly checks the message in case it’s from the office. They’ll be hassling her to send some footage in to make a teaser to go at the end of tonight’s episode. But it’s from Drew.

Okay, you win. I’ll come down Friday after work. Can’t wait to see you.

Darcy smiles, immediately excited. She’d sent him a photo of herself naked this morning as an incentive for him to come down for the weekend. It’s going to be the first time they’ve seen each other since he left. She forgot how working on this show makes you crave romance. She might just throw Drew a little surprise to kick off their weekend just right …

Bonnie feels her face warming as she processes what she’s just done. Ty smiles at her, but he looks just as shell-shocked by the experience.

‘Cut!’ Darcy calls, approaching as she slides her mobile into the back pocket of her jeans. Bonnie can hear the happiness in her voice. ‘That was great! We need to wrap soon but we’re just going to get one more shot,’ she tells them, pointing to the setting sun. ‘I’m going to get Ben to film you holding hands.’

‘And gazing into each other’s eyes?’ Ty asks good-naturedly.

‘Well …’ Darcy says, ‘if you don’t mind?’

Bonnie’s heart feels like it’s beating irregularly. This whole setting is causing her more stress than she’s felt in years, but then an image of Oliver and Sophie comes spiralling into her mind and she’s quickly reminded of the anxiety she’d felt only a week ago.

‘What do you say?’ Ty says, looking to her. ‘Are you up for a bit of hand holding?’

‘I could be convinced,’ she tells him.

And so he takes her hand and gives it a little squeeze. It’s enough to make Bonnie wish she could have met this guy in the outside world.

‘What do I say if the other girls ask whether I kissed him?’