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Kun said.
    ‘Maybe. Or longer. They better extend the date or only half of us will get a chance to speak to Luke,’ Christina replied.
    Anna stood. This conversation was toxic. Thanks to Christina, it was the exact kind of bitching that the producers loved. It would be making it onto the episode for sure and Anna didn’t want to be any part of it. She should have gotten out sooner and made her way to one of the other groups. Which she would now, except that all the bouncing meant that Anna needed to pee.
    She spotted Kate and the director at the front of the room and weaved her way around the trampolines towards them. A camera followed her. It made her skin crawl being watched like that all the time. Did they think she’d do something television-worthy on her way to speak to Kate?
    ‘—definitely faking,’ Kate was saying. Anna automatically slowed her approach. ‘Shall I leak it to the other contestants?’
    The director paused. Neither noticed that they’d already leaked information to a contestant, with Anna standing only a few metres away. It wasn’t hard to figure out who or what they were talking about. Yvette was faking? Did the producers put her up to it?
    ‘Yes. Whisper in Rachel’s ear. If she doesn’t tell the others within fifteen minutes, try Brooke or Tamsen. Make sure to get some angry interviews.’
    Kate turned and they finally realised she was standing there.
    ‘Anna! What are you doing here?’
    She stammered out her explanation. She followed her sister’s directions out the front door and into the lobby. Anna froze.
    Yvette and Luke sat against the wall. A single camera pointed at them from the other side of the room—almost giving them privacy by Love Elimination ’s standards. Anna didn’t move as she watched Yvette, who leaned in to Luke and pressed her lips against his. It only lasted a second but Anna felt time drag. Her heart clenched at the sight. What was Luke Westwood doing kissing one of the contestants on the first date? Any one of them could have walked in on him and Yvette—someone who genuinely hoped to fall in love with him. What an arsehole. Or a producers’ puppet. Either way, Anna’s assumptions about the man were confirmed.
    The couple broke apart and Anna took her chance to rush past, following the illuminated toilet signs. ‘Hold on there. The shot was interrupted,’ Anna heard the cameraman say as she retreated down the corridor. ‘Yvette, we’re going to need you to do that again. Pretend it was the first time. Three, two, one, ACTION.’
    * * *
    ‘One final interview: Anna, Christina, Rachel and Yvette.’ Joe called the names from a list and the producers ushered the women in the right direction. Anna’s palms grew sweaty as they were led to a set around the side of the building. For a moment, it looked like she might escape without speaking to the cameras: the rest of the contestants were piling onto the minibus as the four of them were lined up against the brick wall of the building.
    At least it was Kate doing the interview. She shot a quick smile at Anna.
    ‘What did you think of the group date, Anna?’ Kate asked.
    ‘It was fun. It was great to do something athletic with Luke, to show him a different side to us from the cocktail dresses of the first night,’ she replied.
    Kate nodded. ‘And Christina—did you feel like you got enough time with Luke?’
    ‘No.’
    The corners of Kate’s mouth flickered upwards at the answer. It was obviously the one she wanted. ‘And why is that?’
    ‘He spent a lot of time with just one person,’ Christina said. The younger woman frowned and shot a glance at Yvette.
    But Kate kept pushing. Clearly vague slights at another contestant were not good enough for Love Elimination . ‘Who do you feel took up Luke’s attention today?’
    Christina turned to glare at the woman in question. ‘Yvette.’
    ‘Can you say that to the camera, please, Christina?’ Kate pointed at the camera directly opposite them.