Once I’m seated, he goes back to his. The waiter brings out our breakfast and it’s hard not to feel the tension in the room. The new couples are sitting together and I’m happy to see that Makayla and her new man are smiling as they enjoy their breakfast. She’s the only one of the other women I’ve been concerned about.
“Maybe that one will treat her right,” Hudson says, drawing my attention back to him. He stares over at Makayla and smiles. “I’ve talked to her guy a couple of times. He’s not bad.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Good.”
We eat our breakfast and just as we finish, Ryan comes in with his camera crew and passes out our envelopes. When he hands us ours, Hudson moves his chair over so we can read it at the same time.
Allie & Hudson,
Get ready for some fun in the sun. You two are taking a boat over to Renaissance Island where you can snorkel, take pictures of the flamingos, feed the iguanas, and enjoy some private time in your own cabana on the water. Everything you’ll need is waiting for you there. The sunset is something you don’t want to miss. Also, you’ll be expected to conduct a special intimate interview. The details will be given to you at a later time. All you have to do is walk out to the marina beside the resort and a boat will be waiting for you.
“Looks like we’ll be over there all day,” I say, grabbing my bag off the floor. “I wonder what the special interview is.” Special intimate interview sounds a little scandalous. You’d think my sister would inform me of this stuff, but obviously not.
Hudson shrugs and stands. “Don’t know, but I guess we’ll find out. I’m ready to go.”
Taking my hand, we walk out of the dining room and I can’t help but feel eyes on us. Some of the women glare at me and it makes me wonder if it’s because of the show. There was a lot of footage of me and Hudson. It’s obvious the show has given us more attention. It makes me feel bad, especially since I didn’t want it in the first place.
Stan and Jean follow me and Hudson out of the resort and to the marina. “The first thing I’m doing is getting out of this shirt when we get there.”
I bite my lip. “Go for it.” I’m not opposed to seeing him shirtless all day.
When we get to the marina, we all load up on the boat. From what I’ve read about Aruba, Renaissance Island is a separate small island owned by the resort. It only takes about fifteen minutes to get there. The wind feels amazing as it whips by us and the water is so blue you can see down to the bottom. I can’t wait to jump into it when we get to the island. All I have to decide on is which bathing suit I’m going to wear. The black one is a little skimpier than the pink and purple one I have on so I think I might have to change into that one at some point. Hudson will surely like that.
We dock at the island and once we’re off the boat, there are iguanas everywhere. I’ve seen them at the resort, but the ones on the island are huge. A guy named Sandor shows us around and lets us know when we’re ready for our lunch and dinner we can use the phone in the cabana. There’s actually a lot on the island, even a restaurant. One side is for families, but the other is for adults only. Obviously, that’s where they put us. There are about twelve cabanas in the main area, but we’re led past them down a wooden walkway through the foliage. When it opens up, there’s a single cabana on stilts in the water with the wooden walkway leading right to it. It reminds me of the pictures I’ve seen of the Maldives with all those fancy places on the water.
Hudson leans in close. “Have any of the other couples been here? I haven’t seen it on the show.”
Neither have I. I shake my head. “I think we’re the first ones.”
Sandor flourishes a hand toward the cabana. We have yet to look inside it but I’m super excited. “There’s wine and champagne in your cabana, but if you want something else, call us and we’ll get it for you.”
“Thank you, Sandor,” I say. Hudson shakes his hand and says thank you as well.
Once he’s gone, Hudson and I head straight inside the cabana. It’s private, but of course, Stan and Jean follow us. There’s a small kitchen area with a mini-fridge and a sink. What really catches my attention is the bed in the main room. All the windows and doors are open and the white curtains billow in the wind, giving it a magical feel. It’s very romantic, but it’s hard to enjoy it being on camera. It’s not like Hudson and I can really do anything with Stan and Jean in the room.