Chapter Text
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Sergio complained as he and his brother were walking into a luxury vacation mansion in Majorca. He felt queasy over the fact that this would be his home for the next ten weeks with a group of strangers who he already knew would annoy him.
Andres laughed, knowing he was about to get yet another lecture on how superficial and idiotic this whole thing was. Robbing a bank would be less stressful than a few months in a house with a bunch of strangers who would be messy, loud and, worst of all, want to bond with him every second of every day - his brother kept reminding him. As someone who enjoyed his solitude with a Bach violin concerto and a good book, Andres knew this was Sergio’s version of hell.
“Have an open mind, brother,” Andres smiled as the two walked through the perfectly furnished home towards the backyard with the most stunning view of the beach. Scattered in the lawn were chairs, outdoor beds, hammocks and a workout area. “You’re in paradise.”
“Ten weeks of me being filmed while having to bond with people I don’t know and trapped in a house is not my idea of paradise.”
“Forget about the cameras,” he smiled as the two looked at the large crew setting up cameras all over the backyard to capture the opening sequence of the contestants’ arrival.
“You didn’t even let me bring a book,” he sighed in frustration.
“No books, phones, computer, paper or pens... you know the rules.”
“The rules lack logic. What kind of game doesn’t allow you to properly strategize and work through a plan to win?”
“A game that’s about finding your perfect match, Sergio. We’ve been through this, you play with…” he pointed to Sergio’s heart “rather than your” and then ran his hand through his brother’s hair causing him to flinch. Andres then smiled and pointed below his brother’s waist, “and maybe a little of that.”
Sergio slapped his hand away mortified, “I already told you my role in this is to get the win. I will not be hooking up with anyone on this pathetic TV show.”
“When do you ever hook up with people?” Andres laughed.
“You have a point there,” Sergio conceded, adjusting his glasses.
“I’m not saying you have to get married. But, for once, let go. Enjoy life. Be spontaneous, let your heart open to love or at least a bit of sex. You never know what could happen…”
“Anyone who would sign up for this garbage would never be my ‘perfect match’…”
“You’re here,” Andres reminded.
“Because I lost a bet which I now know you cheated on…”
“A bet’s a bet,” he smiled. “Besides, I know the contestants joining you and I think there are a couple who will surprise you.”
Sergio rolled his eyes. His brother was crazy. Hell, he was crazy for even being here.
Andres saw one of the producers waving to him, “That’s my cue. Go take a run or swim because I don’t want your grumpy ass ruining the opening of my show.”
As his brother walked away, Sergio let out a sigh. What was he doing here?
“ Welcome to the first season of Are You the One: Spain ,” Andres began, addressing a group of 16 people in the backyard of the beautiful beach mansion. “You’re ALL here for the same reason...Because you..” he gestured for everyone to join in the pre-rehearsed line.
“... suck at love!” they all shouted with the exception of Sergio who simply glared at his brother every time the camera wasn’t on him.
“That’s right. All of you are here because you’ve been unlucky with love, and we want to help you. If your perfect match was standing right in front of you, would you know? Based on talking to you, your family, and exes and experts, we believe we’ve found your perfect match to help you break your pattern of choosing the wrong people. Each of you has someone here who represents everything you need in a partner, so I encourage you to take the time to get to know everyone and avoid falling into your old habits. Because anyone standing next to you can be your match. The catch? We won’t tell you who that person is. You have to open your heart to love to find them. And if, together, you all succeed in correctly identifying your perfect matches, you’ll win 1 million euros.”
Most of the crowd cheered when he mentioned the cash prize except for Sergio who has yet to crack a smile. The feeling of dread over having to play such a ridiculous game inhibiting him from even pretending to express any excitement.
“You will have 10 opportunities to correctly identify your match, but we will only tell you how many perfect matches you’ve gotten right. You’ll need to work together to figure out who those matches are. We’ll also give you the chance, each week, to send one couple into the ‘Truth Booth’ to see if they are a perfect match. And if they are, they will be allowed to leave this house and go to the honeymoon suite to get to know each other better. The more perfect matches you get right, the easier it’ll be to win” Andres announced and smiled when the contestants cheered again at the idea of finding their match.
Sergio rolled his eyes at this, praying he wouldn’t find his perfect match early and be forced to spend one on one time with some random stranger. Besides, they need him in the house to use the patterns, logic and math to help identify the perfect matches based on the data they receive each week. There’s no way these hormonal idiots would get it right
“Are you all ready to find love and win 1 million euros?!” Andres yelled, encouraging everyone to cheer along. “Fantastic, to welcome you all and give you the opportunity to get to know each other, we’ll be throwing a white party for you!”
Everyone cheered again; however, this time Sergio noticed another contestant who appeared to be as enthusiastic as he was. A beautiful woman with golden brown hair, wearing a pair of jean shorts and a white flowy tank top. Unlike the other women who looked dressed to the nines for the cameras, she chose to be a bit more understated.
She would smile and cheer when the camera was on her, but it would quickly fade when she didn’t think anyone was looking. At the moment, he could feel her nervous energy from a few feet away. At least he wasn’t the only one dreading this, he mused and then turned his attention back to his brother not wanting to be caught observing her. He had to admit he was intrigued by her attitude.
The cameras were off and all of the contestants followed the producers into the house to listen as they went over the rules for the show and then took them on a tour of the pristine mansion.
When they reached the bedroom, Sergio’s eyes widened. All of the beds were in the same room?! What kind of bullshit was this? How were they supposed to find love if temptation was constantly thrown their way - and then Sergio understood the nature of the game. The producers want them to fail, fall into bad habits and create a lot of drama for the sake of good TV. He felt queasy again.
“And in this room, we have a confessional where you can talk to the camera,” the producer pointed out. “We’ll be encouraging you all to do this to get better insight on how you’re feeling as you all spend time together, and it’s a safe place to say something you may not be ready to reveal to the other contestants. But be careful because anything you say could end up being included in the show.”
No problem with that, Sergio mused. He planned to keep those sessions brief and simply comment on the game aspect of this.
“Finally, this is what we call the boom boom room,” the producer smirked as they all looked into the bedroom with a queen sized bed and a bucket of condoms next to it.
“Excuse me, the what?!” the woman Sergio had been observing earlier spoke up.
The young producer blushed slightly, “It’s there for when you may want a little privacy from the rest of the house.”
When Sergio heard her mutter under her breath, he couldn’t help but smile. He had an ally who saw through this ridiculous show like he did.
“I assume it will be cleaned after every… private moment?” she asked again, rolling her eyes in disgust.
“Of course,” the producer assured. “Now, we have some food and drink in the living room. The cameras will be back on and we hope you’ll take the time to introduce yourselves to each other.”
Sergio followed the rest of the contestants downstairs and noticed a few already giving each other lustful stares. This was going to be a very long ten weeks.
When they all made their way to the couches, they each grabbed a glass of champagne and another beautiful woman with dark hair and striking features spoke up, “Hi everyone! My name is Agata, and I’m so excited to be here with all of you. Why don’t we all introduce ourselves around the circle, say what we do and why we suck at love.”
Everyone nodded and agreed.
“I’ll start. As you know, my name is Agata. I’m a systems analyst at the Royal Mint, and why do I suck at love? I always fall for people who aren’t interested. I like the chase, I guess, so one of you motherfuckers better chase me!” she joked and everyone laughed and the girls all cheered.
“I’ll go next,” another beautiful brunette smiled. “My name is Silene and I’m a waitress by day and a bartender by night. And the reason I suck at love is I get bored easily. I have never been in a relationship longer than 6 months, but looking at all of you? I don’t think this will be a boring 10 weeks.”
“Yeah baby!” Agata cheered. “Who’s next?”
A red head rolled her eyes and took a large sip of her champagne, “My name is Alicia. I’m a client services manager at a marketing agency in Madrid. And why I suck at love... Oof, where to begin,” she joked. “I have a hard time finding people I want to spend more than 10 minutes with, so if you’re annoying, don’t talk to me.”
“Ok then,” Silene rolled her eyes playfully. She already knew she and Alicia would eat each other alive… figuratively, of course but also hopefully literally? She was intrigued by her disinterest in people. “How about one of the guys go next?”
“Hello everyone,” a larger bearded man smiled to the group. “My name is Yashin, but everyone calls me Helsinki. I’m a cook for the military, and I fall too hard for people who treat me like garbage.”
Agatha’s eyes softened. “How could anyone treat you like shit? You seem like the sweetest man.”
“Thank you, Agata,” he smiled and went over to give her a hug. “That means a lot coming from a woman as beautiful as you.”
“He’s the sweetest,” she grinned.
“I’ll go next,” another male voice announced but with some disinterest towards the group and Sergio perked up a bit. He wasn’t surprised to see him here. “But please stop this fake lovey dovey shit. You’re making me sick. My name is Martin, and I’m an entrepreneur. And I don’t suck at love. All of my previous partners did,” he announced smuggly.
Most of the room rolled their eyes in disgust. They already knew who the season jerk would be.
The rest continued to introduce themselves to the group. There was Monica who was an executive assistant who only dated married men and women; Daniel, a mechanic, who was hot headed and jealous in relationships; Angel, a police officer in Valencia, who falls in love too fast; Mari Carmen, a teacher, who is extremely shy when it came to dating; Sofia, a veterinarian, who lost her identity in relationships; Marseilles, a military pilot, who often preferred animals to people; Anibal, a developer, who has never been in love; Suarez, a security guard at the Bank of Spain, who never believed in emotional attachments; and Julia, a model, who had recently undergone gender affirmation surgery and has yet to date since then - scared to of the reaction people would have to discovering she’s a trans woman.
“I think you’re beautiful,” Suarez smiled at her.
“We all do,” Agatha confirmed and everyone nodded. “This is a safe place for you, Julia.”
“Thank you everyone,” Julia smiled through tears. “So who’s next?”
“I’ll go,” the golden brown haired woman smiled and Sergio perked up a bit. “My name is Raquel. I’m a detective with the National Police in Madrid. And where do I start when it comes to love?” she laughed. “I’ve always been attracted to assholes and lost a bit of myself in them. But recently, my biggest problem is I don’t have the time to meet someone with work.”
“Oh sister, I’m there with you when it comes to asshole exes,” Agata laughed. She then looked towards the only person who had yet to say a word.
Sergio grew nervous at all eyes on him, wishing for the ground to open up and take him away from this nightmare. “Right, well…” he adjusted his glasses and stood up. “My name is Sergio. I’m a criminal law professor at the Complutense University of Madrid. And I don’t really have a lot of time to meet people with my job,” he finished awkwardly. He wanted to add that he had no plans to meet anyone here as well, but he didn’t think this was the time to leave a bad impression.
After the introductions, the producers asked everyone to start getting ready for the white party as the living room was being decorated and filled with food and alcohol - the perfect setting to capture many bad decisions.
When Sergio had walked into the room in a full white suit and fedora, he only saw Agata and Silene talking by what looked like a large bowl of Sangria. These producers know what they're doing, he thought to himself yet again annoyed that he had to endure all of this. These past few hours were moving slower than a snail walking across a football field. He was going to kill Andres.
“Sergio!” Agata smiled and waved him over, “you look great!”
He gave her a hug and kisses on both cheeks and then the same to Silene. “So do both of you,” he responded nervously.
“Aww, it’s so cute how nervous you are,” Silene teased. “We don’t bite… that hard anyway.”
“So why are you here?”
“Honestly, I lost a bet,” he smiled. “But the money doesn’t sound so bad either. I’ve been wanting to start my own law firm like the innocence project in Madrid to help those who are innocent but can’t afford good lawyers. This money would help a lot.”
“That’s amazing,” Agatha responded. “You almost sound too good to be true.”
He grabbed a glass of Sangria and blushed slightly. “I’m not sure I’d say that…”
“So what was the bet?” Silene asked. She was intrigued by this man. He was smart, good looking and had actual ambition. She wondered if he could be her perfect match.
Unbeknownst to Silene, Agatha was thinking the same thing. She didn’t often find herself attracted to the nice guys, but there was something about the professor that got her heart beating a mile a minute.
“My brother and I put teams together for a friendly game of football. If I lost, I’d have to come on the show. What I didn’t realize was that he paid my team to throw the game.”
“That’s evil!” Silene grinned. “I like your brother”
“I guess I have him to thank for you being here,” Agatha flirted.
Sergio grew more uncomfortable by this. How had he, in all of his dreading of this show, forgotten the part where there may be people who would be interested in him and want to flirt. He didn’t want to be rude, but he couldn’t see himself falling for anyone, especially in this crazy horror fun house setting.
“I suppose you do,” He agreed and took another sip of his drink and saw that a group of people had now entered the kitchen. Agata was the first to greet everyone, and he could tell that she was the life of the party..
Raquel was the last to enter the room in a tight white dress, her hair in loose curls, and a dark red lip. Sergio was the first to notice and lost his breath for a moment. Gone was the understated fashion choices from earlier which he’d also thought she looked beautiful in. And the nerves had seemed to leave as she entered the room with a confident smile. He wondered what had changed for her.
“Raquel! You sexy minx, get over here,” Agatha yelled across the room and hugged her, “Damn!”
Alicia quickly joined the women when she spotted Raquel like a lion going after its prey, “Looking good, inspectora,” she flirted, clearly already a bit tipsy.
Raquel smiled at the women and thanked them, “You all look amazing too.”
Alicia grabbed her hand and took her away from the group and towards the Sangria, “Let’s get a drink.”
Sergio observed as Raquel followed her to the kitchen, seeing the attraction between the two women right away. He felt a pang of something in his chest when he watched Alicia take her hand in hers and whisper something in her ear. It must be the annoyance over watching adults acting like horny teenagers after a few sips of alcohol. It was embarrassing, really.
It also disappointed him that Raquel seemed to be acting like they all were. He tore his eyes away from her and watched Silene, Agata, Monica, Mari Carmen and Sofia dancing together in the large open space in the living room. Marseille, Angel and Suarez seemed to be in deep conversation on the couches. Anibal, Daniel and Julia were laughing about something from across the room. And there was no sign of Martin and Helsinki...
Sergio struggled with including himself in group settings like this. He could work a room and network when it came to his career, but in social settings he found himself standing back unsure of how to mingle with others without the presence of people he knew well. Sergio’s eyes went back to Alicia and Raquel who appeared to be in a deep conversation, but when he looked closer at their body language, it didn’t seem like Raquel was as interested as Alicia who was constantly touching her shoulders, arms, and cheeks as they spoke. Raquel didn’t appear to be returning any of her affection. Perhaps this would be the perfect time to grab another glass, he thought and walked up to the two women.
“Hi Sergio,” Raquel greeted while he poured himself another glass relieved over the interruption. “I like your hat,” she complimented.
“Thanks,” he smiled. “You look lovely,” he complimented in return.
“And I’m bored,” Alicia announced with a heavy sigh. “If you don’t want to make out...”
Raquel shook her head to confirm “then I’ll go find someone else who does for now. But you know where I am,” she flirted and walked away.
“She seems…”
“Aggressive,” Raquel laughed. “I appreciate people knowing what they want, but it’s the first night. I’m not here to hook up with a whole bunch of people.”
Sergio smiled at this, “Can I ask you something?”
“You just did,” she joked and he felt himself genuinely smiling over how cheesy her joke was.
“You don’t seem like the others here. Why did you choose to come on the show?”
“To find love of course,” she smiled yet Sergio could hear the sarcasm in her tone. “Finding true love locked in a house with 16 people and cameras all over the place. Just how I always imagined it.”
Sergio laughed when she put her hands to her chest and let out an exaggerated sigh, relieved there was someone else who was as skeptical as he was.
“The truth is I need the money,” she admitted seriously. “My mom was just diagnosed with Alzeimers and there’s this experimental treatment she fits the criteria for, but it’s so expensive. My sister saw this show was holding auditions, and we both gave it a shot. I assumed they’d pick her over me, but I guess I was wrong…”
“That’s…”
“A lot of information to reveal during a first conversation,” she laughed. “I’m sorry, Sergio.”
“No no, I’m glad you told me. I promise I’ll do whatever I can to help us all win this money.”
She looked into his eyes and saw how genuine his promise was and was a bit taken aback by his kindness. “Thank you,” she breathed and then looked at the group dancing. “I’m going to go join the girls, and you need to get out there more. Meet your perfect match at all,” she smiled and then left.
Following her advice, he walked over to where Angel, Marseilles, and Suarez were sitting and joined them.
“Sergio, about time you joined us,” Angel smiled. “We were just talking about who we’re hoping will be our matches.”
“Oh?” he asked in fake interest as he took a seat next to Suarez. Of course, every conversation was going to be about this game and who people wanted to hook up with. Annoying. “Who are you hoping for?” he asked in an attempt to appear interested.
His eyes went straight to Raquel, “She’s amazing,” he admitted. “And we’re both in law enforcement. I’m pretty sure she’s my match.”
“Have you spoken to her yet?” Sergio asked skeptically.
“I don’t need to. When you know, you know.”
Sergio had to fight rolling his eyes, “How about you, Suarez?”
“I’m not sure. I really want to get to know Alicia or Martin.”
“And like my good friend, Angel, I really want to get to know Raquel,” Marseilles admitted.
Raquel was popular, Sergio mused. He was glad for her, but it would get complicated if she’s stuck in a love square with these two men and Alicia. He hoped it didn’t explode in her face since he now knew her primary goal wasn’t finding love.
“How about you, Sergio?” Angel asked.
“Honestly? I’m not sure yet,” he responded and refrained from saying ‘no one’, “I need to really get to know someone first.”
“Is there anyone you’re attracted to?” Suarez asked.
“No,” he denied, feeling completely out of place. He wasn’t the type to “gossip” about others.
“More for all of us then,” Angel smiled.
From across the room, Raquel was having fun with Agata and Monica, enjoying the music and letting loose. They had the potential to become good friends and make this experience a bit more bearable. She was thankful for that.
Agata then stopped them and led them both to the kitchen for a drink. “So ladies, who are we feeling?” she asked while refilling her glass and passing the ladle to Raquel.
“Honestly?” Raquel admitted, “There hasn’t really been anyone yet. Alicia is beautiful but a little aggressive for me, and I haven’t really spent much time with anyone else.”
Monica agreed, “I haven’t really gotten to know anyone yet. Suarez is pretty cute though…”
“I’m so glad to hear that,” Agatha admitted. “Can I ask you both a huge favour?”
“Of course…”
“I really think Sergio is my match and I want to get to know him…”
“Sergio?” Raquel questioned as she looked at the man trying to learn a secret handshake with Suarez and getting it completely wrong. She didn’t want to admit she was completely charmed by his lack of coordination.
“There’s just something about him that gets me going,” she confessed while pushing her pelvis into the counter for emphasis. “He’s smart, good-looking, driven… everything I asked for.”
“Go for it,” Monica encouraged while laughing at the dramatics, “He’s all yours. He seems like a good guy.” Raquel nodded in agreement yet not as enthusiastically as she should be, she realized.
“Great. Thank you. I’m so happy to have you ladies,” she hugged them both completely oblivious to Raquel’s reluctance. “Now, I need the rest of the house to know Sergio is off limits,” she sighed.
The next morning, after a late night of partying and drunken bonding, the 16 contestants were in the backyard with Andres standing in front of them.
Sergio felt himself growing even more livid at the sight of his brother after having to endure a night of people making poor decisions, having unintelligent conversations, trying to claim ownership of who they want their match to be after only a few hours, and he was pretty sure he overheard a couple in the “boom boom room” while he was trying to get some sleep. Suffice it to say, Sergio was grumpy.
Raquel wasn’t fairing much better as the painkillers were doing nothing to alleviate her massive hangover. And she wanted to know how in the hell did she wake up next to Angel snoring louder than a foghorn.
“How’s everyone doing today?” Andres smirked seeing the many hungover and tired faces in front of him. After a few grumbles, he laughed and looked at the teleprompter to begin his script for this week’s activity. “Today, you’ll all be competing to go on a date - learning how to surf!”
Most of the contestants cheered at the prospect of getting out of the house and having the chance to spend some alone time with someone new. Sergio, of course, remained emotionless and, for the first time, Raquel noticed just how unenthused he was by this whole process. It made her curious as to how he even ended up on this show in the first place.
“Pair up,” Andres instructed and everyone started looking for who they were hoping to go on a date with. Before Raquel could move, Angel was next to her. Oh course, Mr. Snores is interested, she sighed.
“I hope this is okay,” he asked shyly. “I have a feeling you and I would make a great team.”
“Sure,” she smiled and then looked back at Andres to hear the rules of this competition.
“All of you have experienced so many hurdles and baggage in your relationships that we’re putting you and your partner on the ultimate obstacle course to move forward from your past relationships and work together towards a fresh start. You and your partner will jump over hurdles, move large bags and then work together walking on two wooden platforms to the finish line. The first two teams to complete the obstacle course in the fastest time will go on the date.”
Everyone cheered as they stood next to their partners: Agata and Sergio, Angel and Raquel, Anibal and Silene, Suarez and Alicia, Mari Carmen and Sofia, Marseille and Julia, Helsinki and Monica, and Daniel and Palermo.
“And for those who don’t win, you have the important task of voting one of the two winning couples into the Truth Booth to see if they’re a perfect match. So let’s start with Agata and Sergio!”
And what followed was a series of amazing moments for the cameras of teams tripping over the hurdles, the bags being too heavy and struggling to walk together over two planks of wood that were essentially oversized cross country skis.
Andres couldn’t hold back his laugh when his brother completely forgot he had a partner and completed the first two obstacles while Agata had tripped and fell over one of the hurdles. Of course, his younger brother would lack the ability to work as a team.
Many of the others struggled with the exception of Suarez and Alicia and Raquel and Angel who had completed the obstacle course seamlessly. Must be a combination of the police training and Suarez being a complete beast, Andres smiled.
“Well, it comes as no surprise that our winners are Suarez and Alicia with 1 minute and 22 seconds followed by Angel and Raquel at 1 minute and 32 seconds. Great job!”
Andres then looked at the rest of the group, “Now, the rest of you think long and hard about who you want to send into the Truth Booth to see if one of these two couples are a perfect match. I’ll see you all later tonight.”
“Don’t you wish you were going on the date with me,” Alicia asked while the two were putting on their make-up in preparation for their dates.
Raquel smiled at this. She really didn’t quit, “Honestly? Yes, I don’t see much of a connection with Angel…”
Alicia grinned, “That’s the right answer. And I don’t know where Angel thought you were even in his league let alone a perfect match. Men are stupid and I swear if I match with one of the men in this game, I’m demanding they double my money for emotional damage.”
“What about Suarez?” Raquel asked while applying her mascare.
“All beef and no flavour,” she simply responded and Raquel burst out laughing. “Come on, we can ditch those two morons and go make out in a bush…”
Raquel rolled her eyes at this, “Didn’t you just kiss Julia in the hottub?”
“How did you hear about that?”
“We all live in the same house. Everyone knows everything,” Raquel smiled.
“Jealous?” she asked hopefully.
“You wish,” Raquel laughed.
“You know it,” Alicia confirmed while applying the finishing touches to her lipstick. “She wasn’t a good kisser anyway. I doubt we’ll do it again. No perfect match,” she sighed dramatically.
“That’s too bad,” Raquel smiled putting the final touches to her eye make-up.
“Well, I’m not going to stop having fun if my perfect match keeps turning me down,” she revealed.
“What makes you think we’re a perfect match?” Raquel asked.
“You’re the only person here who doesn’t make me want to throw up. That has to mean something…”
“So romantic,” Raquel joked.
“At least tell me you’d pick me tomorrow in the match-up ceremony,” she demanded while smoothing out her hair.
Raquel smiled at this. She really didn’t give up. “But what if Angel and I are a confirmed perfect match?”
“Please,” she scoffed. “I’m more likely to be paired with that loud girl who never shuts up.”
“Agata?”
“That’s her,” Alicia rolled her eyes and Raquel laughed again.
“I’ll tell you what,” Raquel offered. “If we’re a confirmed perfect match in this game, I’ll give you that kiss you are so desperate for,” she teased.
“As if you’ll be able to resist me for longer than a week,” Alicia laughed. “But I’ll take it. At least it’s something to look forward to.”
Raquel shook her head at this, smiling at how flirty she was being. She didn’t believe that Alicia was her match, but she had to admit that she was starting to really enjoy their banter.
The two of them walked out of the house and towards the van that would take them to the beach. Alicia couldn’t help but roll her eyes over the way Angel was drooling her Raquel. It was disgusting.
“You look beautiful,” Angel complimented as he sat next to her in the van.
“Thanks,” Raquel smiled nervously, secretly wishing she hadn’t won this date. Why did this have to be the first one in eight years?
“Are you excited to learn how to surf?” Angel asked in an attempt to make small talk.
“Yeah, I’ve never done it before. How about you?”
“Not really,” he admitted. “I may still have it in me to get through a race, but I fear I’ll embarrass myself out there.”
“Don’t worry, I promise not to laugh,” Raquel assured while putting her hand on top of his in what she hoped he understood was a friendly gesture.
“Maybe as an incentive, if I stand for more than 5 seconds, I get a kiss?”
Or maybe not.
Before she could respond, Alicia spoke up from behind them, “Get in line Mr. Potato.”
“Excuse me?” He turned around.
“She’s already promised a kiss to me when we’re a confirmed perfect match.”
Raquel was currently looking out the window, assessing the damage if she were to open the door and jump out. It was the first date, and she already had people fighting for her? This was going to be a long three hours.
“Ok ok,” Raquel stopped them. “No one is getting a kiss tonight. Angel, let’s just enjoy our date and Alicia, we’ll talk later, okay?”
“Fine,” she sighed while crossing her arms and pouting from behind Raquel.
Suaraz, completely oblivious to the tension, asked “Can I get the promise of a kiss too?”
Raquel groaned. A VERY long three hours.
Back in the house, the rest of the group were discussing who to vote into the Truth Booth while sitting on the couches in the living room.
“So who are we voting in?” Agata asked everyone while taking a bite of pineapple.
“I think it’s a simple decision,” Marseilles offered, “Raquel and Angel.”
“Do you think they are a perfect match?” Agata questioned skeptically.
“Maybe,” he admitted. “Angel seemed to think so, they both work in law enforcement and look at how well they did in the challenge.”
“Wait a minute,” Silene interrupted. “There is no way he’s her match. She could barely even look at him. There’s no interest there.”
“I agree,” Monica nodded. “I think we should vote for Suarez and Alicia. They’re both so full of themselves, they’re probably a match.”
“There’s no logic to that,” Marseilles countered. “Listen, Angel thinks Raquel is his perfect match. He said so last night. So, if we vote them in and he’s not, at least he’ll know to move on…”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Palermo agreed with a bit of disinterest. “Get the love sick puppy away from the sirloin steak”
“Did you just call Raquel a steak?” Agata asked in horror.
“Isn’t she? I could dangle her in front of a few of you and you’d be panting over her… until you discover she’s a bit overcooked,” he laughed.
“You’re disgusting,” Monica shook her head and began to leave the room and everyone slowly followed, leaving Martin alone with Sergio who appeared frozen in his spot.
“At least you agree with me, friend,” he smiled smugly and took a sip of his beer.
Sergio rolled his eyes, “Of course not, but now that everyone is gone, I wanted to ask why you’re here, Martin.”
“To find my perfect match,” he responded smugly.
“That’s a load of shit.”
“I-”
“All I ask is you don’t turn this house upside down and help us all win the money. Can you handle that?”
“I’ll think about it,” he grinned and left the room.
Alone at last, Sergio sighed in relief. But he couldn’t suppress the nagging suspicion that Martin was in here to start trouble (in the name of good TV).
Later that evening, the couples had returned from their dates and were seated on four tall stools behind the couch as Andres entered the room to address the whole group
“How were the dates?” Andres asked. “Any connections?”
Raquel tried to look anywhere but towards Andres to avoid answering the question. Unfortunately, Angel spoke up first with his own version of the date.
“It was great. I think today confirmed Raquel could really be my perfect match. We have similar jobs and a lot in common.”
“Raquel, you don’t seem to be sharing the same feelings as Angel,” Andres observed.
Raquel looked at Angel who appeared hurt and knew she needed to smooth the situation, “He’s right, we do have a lot in common and I see a great friend in Angel, but I’m not feeling more than that. I’m so sorry.”
“That’s okay,” he accepted sadly.
“How about you, Suarez and Alicia?”
“Nothing,” Alicia simply responded. “I was bored.”
“Then why did you kiss me?!” Suarez asked in shock over her response, assuming they were making a good connection.
“To shut you up. I couldn’t keep hearing about all the times you thought you stopped a robbery.. Blah blah blah… so I kissed you. And it wasn’t that much more fun than your stories.”
Raquel was having a hard time holding back a laugh at Alicia’s sass. At least you always know where you stood with her.
Even Andres was taken aback by it and decided to simply move on to the script. “It’s now time to see who you all voted into the Truth Booth. If confirmed a perfect match, they will leave the house tonight and get to spend some time together in the honeymoon suite. If they aren’t a match, they’ll come back into the house and continue playing the game with all of you.”
Raquel was nervous. She didn’t believe Angel would be who the matchmakers would choose for her, but there was a small chance he was. She didn’t know what it was based on, and the idea of spending so much time alone with him…
“Raquel and Angel!” Andres announced, interrupting her thoughts.
Shit.
Raquel followed Angel out of the main house and towards the booth which looked like a large wooden hut. As they walked over, they were asked to make a couple of statements to the camera about how they were feeling and if they felt it could be a perfect match. For Angel’s sake, she talked about how she would be happy if he was her match and could feel the beginning of a good friendship forming.
When they walked in, they saw a television with their photos on it and were told to stand in the middle of the room so the camera could easily pan around them to capture their reactions. Angel put his hand on her lower back to provide some comfort as they both nervously waited for the results.
Inside the house, the rest of the contestants and Andres watched nervously. Some hoping they identified their first perfect match and a few others hoping this wasn’t Raquel’s time to leave.
After what felt like hours of agony (but was only 30 seconds), a message appeared on the TV that said “No Match”.
Angel looked disappointed while Raquel did her best to hold in her relief. She knew that if they had been a match, it didn’t mean they had to be a couple, but she worried he really wanted it, and this was the perfect excuse to tell him to look elsewhere.
“Well, at least we know,” Raquel offered as they walked out of the small hut and back towards the main house. “And your perfect match is still in there. You’ll find them.”
Angel could only offer a small smile as they walked back towards the contestants. They went back to their seats where Andres was ready to address the group one last time before leaving for the night.
“Very sorry Angel and Raquel, but your perfect matches are somewhere in this room, and I have faith you’ll both find them,” he smiled and then informed the group that tomorrow was their first match-up ceremony. Their first opportunity of ten to try and get eight perfect matches to win the money, so they needed to use tonight to get to know each other. They also assigned who would be the eight contestants choosing and Raquel could feel the dread in the pit of her stomach over having to choose someone so early in this. She had no idea who the show would match with her.
When Andres left, Agata ran up to Raquel and hugged her, “I’m so glad you’re still here!”
“Me too,” she smiled and returned the hug. “It looks like you’re choosing someone tomorrow too?”
“Yep, I want to choose Sergio, but I haven’t talked to him about it yet and don’t want to freak him out,” Agatha admitted worriedly while looking in his direction. He was currently alone on the couch looking as though he was deep in thought.
“Now is your chance,” Raquel smiled deviously, taking her new friend’s hand and walking her over to Sergio.
“Hi Sergio,” Raquel smiled.
“Hello,” he greeted, looking up at the two women standing in front of him.
“Ask him,” Raquel whispered to Agata who appeared to be frozen in place. “Agata would like to know if it’s okay if she chose you tomorrow night.” she asked for her friend.
Sergio was taken aback not expecting to hear those words. He wasn’t sure if he liked the idea, but at this point, he had no reason to say no. They had no data to work from other than knowing Raquel and Angel weren’t matches. “Of course.”
“Why don’t I leave you two to talk and get to know each other?” Raquel suggested and then left Sergio alone with Agata.
“Why do you think I could be your perfect match?” Sergio asked curiously.
Agata sat next to him and let out a breath to calm her nerves. She was usually so confident, but she really wanted Sergio to like her and knew that her usual loud personality wasn’t going to attract someone like him. “I think we could really balance each other out, you know? You are quiet, smart and driven. And I’m.. well, you know,” they both laughed.
“You make a compelling argument,” he agreed, laughing with her. He did think about that earlier - how his brother would want the show to match him with someone who would push him out of his comfort zone of solitude. He wasn’t sure if Agata was the right person to do that in his everyday life, but it was a game and he wasn’t about to play it with his feelings. Objectively, she could be his match.
“So tell me, Sergio, are you starting to enjoy this game yet?” she asked and the two started making conversation and getting to know each other - learning more about each other’s jobs, their families and views on the current political situation in Spain. Sergio hated to admit it, but he did enjoy talking with Agata. What he missed, however, was her body language - sitting closer to him, leaning forward, playing with her hair, smiling when he spoke. She was interested in him, and he was completely oblivious.
On the other side of the room, Raquel stood with Monica observing the two talking. Monica smiled, “I think we have our first match,” she grinned. “They are so cute.”
Raquel observed their body language closely and with her background in psychology and her experience interrogating suspects and even a few hostage negotiations, she could tell that Sergio was completely oblivious to all of Agata’s non-verbal hints. Why was she feeling relief? “I’m happy for them ,” Raquel smiled and then looked away from the two, “I guess I’m going to get read for bed. I’m exhausted.”
She hugged Monica and wished everyone around them a goodnight with a plea to not party too hard and make any bad decisions.
After showering and completing her night routine, she walked into the bedroom in shorts and a Pink Floyd T-shirt to see Sergio already in a bed in the farthest corner in an attempt to stay away from everyone. She did her best to keep quiet as she got onto her single mattress on the other side of the room.
One thing she hated about this was that they weren’t allowed to bring books or anything to distract their minds, so it was a struggle to fall asleep. She sensed that Sergio was having the same problem as she heard him move around in his bed in an attempt to get comfortable.
“Trouble sleeping?” Raquel asked.
“Yeah,” Sergio sighed. “I usually read before I fall asleep or listen to music.”
“Me too,” she responded. “What was the last book you read?”
“I reread Art of War,” he admitted.
“Sun Tzu,” she was impressed. How was there someone in here who has read something so academic? ““To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.” she quoted.
Sergio suddenly sat up completely impressed that she not only knew of this book but could also quote it. “You’ve read it too?”
“A long time ago. It was for one of my classes in university, but some of the messages stayed with me during my career. It’s a fascinating read.”
“What was the last book you’ve read?”
“Green eggs and ham,” she laughed, especially when she saw Sergio’s confused expression. “I have a 5 year old who wants to practice her English, so we had been reading Dr. Seuss every night for the past few months. Not quite as interesting as Art of War.”
“You have a daughter?”
“Yes, Paula,” she smiled. “I don’t know what I was thinking when I agreed to be away from her for more than two months,” she frowned.
“I can’t even imagine…”
Raquel smiled in an attempt to hide the tears that were threatening to fall, “I’m allowed to Facetime with her once a week at least, and she’s at camp for the summer anyway, so it’s actually the perfect time to get away and distract myself.”
“That’s good,” Sergio responded.
“My god, we’ve talked twice, and I’ve already told you about my mom and daughter,” she laughed at herself. “How about you tell me something about you so I don’t feel like I’m over-sharing?”
“What do you want to know?”
“Why are you here? I noticed you always look like you’re in distress over just being in this house.”
“I lost a bet with my brother,” he admitted and told her the same story he’d told Silene and Agata earlier in the week.
Raquel laughed, “That's awful.”
“My brother wants me to enjoy life more and fall in love.”
“Have you ever been in love?”
“I don’t know…”
“If you don’t know, you haven’t,” she informed him.
“I’ve had relationships, but I was always so focused on my studies and then my research. And now, I’m hoping to open a law firm that represents those who can’t afford to be properly represented.”
“That sounds amazing. I can’t tell you how many times I wish I knew someone like you when I was working on cases where my gut told me the person was innocent, but everyone else assumed guilt because they looked at it all through a really narrow lens.”
“That’s exactly why I’m doing it. Too many people can’t look beyond their own bias. And for some, that means a lifetime in prison when they don’t deserve that.”
Raquel and Sergio continued to talk about the criminal justice system and their perspectives on it - his coming from an academic background and hers from practical experience. Yet both were shocked over how aligned they were on many of their views. And for Sergio, he was relieved he’s been able to have a conversation with someone that didn’t include awkward small talk or who they wanted to sleep with in the house.
After almost an hour of talking, Raquel began yawning. “I’m so sorry, Sergio. This is such an interesting conversation, but I’m so tired.”
“Get some sleep,” he smiled. “And it was really nice talking to you, Raquel.”
“Goodnight, Sergio,” she smiled and turned over on her side to hide how affected she was by their conversation. Butterflies.
The next evening, the contestants were brought to a new set where they would select who they thought was their perfect match. This was their first of ten chances to get this right and win the money.
After only a few days in this house, Sergio knew this game was going to be a lot harder than he anticipated. Since anyone in the house could be his perfect match, the odds were stacked against them to lose. And how was he supposed to know who these so called “experts” would choose for him? For all he knew, he’d be matched with Martin just to amuse his brother. He shuddered at the thought.
The contestants all walked together on a platform towards Andres who was standing behind a pole with two iPads attached.
“Welcome to the match-up ceremony. I trust you all had a good first few days in the house.” When everyone nodded, he continued, “Tonight we’ll put what you’ve learned to the test. Eight of you will select who you think your perfect match is, and you’ll both put your hands on these two screens to lock in your choice. Behind me, there are eight beams of light. Each beam will represent a perfect match. The catch? You won’t know who the perfect matches are. That’s for you to figure out. And if you black out and get no matches correct, you will lose 250 thousand euros. Are you all ready?”
When everyone nodded again, Andres asked Raquel to step forward and make her choice. She walked up to him nervously as she tried to pretend there weren’t three camera operators following her every move.
“Raquel, you look beautiful tonight. Have you been making connections?”
“I guess you could say that,” she laughed nervously. “Definitely some good friendships so far.”
“Who is your perfect match tonight?”
“Andres, tonight my perfect match is… Alicia.” She smiled when she heard the cheer behind her as Alicia rushed to her side.
“Do you think this could be a perfect match?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe.”
They both looked at each other and Raquel laughed, “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see” she said and the two of them took a seat on the opposite side of the stage.
Next, Andres called up Agata, asking her the same question about making connections. “Yes, I think I’ve already found my match,” she smiled.
Sergio grew more and more nervous over how confident she was. He didn’t want to hurt her or anyone in this game, but the way she was talking was making it sound like she was developing feelings for him. Feelings he regrettably didn’t think he could ever share. This was a disaster.
“Is that so?” Andres asked. “So tell us, Agata, who is your perfect match?”
“Tonight, my perfect match is Sergio.”
Andres looked a bit shocked for a split second but quickly went back to smiling. Had his brother made a connection with a beautiful woman after only a few days?
Sergio walked up next to her and gave her a hug.
“Sergio, do you think this could be a perfect match?” Andres asked and Sergio could see the amusement in his brother’s eyes.
“I’m not sure yet, but Agata is a great woman and I’ve enjoyed getting to know her.”
Agata grinned in response and put her arm around him. Sergio had to fight everything in him to not stiffen or show any visible discomfort at her touch.
“That’s really wonderful,” Andres smiled, looking directly at Sergio with a clear ‘ I told you so’ expression. With the cameras all around them, he fought the urge to roll his eyes at his brother and locked in with Agata.
Once the two sat down, the rest of the pairs locked in, including: Anibal and Silene, Suarez and Angel, Mari Carmen and Sofia, Marseilles and Julia, Helsinki and Monica, and finally the last two paired not by choice (and visibly unhappy about it), Daniel and Palermo.
“Let’s see how you all did,” Andres commented as he turned around and the lights in the studio went dark. They all waited a few (dramatic) seconds until they saw the first blue beam of light shine, representing one perfect match. Everyone cheered in response to not losing any money.
The enthusiasm was over quickly as the lights came back on. They only got one match correct
“That’s a start,” Andres smiled. “Keep playing this game with your heart and I’ll see you all back here next week.”
Everyone was disappointed as there were a few people already convinced they found their match, but unfortunately, math wasn’t on their side. There was only a 1/8 chance that the person next to them was a match.
As everyone stood up after the cameras turned off, Andres walked up to Sergio. “How were the first few days?”
Sergio gave him such an angry look that Andres couldn’t help but laugh, “That bad?”
“Yes, that bad,” he confirmed.
“You’re telling me that out of everyone here, there’s not one person who has caught your attention?”
Sergio’s eyes betrayed him as he looked to his left briefly and then back to his brother, “No.”
“Your mouth says no but your eyes are telling me a different story,” he smirked. He then followed Sergio’s gaze to the left and saw Agata. “Good choice,” he grinned. “And she already likes you…”
What Andres missed, however, was the person standing behind Agata who was hidden when he looked over.
Raquel.