A Good Man (22 page)

“Nah, nah,” Aaron said. “That isn’t good enough. I think there needs to be a rule about seeing Jazz alone at any time that isn’t a date. If it isn’t a date, you can’t be with her alone. We all agree?”

“Man, just let it go,” Gary said.

“What do the rest of you think?” Aaron asked. “Let’s take a vote. Majority rules.”

“Man,” Justin said, “that’s just some more BS. This ain’t no democracy. This is supposed to be romance, yo. Romance is war, not congress. And he’s taking a vote. Who does he think he is?”

I have to calm Aaron down. So much rage! “It’s okay, Justin,” John said. “Take your vote, Aaron.”

Aaron’s eyes narrowed for a second. “All right, all in favor of a rule forbidding contact with Jazz alone unless it’s a date that you have earned, raise your hand.”

Three hands went up.

“C’mon,” Aaron said, “this is our queen.”

“Princess,” Justin said.

“Whatever,” Aaron said. “Are we gonna let him win this thing?”

More hands rose until eight hands were in the air. Aaron nodded and smiled. “All right. That’s what I’m talking about. Eight in favor. It’s now a rule.” He pointed at John. “No alone time with Jazz unless you earn it.”

“A rule’s a rule,” John said. And there goes my future basketball lesson and jogging with her tomorrow. I was even going to suggest an early-morning Bible study together. John shrugged. “So how is this going to work?”

“What you mean, work?” Aaron said.

“We’re in the same house with her, Aaron,” John said. “There may be times she’s in a room alone. Do we have to travel in pairs or what?”

“Yeah, dog,” Gary said, “do we need chaperones or what? I’m a grown-ass man. I don’t need no chaperone.”

“These are valid points, Aaron,” Larry said.

“You all know what I’m saying,” Aaron said. “As long as we all stay together, no one of us is going to get extra face time with her, all right?”

“So we need to travel in packs,” Tony said. “Like wolves, and no lone wolves.”

“Right,” Aaron said. “Right. That’s right. We travel in packs.”

Justin winked at John. “Until the challenges, right?”

“Well, yeah,” Aaron said. “Every wolf for himself, then.” He smiled. “And since I wasn’t up all night swimming and out running this morning, this wolf is gonna win him a date with a princess today, and there’s gonna be some real fireworks Saturday night.”

He probably will win, John thought, though Tony might make it close. But if I know Sonya, Aaron is one wolf who will be howling at the moon Saturday night.

Alone.

“I’ve faced many obstacles in my life,” Sonya said as the wind whipped her ponytail back and forth at Topanga State Beach, “and I’ve survived them all with God’s help.” Sonya smiled. I wasn’t supposed to say the last three words. I’m sure they’ll edit them out, but at least God and the Crew heard me. “Today, I want to see how you rise to a new challenge as you complete this obstacle course.” She looked at a dozen men dressed in the finest running gear Nike could provide. This looks more like a Nike ad than a challenge.

But what’s up with John? He’s going barefoot. Why doesn’t this surprise me? He probably has blisters from trying to keep up with me and my booty this morning.

“I will be waiting at the finish line for the winner,” she said. “Good luck.”

Graham, also in a Nike outfit, addressed the Crew. “The winner of this challenge will earn the first date with Jazz, so get after it, yo. And don’t be the last man to finish, or you are officially a punk.”

“Just do your best,” Sonya said. She held up a little silver whistle. “Wait till I blow the whistle.”

As she jogged to the finish line, Sonya worried most about Justin. I hope he doesn’t spew twenty hot dogs all over this beach. Or even half of them. I’ll bet little Bob Freeberg would just love for that to happen. They’d probably show it over and over in the promos in excruciatingly slow motion.

At the finish line, she turned and looked out over the obstacle course. I’m glad I’m not running that thing. I could handle the logs and the tunnel, but that cargo net is no joke. “Ready?” she yelled. I’m sure they didn’t hear me.

She blew the whistle.

Twelve men zipped under the first log. Hey, they’re all even. Cool. Ten men were able to roll over the second log without too much trouble. Eight ran across the sixty-foot log without falling off. Six came out of the forty-foot tunnel without bumping their heads. Five hurdled the three-foot wall, three vaulted the five-foot wall, and after the tires, only two hit the cargo net at the same time.

Tony and Aaron. I hope Tony wins.

Tony reached the top of the net first but had trouble kicking over, his foot snagged on a rung. Aaron hulked himself over the top and dropped twelve feet to the sand, sprinting to the finish before Tony could extricate his leg from the net.

“And the winner is … Aaron!” Graham said.

Am I supposed to be smiling? Ooh, and now Aaron’s coming over to hug me? Dude, you are seriously sweaty.

“I won,” Aaron said, smiling and panting.

“Congratulations, Aaron.”

Now, where is Justin?

More importantly, where is John?

John had no trouble with the logs, the tunnel, the walls, or the tires, but when he saw Aaron breaking the tape ahead of him, he caught his breath in front of the cargo netting and looked back for Justin.

Justin was resting inside the tunnel.

John trotted back to the tunnel. “C’mon, Justin. Let’s finish this thing together.”

Sweat streamed down Justin’s face. “I don’t know if I can make it, Artie.”

“Don’t sweat it, Justin. We’ll finish together no matter what, okay?”

Justin nodded. “Who won?”

“Aaron.”

“Figures.”

“Yeah.”

“Evil rises to the top, huh?”

John smiled. “Not always. Come on.”

With a little encouragement, Justin made it to the cargo nets in just under five minutes.

“I ain’t gonna make it,” Justin said. “You go on.”

“Nah,” John said. “We’ll go up together and come down together.”

Justin looked up. “Go on, man. The rest are done. I’m done.”

John shrugged. “We’re in no hurry, then. This is just another beautiful day at the beach.”

Justin doubled over. “I am so out of shape. I’m the punk.”

John crouched beside him. “If we tie, no one loses, right?”

“Huh?” Justin said.

“I mean, if we cross at the same exact time, we tie for last, so technically, neither one of us came in last.”

Justin straightened up. “And neither one of us will be a punk today.”

Technically. Not sure the producers will see it that way. “Right.” He patted Justin on the back. “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”

Justin shook his head. “You got a Bible verse for everything, don’t you?”

“Yep.”

Justin smiled. “Preach on, man.” He looked at the top of the cargo net. “And when I get up there, do some prayin’, too. I ain’t too fond of heights.”

The going was slow and shaky, the net stretching under Justin’s considerable weight. John had to climb almost sideways to keep his balance and footing. Once Justin and John were at the top, Gary and Tony left the finish line and stood on the other side.

“Yo, Justin!” Gary yelled. “Get a leg up!”

“You ain’t funny, man,” Justin said.

John felt the wooden rigging leaning dangerously to Justin’s side. “Justin, I may have to jump off the other side. I won’t leave you, all right? I’ll be waiting for you. Take your time.”

John put his right leg over, swung up his left, put his feet into a rung, and jumped off, the semisoft sand cushioning his fall. He turned in time to see Justin contemplating a jump.

“Back it up,” Tony said. “I think he’s gonna jump.”

Justin shook his head slowly. “You crazy? I’m climbing down. Don’t want to set off no earthquakes.”

Sonya strolled up. “How’s the view, Justin?”

Justin smiled. “I can see Hawaii from here.”

As Justin started down, John felt Sonya’s eyes on him. He turned and saw her eyes cutting to the finish line. Oh. Right. Don’t be a punk. I’ll never be a punk, and right now, I just want to be a friend.

Once Justin was safely on the sand, he and John walked in step past Sonya to the finish line. “How we gonna do this?” Justin whispered.

“The ol’ one-two-three step,” John whispered.

“I hope this works,” Justin whispered. “I ain’t ready to go home yet.”

Neither am I, John thought.

They stood in front of the finish line. “On the count of three,” John said. “One … two … three.”

They put their right feet on the line at precisely the same time.

“It’s a … tie?” Graham said. He looked at Darius.

Darius shrugged and twirled his finger.

“Um, okay, it’s a tie,” Graham said. “Um, Aaron, you are the hunk today, and that means that you have immunity at this week’s elimination and a date with Jazz Saturday night.” Graham clapped once, and no one joined in.

Sonya skipped up to Justin. “Way to go, man! I didn’t doubt for a second that you would make it.”

“I did,” Justin heaved. “Whoo. I need to eat more salads and fewer hot dogs.”

Sonya hugged him. “I’m really glad you didn’t spew.”

Justin nodded. “So am I.”

Sonya smiled at John. “Never leave a man behind, huh?”

“Right,” John said.

She looked at his feet. “You couldn’t wear shoes again?”

“They weren’t my color.” He smiled. “Or my size.”

Aaron stepped between John and Sonya. “I can’t wait for our date.”

And I can’t wait to soak my feet! John thought. I have bark and rope burns!

Sonya called Kim the second she was safely locked in her room. “Where are you?”

“San Diego.”

Sonya heard a whirring sound. “What’s that noise?”

“I’m getting a tattoo.”

Don’t ask, don’t ask … “Of what?” And where?

“I’ll show it to you when I get there. What’s up?”

“We had our first challenge today,” Sonya said. “An obstacle course. Guess who won?”

“Aaron.”

The child is no fun at all. “How’d you know?”

“I told you he’s the one, Sonya,” Kim said. “How’d Tony do?”

“He came in second.”

“Who came in last?” Kim asked.

No one, really. “Justin and Arthur tied for last.”

“Arthur? He seemed like he was in good shape. What’d he do, fall or something?”

“He helped Justin finish.”

“What for?”

Because he’s a good man. “He was helping out a friend.”

“He must not want a date with you.”

As in shape as John is, there was no way he was outrunning Aaron, Tony, and some of the other Crew. “I know he does.” And we can have some mini-dates of our own every morning anyway.

“Where are you and Aaron going on your date?” Kim asked.

“Catalina Island.”

“Ooh, watch out, now.”

“Watch out for what?”

“Aaron is hot, Sonya. You’re going to an island. He has big hands.”

Which probably means something else entirely. “The cameras will be following us everywhere.”

“Maybe he’ll drag you into a dark alley.”

“On an island?” Wait. Is this how Kim gets her jollies?

“I’m kidding, Sonya. You may be the one doing the dragging.”

“Me? Why would I even consider getting frisky with Aaron?”

“Frisky, ha! That’s a good one.”

Why would I get frisky with Aaron at all? He is definitely a hunk, and he probably already has an online fan club and a fan page on Facebook. Tall, lean, muscular, tattooed, athletic, a fierce competitor—he’s the kind of man I would have liked when I was really twenty-five. But now I want a man I can talk to. And flirt with. And learn new things with …

“You be careful, Sonya,” Kim said, “and keep your cell phone with you at all times.”

Grr. “Funny. Where are you going next?”

“I’m staying overnight here and doing a day trip to Tijuana tomorrow.”

What else was she planning? Oh, Disneyland. “And Mickey and the Magic Kingdom after that?”

“I don’t know. I may be a little old for all that.”

Which could mean … “So you might show up here earlier?” Please!

“I might. Gotta go. Battery’s low. See ya.” Click.

Sonya lay back on the bed. My body’s battery is kind of low, too. She snuggled under the covers. I better rest up for the first date I’ve had in seventeen years.

Lord, let me have a nice time, please? And please help Aaron refrain from pawing at me.

If that’s possible.

After an hour’s limo ride from the mansion to Huntington Beach Harbor on Saturday morning, Sonya’s knee hurt because Aaron’s knee couldn’t help getting frisky.

“Do you mind?” Sonya asked.

“I can’t help it,” Aaron said to the onboard camera. “My knee has a mind of its own.”

At least he has a mind somewhere in his body, Sonya thought.

Sonya and Aaron finally boarded the Gecko Gecko, a power catamaran from Gecko Yacht Charters, followed by an army of cameramen.

It was a crowded ride.

Once Captain Randy motored out of the harbor, he let Aaron and Sonya take turns steering the catamaran in the direction of Catalina Island while dolphins followed and leaped in their wake. Aaron took off his shirt to provide some eye-candy moments for the cameras, boasting: “I was always good at driving the lane.”

Sonya softly coughed.

Larry, wearing his usual boat shoes and shorts, looked right at home. “Bob wanted you to put on a skimpy bikini for the ride, but I talked him out of it.”

“Thank you,” Sonya said, rubbing her shoulders. “I am getting sunburned already.”

Larry found and brought her a Windbreaker. “It’s all I could find.”

“Thank you,” Sonya said. “How much longer to the island?”

“We first have to let you two do some snorkeling,” Larry said.

“Snorkeling?” So the world can see my booty bobbing in the ocean. “Larry, I just learned how to swim a few days ago.”

“You’ll be wearing life vests,” Larry said.

“That’s not the point, Larry,” Sonya said. “I just want to get out of the sun.”

“You won’t be out there long,” Larry said.

Sonya became a salty prune in fifteen minutes. Her shoulders turned red. Her feet cramped because of the tight swim fins on her feet. Sonya also learned that Aaron was an octopus, his hands never missing a chance to touch her, rub her, and squeeze her.