Heat Wave (22 page)

Tanner had apparently endured a full makeover with Sassy; she'd made him buy a ton of clothes, invest in some exorbitantly priced shoes and even dragged him into a hairdressers. ‘You can't say no, remember?' said the confident redhead.

Tanner held her hands. ‘It's true, darlin', I can't. But the woman who truly loves me wouldn't force me into doing something I wasn't comfortable doin'.'

She had relented
—
lucky for her. If anyone had touched Tanner's beautiful blond locks with dye, I might have dumped Sassy's entire wardrobe overboard. ‘How about a kiss to thank me for everything else, then?'

She closed her eyes and puckered. I watched as Tanner shook his head slightly, then, bound by the rules, kissed her once briefly on the lips.

It didn't hurt, not the way it might have a few days before.
He loves me. I love him. None of these women can change that.

Callie was next. ‘I'm just so excited about our date today. I've got everything organised, down to the last detail.' She seemed so sweet and genuine on screen; if I didn't know her, I'd think she was sugar rather than savvy too.

There was a brief clip of their song recording, the Beatles track poignant and uplifting. Then, the music shifted as the camera cut away to Sumara and me, standing in our outlandish ninja gear. ‘My plan?' I watched myself say. ‘I'm going to fuck their date up.'

I'd been cut to look like a monster, with a dramatic score and moody visual lighting effects. Several of the women turned away from the screen to scowl and shake their heads at me, and even though I knew their opinions didn't matter, I still felt like making a speech to justify my actions.

‘Ignore them,' said Sumara, holding my hand. Her sweet voice was set in determination as she said, ‘They don't know the story, and they don't matter anyway. I'm here, girl.'

‘Thanks,' I whispered, drawing comfort from my friend as together we watched my bungled attempts to ruin Callie's day.

By the time everyone watched me drop a sail on Callie's head and set her on fire, the mood on the deck had shifted again. Strong and Severe both rounded on me.

‘What the fuck is wrong with you?' Strong gaped in horror.

‘Who the fuck do you think you are?' Severe asked.

Someone paused the video and the cameras zoomed in as Sumara and I were surrounded by aggressive faces. Tanner looked panicked, and I knew he was about to jump in but I didn't want him too. I was a big girl, and this was my mess. Sure, part of me felt like screaming, going all reality-bitch-slap on anyone who dared to question me. But I knew that was simply the tension of the last few weeks talking. The real me knew I'd been in the wrong, and I had to bite the bullet and make it right.

I lifted my chin. ‘I was doing what I thought I had to at the time,' I said, seeking out Callie, standing closest to the stage with a faux-wounded expression on her face. ‘But I was wrong. I'm sorry, Callie. I didn't mean for you to get hurt, and I should have walked away and left you be.'

A flicker of irritation crossed her face. I knew she'd expected me to retaliate rather than admit my fault. ‘Apology accepted,' she said, smiling demurely for the cameras. ‘You're just trying to fight for what you think is yours.'

Sumara's fingers tightened on mine, and I squeezed them back, reassuring her that I was okay. Callie didn't affect me anymore.

‘Well, isn't that nice?' simpered Miles. ‘Callie may be able to forgive and forget
—
but can Beau?'

My date was next to air, with edits so hack-and-slash, it was like looking at the Frankenstein's monster version of our day together. First, I stood next to a horse alone, saying, ‘Tanner, I want to talk to you about yesterday.' My cowboy looked away, his expression unreadable.

Then, there was a beautiful shot of Tanner's horse streaking away from mine, leaving me alone as he leapt over the rock line dividing the beach. Cut to him and me sitting on a picnic rug, eating in silence. I couldn't remember there being much silence while we ate, so it must have been a fluke moment captured while both our mouths were full. But played with awkward plinking background music, it seemed as though we both had nothing to say and couldn't wait to leave each other.

A wide shot of Tanner greeting his friends while I hung back, then a segue into me sitting alone on the couch while Tanner and Clara sang. You couldn't tell from looking that Callum was snoring next to me, or Tara has just ducked to the bathroom while Lars ordered us another round of drinks. To anyone watching, it seemed as though I was the lame duck, sitting sullenly in the corner, the girl who'd never fit in with his life.

I had to hand it to the editors; they'd outdone themselves.

Finally, there was an interview with Tanner to round out the clips. ‘Yeah, I would definitely say I'm in love,' he said, his eyes glowing and almost golden with joy. ‘It's not how I expected this all to go, but I know at the end of this, when I make my choice and invite a special lady to share my life with me, she'll say yes.'

As he spoke, the screen cut away to Callie walking down the hall to Tanner's room. Her cheeks glowing, she knocked on his door and entered, pausing to hang a ‘do not disturb' sign on the back of the doorknob.

As the screen faded to black, almost everyone looked at Callie, blushing demurely at the front. While all eyes were busy, Tanner and I dared a quick glance at each other. I had to keep my face expressionless, but I hoped he could see I wasn't mad.
I trust you, cowboy.

‘My, my!' said Miles, grinning in glee. ‘What a delightful few days you've all had! And now, there's only a few more to go. Everyone has now had the opportunity to spend a day with Tanner, so the last week on board, his time can't be bought
—
it has to be earned.'

‘Oh, Lord, now what?' murmured Sumara from beside me. Her date with Tanner had been a few hours at the water play area, where they'd both slid down waterslides and splashed in the pools
—
fun and neutral. It still hadn't stopped Greg from bitterly complaining about it to me later.

I'd laughed at him. ‘Dude, you know how into you that girl is! Besides, she's had one date with one guy, who has zero interest in her
—
how do you think I feel watching Tanner date nine other women?'

‘Fair point, you homeless wonder.' We'd been drinking on the hidden deck, sitting under a beach umbrella on a blow-up pool bed that had appeared since the last time I'd been there. ‘I know I'm being crazy. Our connection is so bloody strong, it's insane.'

‘Connection?' I elbowed him. ‘So does this mean you guys have made sweet, sweet love yet?'

‘Yup.' Greg smiled and blushed, suddenly a much younger man.

‘Please don't tell me your first time was on your skinny crew bunk in your cabin?'

‘Please, Hobes, give me some credit. It was a romantic location under the stars …'

He gestured around us, and I felt my face crunch in confusion. ‘Out here? But that would have been so uncomfortable! Unless …' I looked down at the inflatable surface we were sitting on. ‘Greg …?'

‘
Ding, ding, ding!'
he crowed. ‘Give this contestant a prize!'

‘
Gross!'
I shrieked, jumping up and making a show of wiping my butt.

But in all honesty, I was thrilled for both of them, and hopeful that very soon, they'd be able to shag wherever they wanted in total privacy and comfort. They'd certainly have a tale to tell their grandkids about how they got together.

Interrupting my reverie, Miles was still inundating us with his verbosity. ‘So, tomorrow there will be a special event held on the ship. A grand competition, where all ten ladies will battle it out in a race against time, a game of wits, a show of strength and a test of courage. The first three women to complete the challenge will each be rewarded with an extra day with Beau
—
another chance to win his heart!'

Around us, the women began to buzz excitedly. Alliances were forming, plots hatching, all bets off. This competition would not be bringing out the best in my fellow shipmates, that was for sure.

‘After those three date days are complete, Beau will chose two ladies as finalists, who will spend time alone with him before he makes his final choice. The stakes are high, are they not? Until tomorrow, my beauties, sleep well. Ta ta!' Miles flounced off-stage, and although Tanner tried to follow him, he was waylaid by Shy, Smart and Serenity, each of them pulling him in a different direction.

Beside me, Sumara stretched. ‘Oh! Well, I think I'm going to, you know, go for a walk before I turn in …'

I couldn't help but notice Greg off to the side, hastily stashing his gear away and finishing up for the night. ‘Oh, yeah, “
walk
”. Is that what people are calling it now?'

We hugged and she whispered in my ear, ‘I think I have a problem! I can't get enough of him. And the things that beard does to me …'

‘Stop!' I said, giggling. ‘Have a great night, and I'll see you for this competition thing tomorrow.'

‘Nighty-night!' She disappeared out one door and Greg out another, but I knew they'd soon be together, getting down and dirty on their secret love-nest deck. It was only a shame that the one place on-board without cameras was getting defiled so gratuitously, but, oh well …

There wasn't any point in trying to chat to Tanner; not only would that increase my odds of getting bitch-slapped by one of the women who seemed to think I was the female equivalent of Hans from
Frozen
, but it wouldn't help the longing in my loins to be closer to him.
One more week
, I chanted to myself,
then I am going to tie him down to a bed and have my way with him for a month straight.

I shouldn't have been surprised to find Callie falling into step with me as I left the party. ‘Hi, Maddie,' she said, her voice overflowing with smugness. ‘I just wanted to make sure that you're okay. I know that must have been so tough for you to watch, the way that Tanner and I are practically a done deal.'

‘Mmm. I'm okay,' I said, non-committedly.

Her face darkened, irritated at my lack of reaction. We stepped into a glass elevator and rode down to our floor. ‘Well, I mean, for a woman who's about to lose her childhood sweetheart while looking like a total bitch in front of the whole world, you're very calm. It's admirable really.'

Still, I didn't bite. ‘I'm feeling pretty calm, thanks, Callie.'

The corridor to our rooms seemed longer than usual as we padded along. Callie was silent for a few minutes, and I could feel her analytical brain evaluating my responses.

When I reached my door, I turned and said, ‘Good night, Callie.'

She grabbed my arm before I could swipe my room key. ‘Alright, you cunning bitch: what do you know that I don't?
Spill!'

I wrenched my hand back, the marks her fingers had left on my wrist biting into my skin. Trying to keep my cool, I said, ‘You're a clever chick, Callie. I'm sure you can figure it out.'

‘Do you think you're going to win tomorrow? Is that it? Because I have insider information about the competition, and believe me, you won't be one of the three to cross the finish line first.'

‘Actually, I'm not sure if I'll compete at all.' A vision of Sumara and myself floating on pool rings watching the other eight women debase themselves in whatever degrading game Maxine had cooked up made me smile.

Callie saw my placid grin and it made her furious. ‘Then,
what?'

I debated leaving her there, puzzled and alone, doomed to spend a sleepless night running over theories about my lack of concern. I knew Callie didn't care for Tanner
—
she cared about winning, and as far as she knew, she was so close to walking away the victor.

But she had been set up to believe a lie, and in my heart I knew it wasn't fair. I couldn't be so cruel and leave her hanging, and I knew Tanner would want me to be as honest as I could. ‘Callie, have you ever actually watched a show like this, or like
The Bachelor
before?'

‘I do my research,' she spat back. It was hard to believe that someone wearing adorable floral shorts and a fitted sky-blue cardigan could look so sweet and sound so ugly.

‘Well, you know those shows always try to keep viewers guessing until the very end, right? The guy waits on the top of a cliff, holding a single rose, and we hold our breath, waiting to see which girl steps out of the limo first.'

Begrudgingly, she nodded.

‘But it only works if we don't have a clue who he'll pick. If we suspect at all, there's no tension, no reason to watch. Callie …' I placed a tentative hand on her arm. ‘Did you stop to consider that maybe tonight, you were looking like the front runner a little
too
much?'

I saw her ready a cutting reply, but the words faded away. She was an intelligent woman, even if she was cutthroat, and I knew she'd realise what Greg had already told me a few days before.

‘Maxine's seen the writing on the wall,' he'd said, his arms around Sumara as he'd given me the good news. ‘The footage of you and Beau is bloody intense
—
any idiot can see you two love each other, and that you'll be the one he picks.'

Warmth gushed through me. ‘So, what does that mean for the show?'

‘Well, they're not going to start airing until after we finish shooting, so they can edit it to look the way they want it to. You'll be cast as the hapless first love, with Callie as the new interest. You'll both be the focus of the show, but they're going to make it seem like Callie will win at the next deck party.'

I'd had the unfair advantage of knowing the end result, and that no matter how smart or hard Callie played, she couldn't win. I didn't break Greg's confidence, but I did say to her, ‘Tanner and I love each other, and that's that. We're going to be together, spend the rest of our lives together, and nobody, not you, not even Maxine can change that. So, they're going to roll with it. They want it to look like he'll pick you, so that when he chooses me, it'll be a massive shock. That's why I'm not worried.'