Winner Takes All

by Katie Price

  He wasn’t going to let Jasmine humiliate him.

  Despite the drama of the day, the atmosphere in Villa Valencia that night was the calmest it had been for weeks. Alex was medicated and fast asleep; Kat was still feeling sick but had stopped vomiting, so Dr Nichols was convinced that the worst was over and she just needed rest. Now that four contestants had been eliminated, there was more space in the villa and Jas rearranged the sleeping plan. She gave Alex and Kat their own rooms and moved Nysha in to share with Charlotte and Melody. Then she bunked Becca, Carmel and Natalie together. The fifth room was for Gabriella, Mackenzie and Georgia – or ‘the three witches’ as Monica had started to call them.

  ‘Why do they get their own rooms and I still have to share with two others?’ whined Gabriella.

  ‘Just give me a break, Gabriella, please,’ Jas said wearily. It was approaching midnight and she was exhausted. She wanted to add that there was every chance Georgia would be booted off the show anyway, but then figured it would be wise not to say anything until she’d had the legal sign-off. ‘Alex has had a massive shock and I don’t think you’d want to be anywhere near a contagious Kat. It’s late, I think everyone should just call it a night.’

  Luke, meanwhile, sent a text to Monica saying he’d booked a hotel in Ibiza Town as he would be landing at around 1 a.m. He’d be at the production crew’s HQ , Villa Rosa, at 9 a.m. sharp.

  Jas opted for a hot shower before bed, in an attempt to wash away the worry of the day. She let the steaming water pour over her, dosing herself with Rituals shower gel and her favourite Kerastase shampoo. She poured a generous amount of aloe vera after-sun lotion over her body. She had always tanned easily and her skin was now a deep golden bronze. She finally crawled into bed just before 1 a.m., sinking into the plush pillows and letting out a loud sigh. What a day!

  But though she was exhausted, Jas couldn’t sleep. What with the women causing havoc, a date fixed for her divorce hearing and that strange chill she’d felt when she’d read Richard’s text, she was too tense to shut down her thoughts and rest. She couldn’t help feeling that Richard was up to something. And then there was Luke … she desperately wanted to see him, but didn’t imagine he’d be keen to talk to her other than professionally. The thought made her feel a bit sick. But from a professional point of view, she was thoroughly relieved that he would be here soon. The legal implications of the past twenty-four hours were a total minefield and she needed his expert advice.

  Chapter 21

  Just before 9 a.m. the next morning Jas popped round to Villa Valencia to check on Kat and Alex but the whole household was still sound asleep. Jas started the short walk down the hill back to Villa Rosa. The only sound she could hear was the chirping of birds and the faint crunch of gravel and grass under her flip-flops. For miles around her all she could see was luscious green trees and a blue, cloudless sky. It really was lovely here, and so peaceful. Worlds away from the Ibiza Jas knew. She’d been once before, for her hen do in fact. It was a wild weekend spent going to the Super Clubs Space, Pacha and Amnesia in Playa d’en Bossa and Ibiza Town. This was a much nicer way to see the stunning island, though.

  To reach Villa Rosa, the wide path led off to a side path where a few dozen narrow steps climbed up to the front door. She was about to turn left onto the side path when a taxi drew up and stopped right next to her. Luke stepped out.

  He looked good, dressed in long, beige-coloured shorts, a white shirt and Ray-Ban sunglasses. Should they hug? Shake hands? ‘Hey,’ was all Jas could come up with.

  ‘Hi,’ he replied coolly, avoiding eye contact and busying himself by counting euros for the driver. He motioned to the path ahead. ‘This us?’

  They walked in silence until they reached the steps, which were so narrow they had to climb them in single file. Jas strode ahead with Luke directly behind her. She suddenly felt very self-conscious. Why hadn’t she put on any make-up?

  Thankfully, Luke seemed to pick up on the tension and broke the uncomfortable silence. ‘So, how’s it been going?’

  ‘Oh, you mean apart from the attempted poisoning, catfights, shagging and norovirus?’ Jas said cheerily.

  ‘And let me guess, that’s just between you and Monica?’

  They both laughed and Jas felt a wave of appreciation that Luke was there, already making light of the drama and alleviating the tension between them.

  ‘Exactly. Apart from all that, it’s going great. Dylan’s already snogged Gabriella, Alex, Mackenzie and Nysha.’

  ‘Good lad! And the girls? Anyone there I’d fancy?’

  Jas turned around and lightly batted Luke’s arm, getting a quick feel of his muscles as she did so.

  ‘Oi! Not you too, please! I assume you’re all caught up on everything from Monica? Please tell me it’s not as bad as I think it is.’

  They reached the villa gate and Jas led Luke through to their kitchen. She busied herself with making a pot of coffee as he drew out a yellow notepad and pen.

  ‘It’s not as bad as you think it is. There aren’t any legal restrictions about what Gary and – what’s the girl’s name?’

  ‘Georgia.’

  ‘Right. There aren’t actually any legal restrictions about what Gary and Georgia did, per se, but it’s not exactly ethical. From both their points of view. I mean, she’s here to try to win the heart of someone else, that’s the game. And Gary is here to work, not fool around with one of the contestants.’

  ‘Certainly not.’

  ‘I will need to get her account of yesterday’s catfight on the pitch. And confirm that she doesn’t believe that Gary has taken advantage of her at any point, which could mean huge implications for the channel.’

  Jas gave a tight laugh. ‘Trust me, no one could possibly take advantage of this lot, least of all Georgia. I don’t think anything could break her.’

  Luke nodded. ‘I spoke to Burrell briefly this morning, to fill him in. He thinks it would be best if Gary came back to the UK and worked on something else. He gets paid regardless but it’s better for the situation here with Georgia.’

  Jas rubbed her temples gently, which she always did when she felt stressed, and thought about what Burrell would make of all this.

  ‘He’s not pissed off with you, you know,’ Luke said, as if reading her mind. ‘He’s glad I’m over here and knows that together we can straighten it all out.’

  Now they did look at each other and the all-too-familiar spark she’d felt last time she and Luke were together, at her flat weeks ago, jolted through Jas again. She was about to thank him for being so calm and reassuring but he quickly looked away from her and back to his notes, scribbling something down.

  The kettle started whistling and Jas made their coffee. ‘And what about Georgia? Do you think she should be thrown off ?’

  Luke shrugged. ‘It’s up to you, ultimately. There may be more bother for us if we do that, though. If she was clever she could come back and claim compensation, unfair elimination, that sort of thing. It’s a hassle we don’t really need. But I would say that if Mr Right – what’s his name again?’

  ‘Dylan.’

  ‘Right. If Dylan doesn’t know about this already, he will soon. All the girls will be talking about it, don’t you think? Maybe you could have a word with him for courtesy’s sake. It’s up to him if he wants to keep her in the competition or not. If he chooses to let her go, it’s all above board.’

  ‘And if he doesn’t?’

  ‘Then that’s his choice, too. Nothing about Gary and Georgia will be mentioned on camera unless you want it to be. The viewers won’t have a clue and by the time the programme actually airs you’ll think this is all old news. I think the best thing is for Gary to leave, and for Georgia to stay. Then everything will blow over.’

  Jas smiled appreciatively and nodded. She trusted Luke implicitly and if he said the show wouldn’t be affected at all, that was the important thing. She wondered why he didn’t just tell her all of this over Skype or the phone, though.
Then again, Georgia and Gary weren’t the only concern.

  ‘You know Alex Adams has accused Georgia of spiking her face cream with crushed nuts or something.’

  Luke shot Jas a look of mock horror, causing them both to laugh out loud. Jas had missed laughing with him.

  ‘It’s serious! She had a face like the Elephant Man’s. She could sue, couldn’t she?’

  ‘One thing at a time. Are the girls up yet? Let’s see what they’re all saying this morning. I’d better speak to Gary first and tell him what Burrell said. I’ve got a few things for him to sign, to confirm he’s happy to go back to the UK, and also get his side of the story as quickly as possible to make sure our backs are covered. Then Georgia, then Elephant Girl.’ He downed his coffee and got up. ‘No rest for the wicked.’

  ‘I’ll walk you over now.’ They headed out of the door at the same time, clashing into each other. The brief second of body contact with Luke sent another jolt through Jas and she looked up at him wide-eyed, but he simply apologised coolly and walked out, not even glancing at her.

  They walked in silence over to Villa Valencia, as Luke was texting on his phone most of the way there. Jas wondered if it was work he was dealing with … or a girlfriend? That petite brunette she’d seen him with at the Tube station? She was desperate to ask, desperate to break the tension by talking to him about how things had ended between them, but every time she tried to catch his eye she failed. He didn’t take any notice of her whatsoever.

  ‘Here we are,’ she announced as she used her key to let them into the contestants’ villa.

  Luke whistled in appreciation as Jas led him down the hallway, though the open-plan kitchen and living room and onto the terrace, where six of the girls were now huddled around the patio table drinking coffee. They all looked up and stared when she walked in with Luke.

  ‘Morning, girls, this is Luke Hawkins. He’s our in-house lawyer at Channel 6. He flew in from London last night after everything that went on yesterday. I don’t think you need reminding of what happened, but I need you to all know how serious this is.’

  The girls nodded solemnly but then Melody and Becca whispered something to each other and giggled. Jas was annoyed. Didn’t they realise that everything was on the line here?

  Gabriella, true to form, gave an elaborate yawn, stretching her chest forward and tossing her mane of red hair backwards, inciting more sniggers. Luke cleared his throat and looked at the ground. Jas couldn’t quite make out his expression underneath his sunglasses, but was sure she could see a hint of a blush on his face. He was clearly embarrassed at the outrageous flirting. Unlike Dylan, that is, who seemed to grow more confident by the day when he was around the girls, and lapped up all the attention they threw his way.

  Jas introduced Luke to the group. ‘Where are the others?’ she asked.

  ‘Natalie, Kat and Georgia are still asleep,’ replied Nysha. ‘Charlotte is keeping Alex company upstairs. Her face has gone right down, by the way. I checked in on her earlier. She’s in a foul mood, though.’

  ‘I bet,’ muttered Jas, dreading having to face Alex’s wrath. She hoped the girl wasn’t still planning to sue. That really would put the show – and Jas’s career – in serious jeopardy.

  ‘Do you want me to go and wake Georgia up?’ offered Mackenzie, looking Luke straight in the eye and taking the opportunity to strut past him in her bikini. He looked away, awkwardly.

  Kat padded down, wearing a white dressing gown and a pair of huge sunglasses over her elfin face. It was the first time she’d left her room in over twenty-four hours.

  All the girls except Gabriella, who plastered on a fake smile but didn’t move a muscle, rushed to give Kat a hug or offer her something to eat.

  Jas placed a protective arm around her. ‘How are you feeling?’

  ‘Much better, thanks. Just very weak. I don’t think sitting in the blazing sun today is a good idea but I was getting total cabin fever up there.’

  ‘Dr Nichols will be round to look at you again soon. This is Luke Hawkins, by the way, he’s our lawyer from Channel 6 and is helping us straighten out what happened yesterday. I’m sure someone told you about it.’

  ‘Yes, Charlotte came in to bring me some tea last night and filled me in. I can’t believe I missed all that drama!’

  Luke knelt down to Kat’s level and refilled her glass of water from the ice-cold jug on the table. ‘Do you think the stomach bug has gone? Do you think perhaps it was something you ate by accident? A dodgy dose of medicine, perhaps?’

  Kat shrugged. ‘I haven’t taken any pills or anything and only ate what everyone else did.’

  Gabriella ignored her and rose from her chair, sashaying towards Luke and stopping to rest her hand on his arm. ‘I’m so glad you’re here. We need another man around the house.’ Jas suppressed a smile. Poor Luke. This lot would eat him alive.

  ‘Are we actually having any more dates with Dylan?’ Gabriella asked, turning to Jas. ‘No offence to Kat or anything, but I do believe the show must go on? I’ve not seen any sign of the prince yet but I assume he’s due to take at least one of us out on a date today?’

  ‘Speak of the devil,’ whispered Becca, as Dylan strode into the kitchen.

  ‘Morning, ladies! Man, I am starving! It gets pretty lonely eating out there in my guest house. Can I join you or is that only allowed to happen when the cameras are rolling, eh, Jas? Oh, wow, another bloke. Who’s this? You’re not my competition, are you, mate? I’m in trouble if so!’

  Dylan was like an excited Labrador. Jas only ever saw him happy and had never heard a negative word come out of his mouth. She welcomed it during such a tense time in the villa.

  ‘Don’t worry, Dylan, you’re still top dog. This is Luke Hawkins, our lawyer.’

  The men shook hands. ‘Gee, mate, that’s big of you, to fly all the way out here on such short notice. I guess a phone call just wouldn’t cut it. How much are they paying you?’

  ‘Any excuse to join in the fun, pal. You seen the weather back home? It’s meant to be the height of summer and it’s pissing down now! You’ll have trouble getting rid of me.’

  The two of them laughed and immediately Dylan and Luke were the centre of attention, with the girls talking over each other to get a word in with the boys. All except for Kat, who sat quietly but did receive a big hug from Dylan. He asked how she was feeling then chatted to the other girls and Jas noticed his eyes meet Gabriella’s for a second longer than they rested on the others. He also raised one eyebrow at her mischievously. Jas made a mental note to keep a close eye on those two.

  Meanwhile Georgia appeared and Jas introduced her to Luke. ‘I think you two should have a chat, if that’s okay, Georgia?’

  It was the first time she’d seen the girl without make-up on. She looked so much younger and somehow more vulnerable.

  ‘I’m not going to get thrown off, am I?’ she asked.

  ‘Come on,’ Luke said, motioning to the breakfast bar. ‘Let’s take a seat.’

  Georgia looked genuinely scared that her place in the competition, her second chance of fame, was jeopardised.

  Jas sat down with the rest of the girls but couldn’t help glancing over at Luke and Georgia from time to time. Within seconds Georgia was smiling again and edging her seat closer to Luke’s. God, he does look handsome, Jas thought, staring at his soft eyes and strong jaw. Her mind wandered …

  After a few minutes of talking to Luke, Georgia seemed entirely back to her old self. She bounded over to thank Jas and even give her a hug and an apology for all the unnecessary drama she’d caused, then bounced off to Skype her mum.

  Jas pulled Luke to one side. ‘Well, whatever you said it cheered her up!’

  ‘Yeah, she understands she’s got a yellow card this time. She’s, er, quite flirty, isn’t she?’

  Jas rolled her eyes. ‘Just ignore her. She’s probably on the prowl again now she knows Gary is out of the picture.’

  ‘Hmm, anyway, she wants to talk to Dylan. S
ays she wants to apologise.’

  ‘Fine by me so long as it’s in front of the camera.’

  Luke leant in closer and Jas breathed in his fresh-smelling aftershave. ‘I do think you need to carry on as normal,’ he said quietly.

  Oh, no, was she obviously desperate? He’d clearly seen her checking him out. So much for being subtle!

  ‘I’m being normal,’ she replied defensively.

  Luke frowned. ‘The dates with Dylan, I mean. This whole series is costing the channel a fortune and the crew are being paid regardless. Are there dates planned for today?’

  He wasn’t talking about her at all. Jas needed to get a grip! She nodded. ‘There’s actually supposed to be a group-date later, a boat trip. And there’s supposed to be another rose ceremony tonight but I think we’ll have to postpone that one for a few days. I’ll call Monica now.’

  It was back to business for the next hour as Jas and Monica ran through the day’s scheduled events on the phone, Monica from the other villa while simultaneously getting all the camera crew ready and making sure the boat trip was on track. They filmed Dylan outside saying which four women he was bringing on the boat trip with him and why. He chose Gabriella, Mackenzie, Nysha and Carmel, and would later announce the names in front of all the girls for dramatic effect.

  ‘There are a few I’ve probably grown closer to but I don’t want to rule anyone out yet,’ he said on camera. ‘I find Nysha so attractive. I haven’t spent enough time with Carmel yet and Mackenzie is certainly a handful, but something tells me that behind all that front is quite a sweet girl.’

  Jas suppressed a laugh at the notion of ballsy Mackenzie being sweet. It didn’t matter to her, though, as long as she was getting good footage.