Most of the day had passed while Justin and I became reacquainted. Not knowing how long he’d be gone, I hurried through a shower so my hair could air dry before dinner. Pulling on a robe, I moved outside to bask in the ocean breeze and enjoy the view from our private patio. We hadn’t made it to the balcony the night before, spilling into the room and barely landing on the bed. Well, landing on the floor, the couch, the shower, and then the bed. The memory sent warm tingly feelings through me.
Two chairs sat on the balcony beside an end table. I expected everything to be bolted down, but they weren’t. Maybe no one expected winds to carry furniture over the four-foot high wall separating the sitting area from the open sea.
On either side of me, walls separated our patio from the guests in the adjacent rooms. The walls stretched to the ceiling on the wall leading inside, but tapered down to the balcony wall, so we theoretically could speak to people staying in those other rooms. Doors in the partitions connected us. That must be what a “semi-private” balcony meant. Good thing Justin and I hadn’t stumbled out here, too caught up in each other to notice if people on either side of us peeked around the low edge of the wall. Or to care.
A door creaked open. I turned to look for Justin, but our door remained firmly shut. Then a voice carried over from the patio next to ours.
“Were you throwing up again?”
My ears perked up. Why was Dominic in the suite next to ours?
“Yeah. God, this sucks.”
Oh, my god. Ariana. Dominic and Ariana were in the suite next to ours. Maybe she’d say something I could use to show Justin she’d set up everything that went wrong all week.
Except Tammy Rae’s cupcakes. I didn’t see her managing to mastermind that disaster. But all the problems between me and Justin? Easy peasy for someone as devious as her to engineer our issues.
Don’t do it, Jen, my inner angel warned me, perched upon my right shoulder.
At least not without proof, argued bad Jennifer from my left shoulder.
Remember how Justin reacted last time you accused her without proof? Good Jen argued.
While we were on The Fishbowl, the producers had taken all our electronics. When I’d overheard Ariana admitting to another contestant that she felt nothing whatsoever for Justin whatsoever and fabricated the love triangle so viewers would keep her around, I couldn’t get any proof. But we weren’t on a TV set anymore. My cell phone sat in my pocket, and while I didn’t have 3G out here at sea, the video camera worked.
Unwilling to go without a fight, bad Jennifer raised her head. What about your promise to Leanna? Confronting Ariana with a video will get you twenty million viewers, easy.
“I’m so tired of feeling like crap,” Ariana said. “When will it end?”
She groaned, and a chair squeaked as if absorbing her weight. Holding my breath that they wouldn’t hear me, I crept to the barrier between the balconies. The seal between the doors left no gaps, and since I wasn’t in a 1950s film noir, no handy-dandy keyhole provided me with a view.
Practically laying against the barrier, I moved toward the far wall. I didn’t dare stick my head over the top, but I pulled out my phone and hit Record on the video camera. Then I turned the lens to peek over the wall, and slowly raised it.
My heart pounded. What if they saw it? But their suite sat on a corner. As the two of them came into view on my phone’s screen, I discovered they sat in beach chairs looking out over the ocean, away from me. Finally, a bit of good luck. Now I could see and hear everything I needed to show Justin once and for all who she really was.
Dominic said quietly, “Do you want it to end so soon?”
Ariana sighed. “No, I guess not. I’m so sick of being miserable. Puking all the time, no energy to do anything, can’t eat anything.”
Why was she puking? Was she seasick? Then a thought hit me like a lightning bolt. I knew one very good reason a woman in otherwise perfect health might find herself throwing up every day.
“We shouldn’t have come,” Dominic said. “I know you thought the sea air would do your appetite some good, but all we’ve done is stress you out. You’ve lost a dangerous amount of weight. Being around these people isn’t good for you right now.”
“I wanted them to like me,” she whined. “I thought if I could get Justin on my side, Jen would get over herself and things would work out.”
Get over myself? She tried to stop me and Justin from getting together. She told everyone in America I tried to steal her boyfriend. She spent the trip monopolizing his attention whenever possible. How was any of this my fault? Who could possibly blame me for not liking her?
Since I couldn’t hear anything over the rage boiling in my blood, I forced myself to take a deep breath and focus on the conversation. Why did she care if I forgave her? Was she doing some kind of twelve-step program? Assholes Anonymous?
“You were half right,” Dominic said. “Justin seems to have forgiven you.”
“Do you think he’ll come to the service?”
They were getting married? My worst enemy was marrying my ex-boyfriend? Then why the hell had they spent all week trying to break me and Justin up? For fun? These people were messed up.
“I don’t know,” Dominic said. “But I’ll talk to him when the time comes. I promise.”
“Thanks. You’re the best.”
On the video screen, Ariana leaned her head on Dominic’s shoulder, and he put his arm around her. If they had been any other couple in the world, the scene would’ve made me smile. The tenderness between them was palpable.
Why was I spying on them? Would showing Justin this video change anything?
I sighed and leaned forward, placing my head against the wall. What was I doing anymore? Time to turn off the camera and go inside. I wasn’t going to find out anything out here, and it didn’t matter if I did. Justin and I were together again. Once we got home, he’d stop feeling like only half of a whole, and everything would be fine again. Better than fine; we could resume being deliriously in love.
The vision I’d had when Connor asked me about marriage swam before my eyes. Ariana almost ruined my dream once. I couldn’t let my desire for revenge against her take it away a second time. Even if the dream might not ever become a reality, I wasn’t about to throw it away. Leanna would have to get over my not staging a confrontation, after all. What was she going to do, sue me?
Just as I’d convinced myself to give up this fool’s errand and go inside, Ariana sighed loudly. With good Jen and bad Jennifer still warring on my shoulders about the wisdom of my actions, I waited.
Ariana said, “I don’t know why I care. Justin’s such a frustrating goody-goody. You know he wants to use his law degree to help people? He turned down a position billing five hundred dollars an hour to work in the firm’s pro bono department, representing poor tenants in housing disputes.”
“Then why do you care what he thinks of you?”
“I don’t, really. I love watching the way it messes with Jen’s head when I talk to him. I guess I don’t like losing. It kills me that he picked someone else over me.”
“Weren’t you sleeping with one of the other contestants?”
“Well, sure, but Justin didn’t know that. Not even when Jen told him.” She cackled, then sighed. “God, I was such an asshole last year.”
“No you weren’t,” Dominic said. “You were doing what you needed to do to win. That’s human nature. Now circumstances have changed. You don’t need public approval, and you don’t have to suck up to people you hate. After this cruise, you’ll never see them again. Who cares what they think?”
“I guess I don’t,” she said. “I just wanted people to have say nice things about me.”
“And they will. Plenty of people love you. You’ve got a caring family and lots of friends. You don’t need these guys.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. Feeling so crappy all the time must be messing with my head.”
“Here,” Dominic said, his voice low.
“I can make you feel better. Lean back and spread your legs.”
Ariana moaned. “You’re the best. I don’t know how I managed before I met you.”
Oh, no. The last thing I needed to hear was my ex-boyfriend performing oral sex on my archenemy. If I hadn’t already decided to confront her, this horrifying moment would’ve cemented it. I’d caught enough on tape already. Squeezing my eyes shut, I stabbed at my phone, praying I’d shut off the video. Then I tiptoed inside with my hands over my ears.
As soon as the door shut safely behind me, I sent a message to Ed.
You won’t believe what I just witnessed.
Attaching the video, I hit Send and waited for his response. He didn’t make me wait long.
This is amazing. What do you want me to do with it? In a totally fair world, I’d broadcast it on the Lido Deck after dinner for the world to see
The television screen overlooking the pool provided the perfect location for an exposé. Not just because that’s where most people tended to hang out on nice nights, but also because the producers obtained a copy of Killer Octopuses from Outer Space 2, which would start playing at eight o’clock. But no matter how badly I wanted to see Ariana get what she deserved, I couldn’t do it. Revenge fantasies were fun, but I couldn’t sink to her level.
The phone showed that Ed had seen my response, but he hadn’t replied yet. Quickly, I sent a follow-up.
Kidding! I’m going to show it to Justin and see what he wants to do.
The logo next to Ed’s name turned gray, then vanished, indicating he’d signed off the app. Oh, no. What if he hadn’t seen my last message?
Ed! You know I was joking, right? Please confirm that you’re not going to broadcast the video on the Lido Deck.
No response. My heart pounded. Oh, this was bad. So, so bad.
EDUARDO GABRIEL PEREZ SILVA, GET BACK HERE AND REPLY TO ME RIGHT NOW.
Justin would never forgive me if I exposed Ariana to the world, even if she deserved it. Ed had to know that. What the hell was he doing? Why wasn’t he answering me?
Leaning my head back against the door, I forced myself to think rationally. Ed would never screw me. He’d have double and triple and quadruple checked I was sure before doing anything. He probably signed off to spend time with his boyfriend. People sucked at saying good-bye these days.
I’d almost convinced myself when my phone buzzed again. After unlocking the screen, I spotted another message. Not from Ed, from Connor.
This is Ed. Get to Lido Deck STAT. We found Janine, were talking to her when I got your video. She stole my phone. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
Chapter 21
Jen in the Guppy Gabber, Saturday:
Crap. Crap crap crap crap. I need to find Janine. Sure, I was pissed at Ariana, but I wasn’t really going to broadcast that video. Aren’t there children on the Lido Deck? Part of me wants to show it to Justin, since he was asking for proof, but . . . does it even matter anymore? We’ve finally worked things out. Why beat a dead horse?
All I really want is for Ariana to know I have the video, as insurance, so she leaves us alone. Leanna will still get her showdown. As soon as I get Ed’s phone back from Janine. And with that? I gotta go. Thanks for ambushing me, guys. Now let me out of here.
Fuck. Fucking fuckity fuck fuck. What the hell was I supposed to do now?
My phone buzzed again.
Jen, are you there?
Yeah. Dying. Pleaz find her. I’m on my way.
I didn’t bother to fix the typo before sending.
My mind raced. Warn Ariana. Find Justin. Text Justin, then warn Ariana. Find Janine. Stop Janine. Steal Ed’s phone back. Get to the Lido Deck. There wasn’t time to do everything at once.
Would Ariana believe me? If I knocked on her door, in the middle of sex, when I wasn’t supposed to know where she was staying, would she thank me? Or would she call me a stalker and tell America I was trying to ruin her “big moment” by keeping her from watching her movie with everyone else?
She wouldn’t listen to me, but she might listen to Justin. My fingers flew over the keyboard of my phone, asking him to meet me in our cabin ASAP. Across the room, Justin’s phone buzzed, sitting on the desk. Lovely.
I sent another message.
Never mind. Going to the Lido Deck. Whatever happens, I didn’t want this. I’m sorry.
Thudding inside the wall told me the pipes had been engaged in the cabin beside us. Ariana and Dominic must be in the shower. Hopefully, that gave me time to find Janine before she aired the video. Would she wait for me and Ariana to appear on deck to make the drama complete? I didn’t know, but I didn’t have much time.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I raced up to the Lido Deck, silently congratulating myself for all the exercise I’d been getting onboard. Seven floors up felt like nothing. At the top of the stairs, a couple of staff members pulled me aside and insisted I give an interview. Clearly, they knew what was up. There was no way to get away from them until I said a few words. The second they gave me an opening, though, I dashed away.
Cruise staff had already arranged the deck chairs to face the large screen, which hung on the back of the spa on the sixteenth floor. I scanned the area. Tammy Rae sat on the other side of the pool, reading, but I ignored her. Danielle waved, and I flashed her a brief smile, wondering if she could possibly help in any way. Janine, Ed, and Connor were nowhere in sight. I hoped that meant they were off somewhere, stopping her from handing over the phone, but I didn’t want to put too much faith in my luck this week.
How did the screen work? I’d thought there was a projector, but didn’t see anything like that out here. I raced for the stairs again, making it up to the sixteenth deck in seconds. But then I realized there wasn’t any way to get to the screen itself. A railing separated me from it, and there was no walkway in front of where the movies aired. The whole thing must be controlled remotely. That’s where I needed to be.
“Nice try, Jen, but you’re too late.”
I spun around at the familiar voice to find myself face-to-face with Janine. “I thought you left the ship in Jamaica after you got stung by a jellyfish.”
“That’s what everyone thought,” she said. “No one really looks at the producers, did you ever notice that? No one but you and your friends, anyway. After the tour group left the beach, I took a cab back to the port. Bought one of those stupid, racist I LOVE JAMAICA hats with dreadlocks, and got in line with a bunch of tourists. No one talked to me. Leanna gave me a couple of days off for a job well done. And a big bonus. Thanks for that kiss. It was beautiful.”
“You’re disgusting. Give me Ed’s phone.”
“Sure thing.” The metal device flew through the air. In my surprise, I nearly ducked, but managed to catch it at the last second. “Of course, I’ve already forwarded the video to Leanna. She’s improving the resolution and the lighting as we speak.”
“She won’t be able to play it. I’ll stand here and stop her.”
Janine laughed. “Do you think they’ve got a Blu-ray player up here or something? This screen’s controlled by the media room, deep in the belly of the ship. Even if I were going to tell you where it is—which I won’t—it’s too late.”
“You don’t have to tell me. I’ll talk to Connor.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Leanna said if he interferes with the show again, he’s out. How would your best friend feel if you got his boyfriend fired? They live in a pretty nice house. I’m not sure they could afford it on Ed’s sporadic comedian income alone.”
She was distracting me. I didn’t have time to tell her that Ed and Connor would be just fine. But I also didn’t have any idea how to get to the media room, or where to find Connor (who was probably in the media room at that moment, anyway), and the deck below me was filling up with people. I had to do something, anything, but time was running out.
Janine laughed at the expression on my face.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
�
�It’s not personal, Jen. We’re in the business of making an entertaining show. Watching you guys bake and zip-line and hang out wasn’t that exciting. We weren’t going to get the ratings we need to beat The Bachelor. And if the show doesn’t do well, we’re all out of jobs.”
“So my life is just a thing for you to play with?”
“It’s not your life anymore, Jen! You signed it over. This is our story, and we’re allowed to do whatever we want with it,” she said. “But come on, this is the best part. We’ve watched Ariana beat you, over and over and over. Finally, you’re about to get your revenge! Aren’t you excited? Don’t you want this?”
I shook my head. “I wanted people to know the truth. But not like this. What you’re doing is wrong, and if you had any kind of a soul, you’d know it.”
“People with souls don’t go far in Los Angeles, kid. When we get back, I’m getting a huge promotion. The next new show, I’m running it.”
Across the open space below, the sound of high heels clacking on wood caught my attention. Ariana entered the pool area, wearing a glittering evening gown that seemed a bit much for the Lido Deck, with her long, black hair artfully arranged on top of her head. She could’ve been ready to walk the red carpet. Some people applauded when she appeared, and she beamed. I swallowed my rising nausea. Dominic trailed a few steps behind her, dressed much more appropriately for the occasion in a pair of khakis, a green linen shirt, and sandals.
They stood with their back to the screen, which had begun moving. The start of the video was quiet; she must not have heard her own voice above the crowd. Since there was nothing I could do to stop the video, I raced down the stairs to warn her.
When Ariana spotted me, she flinched as if slapped and jumped back with a shriek. I stopped dead in my tracks, afraid to get any closer. Yet afraid not to.
Sweet Reality Page 21
