“That sounds lovely, Beckett. Is it a restaurant in town? I’ve been hoping to try out some of the local places.”
“It’s a surprise, Avery.” Beckett grinned and punched the button for the elevator. It was incredibly awkward to ride up in an elevator with a cameraman standing behind them, Avery realized. She stared straight ahead at the door, not sure what to say.
“Here we are!” Beckett proclaimed, throwing open the door to the penthouse. Rose petals were scattered everywhere – through the sitting room and into the bedroom, where Avery could see them on the bed, which had candles lit around it. Her stomach flipped and a trickle of sweat dripped down her neck. How was she going to handle this situation? It was incredibly presumptuous of Beckett to even assume she would be willing to go into a bedroom with him, let alone to spread rose petals everywhere.
“Pretty, right?” Beckett said, oblivious to Avery’s panic, and grabbed her arm, tugging her toward the balcony. “And here’s the surprise!”
A table for two was set on the balcony, with roses in a crystal vase, a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket, and the view of the ocean and the setting sun in front of them. It was stunningly pretty, and absolutely wrong.
“Bathroom’s through there if you want to change. I took the liberty of ordering for us, so food should be here shortly.”
“Thanks,” Avery said, and stole away to the bathroom. There, she braced her arms on the sink and stared at herself in the mirror. What was she even doing here? She should just leave. Could she? Would it make her look like a fool on television? There was nothing in the contract that said she had to engage in sexual relations with this man. She could very easily say no, Avery reminded herself; they just set this all up for the drama of it all. Taking a deep breath, she dug into her pack and changed into a simple cotton dress with pink flowers splashed across it. Fussing with her hair just a bit, she grimaced into the mirror.
“Let’s get this over with,” Avery muttered, and went out to meet Beckett.
“You look pretty,” Beckett said from where he sat, covered food dishes already on the table.
“Thank you. You look handsome as well,” Avery said.
“So I’ve heard.” Beckett tossed his hair, putting on a show, but Avery caught something in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, she leaned across the table and put her hand on his.
“Beckett?”
“Yes?”
“Cut the ‘cool bro’ act. It’s not working with me. You can just be you,” Avery said. She knew she was taking a risk that he would get angry with her.
Confusion crossed his face – then relief dawned.
“Really?”
“Really. It’s a little obnoxious, if I’m being honest.”
“Ugh, I thought it might be.” Beckett rubbed a hand over his face. “Honestly, it feels so weird to be on camera that I’ve been putting on a show.”
“Well, knock it off. I was embarrassed to be with you today.”
“I could tell. That’s why I drank a lot and passed out. I was kind of embarrassed for myself.”
“Just… just be normal. Tell me who you really are and go from there.”
Avery breathed a sigh of relief as the tension left Beckett’s shoulders, and he became much more relaxed and engaging. Despite her initial misgivings, she found herself laughing over dinner and enjoying their conversation. He was surprisingly smart, and had a knack for helping the kids at his camp break through their own barriers. By the end of dinner, she realized that Beckett suffered from social anxiety, and tried to mask it by putting on a show.
“Why come on this show then?” Avery asked.
“I wanted to try something new. And hey, the publicity is good for the camp,” Beckett admitted. They’d moved inside and were sitting companionably on the couch. Avery had even forgotten the cameraman was there, but perhaps the glass of champagne she’d had at dinner had helped with that.
“That makes sense,” Avery smiled up at him. A moment later, she was surprised to find his lips suddenly pressed against hers while he pressed her back into the couch.
She decided to give it a moment, because she really did want to give this an honest chance. She let Beckett kiss her to see if she had any feelings at all for him, but when nothing fluttered in her stomach and no pangs of lust ripped through her, she gently pressed against his chest, pushing him back.
“Thank you,” Avery said, nudging him further back on the couch.
“I think we could go explore a little further, no?” Beckett stood up and looked down at her, holding out his hand. Just then, Avery caught a glimpse of movement over his shoulder, and realized that Roman had been in the room all along. His face, disgust raging across it, said all it needed to say before he slipped from the room.
“And I think we have a better use for our time.” Avery smiled up at him, though her heart had sunk in her chest. “Have you ever played cribbage before?”
“Seriously? I love cribbage,” Beckett exclaimed, plopping down on the couch next to her.
“I think we can be friends then, Beckett.”
Chapter 33
“Well?” Cherylynn demanded the next morning when they finally returned to the villa. Nothing had happened between them, and once the pressure of a romance had been taken off the table, Avery had found herself enjoying Beckett’s company. He was kind of like a dopey big brother, she’d realized, and she had enjoyed teasing him about his antics earlier in the day.
“Well, what?” Avery asked, dropping her bag on the bed.
“Did you sleep with him?” Cherylynn demanded.
Avery caught a look in her eye. “Oh, hon. You really like him, don’t you?” she asked.
“Not if he’s sleeping with all the women here,” Cherylynn swore, her face mutinous.
“I did not sleep with him,” Avery promised. “He’s not for me. We played cribbage and talked about our lives. He’s a friend, Cherylynn, and that’s all he’ll be.”
“So… you’re leaving then?”
“I don’t know what happens next. Do you just leave if you know it’s not right?”
“I want to tell you yes, please leave. Because I like him and there’s a lot of money on the table. But I also promised to be your friend, no matter what.” Cherylynn took a deep breath. “So I’ll tell you to stay and play this hand out. I know the money can change your life.”
“It could change yours, too.”
“I don’t have debts like you do, hon. Just play it out. But don’t sleep with him, okay? I think we could have something after this is all done.”
“Not going to be a problem. Plus, I don’t think we’d even get a chance to. There’s just a couple more dates and then one more challenge, right?”
“Right. So, in the meantime, let’s hang by the pool and chat about girl stuff and pretend we don’t have a care in the world, right? Never let them see you sweat,” Cherylynn said.
What Avery really wanted to do was find Roman and explain to him about the kiss, but he somehow successfully managed to avoid her over the next couple of days while they waited out the other women’s overnight dates. She wondered if he had gone off to oversee the production of the dates, or if he was actually avoiding her. Either way, the tension was building up inside her.
“Would you stop looking for him?” Cherylynn said. “Play it cool.”
“I’m not looking for him,” Avery hissed.
“Liar.”
“Just shut up.”
They were back at the pool deck, ready for their last challenge.
“Welcome back, everyone. I trust you’ve enjoyed your one-on-one time with Beckett?” The women clapped, but Avery could tell the tension in the room had changed. “For our last challenge, we actually have a race. The winner gets a two-week stay at the Laughing Mermaid, here on Siren Island.” This time the cheers from the women were real.
“Please meet down at the beach in five minutes, and we’ll get started.”
“Uh-oh,” Avery muttered, not li
king the sound of a race that started by the water. Hoping against hope it had nothing to do with the water, she trudged after the other girls. Sara waved goodbye to them from the pool, her face sad – with her bad ankle, there was no way she could participate in a race.
A row of ocean kayaks greeted them when they turned the corner, and Avery’s heart dropped.
“I can’t do this,” Avery whispered to Cherylynn, turning in a full circle to look for Roman. He must know she wouldn’t be able to do this. But he was nowhere to be found. The other producer was standing by a palm tree.
“It’s pretty simple, ladies. Beckett is around that point, waiting for you. The first woman to reach him, wins,” Jack said, pointing to a spot where the island curved and the cliffs jutted out from the water.
It looked an impossible distance away. Avery grimaced as waves smashed against the rocks, and she felt sweat trickle down her back.
“What do you want to do, Avery? I’ve got your back,” Cherylynn promised.
“I… I don’t know,” Avery whispered.
“You do not have to go out there. No show is worth it. You have a choice,” Cherylynn said, facing her.
“I know. But if I don’t do this… will I always wonder if I could’ve? What if this breaks me free from my fear?”
“It might,” Cherylynn said, though she didn’t look too convinced.
“I’m doing it,” Avery decided, ignoring the anxiety that ate at her gut.
“You sure?” Cherylynn raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. Stop asking me before I chicken out.”
“There’s no life jackets,” Cherylynn pointed out.
“I can swim,” Avery reminded her.
“Fine, but try not to go too fast. I’ll stay by you.”
“I’m going as fast as I can, to get this over with.”
“All righty, but if one of us wins we promise to share it with the other, right?”
“Oh my gosh, yes. That would be so fun,” Avery said, distracted from her panic for a moment by the thought of a two-week girls’ trip at Irma’s place.
“Saddle up, lady. Let’s ride,” Cherylynn said, and climbed into her kayak. There were spotters there, helping them out into the water, and Avery gingerly climbed into the seat of the kayak, then took the paddle that was handed to her. She gulped as a wave slapped against the hull, trying to tamp down on the nausea that rose in her throat while the spotter guided her kayak out into the depths.
“Ready? Set? Go!” Jack cried from the shore, and Avery began blindly paddling as fast as she could, panic surging her forward. The sooner she finished this race, the sooner she was off the boat. Paddle, paddle, paddle. Avery repeated the words over and over in her head, her eyes focused on the tip of her kayak, zoning out everything else around her.
She didn’t hear Cherylynn’s cries telling her to wait. She didn’t hear the spotters shout, telling her to turn her kayak into the waves instead of horizontal to them. The last thing she saw before the wave overtook her was Roman on a kayak, fear on his face, paddling as fast as he could for her.
Panic engulfed her and she choked on the water, confused on which way to swim. Kicking out, she didn’t realize she was moving away from the surface until little dots began to spot her eyes, and a haze drifted over her mind.
Chapter 34
Lips pressed to hers, and Avery’s eyes popped open. Even in the sting of saltwater she could see… was it fins? Pulling back, she cried out, taking in more water as Jolie and Mirra circled her, impossibly enchanting, their tails glistening in the sun as they took turns breathing life into Avery.
“But… you’re mermaids,” Avery said into the water, and Mirra shook her head, pressing her lips to Avery’s once more, filling her with the breath of life. It was as if she sucked the water from Avery’s lungs, and filled her with light and magic.
“Don’t talk, Avery. You’re still underwater,” Jolie chided her, pulling her toward where the light of the sun beckoned from the surface. Avery wondered how she could hear her, then, or if she was hallucinating.
“Go to him. The one you trust. The one who loves you,” Mirra said, pushing her toward the light.
Avery broke the surface and took a massive breath, looking wildly around. Beckett raced in circles in his kayak, and two empty kayaks floated in the waves. Avery couldn’t speak – she could barely keep her head above water – but she idly wondered who the other kayak belonged to. When Roman’s head broke the surface, realization dawned. He was diving for her.
Without thinking, Avery swam harder than she’d ever swum before, completely focused on Roman. He was safe, that was all she knew, and she had to get to him.
“She’s there!” Cherylynn screamed.
Beckett turned his kayak toward her, but she kept swimming, not caring about the cameras or anything except getting to Roman. He’d turned at Cherylynn’s shout, and met her in the water, wrapping his arms around her and hauling her back to his kayak.
“I didn’t sleep with him. I let him kiss me,” Avery babbled. “I’m so sorry I let him kiss me. I just had to know that there were no feelings.”
“Shhh, Avery, shhh,” Roman said, holding the kayak with one arm and Avery with the other.
“No, you need to know it. I couldn’t find you. I had to tell you and I couldn’t find you. I thought you hated me.”
“I know you didn’t sleep with him, Avery. I review the tapes, remember? Now hush. He’s coming,” Roman said, his arm tight around her waist. In moments, Beckett was there, hauling her on board his kayak.
“Hey now, that was a silly thing to do,” Beckett said, teasing her, but she could see the worry on his face.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone out on the kayak.”
“And everyone should have had life jackets,” Roman said, his face furious as he began to swim his kayak to shore. Avery watched as he berated his production assistant, but she had to wonder – why had he not warned her about this challenge? He knew what her fears were.
“Well, now, that was some excitement, hey?” Beckett said as the kayak bumped the sand.
Roman came over, hauling Avery from the kayak and slinging her up in his arms to carry her.
“Does this mean nobody wins?” Georgette called from her kayak, and even Beckett turned and glared at her. “Sorry, just asking.”
“Nobody wins. Elimination tonight.”
And that, it seemed, was that, Avery thought. She dropped her head onto Roman’s shoulder and let him carry her back to the villa. It was over and she could go home and start her life over. There was nothing else to be done, nothing else to fake, and she’d done enough to push herself far outside her comfort zone.
One thing was for certain, though: She’d never be getting on a kayak again in her life.
Avery slept for the next few hours, the adrenaline crash from her experience completely wiping her out. Cherylynn nudged her awake later in the day.
“Hey, we’ve got about an hour before the final ceremony. I brought you some food.” She held out a plate of fruit and croissants.
Avery sat up in bed, leaning against the headboard, and took the food gratefully. “I shouldn’t have gone out. I don’t know what I was trying to prove,” she admitted.
“You took off like a speed demon. I don’t know what you were doing, but you were flying. You would have been fine if you’d turned your kayak into the waves, but you didn’t. You really scared me, Avery. You were down there a long time,” Cherylynn said, her eyes filling with tears.
“I know. I’m sorry. I was stupid. I really was. I think I was so determined to try and overcome this fear. I don’t know why… maybe I was doing, like, shock therapy to make me not so scared anymore? It wasn’t smart. It really wasn’t.”
“How’s that fear of yours now?”
“Well, let’s just say I won’t be planning any kayaking trips in the future. But oddly enough, I’m not so scared of the water anymore. There are some pretty beautiful things out there. I think… yeah,
I think I’ll explore it more. Slowly and in my own time, but I will.”
“Well, I’d call that a win then, right? I mean, it’s baby steps, but that’s still a huge win. Because, let’s be honest, you can spend your whole life avoiding getting on a kayak just fine. But being in water? That’s a lot harder to dance around. I’m glad you’re not so scared of it anymore, though I think you took about ten years off my life when you went overboard.”
“You ready for tonight?” Avery asked, wanting to change the subject. She wasn’t ready to tell anyone about the mermaids. It was a secret given to her, and she wanted to keep it close to her heart, taking it out to examine it when she had time to breathe again.
“I’m nervous. What if he doesn’t choose me?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure he’ll pick any of us.” Avery shrugged.
“He has to pick. Or nobody wins the money.”
“Well, I don’t know what will happen. I think I’m ready for it to be over, though. This has been one strange experience for me, that’s for sure.”
“Well, you definitely got out of your comfort zone.”
“Indeed. Okay, let’s do the dance one more time.”
A half hour later they stood, for the last time, on the pool deck. Music played softly in the background, and the flames of the torches flickered in the twilight breezes. Everyone was there, including Irma, Jolie, and Mirra. Avery wanted desperately to run over to them and thank them for their help, but Jack started the ceremony as soon as they came out.
“Good evening, everyone, and we are ready to start the final ceremony in Swept Away,” Jack intoned. Avery wondered if he’d been hitting the bottle. “While it’s been an eventful day, it looks like you’re none the worse for wear, Avery?”
“I’m doing just fine, thanks.” She smiled politely.
“Lovely to hear. Wouldn’t do to have anyone die on us.” Jack laughed while the rest of them looked at him like he was crazy. Yup, he’d definitely had a few cocktails this afternoon, Avery thought. “Now, Beckett, it’s time for you to choose your lovely lady, your partner in crime, your… everything!”
A Good Chance (The Siren Island Series Book 3) Page 19
