by Jen Greyson
She shrugged and stood. “I think out here, but I’m not positive.” She tapped Rinnae’s shoulder and they walked to the bar together. Kat murmured something to Mateo and he chuckled. Kemmerie and Cassidy walked to the edge of the water and played in the surf. Their flowing skirts brushed the foam, making them laugh and hold the sides up.
Kat curled her fingers around Mateo’s bicep. I squirmed. This was beyond awkward. If I thought I could hobble over to the bar, I would. What was taking Mandy so long? She and Rinnae stood bythe bar, deep in conversation. They glanced over their shoulders and jerked like I’d caught them doing something. Rinnae grinned and waved. I lifted my hand. The bartender stood at the other end, by Stuart. Hopefully he was making my drink. I gripped the chair until it bit into my fingers.
Staying in my room would have been a better idea.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the chair. I strained to hear the breeze and gulls over Kat’s obnoxious voice and Mateo’s deep laughter. Their hushed tones grated on my frayed nerves.
I inhaled the salty air. Nothing about his behavior warranted attention. He was having a conversation with a woman, not making out with her, not screwing her on the beach. My grip tightened like I’d just topped the crest of a rollercoaster. He owed me nothing—I’d hogged him during this entire trip, and Kat probably had a timesheet logging every single minute of it.
I sighed and rubbed my temples. My fingers tingled and my middle fingers were numb from squeezing so tight.
“You okay?” I opened one eye. Mateo finally remembered that I was sitting next to him.
I wished he’d stop asking. “I’m fine.”
Kat leaned around Mateo, pressing her breasts against his arm. “Mateo’s just concerned. He’s kind like that. No need to be rude.”
I hated everything about her and bit back the snarl. Light fingers closed over my shoulder. “Here you go.” I took a glass from Mandy.
Mateo leaned forward, patting Kat’s hand. “Would you like a drink?”
She fluttered her lashes and rose with him. “I’d love that.” She tilted her head, staring down at me. “See? A complete gentleman.”
“Complete.”
Mateo put his body between us, and steered her toward the bar. Mandy took his seat and Rinnae scooted hers closer.
I took a healthy swallow, then another, and studied them. They did a horrible job of feigning innocence. I leaned my head back and balanced the glass on my stomach. “What are you girls up to?”
Mandy lifted her eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”
Her tone was so obviously fake that none of us kept a straight face. We laughed hard enough that Kat twisted her head to glare. Rinnae wiggled her fingers in a mock wave.
“Now you’ve done it.”
Mandy settled deeper into the chair and propped her feet on one of the empties. I did the same and some of the pain eased.
“No, Kat’s hated every other contestant from the moment she became one.”
“True.”
“So tell me what you’re plotting.”
They exchanged glances. “We’re not sure we should.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “Why?”
“You’re kind of on the wrong side.”
I smiled and couldn’t help but feel elated. They weren’t excluding me because they didn’t like me, but because they thought I’d rat them out. I took a slow sip of my drink and mulled over the best way to react.
A waiter held a tray of appetizers and Rinnae plucked it out of his hands. “Thanks.”
I laughed and almost spit my drink on her. I twisted around to see his reaction and he sputtered, then bowed and left.
Mandy slapped her leg. “I can’t believe you just did that.”
“What? I’m starving.”
My stomach rumbled and I lifted a crostini covered in peaches and basil and a white cheese. The tang of the fruit melded with the sultry cheese and spice. I hummed as I chewed, then took another.
“See? And you guys thought I was nuts.” In a few seconds we cleaned the entire tray. The sweet waiter brought us another and Rinnae winked.
“You’re outrageous.”
She leaned her head back and popped a huge roll in her mouth. “Yep.”
We only managed half the tray before Cassidy and Kemmerie came back. Their dresses were soaked to their knees. Cassidy lifted her skirt and sat backward on a chair and Kemmerie gracefully arranged the hem of her skirt so it didn’t get any of us wet.
Cassidy ate a lettuce wrap and licked her fingers. “When’s dinner?”
Another waiter brought a round of drinks. “From the gentleman.”
I rolled my eyes, but the girls ate it up. They lifted their glasses in mock toast and Mateo smiled over the rim of his drink. On his arm, Kat fumed.
“What’s with the wicked witch?” Kemmerie sipped from her tall glass.
My eyes widened at her barb and I couldn’t remember her saying anything bad about anyone before now. She’d apparently stunned the rest of them too, because no one uttered a word.
Mandy collected herself first. “She felt threatened by Sangria so Mateo took her away.”
I jerked. “What?”
Rinnae tilted her beer back. “It’s true. Kat hates the attention he devotes to you.”
“But—but...” I wanted to ask if they felt that way too, but this strange camaraderie was so comforting that I didn’t want to do anything to pop it.
Kemmerie patted my knee. “We like you, hun. Kat’s the only one with the problem. Mateo is in a tough spot and we know you advise him.”
I had nothing to say. Beyond the fact that I’d have a hard time advising him on anything, she’d said they liked me. I made eye contact with each one of them. Genuine smiles greeted me.
The medic picked that time to show up with my crutches. The girls left, but not before giving me a hug.
Maybe this wasn’t going to be such a horrible experience.
CHAPTER
NIGHT FELL WHILE I got re-wrapped, stuffed in a boot, and taught how to use crutches. My ankle was still swollen, but the doc was confident it was a sprain and would heal fine within a couple weeks.
I hobbled down to the beach where waiters and crew set dinner. The table and chairs were up from the waterline, nestled in the deep foliage and palms. Thankfully I wouldn’t have to crutch my way over the sand, because a heavy carpet walkway led from the bar to the secluded area, lit along the way with torches. Stuart had probably requested it on purpose. He wanted me at these gatherings, though I wasn’t sure how much value I added.
The weirdness of our cocktail hour still clung to me. Several times I’d chalked it up to Kemmerie’s consumption of alcohol. Why else would she have blurted that?
I paused in the shadows, just outside the light of the dinning torches. Hidden by the palms and darkness, I eavesdropped. Girls were competitive as a rule and these girls were playing at professional levels.
Kat said something pointed, but I only heard bits. I eased forward and caught Cassidy’s retort. “So your daddy bought you a business and you’re managing to keep it afloat. Impressive.”
I leaned on my crutches. Like the rest of us, Cassidy was clearly tiring of Kat’s prismatic display of “talents.” Since the beginning, Kat had focused the majority of her venom on Cassidy, and she’d handled it with her usual flippancy, but her peace-loving attitude was showing cracks. Had they been at it the entire time I’d been getting repairs?
Kat retaliated fiercely. “I have an MBA—“
“Who’d daddy have to bribe for that one?”
“Cassidy! That’s enough.” Kemmerie’s outburst made me smile. She’d been enamored with Kat since the exact same second Cassidy came to despise her. “Go on Kat, you’ll have to excuse Cassidy.” She paused and I could almost see her glaring at Cassidy. “I think she’s not feeling well. You were talking about your real estate company.”
“I know what I was talking about.” My hackles rose with Kat’s ve
nomous reply. I glanced over my shoulder to the boat bobbing in the gentle waves. Maybe I should skip dinner. No one would notice.
“Right now, I’m heading a corporation with about five-hundred realtors,” Kat said haughtily. That wasn’t exactly true. She was part of an operation that big and her dad had footed the bill a short six months ago.
I stepped into the light, attracting Kat’s evil glare. She averted her gaze and filled her glass. I hoped she was worried that I’d clarify her statement.
I didn’t have time for her games, and I didn’t want to get drawn in, so I kept going, toward Stuart’s table. I hadn’t expected him out here and it had been a snap decision, but I wanted to observe tonight without getting caught up in the tension of the conversations. Stuart glanced, then double-taked and held out a chair for me. Bet he didn’t think I was staying for the entire meal. I eased onto the tall chair and rested my boot against the table rung.
My late entrance had deflated Kat’s story...and vehemence. Kemmerie excused herself from the group and Mateo came back with drinks, handing one to Kat. She downed her wine then took the glass. He sat two chairs away from her and I was glad he’d managed to pry himself away. With a glance my way, he smiled and pointed at my boot, then made an ‘okay’ sign. I nodded and Kat launched herself into a conversation with him.
The girls’ reactions to Kat varied from Kemmerie’s hero worship to Rinnae’s thoughtful contemplation. Mateo seemed captivated by every word leaving Kat’s lips, and Mandy studied Mateo. I drummed my fingers on the table. She and Rinnae were definitely up to something.
“How’s the foot?”
“Good. I got some drugs, and these wobble sticks.” I angled my crutches against the table, and Stuart set them on the sand behind our chairs. “No control room tonight?”
“It’s too far, I need to be close to direct.”
Thank goodness. He’d created the perfect escape for me. Close, but not too close.
“We have problems.”
I sipped my water and waved away a tray of appetizers. “Now what?”
“It’s Rinnae,” he lowered his voice and angled his chair so he faced away from the main table—and cameras.
I stiffened. I didn’t want there to be anything sinister about their plot, at least not enough to attract Stuart’s attention.
“She’s asking about you.”
I set my water down and clenched my fingers to make them stop trembling. “I didn’t have time to watch the tapes.”
“She wants to know what the deal is between you two.”
I shifted in my chair and studied the table. If she wasn’t interested, why the subterfuge? What were they plotting if not how to win the game—and Mateo?
They were going to have to spill it after dinner. I couldn’t help them with Stuart if I didn’t know what they were doing. “So what did you tell her?”
He smiled and leaned closer. “Oh, she didn’t ask me. She asked Mateo.”
I jerked, sloshing water across the table. “What?”
Mandy looked over and frowned. I smiled and waved.
“Practically told him she wasn’t interested in him that way.”
“But why? Why would she do that?”
He shrugged and glanced over his shoulder at the girls. “Maybe she’s not.”
I flopped back in my chair. “So what are you going to do?”
A wide grin pulled his lips away from his teeth and I had a very red riding hood moment. “Not a thing. Viewers interaction on that segment was high.”
I crossed my arms. “I still can’t believe you’re feeding some of these segments live on the webcam. That leaves zero space for issue-spotting.”
He winked. “Yeah, but it’s great for ratings.”
I shook my head and sat up as the waiter brought dinner.
Stuart rearranged his chair so we both sat perpendicular to the main table. We could observe without being obvious, but weren’t outright staring at them.
Over our salad, he leaned close on the pretense of handing me the dressing. “Kat’s stirring up trouble.”
I took the bottle. “Not exactly a newsflash.”
“She may have inside information.”
The lettuce wilted on my tongue and I took a drink, hiding behind my glass. “How do you know?”
“She’s had a phone conversation with someone who’s either very well informed, or very good at research.”
I lowered my glass and set my fork down. “You should have led with that. I’ll get my boss on the phone. She’s violated her contract.” I wadded my napkin and set it on the table.
Stuart’s hand covered mine and I flinched. “We’re not to that point yet. Yes, she thinks she knows something, but I can keep her under control.”
I laughed and slipped my hand out. “You’re a fool if you think that. She needs to be dismissed.”
“Every great show has to have a bad guy.”
I groaned. Leave it to Stuart to put ratings ahead of everything. “Did you tell Mateo?”
Stuart glanced over at the other table, and I did the same. Now that the food had arrived, they’d managed to sit in their own spots, but barely. It was a good thing we weren’t on the boat because that table would have had a serious lean to it. While I studied them, Kat had taken a drink between every bite. That bothered me, she was bad enough sober.
Stuart chuckled and scooped a forkful of rice. “I only overheard her on my way out here. He’s been a little busy.”
I’d say.
“We have to tell him. His privacy was a big deal... Though it’s going to blow up in his face.”
“Can’t blame him. There’s nothing worse than thinking a woman doesn’t want you for who you are, but rather what you can do for—“ He coughed and blushed. “What you own.”
I cocked my head and stared. “Stuart, that almost sounded like you care what other people think.”
He fidgeted and I laughed while he slid back in the chair and crossed his legs. “Freudian slip.”
I smiled and cleaned my plate. “Mm, hmm.”
Stuart gulped his water and looked over at Mateo. “Besides, we’re not talking about me.”
I shrugged playfully. “No, but we could be.”
He ordered a drink. Clearly my observation had hit a little closer than he liked. Interesting. I wouldn’t have thought Stuart had much of a soul to search. After his tumbler arrived, he threw the contents back and ordered another, then folded his arms on the table. “How should we tell Mateo?”
“I’d like to handle it if you don’t mind.” I nodded at the waiter for a water refill.
Stuart fought a grin and slid his chair back. “Go for it.”
He left, taking the cameramen with him, and I finished my dinner in a welcome silence. The girls still giggled and flirted, but their reactions didn’t vary much from my original assessment. Kat drank her way through the flirting, which was apparently how she coped.
Now that I knew Rinnae didn’t want Mateo I was curious what was going on in that head of hers while she studied him. Mandy’s too.
Eventually I got distracted by a clause in a contract I’d worked on earlier, and jotted a few notes on a napkin. I wasn’t sure what the plan was for tonight, but if it included watching them get drunk again, I had stuff to do.
Warm hands draped over my shoulders and I jumped. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Mateo’s soft voice settled deep into my stomach. His lips lowered to my ear, and his fingers brushed my arm. “We’re having dessert, if you’d like to join us.”
I needed to talk to him alone, not with an audience. Before I could shake my head and ask him to meet me later, he added, “Besides, it would help Rinnae, Mandy, and Kemmerie pay attention to the conversation if they didn’t have to keep looking over here.”
I glanced at the main table. Sure enough, the three of them were doing a terrible job of covertly watching Mateo. I smiled and nodded. “Sure.”
He leaned down for my crutches, then helped me sta
nd. I reached for them, but he held them away. “I got you.”
“I can do it.” My fingers curled around the beams, but he held them tight.
I sighed. “You don’t have to escort me, I promise I’ll follow.”
His warm gaze roamed my face, pausing on my lips. “I’m always worried you’ll bolt if I don’t have a hold of you.”
I shrugged and tipped my head, feeling light-hearted and teasing. “I might.”
He faltered and I didn’t have to look at the girls to know we were now the main point of conversation as flurries of whispers spiraled between the silverware. I tossed my head toward the girls and lowered my voice. “You lead, I’ll follow.”
Mateo grinned and I realized too late that I should have figured out my own chair. He dragged a spare one from off-camera and set it next to him at the head.
I grinned sheepishly and all but one face responded with genuine delight.
The waiter arrived with another bottle of wine and a fresh glass for me. Mateo topped off wineglasses, and nodded for dessert. He held the back of my chair, then set my crutches well out of reach—blocking any chance of escape. I lifted an eyebrow and he winked, stirring up the attraction I’d been able to ignore all night.
Decadent plates of chocolate cake arrived and Mateo leaned back in his chair, his wineglass palmed like a brandy snifter. “Rinnae, tell us about your volleyball. Do you tour all year?”
“Ooh, yes. Do tell.” Kat flicked her silky locks in agitation then grabbed her wine glass and drained it. “I’ve always wondered what its like for masculine women to find a place where they fit in.”
Every head swiveled, awestruck by the level of venom.
Rinnae blinked twice, but it was the only indication she’d felt Kat’s bite. With a grace I admired, she tilted her chin in Mateo’s direction. “It’s a blast. The season is only six months long from April to September. We train in Miami. I’ve played in most of Europe and parts of Asia.” She lifted her water glass and wiped the beads of moisture off with her forefinger. “And you? I don’t imagine you get the opportunity to travel much with your job.”
My brow furrowed. This is why I didn’t like him lying. Here was a great opportunity to connect with a fabulous girl, but now he had to lie instead of telling her he’d seen more of the planet than a weather satellite.
