I catch a wink from Herman as he slips back into the shadows. Maybe he thinks I fought to keep up my end of the deal. The truth is, I didn’t do anything for him or his ratings. I was trying to deflect attention from Carmen. She rushes to my side and I’m certain Stuck-Up’s words about how she wasn’t supposed to be here have been forgotten. Mission accomplished.
“Well, that was dramatic,” Granola intersperses. “But can we refocus on the elimination now? Can I count on you ladies for support?”
“Of course,” I tell her, patting her back. Both Carmen and Maria offer their support as well.
I gaze over my shoulder, pretending to check out what’s happening with Cocoa and Stuck-Up, but my real interest lies with Hogan and his newfound interest in Cocoa. His camera is focused on her as she speaks and she seems to be eating it up, like he’s giving her attention rather than just doing his job. From the smile on his face, I’d say he’s enjoying himself. What the fuck? Maybe he’s here as a distraction. What if he’s feigning interest in me to keep me off my game?
As I ponder the possibilities, I observe Five appearing to have a difficult time gaining attention in Stuck-Up’s circle. I wonder if they trust him after the false info Braveheart let slip about him having a private conversation with Bryce. I have to admit his speech was way better than Granola’s. I may have to pretend my vote can be swayed in order to find out what he knows. In my gut, I believe he’s telling the truth. I need to speak to him alone.
AS THE GROUP disperses, some for the bathroom and others for refreshments, I make my way toward Five.
He spies me coming and furrows his brows, frowning. “You want to know what I know, don’t you?”
I shrug. “I’m not convinced you know anything at all.”
“Let’s just say there’s a reason I’m in the bottom two and I’m fairly certain it’s not because of my scores.”
“I wish I could believe you. I liked your speech. If I were voting solely based on that, I’d vote for you, but Gran… um, she, has had my back in the past and without a reason to change my mind, I’m going to have to stick with my gut.”
“So you’re saying if I tell you what I know, I have your vote?”
“I didn’t say that. I’m not convinced I can trust you,” I respond.
The female camera person is next to us. I wonder if she’s assigned to him, or if she’s been switched to me. Did Hogan ask to be removed after all?
I can see the sweat on Five’s brow. He glances at his watch and nervously twitches. “I’ll tell you a bit now and a bit later, but I need to know I have your vote.”
“I can’t promise until after I hear.”
High-Rise enters the boardroom and takes his place at the table.
Five motions toward him, using his head and eyes. “Let’s just say that someone understands more of the English language than you’d think someone who’s just a janitor should.”
I nod in understanding as a handful more players enter the room. Five and I separate, but I know he’s trying to get my attention to make sure he has my vote. Man, this is going to be difficult. What was he saying? Was he saying High-Rise is from England?
Granola seems to have added Sarge and BM to her list. Sarge nods encouragingly to her as she backs away. BM seems to follow in his agreement.
I slide back into my seat and bite my fingernail. Glancing at High-Rise, I notice him crossing his hands on the table. He’s completely relaxed. He should be. I want the clock around his neck. I make it my mission to get it the next chance I can. I wish I knew what I did wrong. Did I answer incorrectly, or was his assessment just better than mine?
“All right, we’re back. Please enter the diary room one at a time to vote. If you want to go with another player, you’re welcome to as long as they agree.”
High-rise goes first. Cocoa and Stuck-Up go together. It makes me want to hurl. When it’s my turn, I stand and head into the room. I tug a pillow close to my chest. Hogan is filming inside. I won’t let it bother me. This is work.
“Man, this decision sucks,” I say to the camera. “I really like Granola. I mean… oh hell, this is a confessional. I can’t remember her name. I know it rhymes with granola and I like granola, it makes things special, so I call her Granola. Anyway, Granola stood up for me when I really needed someone and I can’t forget loyalty like that. But then Five—the guy with the five kids, whatever his name is—tells me he overheard someone who might be a traitor. I believe him. He gave me no indication he was lying. He knows more, but I’ll only get the low-down if I vote for him. Fuck, what do I do?” I press the pillow into my chest. “I have to go with my gut. The person I vote off is… Five. I’m sorry, Five. You seem like a great guy and I bet you’re a terrific dad, but loyalty is important to me.” Pushing off the couch, I notice Hogan stretching out of the corner of my eye. He must be exhausted from carrying the camera all day. Part of me wants to ask him if he had himself removed from me, but the other part of me doesn’t want to show him it matters, because in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t. I don’t make eye contact with him when I leave, but he doesn’t seem to notice or care. I should know better than to trust in words.
When the voting is completed, Hogan leaves the room and positions his camera back on Cocoa’s side of the table.
A few moments later, the screen comes back to life. “Finola and Andrew, will you please take your places on the board and face me.”
Granola and Five—well, Finola and Andrew, now that I’ve heard their actual names several times—take their marked places on the chessboard. The lights dim. The Fabulist continues. “The boardroom has spoken. One of you has been misled and captured by the lie. Finola…” He pauses so long, I struggle to breathe. “You’ve been saved. Andrew, checkmate. Game over.” The screen goes black and he’s gone. I suppose that’s it.
Finola sighs in relief as Andrew’s head bows low. I feel horrible for him. It’s never easy for anyone to be the first to go. Bryce approaches him and places his arm around his shoulder.
“Andrew, we’ve enjoyed your time with us. Please pack your bags. A car is waiting to take you to the airport. Best of luck to you.”
“Thank you, Bryce.”
Andrew turns and eyes the room. I stare at him as Finola shakes hands with other players. He nods to me, probably believing I voted for him to stay. I guess he won’t like me as much when the show airs.
No one is allowed to speak with him any further. We’re escorted to the dining area for dinner after Andrew leaves. It’s fairly quiet. Finola appears relieved. She sits with Carmen, Maria, and me. Sarge asks to join us as well. It’s a nice change of pace. BM sits with High-Rise and the rest of the group gathers together. It’s clear where the alliances are, unless you suppose Braveheart is still with me. I don’t know who to trust besides Carmen.
After dinner we are free for the evening. BM is in the bar and I have no desire to be social. Carmen and I decide to go back to my room to chat in private. Hogan is nowhere to be found. I assume he’s probably wherever Cocoa is now.
My feelings are confirmed when the female camera operator follows us into my room. I can’t hide my sadness. Hogan put me at ease in a weird way. But I need to consider the possibilities and every angle. How much do I really know about him anyway?
“What’s bothering you? Spill it.”
I can’t discuss Hogan with her and it’s killing me, so I go with the vote instead. “Andrew pretty much told me not to trust High-Rise. He said he knew more but wouldn’t tell me unless he was voted in and we both know how that went.”
“Did you vote him off?”
“Yeah, you?” I ask as I kick off my chucks and flop on the bed.
“Yeah. I like Finola, although the thing that happened at her workplace has me confused.”
“Shit, I forgot you had new info. Tell me!”
Carmen slips off her flats, sits, and crosses her legs on the bed. “You know that scandal she mentioned? Well, it seems it was a harassment suit. It was fi
led against her. Another female employee said she was inappropriately touching her and making comments that made her uncomfortable.”
“No way!” I state, mouth gaping. “Is she gay?”
“Maybe. She didn’t say. She said the accusation was ridiculous, but because the company was afraid of the liability, they let her go.”
I roll onto my back. “Hmm…”
“Whatcha thinkin’, Sammy? I know that look.”
“I’m thinking they must have had evidence to ask her to leave. If they couldn’t substantiate the claims, most likely she would have received a written warning and been told to apologize. If they fired her, they either had strong evidence or really wanted to get rid of her.”
“It’s funny you say that, because Maria struck me as not believing her either,” Carmen states, scooting backward to rest her head on my pillow.
“I’m not sure who we can trust around here.”
“You know what we need?” Carmen smirks. “I think we need a trip to vending.”
“Do you think they have Cheetos? I’m having withdrawals.”
The camera follows us as we walk barefoot down the hall to the east end. We pass an open door and I hear Stuck-Up’s voice. I stop suddenly and nudge Carmen to the side, leaning in to eavesdrop.
“She’s got to go, Carter. She’s stressing me out and I can’t take it anymore.”
I turn and gaze at Carmen, mouthing “Cocoa,” and she nods in firm agreement.
“I know, baby. I’m working on it. I’m going to speak to my contact here and gain access to a phone to call my father. If anyone can dig up info on Sam Wittaker, he can. We’ll find something we can use against her and make sure she pays for crossing us.”
“Fuck,” I whisper to Carmen.
She covers her mouth with her hands and makes a gagging reference when the lip-lock sounds begin.
With the camera still on us, I pull on Carmen’s arm and we tiptoe our way to vending. Once there, we stare at each other blankly. After a few seconds, I shake my head and put two dollars in the machine. It just became a two-bag Cheetos kinda night.
BM CAME IN late, after Carmen had already left for the night. I heard her, but I didn’t let her know she woke me up. She was toasted. She whispered too loudly to me to see if I was awake and then ran into my bed with the force of three elephants. If she thought I’d really slept through the ruckus, then she was completely wasted.
Opting for dress slacks and flats today, I make sure to grab my draped front cardigan on my way out the door. The boardroom is colder than every other room in the hotel. The irony of that isn’t lost on me.
I arrive for breakfast over thirty minutes early and the dining room is empty. I pour myself a cup of coffee and slouch in a chair at my usual table. Looking around the room, I notice a pattern on the chair rail I hadn’t noticed before. Moving in closer, I run my fingers over the design.
“That’s hand-carved, you know.”
I turn to the voice of High-Rise. “No, I didn’t know.”
“The original owners of this hotel purchased it in the early 1900s. It’s been through three remodels since. The new owners updated almost everything but made the smart decision to keep as much of the original workmanship as possible.”
“Fascinating,” I reply as I stare at the carvings around the doorframe. “You know a lot about the Highlight’s history. How is that?”
“Bryce Donahue told me. I asked him what he knew about the place. I’ve always been a fan of architecture.”
“You seem to notice a lot of things. I’m starting to think there’s more to you than meets the eye.”
“Of course there is. How can there not be? How much do we really ever know about anyone? I’ve been married for twenty-six years, and there are days she still surprises me.”
I smile. “You’ve got a point. I think I should rephrase that. What I meant was you are a worthy opponent and I think I should be leery of you.”
“That’s true. But from where I stand, I could say the same to you.”
There’s commotion outside and after a few seconds, Stuck-Up and Braveheart enter the room, followed by Carmen and Maria.
“Have a good breakfast, Sam. Best of luck today.”
He tips an invisible hat to me and moves to his normal table in the back corner.
“What was that about?” Carmen asks as she drops her book on the table.
My eyes narrow as I glance back to him. “I’m not exactly sure.”
Hogan enters the room with two other camera operators, including the female who was with Carmen and me last night.
Carmen notices me staring at him a bit too long. “You like him, don’t you?”
“Who?” I ask, turning to face her.
“Hogan. I see the way he watches you. I bet he likes you too.”
I shrug. “Barely know him. But speaking of liking people, how’s your love connection with Bryce going?”
“Shh…” She nudges me forcefully. “Don’t forget we’re being recorded.” She leans toward me and hushes, “I think he’s forgotten I’m alive. He hasn’t spoken to me other than a passing hello since the boardroom the other night. Maybe Cocoa made him think twice about me.”
I point at her and laugh. “Ha! I’ve got you using her nickname too.”
Carmen shakes her head in disgust. “I refuse to say her name out loud after what we heard last night. She really is a nasty person.”
“As far as Bryce goes, I think he’s just busy working. You should approach him. Ask him a question or something. Say good morning. Show some interest.”
She gasps. “There he is. He’s so handsome, isn’t he?” She sighs.
I follow her eyes to him. He’s good-looking, but he doesn’t do it for me. I’m more into the tall, dark, and handsome type. My gaze wanders and lands on Hogan, and I hate myself for it. Turning away, I say, “Look, he’s getting coffee. Go say hello. Now’s your chance.”
“I’m doing it.” Carmen stands and hurriedly strolls over to Bryce. She taps his arm and he turns and smiles at her. I would even go so far as to say his face lights up.
I lean my head on my hand and stare after them. I lip-read as best I can, but I’m not doing very well.
“Good morning.” Hogan’s voice pulls me out of my trance-like stare at Carmen and Bryce. I glance up at him, then behind me. Placing my hand on my chest, I ask, “Oh, are you speaking to me?”
“Who else would I be talking to?” he asks before taking a sip of his coffee.
“I just assumed you’d moved on to flirting with Cocoa now. She’s over there by the way, in case you made a mistake. I guess I don’t need to tell you where she is. I’m sure you know all about her since you’re filming her now. All night long.”
His eyes squeeze into tiny slits. He places his coffee on the table and leans on the chair in front of him. “Are you referring to what happened yesterday?”
“You mean yesterday when she and I almost had a cat fight and then suddenly you were filming her instead of me? Yeah, maybe I am.”
“Don’t be jealous. It’s not becoming,” he replies arrogantly.
“Excuse me? Jealous? What would I possibly be jealous of? There’s nothing going on here,” I say, motioning back and forth between us. “What pisses me off is that you clearly took sides in the matter.”
“I didn’t take sides. I went where I was told to film.”
“Sure you did.”
“Sam, I told you before I’m not allowed to say or do anything to impact the show. I’m not supposed to have an opinion on what I see.”
“But how can you not?”
“Listen, I just wanted to say hello. I’m in no mood to argue with you.” He picks up his coffee, and before he can leave, I decide I need to get in one more jab.
“For all I know, this interest you supposedly have in me is meant to distract me from the game. Maybe you want me to lose.”
He winces as if I’ve hurt him. “If that’s how you feel, I’ll be sure to stay o
ut of your way.” He returns to his camera as if nothing happened.
His response infuriates me. Not only did he not clarify anything for me, but he made me feel bad for calling him out. I don’t like it. I don’t like anything about the way he makes me feel. I toss my napkin down on the table and decide to go splash cold water on my face.
I stomp my way to the restroom, pushing it open and groaning in frustration. After checking to make sure I’m alone, I kick the door of the first stall several times in repetition.
The bathroom door slams open and I spin to see who’s entering so forcefully. I gasp when I see his face. “For the record, I was off last night. I was filming your roommate late the night before and was up early the next morning. After the show, I went back to my room and went to sleep. So, I wasn’t with Courtney, or Cocoa, or whatever you call her. I was alone in my room, in my bed.”
He’s angry and his eyes are ablaze as he stares at me. I’m relieved to know he wasn’t with her, but he doesn’t need to know that.
I place my hands on my hips. “Good! I’m glad you got some rest. Alone.”
“Yeah, plenty of rest. All by myself. I need to be ready for today. It’s going to be a busy day.”
“You need to be on your toes. You never know what Cocoa might do. Maybe you can distract her today.”
He shakes his head. “Is that what you really think I’m doing? Do you know how infuriating you are?”
I throw my hands in the air. “I don’t know what you’re doing. I can never talk to you and when I do, you go ’round and ’round, giving me nothing. Now you’re not even my cameraman anymore, so whatever. I don’t care. Everyone else hates me around here. What’s one more?”
“Why in the hell would I hate you? Damn, maybe you are a little crazy.”
“Me? I’m not the one who followed a woman into the ladies’ restroom, am I?”
“Another thing I’ll make sure never to do again.”
He turns to leave and I want to say something, anything to make him stay, but I don’t have the words.
The Fabulist Page 12
