“Why won’t Cortnee have fun at the resort?” Ty quizzed instead.
Maybe he couldn’t touch her, but at least she was here to talk to. Her presence brought an end to the teeth-gnashing frustration he’d been suffering all day. With Shannen at his side, not even watching paint dry would be intolerable.
“What’s not fun about an all-expense-paid stay in tropical luxury?” he prompted.
“Well, it’s still tropical but not so luxurious now,” said Shannen. “Lucy and the others say the network bosses turned the resort into a gulag.”
“How is that possible? Last night—”
“—was the end of the good times. Apparently, the network bosses wigged out at the size of the bill the group has been running up at the resort.”
“So that’s why they look so grim.” Ty glanced at the unsmiling network execs tramping around the camp. “Hmm, maybe grim is too upbeat a word to describe them.”
“True. Clark Garrett called everybody together after lunch and screamed at us for almost an hour,” said Shannen. “He claimed he’d been screamed at even longer by the network brass. They were not happy that the contestants and staffers at the hotel have all been ordering four and five of the most expensive appetizers and entrées apiece in the restaurants at every meal, plus the room service bills were astronomical.”
“Having been to the Parrot Room to collect Kevin and Adam last night, and knowing that the group hung out there every night, I’m guessing the bar bill alone would’ve been enough to send the honchos into orbit,” Ty mused.
“And then they found out about all the charges at the spa and the gift shop,” added Shannen. “I thought Uncle Clark was going to kill Miles right in front of us.”
“Well, Miles was the one encouraging everybody to get everything. Too bad they got greedy.”
“I was in the gift shop today. They charge five dollars for a pack of gum and two hundred dollars for a T-shirt with the resort logo,” Shannen marveled.
“Everybody in the Victorious group had on one of those last night at the Parrot Room. We’re talking a few thousand in T-shirts right there.” Ty laughed. “No wonder Uncle Clark—”
“Had homicide in his heart,” Shannen put in slyly. “And before you can ask, no, I didn’t buy anything in the gift shop, and I was there before the ban was imposed. The five dollars for gum struck me as high-end robbery. Gramma sells gum for fifty cents a pack at the diner.”
“The prices at the resort are inflated, all right.” Ty thought of the overpriced box of condoms he’d purchased there. Not that they weren’t worth it, of course.
A sudden gust of wind sent Shannen’s skirt billowing, and she quickly pushed it down—but not before he’d caught a glimpse of her shapely tanned thigh. Last night he’d seen so much more….
He stared at Shannen, his gaze intimate, possessive. Thinking back on last night, would it really have been the end of the world if he had made her pregnant? He must’ve thought so when he plunked down twenty bucks for the box of condoms.
But today he reconsidered. Making her pregnant would be the end of the world as he knew it, but suddenly that didn’t strike him as a bad thing. Perhaps he should’ve bought four packs of the overpriced gum instead, because the concept of Shannen carrying his child enticed him.
“Anyway, Clark issued the official network decree,” Shannen continued, oblivious of Ty’s startling yet irresistible daydream. “Starting this afternoon, the network will pay only for the rooms, plus twenty-five dollars a day per person for food. No room service, no drinks at the bar, no spa or gift-shop charges. Nothing extra.”
“Twenty-five dollars a day for food at those hotel prices isn’t very much,” Ty observed.
“True, considering a cheeseburger is one of the cheapest things on the menu and costs twelve dollars. A cola is six dollars. That’s what I had for lunch before the boom was lowered. Guess I should’ve gone for the lobster and imported white asparagus instead, huh?”
“I understand why they’ve made restrictions, but their food allowance is pretty draconian, considering there’s no alternative place to eat on that island.” Ty frowned. “After your nonnutritional sojourn here, you should be eating three decent meals a day, and you can’t do that over there on twenty-five dollars a day.”
“I’ll manage.” Shannen dismissed his concern and waved to Lauren, who couldn’t seem to summon the energy to wave back.
Shannen turned worriedly to Ty. “How much longer do you think they’ll last out there?”
“That’s anybody’s guess, but I think Konrad will win. Lauren and Rico are definitely showing signs of weakening, but Konrad looks the same as when this madness began.”
“Hey, everybody! Break’s over, start filming again,” called the assistant director.
Ty and the others retrieved their cameras. Reggie focused on Cortnee, who was feasting on an avocado salad and barbecued chicken; Ty turned his camera on the three stalwart contestants who remained in the competition.
Shannen continued to stand beside him, and nobody commented on it. Nobody even glanced their way.
“I like the freedom of being a reject,” she decided. “It’s like being invisible. And it sure beats standing on a beam out there. Poor Lauren! Besides being tired and thirsty, I can’t imagine how bored she must be.”
“I can. I was as bored as they are. Until you showed up, that is.”
He shifted, moving imperceptibly until his hip grazed hers. The contact would look accidental if anybody were watching. He waited for Shannen’s reaction. Would she move away or stay where she was, their bodies discreetly touching?
Ty was elated when she remained there, although she didn’t acknowledge their proximity. She put her sunglasses back on and continued to look straight ahead at the contest in the sea.
Ty kept one eye on his subjects and one on Shannen. It felt so right to have her here with him. And they were on the same side of the camera at last! She was adorable, she was feisty, she was passionate and funny and down-to-earth. He yearned to tell her so—if only they were alone.
But they weren’t, and he knew this was neither the time nor the place for a truly private conversation. Someone could join them at any minute and undoubtedly would. So he would stick to impersonal topics.
“I’m curious how you managed to nab a ride over here with Clark and the network bosses, Shannen,” he said conversationally. “Considering their outrage over the bills, I can’t seeing them eager to grant any favors to the Victorious cast.”
“They aren’t mad at me,” Shannen said succinctly. “Since I was the newest to arrive on the island, I didn’t have a chance to run up a big bill. I put all the food from the room fridge back in it, so I didn’t get charged for that, and my only room service meal was the turkey sandwich. I slept through breakfast and had the cheeseburger for lunch. And I had no gift shop purchases.”
She flashed a mischievous smile. “Ed—he’s the one in the pale-peach shirt talking to Bobby—was ready to canonize me when he saw my expenses. Or lack of them.”
“And what made you decide to join them on a visit over to the old camp?” Ty parried lightly. “Didn’t like the idea of lounging around a cushy resort, huh?”
“The other contestants thought I was suffering from separation anxiety because Lauren and I weren’t together.” Shannen matched the breeziness of his tone. “I wanted to come here, so I decided to pretend to be the pathetic misfit they already thought I was.”
“The have-the-name-might-as-well-play-the-game strategy. A classic. Been in use since biblical times, I believe.”
“Maybe even earlier.” Shannen laughed a little. “I told Clark I had to see my sister because I was having twin vibes that something was wrong. He assured me Lauren was fine, but he invited me to come along and see for myself.”
“Is there any truth to the twin separation anxiety, Shannen?” Ty asked quietly. “You’re not a pathetic misfit for worrying about your sister, you know.”
“I tho
ught about Lauren, of course, especially with that snake Jed spreading those rumors.” She scowled her disapproval. “But Lauren and I have been apart before. Not often, but it’s happened. We don’t collapse when we’re out of each other’s sight.”
“Let me see if I have the facts straight, Shannen. You wanted to come here, but you weren’t pining away for a glimpse of your twin, even though you let Clark think so. Interesting.”
“Isn’t it?” Shannen gave his foot a slight nudge with her own.
“Is this the part where I’m supposed to guess why you’re really here?” Ty asked huskily.
She nodded, flushing from head to toe, knowing the sudden rush of heat was unrelated to the tropical sun. Ty’s dark eyes seemed to look inside of her. She felt exposed and vulnerable and was grateful that her sunglasses prevented him from reading her emotions in her eyes.
Had she made a major tactical error in showing up here on the island today? Ty had looked very pleased to see her, but maybe any man would get an ego boost at the sight of his previous night’s conquest.
She’d acted on impulse today, but when it came to her behavior with Ty, that was par for the course. He seemed to activate impulsivity in her…along with many other feelings.
“Here’s my first guess, Shannen. Maybe you’d like to hear me admit that your appearance here is most timely?” Ty paraphrased himself from last night, his voice wry.
Shannen felt as if fireworks were going off in her head. Besieged with uncertainty, she knew if he’d made some cocky sexual comeback about his prowess and her craving for him, she would have gone as nuclear as the network executives facing the expense tally.
And then she would’ve had to grapple with being wounded by his insensitivity and arrogance. Been there, done that, nine years ago, even though he’d thought he was being noble. And nine years ago there had been no sexual intimacy between them to make the pain ever sharper. This time around…
Thank heavens they were more in sync this time around! His gently humorous reply validated her instincts for coming here.
“Your first guess is right,” she said softly.
A broad grin creased his face. “I admit it, your appearance here is most timely, Shannen.”
“Wow! That’s the truth!” Heidi joined them just in time to catch the end of his remark. “You really must have that twin ESP going on strong! You knew your sister needed you!”
Heidi pointed to Lauren, who was swaying perilously, gripping the pole with both arms. Moments later she slipped off the post into the water.
Before anyone on the beach could react, Rico jumped in after her and pulled her to her feet.
“Just keep filming!” shouted Clark. “Nobody go in the water! The girl’s okay, and we don’t want to ruin the drama by cluttering up the scene with the crew.”
Shannen ignored him and ran into the water, sandals and all. Within a split second, Heidi caught up to her and grabbed her arm, following another order from Clark.
Shannen began to struggle. “Get away from me!”
“You’re not even supposed to be here,” exclaimed Heidi, trying harder to hold her back. “Tell her, Ty,” she pleaded to Ty, who’d followed them both.
“Tell her not to go to her sister who practically fainted in the water?” snarled Ty. “Forget it.” He handed the camera to Kevin, who had raced in, too. “I’m not filming this.”
Shannen successfully broke free from Heidi and ran toward Lauren and Rico. The pair were approaching the shore, hanging on to each other. Both looked fatigued and sunburned, and it was hard to tell who was supporting whom.
Shannen threw her arms around them both. “Oh, Lauren, you poor thing! And, Rico, you’re a hero for jumping in after her like that, without even thinking twice.”
“We got that part on film,” Reggie called.
“Thank God! The rest we’ll have to edit out,” announced Clark. “Pan to Cortnee and to Konrad.”
Cortnee held her hands to her cheeks and looked tearful.
Konrad was smiling. “I’m the last one standing, so I win immunity.”
Shannen barely heard him as she prepared to tell Clark Garrett exactly what she thought of him.
Nine
The network executives wanted to watch the tribal council in person, so Shannen would stay on the island until they all returned to the resort by boat later in the evening. The contestant who was voted off would go with them.
“Keep that crazy twin out of camera range,” Clark said to Ty. “Put her on a leash if you have to, just don’t let her get filmed by mistake. Editing can only fix so much.”
Clark wiped sweat from his brow with his already-damp handkerchief. He was looking haggard after an encounter with the enraged Shannen. Brimming with white-hot rage, she had reviled him, quite effectively, in front of everybody.
Ty, who had witnessed many a verbal annihilation directed at the Howes, recognized her as a true master of the art.
Silence had descended, and not even Bobby Dixon tried to deliver one of his annoying platitudes. Nobody cared to risk incurring the wrath of Shannen.
When she’d proclaimed, “Somebody better get my sister and Rico something to eat and drink right now!” even the network executives hurried to fetch food and water.
“Ty, I want you to know I appreciate you going into the water to try to stop that demented bitch from ruining the terrific scene of the two losers staggering in together,” continued Clark. “Twins! Who knew they’d go psycho? We won’t be casting twins in Victorious Two, I can promise you that.”
Ty shook his head. He was disgusted with Clark’s callousness toward Lauren’s fall into the water, and to make matters worse, the obtuse executive producer had misinterpreted his lunge into the water after Shannen.
Ty had gone in to help her with Lauren, to show his support for her, not to restrain her, as that blockhead Garrett believed.
But Shannen hadn’t needed Ty’s intervention and refused it when he offered.
“We’re fine. Go back and get your camera,” she told him, slipping her arm around Lauren. “You’ll get in trouble. Clark is throwing a tantrum as it is and—”
“Screw Clark Garrett!” cursed Ty.
Shannen flashed a sardonic smile. “I’d rather not.”
Ty arched his brows. “You’d better not!”
Rico and Lauren laughed weakly.
And then the production assistants hauled away the two contestants, leaving Shannen and Ty to wade ashore together.
“Ty, seriously, you have to do your job,” said Shannen. “You have to start filming or else—”
“I could be fired? I’m so worried.” Ty was sarcastic.
“We all have these take-this-job-and-shove-it moments, Tynan,” Shannen explained patiently. “And everybody has had at least one boss who’s a jerk, but—”
“Shannen, I’ll get my camera and film the contestants, but please dispense with the pep talk,” growled Ty.
It was bad enough he was trapped in his own stupid deception. Hearing her try to console him about it made him queasy with guilt. He had too many deceptions going on in his life—his name, his career and his past relationship with Shannen.
Only she knew most of the truth, but he’d kept a vital fact from her too: his wealth.
How to tell her? When to tell her? Because he knew now that he wanted her to know the full truth.
Shannen, unaware of his dilemma, thought he was still mired in a take-this-job-and-shove-it moment.
She gave him a bolstering thumbs-up and headed toward Lauren and Rico, who were guzzling bottles of water.
Now it was time for the voting, and as the Final Four sat in the tribal council area, Bobby delivered a ponderous homily about four being narrowed to three.
Konrad clutched the immunity totem as if it were a priceless antiquity. Lauren, Rico and Cortnee looked tense and eyed each other warily.
Shannen stood next to Ty as he filmed. “It’s kind of sad,” she whispered to him. “I remember when t
hose four were a solid alliance, maybe even friends. Well, sort of. But now they don’t trust each other.”
“It was inevitable, Shannen. They’re each playing for themselves now.”
“I know, I know.” She sighed. “It’s all in the game.”
She saw Clark Garrett and the production assistants stealing nervous glances at her. And she noticed for the first time that the entire crew had taken positions well away from her and Ty.
“I see you’ve been chosen to be the human sacrifice and rein me in, should I suddenly go berserk,” Shannen mocked, her eyes locking with Clark Garrett’s.
It gave her a naughty thrill to see him brace himself, as if expecting her to suddenly fly at him like a rabid vampire bat.
“Stop terrorizing Clark, Shannen,” Ty admonished dryly. “You’ve already carved him up with that sharp little tongue of yours once today, and he’s dreading another attack.”
“My verbal skills have advanced beyond trite kid stuff like ‘condescending, self-righteous jerk,’ haven’t they?” Shannen was pleased.
“Well beyond, honey. Remind me not to cross you.”
“I will,” she replied playfully. “Every chance I get.”
“It’s time to vote,” Bobby’s voice boomed, drowning out even their muffled whispers.
“Uh-oh!” Shannen’s lighthearted mood evaporated. She met Lauren’s eyes and held up her hand, her two fingers crossed for good luck.
Lauren bit her lip and looked away.
As always, the votes against each contestant were announced by Bobby with melodramatic flair.
“Cortnee.” He held up a card and read the name.
From her position behind the camera, Shannen saw the voting cards for the first time. She recognized Lauren’s handwriting immediately.
“Lauren,” read Bobby, and Shannen thought the penmanship on that card looked girlishly embellished. The way Cortnee might write?
“I think the two girls just canceled out each other’s votes,” she whispered to Ty, who made no comment. “They should’ve stuck together.”
“Rico,” Bobby’s voice boomed, and he held up a card with printing so atrocious, Shannen guessed it to be Konrad’s. He’d often boasted of his school failures, and perhaps printing was one of them.
All in the Game Page 14
