The rest of the questions went along those lines. The jury tore into our game play and tried to pick us apart. Leslie made some cruel, nasty comments that left Alys teary, and me irritated. Kip asked some long, annoying question about dating and reality and how both Alys and I were losers. I dismissed it. Sour grapes. Saul was a dick and a chauvinist. Emilio wanted to know who we regretted kicking out of the game. Alys said Saul.
I said no one, because it had to be done.
I mean, I regretted the loss of Jendan, but that was purely emotional, and those emotions had no place in the game itself. I knew that if he was still in the game, things might not have gone as well as they did.
Still, when Jendan stood to ask his questions, I got a nervous flutter in my stomach. I wrapped my arms around my waist and leaned in, hugging myself as he walked to the center of the small stage. Then he turned and looked at Alys and me. “Ladies.”
“Hi,” we said, our voices weak.
“Alys, I just want you to name a big move that you did in this game.”
She thought for a moment, then answered, “I voted with the women.”
Jendan shook his head, and his voice was sterner than I’d ever heard it. “That wasn’t your move, though, was it? That was Annabelle’s move. It sounds like she was the one that orchestrated the women voting together. Is that correct?”
“We all had a say in it—“
“But it was Annabelle that pulled it together, right? You just went along with it?”
“I guess so, yes,” she snapped, annoyed.
“Thank you.” He turned those heavenly gray eyes on me. “Annabelle.”
“Hi,” I murmured again, inwardly wincing at the husky note in my voice. God, could I be more obvious how I felt about him?
But Jendan was all business. “It’s obvious that you’re a methodical thinker, Annabelle. I just have a quick question for you. When did you find Pandora’s Box?”
That…wasn’t what I was expecting. What did he want to hear? I bit my lip, and then answered truthfully. “The first week we got on the island.”
“And you didn’t tell anyone?”
“No.”
“And did we know each other at that point?”
Ouch. I sighed. “We did. But it didn’t change anything. I wanted that to get rid of Kip. It was just misfortune that you ended up as my partner.”
“Misfortune, huh?”
God, my choice of words was going to come back and haunt me, wasn’t it? “Yeah. Sorry.”
He nodded. “Thank you.”
Then Rusty was up, and he smiled at us. “Just wanted to know who you ladies thought was the biggest threat out of all of us on the jury.”
The kiss-ass question. Of course.
Alys answered first. “Kip, I think. He was the guy we had to get rid of first, because he was leading the other men.”
That was a perfectly fine answer with me, since I knew I’d never get Kip’s vote in a million years. “Kissy,” I said, and didn’t miss the pleased look on her face - or her husband’s. “Because she always gave two hundred percent and she did a hell of a lot better than anyone expected.”
“Thank you,” Rusty said, and sat down.
Then, it was time for the vote.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Vote was a no-brainer. I mean, come on. Who else would I ever vote for? She deserves the money.” — Jendan Abercrombie, Jury Member, Endurance Island: Power Players
“That’s a wrap,” someone said once the last person to vote had exited the booth. “Save the rest for the finale.”
“Thank fucking god,” Chip said, yawning. “I want a Long Island and a back-rub, in that order.” He stepped away from his podium and didn’t look back. “Was it just me, or was this season longer than fucking ever?”
“Not longer, sir,” a production assistant said as she trotted behind him, holding the box of slates that contained the votes.
“Fucking feels it,” Chip said as he headed down the path.
We were left with just me and Alys sitting in front of the jury. A long, tense moment passed, and I’m pretty sure no one knew what to do.
“Okay, guys,” said a familiar voice, and I looked up to see the head of production. She’d been a familiar face during filming. Even as she moved to the center of the stage area, someone doused the fire and the men began to break their camera tripods down for the night. “Since you’re all returning players, you know the drill. You signed a non-disclosure so you can’t reveal who you voted for until finale night in about six months.” She waved to the jury members. “You guys file out over there. These two need to go to medical and get checked out before they can head back to the loser lodge.”
The jury hesitated, then began to shuffle out, heading down the path and talking quietly amongst each other. Alys and I watched them leave, and then the production head turned to look at us.
“All right, off you two go to medical to make sure you’re not dehydrated.” She waved her clipboard at us.
Two hours, several vein-pokings, and a bevy of medical tests later, we were released back to the loser lodge for our last evening of the ‘game.’ Tomorrow, we’d be on flights back home. Maybe I should have felt nostalgic that our time in Fiji was coming to an end, or mentally tabulating votes to see if I was the million dollar winner.
Instead, I kept finger-combing my hair and wondering what Jendan would say when he saw me.
I’d lost nearly fifteen pounds while playing the game. It didn’t seem like too much, but considering I’d lost it all from my tits and my ass and I hadn’t used soap or a toothbrush in six weeks? I was feeling pretty gross and unsexy. Combine that with the grilling we’d gotten from the jury, and I felt pretty low overall. Jendan hadn’t met me when I had my makeup on and a sexy dress. All he’d ever seen was grubby, unwashed, sand-covered Annabelle.
And she’d been a betraying asshole. So why on earth would I think that he’d ever be attracted to me? I must have been crazy. It had just been a game. We’d been caught up in the moment and caught up in what we couldn’t have. Now that we were about to head back to the real world, it’d all be over.
But at least I was a little wiser about things now, and I didn’t assume they were reality just because the show was called ‘reality TV.’
Someone offered me a bathrobe to wear, and I suddenly realized, for the first time in six weeks, that I was naked and surrounded by people with clothing on. While in the game, I’d compartmentalized it and put the thought of nudity aside, but now that the game was officially over? It felt…weird. Despite the grime of my body, I tucked the robe close around my body and pulled my palm frond clothing out from underneath when all my girl bits were sheltered once more.
“All right,” the nurse told me. “You two are cleared to head into the lodge. I’m told they’re serving ice cream sundaes tonight, so you should probably go claim a couple of bowls.”
“Ice cream?” I whispered, my mouth flooding with saliva.
“God, I hope it’s not coconut flavored,” Alys said, clutching the sleeve of my bathrobe. “Let’s go.”
We linked arms and headed for the main kitchen area of the loser lodge. Even before we entered the room, we could hear the happy murmur of multiple voices. Alys hesitated, and I pushed the door open.
A chorus of cheers met us.
Surprised, I looked around. I knew the ‘loser lodge’ was just what the crew called the hotel they rented out for the show. Most of the time, the cast and some of the jury tended to hang out in the restaurant or bar area, near drinks and food. This place had a bar and lots of tables were set up, all of them filled with people. Most of the celebrating people were the crew themselves - Chip’s makeup artists, production assistants, camera-men, the challenge assistants - all were there and enjoying the wrap with bowls of ice cream. They were pleased to see us, at least. In the far corner of the room, I saw a booth filled with familiar faces - several of the Endurance Island contestants. Saul, Leslie, Emilio, and of cours
e, Kip.
Bitter, party of four.
That was okay - I didn’t care about talking to those four ever again. Actually, I could cheerfully leave the island and if I never talked to anyone except Jendan again, I’d be okay with that.
I looked around the room. No Jendan. Maybe he’d gone to bed early? It was late, the filming for Judgment happening at night (it made things more dramatic). Plus after spending two hours in medical, the night was no longer young.
“There you are,” Kissy’s voice said, and she and Rusty came up and gave me and Alys hugs. “You two are so skinny!” As she hugged me, she patted me on the back. “And you smell terrible.”
“Six weeks on the island will do that to you,” I said wryly, and while Alys chatted away to Rusty, I squeezed Kissy’s hand. “No hard feelings?”
“Oh, I’m upset I didn’t get the million,” she said with a big, gap-toothed smile. “But they told me there’s an All-Star edition of something or other next year and they want me and Rusty for it, so we’re good.” She gave me a wink. “Apparently these two old coots are feistier than they thought.”
“That’s awesome,” I told her sincerely. “I really meant it, by the way. If you’d have gone to the end, Alys and I would have been toast.”
“Which is flattering as heck,” she told me. “Now, you two skinny minnies, go get yourselves some ice cream!”
Laughing, I headed toward the ice cream serving table. Everything looked incredible. There were big tubs of ice cream - chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry - and every topping imaginable. Bowls of chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, cherries, nuts, syrup, and cookie crumbles dotted the table. A man stood behind it with an ice cream scoop and picked up a bowl. “What do you want?”
“Um…one of everything?”
“You got it,” he said, dropping a scoop of each flavor into my bowl and then shoveling the works on it. I watched, stomach growling, as the mountain of food grew higher, and then he grabbed a can of whipped cream and began to shake it, making a swirl on top. By the time the swirl was done, I was pretty sure I was going to have an orgasm just from staring at that ice cream monstrosity.
My hands trembled as I reached for the bowl, only to have my hopes crushed when someone swooped in and grabbed it away before I could touch it.
I looked up in shock…into a pair of laughing gray eyes.
Jendan.
“I’d give that back if I were you,” I said in a shaky voice. “If I harmed you for snatching a starving girl’s ice cream sundae, no jury would convict me.”
“I had to think of a way to get your attention. I’ve been trying to flag you down from across the room for the past five minutes.” He handed the bowl to me.
“Oh? You have?” I clutched the bowl to my chest stupidly. God, he looked good. He even smelled good. Over the overwhelming sweet scent of the ice cream in my hands, I caught a hint of aftershave. How was it possible that he smelled better than my food?
“Yeah, I saved a seat for you at the bar. Want to come sit and eat?” He gestured at it behind him. “I figured we could finally sit and talk. I think we’re overdue for one.”
“Probably,” I said softly, then looked around for Alys. She was off at the ice cream table, chatting animatedly with Kissy and Rusty, and Saul had approached to give her a big bear-hug. She’d be fine.
I turned toward the bar, and Jendan’s hand went to the small of my back, steering me. Just that soft, confident touch was enough to make my knees weak.
Man, I wished he’d greeted me with a kiss.
Man, I wished I’d brushed my teeth in the last six weeks. Maybe that was why we hadn’t kissed.
Running my tongue over my choppers, I sat down at the barstool he’d saved for me and was pleased when he sat down right next to me.
“What do you want?” Jendan asked, looking at me with those sharp gray eyes. “The bar’s an open one for anyone on the show.”
“Um…chocolate milk?” The look he gave me was so odd that I blushed. “I know, it’s stupid, but I’ve been fantasizing about chocolate milk instead of beer.”
He gave his head a small shake, but motioned for the bartender to come over. “A chocolate milk for my friend here.” When the bartender disappeared to fill my order, Jendan looked at me again. “You’re not eating?”
I considered the bowl of inevitable lactose intolerance in front of me, then decided I didn’t care if it made me sick. I shoveled a big spoonful into my mouth, then closed my eyes, savoring it. God, that was good.
“You look skinny,” Jendan told me. “And dirty. And you smell.”
“You prince charming, you,” I said between gulping bites of my food. “And here I was feeling guilty for voting you off.”
“Were you really, though?”
I thought for a moment, my mouth full of ice cream. Then, I swallowed and shook my head. “Not really. You had to go if I was going to win the million.”
He laughed. Threw back his head and laughed. “I’m glad it wasn’t personal.”
An enormous glass of chocolate milk was set in front of me, and I put my bowl down and clutched it with both hands, suddenly greedy for it. “None of it was personal.” I gulped down the milk and then added, “Well, except for Kip. That was personal. But I’d kind of planned on getting him out on day one, which was why it pissed me off when they did the partner switch and you got stuck with me. I didn’t want to have to use it on you.”
“I knew.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. I mean, when I was first voted off, I was a little mystified at how you could turn on me. But then a few things clicked into place. Like how come you looked as if you’d been sucking lemons when we got the partner switch. You did not look happy at all, and I couldn’t figure it out.”
I blushed. “I was happy about some aspects. A little too happy. And that was another problem.”
He just grinned.
I licked my spoon clean and then smacked him on the arm with it. “So what’s with the poker face at every Judgment? I thought you were furious at me!”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “Thought I’d make you sweat a little for voting me out.”
“Evil,” I said with a shake of my head. “You are pure evil, Jendan Abercrombie.”
He leaned forward, a bit closer to me. “And you, Annabelle Tucker, have a milk mustache.”
I put a hand to my mouth, giving it a bit of a wipe. “Sorry.”
“Here, let me get that for you,” he murmured, and then leaned in.
His mouth grazed mine.
His tongue slid across my parted lips.
Stunned, I sat there and clutched my chocolate milk, staring at him.
He kissed my upper lip again, slowly, thoughtfully, and warmth began to spread through my limbs.
“Y-you’re not mad at me?”
“I’m trying to kiss you,” he murmured against my mouth. “That’s not what mad people usually do.”
“But you said I smell—“
“You do.” He pulled back a little and his gray eyes were twinkling, and oh, there were crinkles at the edges of his eyes that made my girl parts do flips. “I’m not going to lie, you smell pretty rank.”
“Then why kiss me?”
“Because I’ve wanted to for weeks and it’s made me crazy anticipating it?”
I licked my lips, wondering if I could still taste his mouth on mine. “How…how was it?”
He reached out and cupped my face. “Sweet. Like you.”
“Not…stinky?” I huffed a breath on my wrist and then sniffed it.
“Don’t worry. You can have a shower before we go to bed.” His eyes grew dark as he adjusted the collar of my bathrobe, sliding it shut where it gaped. “Together.”
Jiminy cricket. I crossed my legs so my sex would stop throbbing, and just stared at his mouth. God, he had a pretty mouth. All smiling and wonderful with beautiful teeth—
Jendan leaned in. “The faster you eat, the faster we can get to bed.”
I shoveled more ice cream into my mouth.
~~ *** ~~
It turned out that we didn’t get to bed anytime soon after that. The cast party went on for hours, and when someone decided they wanted late night fajitas, both Alys and I wolfed down every serving they put in front of us. We were starving, and everyone was content to sit by and let us eat while they picked at all the delicious food laid out for the cast and crew. Jendan nursed a beer or two and kept a hand at the waist of my bathrobe, letting everyone know I was taken.
God, it was a great feeling.
My eyelids began to close as exhaustion set in, and I nodded off once or twice mid-conversation, only to jerk awake again a moment later. Jendan retrieved me from face-planting into someone’s plate a moment later. “Annabelle’s tired. She needs to head to bed.”
We said our goodbyes, though it was mostly a blur to me. I struggled to stay awake, pinching my arms and widening my eyes to try and wake my body up. I couldn’t be tired. This was my last night on the island. I wanted to spend it talking to Jendan and then seeing if he was interested in kissing me more.
And then maybe doing more than kissing.
But I couldn’t stop yawning. By the time Jendan steered me to my room, I was too sleepy to appreciate the fact that my bag of clothing was in one corner. “A bed,” I said between yawns. “Look at that. A big fluffy bed.”
“I hear they have one of those in every room,” he teased.
“Oh God, a bed. I can’t wait to climb into it,” I said, running a hand across the crisp white duvet.
Jendan tugged me away from it. “You should shower first. You don’t want to get it all dirty.”
“Oh, that’s right.” I sniffed my arm. Couldn’t smell anything. After so many days of living in my own stink, I could no longer sense it. But judging from other people’s reactions, I was pretty sure I reeked. Okay, shower first. I stripped off my robe and tossed it to the floor, heading into the bathroom…and then paused. Should I have been concerned about stripping down in front of Jendan? I hadn’t given it a second thought. I’d been naked in the game for the last six weeks.
But…we weren’t in the game any longer.