Heat Wave (17 page)

The camera crew who followed him quickly spread out to capture the tableau, as Tanner asked, ‘What's all this, Miss Callie?'

She rose gracefully from the cushion where she knelt, and bowed deeply to him. ‘
Konbanwa
.'

‘Uh … okay.' He flushed a little.

Callie laughed gently and snaked her slender arm around his waist, drawing him forward. ‘It's Japanese! I know you've always wanted to go to Japan, and although I couldn't fly us there and back today, I thought I could create a piece of the Land of the Rising Sun right here for you.'

She sank to a cushion on the floor as he did the same. She laid out their evening plans, allowing her fingers to rest lightly on his wrist. ‘So, we're starting with a tea ceremony, then I've organised some authentic Japanese cuisine for us, and later, we've got a selection of romantic films from Japan to watch on the screen above us, so we can just lie back and enjoy.'

She pointed to the white sheet above their heads, and then behind them where a projector was angled and ready to play.

Greg murmured behind us, ‘I'll be right back.'

‘Fine, bye.' I couldn't look away from the scene before me, waiting for Tanner to react, hoping he'd snort and deny any interest in Japan.

But clearly, Callie's research was sound. He beamed widely and began to speak rapidly. ‘That's incredible—how did you know? Hell, yeah, I've always wanted to visit Japan! This is just the sweetest thing … Wow. Just wow. Thank you, Callie.'

How did I not know about this?
I wondered hopelessly. All day, I'd been discovering how much I didn't know about the man I loved; it was starting to wear me down.

Callie smiled serenely. ‘You're welcome.' As she poured tea, she asked, ‘So, what is it about Japan you're so drawn to?'

‘I don't know. The culture is a part of it; where I'm from, we don't spend much time becoming culturally enlightened.' He laughed. ‘I just appreciate the elegance, you know? Plus, the skiing is meant to be somethin' special. I learned to snowboard a few years ago, and now I'm making a list of all the best mountains around the world to shred.'

Callie used one hand to lift the sleeve of her kimono, and with the other she began to pour tea. The inside of her elbow was exposed, and somehow, it seemed incredibly intimate. ‘Japan is gorgeous. I spent a summer there a few years ago, but I never got to the mountains. I'd love to learn how to board someday—any tips?'

Tanner brightened, diving into a topic he obviously loved. ‘Hey, sure. It's actually really easy. It's all about balance …'

As he began to regale an enamoured Callie with snowboarding specifics, a silent server pushed a trolley up and left it next to Sumara and me. She elbowed me and reached for the lid over the platter. ‘Come on, let's see what we're working with.'

Needing the distraction for the sake of my heart, I turned my attention to the massive dish laden with tiny pieces of sushi. Sumara frowned. ‘Well, we could spit on it or something?'

Callie's laugh rang over the deck, and I flinched, glancing across to see Tanner smiling and relaxed.
I wish I could send you a message, tell you how awful she really is,
I thought.
Maybe I can …

Swiftly, I began to arrange the sushi into letters. Sumara caught on quickly and began to help. It amazed me that someone who looked like a sweet fairy could giggle so wickedly.

‘Are you hungry?' Callie said, rising just as we finished and concealed ourselves again. ‘Our meal is here. I gave the kitchen some really specific instructions about food preparations, and I checked with them before to make sure everything was perfect.'

She wheeled the trolley over to him, taking tiny steps like a geisha girl. ‘Presentation is everything when it comes to Japanese cuisine; how something looks is just as important as how it tastes.'

Sumara and I held our breath as Callie whipped the cover off the food with arrogance. ‘
Itadakimasu!
'

Tanner's face bore an expression of delight that quickly turned to confusion. ‘Uh … Callie? What does this mean?'

Even from our covert location, we could clearly read the words on the platter, spelled out in beautiful sushi lettering.
I am a fake bitch.

For the first time, I saw Callie's veneer crack in front of Tanner as a look of sheer fury crossed her face, twisting and distorting her features. ‘Did you see that?' I hissed at Sumara.

She saw it, but Tanner didn't; his head was still down studying the sushi tray. By the time he looked up, Callie had arranged her expression back into a mask of wounded innocence. ‘Oh gosh! Tanner, I'm so sorry; I have no idea what happened in the kitchen, but this isn't what I asked for.'

‘Someone wrote this about you? Why?'

She sank back to the cushions and dropped her head into her hands in despair. ‘I guess it's because I'm not exactly a girl's girl. I didn't want to tell you, because you've got enough to deal with, but I'm being bullied by some of the other contestants.'

And with that, she'd snared him with a lasso made stronger by his own sense of justice and defence of the weak. ‘What? Who?'

‘I don't want to say …' She rolled her lined eyes skyward, as if fighting an internal battle with her conscience. ‘I can handle it, I promise. Please, Tanner, don't make a fuss.'

‘Oh, darlin', this isn't right.' He dropped an arm over her shoulder and tried to comfort her non-existent pain. ‘Are you sure I can't help? Let me look after you. No one should feel victimised here for any reason.'

‘You're so sweet. Thank you, Tanner.'

She leaned her head into his chest, and I threw up a little in my mouth.

‘I'm back!' Greg returned, grinned like a fiend. ‘How's it going?'

‘Shit.' Our epic sushi fail had both Sumara and I pulling dejected faces.

He handed me a DVD case. ‘Well, never mind because I've brought you a special present for movie night.'

I looked down at the cover and gasped. ‘Greg! Where the hell did you get this?'

‘It's not mine, I swear!' He protested his innocence to Sumara, then said, ‘I know a guy who has a collection, and anyway, all you need to do is get it in the player over there, and you'll be set.'

I shrugged. ‘What the hell? Why not?'

Tanner and Callie had begun to eat, scattering the insulting message across the platter. With their attention on the food, I commando-crawled over to the DVD player connected to the projector.

Staying as low as I could, I ejected the pre-set disc and inserted Greg's, feeling a sense of bitter satisfaction.
Let's see you explain this one away, skank …

‘I think I'll pop the movie on now,' I heard Callie say. ‘It's been a long day, and it'll be nice to just relax and watch something romantic, don't you think?'

Shit!
There was about ten feet of exposed deck between where I crouched and the bamboo cover. Frantically, I looked around for another place to hide. To my left was one of the fat support poles the screen was strung between. It was black and so was I, mostly; it would have to do.

Scampering, I reached the pole and flattened myself to its cool surface. It wasn't wide enough to hide me completely, but if I stayed still, I might just get away with it.

Callie didn't so much as glance at me as she strolled over and hit play. ‘I've heard this is such a beautiful film, Tanner. It's actually a bit like our story, to be honest.'

My cowboy stacked a few cushions behind his head and lounged back with his arms behind his neck. ‘Can't wait.'

Callie scooted in beside him, snuggling up. He didn't move a muscle, didn't encourage her, but neither did he throw her off him the way I wanted him too.

Peeping my hooded head around the side of the pole, I gazed up at the temporary screen wafting gently in the night air. The projection faded on, Japanese subtitles scrawling over the screen.

Then, without any lead in or warning, a Japanime girl appeared, tied to a table with her legs splayed wide and her animated lady parts on display. A revolting green monster approached her, and extended a slimy tentacle under her tiny skirt. This didn't seem to faze the girl, who began to talk in rapid-fire Japanese, which the subtitles translated as, ‘
Oh, monster, no one can sex me like you do …
'

My work here is done.
It was my second encounter with truly revolting pornography within a week, but at least this time I'd been able to use it to my advantage. Now, to retreat and watch the fallout. No one had spoken yet, but I was betting on fireworks and I wanted a good view.

I took a step forward, and that was as far as I got. Something was holding me tight. Looking back, I saw my hood had slipped from my head and was entangled with the ties anchoring the screen to the pole.
No!

Twisting around, I pulled at the material, panicked. I couldn't believe it had intertwined itself so tightly with the thick cords from the screen, and the more I tugged, the more it tightened.

Meanwhile, the porno played on, sweet feminine groans filling the air. Callie's voice soon joined them, high and furious. ‘What is this filth? This isn't the movie I organised! Who did this? What the hell is wrong with these people?'

She stood up and stomped her little feet, seething. Only seconds from discovery, I wrenched my arm as hard as I could away from the pole, but the matted cords didn't give an inch.

Realising I needed another plan, I followed the cords back to where they lay knotted securely against a hook lower on the side of the pole. I unlaced them as fast as my fingers could fly, as I heard Tanner say, ‘It's okay, darlin', I'll just go turn it off, alright?'

His familiar footsteps sounded beside me as he approached the projector.
No! Don't let me be found like this!
Loosening the final knot, I pulled on the taut cords, and the slack I'd created allowed me to yank my hood free.

But before I could reknot the cords, they slipped through my fingers.

Like a slow-mo action scene, everything decelerated to an excruciating crawl. The cords slithered skyward out of their anchorage points and free into the night air. With nothing to support it, the screen flopped loose, but the white sail was much thicker than it had appeared and the weight of one corner falling pulled the other three forward too. The screen heavily blanketed the table, the lanterns, and a stunned Callie, and three solid poles tilted and fell on top of the mess, missing her stupid head, but pinning everything down.

She shrieked, flailing under the weight of the screen, trying to find her way out, impeded by the poles. Only a few feet from where she stood, the sail began to blacken and smoulder.
The lanterns!

‘
Fire!'
yelled Tanner, diving towards the screen and underneath just as the material burst into flames. An alarm sounded somewhere along the deck and people shouted in panic.

‘Tanner …' My heart froze as I helplessly watched the two figures moving under the burning sheet. The flames spread with an alarming ferocity, wicking high and hot. The world ground to a halt as everyone watched, waiting.

‘I've got her!' Just as the fire reached the final corner, Callie and Tanner emerged, coughing.

She clung to him like a poisonous vine, her eyes darting around, looking for someone to blame. ‘Who did this?' she screamed.

And, as though every head in the area was magnified, all faces swivelled in my direction, where I stood next to the standing pole, guilty as sin.

I couldn't have cared less about the cameras pointed at me, or the murderous intent in Callie's eyes, but the way Tanner shook his head in disappointment made my aching heart bleed inside my chest.

***

‘So, tell us how you're feeling this morning.' Greg adjusted the lens as I sat in a high-backed chair on a golden beach the next day.

‘Pretty goddamn awful, Greg.' I was glad he'd been assigned to conduct my pre-date interview, but I still didn't feel like doing a monkey dance for the camera.

‘Hobo,
I
know that. Tell the viewers. Are you excited about your date today?'

‘What's the point?' I shoved out of my chair, antsy, and began to pace on the soft sand. ‘Talking to viewers who probably hate me—God knows I'd hate me if I saw someone like me on a show like this. And as for my date …' I blinked back tears, unwilling to ruin Mama Ruby's pretty makeup job. ‘I don't even know if he'll come.'

Greg lowered his camera, a sympathetic look on his face. He'd stood beside me as I'd watched Tanner leave with the singed Callie, while the safety officer chewed me out for starting a fire. ‘Now, more than ever, you need the producers to like you, because if they like you, they'll edit you well and the people will love you. And if the people love you, you have a shot in hell of getting out of this with a reputation that won't get you blacklisted from every set ever. So, suck it up, princess, and tell me about your date.'

‘Fine!' I pressed my face into an expression of fake enthusiasm. ‘I'm super-excited about my date today, because yesterday, I let my jealousy get in the way and drive me into doing a bunch of really stupid shit, so I can't wait for Tanner to show up so I can apologise for becoming everything I hate about people on reality TV shows. How's that?'

Greg gave up. ‘Let's leave it, shall we?'

‘Let's …' I slumped back into the director's chair, my chin angled towards the beach road we'd travelled in on, looking for any sign of Tanner.
This was supposed to be such a great day …

I'd planned the date to coincide with our next shore excursion; the ship had docked on a small island, and we had the beach on the far shore reserved for my purposes. Of course, it all depended on Tanner actually showing up.

‘He's not coming,' I said, dropping my head into my hands, my low ponytail curling around my neck.