“It’s fine, I’m happy to help.” Roman cast a small smile at her and Avery turned. She stumbled, tripping over a root in the ground, and Roman caught her at the waist, steadying her. “Careful, we don’t need another twisted ankle.”
“Right, right. Sorry. I’m sure you’ve had your fill of injuries,” Avery said, heat lacing her cheeks. She wanted to duck her head in the sand like an ostrich, but instead she took a deep breath and moved carefully to the other tree to untie the other side of the hammock.
Smooth, Avery, real smooth, she thought. Then she caught Cherylynn looking between the two of them, a small smile on her face. “How’s that head of yours, Cherylynn?”
“It feels like someone took a hammer to my temple. I’ll be right as rain after a bloody Mary and two coffees. Oh, and maybe a shower. We got time for that today, Roman?”
“After the events of last night? Yeah, we have time for that today. We’ll film an elimination ceremony tonight, but once we’re back at the villa, I think everyone needs a few hours to recoup.”
“Have I told you you’re my hero?” Cherylynn purred.
“A few times. But don’t stop.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. Has anyone ever told you that you’re quite the catch?” Cherylynn continued, twirling her hair around a finger.
Avery felt annoyance spike her gut. Why was she flirting with Roman? Wasn’t she supposed to be making a play for Beckett?
“I can name quite a few women who would beg to differ.” Roman grinned, looking like he was enjoying the flirtation – much to Avery’s annoyance.
“How many women? Tell me, Roman, do you have a torrid past? You seem like you might, being a world-weary traveler and all. Maybe you just haven’t met the right woman yet,” Cherylynn cooed at him.
Avery found her hand itching to smack her. Surprised at the impulse, she bent to her pack, carefully folding the hammock into the smallest ball possible. What was wrong with her? She was not someone who would ever default to violence.
“Maybe I haven’t,” Roman agreed. “Most women try to change me. They think I’ll give up traveling and settle down to make babies and work an office job.”
“You can’t cage the stallion,” Cherylynn nodded. “They work better when they’re allowed to roam free.”
“I’m not quite sure I get that analogy, but yes, I’m not built for that type of lifestyle. Maybe someday I’ll find a woman who understands that.”
“I like to travel,” Cherylynn said.
“Cherylynn, would you stop getting this man all flustered and get to walking? I want a shower and some coffee,” Lisette cut in.
Avery could have hugged her.
“Fine, fine. Let’s go,” Cherylynn laughed.
“I wasn’t flustered,” Roman said. “I don’t mind when pretty women flirt with me.”
“Duly noted.” Looking over her shoulder, Cherylynn sent him as sultry a look as she could manage for being hungover and covered in sand and grit.
Chapter 24
“Just what was it you think you were doing back there?” Avery demanded once she and Cherylynn were back in their room. Both women had showered and had a cup of coffee, and Avery’d had time to stew on Cherylynn’s flirting with Roman.
“You’re going to need to clarify, hon. I’m too tired to play guessing games,” Cherylynn said, her voice seeming extra sweet to Avery. Avery narrowed her eyes at her friend, who lounged on the bed, her feet kicked up and an arm thrown over her face.
“You know what I mean.”
“I most certainly do not.”
“Yes, you do. The flirting,” Avery said, now annoyed with herself for being annoyed. Why couldn’t she just let it go? What did it even matter?
“What? With the paramedics? They were cute. So what?”
“Not the paramedics.” Avery breathed through her nose, wanting to scream.
“You’ll need to be more specific, then. I flirt with everyone.”
“You know what I am talking about.”
“Avery, just spit it out.” Cherylynn sighed and took the arm away from her face, rolling to look at Avery. “I can’t possibly guess at what’s bothering you if you don’t use your words.”
“With Roman!” Avery exploded.
Cherylynn sat up, jabbing her finger in the air at Avery. “Aha! I knew it! I knew you liked him!”
Avery’s mouth dropped open. “I most definitely do not like him,” she said, glaring at Cherylynn.
“Then why are you bothered that I flirted with him?”
“Because we’re supposed to be flirting with Beckett,” Avery said, smoothing the sheet on her bed and ignoring Cherylynn’s knowing look.
“I flirt with him too,” Cherylynn offered.
“I doubt that flirting with the producer of the show is going to put you in the running to win,” Avery said.
“And I think you like Roman and you’re not admitting it to me.”
“I do not like Roman. The man is infuriating,” Avery scoffed, looking away from Cherylynn. Getting up, she crossed the room and looked out over the water.
“Yeah, well, that’s how you know you like someone,” Cherylynn said.
“No. That’s how you know you don’t like someone,” Avery clarified, turning and crossing her arms to look at Cherylynn. “Listen, he annoys me, okay? He asks all these questions and is pushy with me. I don’t like it. That’s all. And I don’t think you should flirt with him when you’re supposed to be wooing another man.”
“And I think you’re lying to yourself. I flirted with him on purpose because I wanted to see your reaction. And now you’re trying to sell both of us on some B.S.”
“I’m not lying to myself. I just don’t like him. And he’s not a good match for you.”
“I know that. But he could be a good one-night stand.”
“Ugh! You’re impossible. You can’t just hook up with a producer on a dating show!” Avery fumed.
“Can’t I?”
“But… seriously, are you saying you like him?”
Cherylynn sighed and pinched her nose.
“No, Avery. I’m saying you like him and you’re clearly lying to yourself and to me. Which is fine – I’m not going to force you to admit feelings that you aren’t ready to acknowledge. But when you’re ready to talk about it, I’m here for you, okay?”
“I don’t need… I don’t… it’s not…”
Avery felt her emotions well up inside and she didn’t know what to think. A knock at their door prevented her from speaking further.
“Interview time, Avery.” An intern nodded to Cherylynn and added, “You’re up after her.”
“Now? I was told we’d have the day to relax,” Avery exclaimed, looking down at the swimsuit and loose coverup she’d pulled on after her shower. Her hair rained down in wet ringlets around her head and she hadn’t put a drop of makeup on. Not to mention the fact that she couldn’t bring herself to face Roman right now – not after what Cherylynn had just said.
“You do, after your interviews. It won’t take long.” The intern looked at his watch. “But you need to come down now. Cherylynn, come down in twenty minutes, please.”
“Yes, sir.” Cherylynn nodded and then turned to look at Avery after he’d left the doorway. “Good luck.”
“I can’t believe you put this in my head.”
“Hon, it was already in your head or you wouldn’t be madder than a cat that fell in a bathtub right now.”
Throwing her hands up, Avery left the room, not even bothering to look in the mirror first. It wasn’t like this show was going to portray her at her best, anyway. She stomped down the deathtrap staircase and entered the side room where they’d set up the interview space for both interviews and confessionals. She’d seen more than one woman go in there and blab away to the camera, presumably doing a confession, though the very idea made Avery cringe.
“You didn’t mention we’d be doing interviews today,” Avery said, plopping into the seat across from Ro
man and glaring at him. He looked great, much to her annoyance, fresh from the shower with a clean shirt pulled tight over his muscles.
“It’s part of the gig, Avery. We’ve discussed this. These little interviews will serve as narration through the show. I know they aren’t your favorite, but it’s part of the deal,” Roman said, patient as ever, as the cameramen adjusted their lights and got ready.
“Fine, let’s make it quick then,” Avery said, glancing down at her outfit. “I wasn’t prepared to be on camera.”
“You’re always on camera here. Best not to forget that. Plus, you look great. Don’t fuss too much.”
With her list of complaints exhausted, Avery waited miserably for the questions he would fire at her. When the cameraman signaled the go-ahead, he began.
“Avery, can you tell us how you knew how to handle Sara’s ankle injury? What was going through your head when she fell?”
“I was worried she was hurt very seriously,” Avery said, crossing her legs and looking at Roman. “And I was glad to see that she wasn’t bleeding and didn’t have any more serious injuries.”
“And how did you know how to help her?”
“It’s just a sprained ankle. I took an emergency first responder course, so I knew what to do.” Avery shrugged.
“Why did you take a course like that? Was it required for your work?” Roman asked.
“Because I think it’s good to be prepared.” Avery shrugged a shoulder. There was no way in hell she’d talk about her accident on television. That fear was hers, and hers alone, to relive. It wasn’t something to be brought out and examined in front of millions of people. “What I don’t like is when people say they’ll help and then they don’t.”
“Please elaborate,” Roman said, his eyes steady on hers.
“Beckett was there. It was nice of him to help carry Sara to the top of the cliff, but then we never saw him again. He claimed he was going for help, but he never came back.” Avery had almost decided to throw production under the bus as well, for not assisting a cast member, but decided against it. She already suspected she was not going to come across all that great during these interviews anyway.
“Did you need him to come back? Were you hoping for a knight in shining armor?”
“I can be my own knight in shining armor, thank you very much.” Avery tossed her head, lifting her chin up and staring Roman dead in the eyes. “But what I don’t like is when someone says they’ll do something and then doesn’t follow through.”
“Has that happened to you in the past?”
“Hasn’t it happened to everyone?” Avery rolled her eyes.
“With a boyfriend?” Roman prodded.
“Yes, Roman, I’ve had men let me down in my life before. Much like every woman out there ever. It’s a part of life. It’s a part of learning. You learn to trust your instincts about people, and who you can rely upon and who you can’t.”
“Do you think all men are unreliable?”
“No, of course not. I just said you learn to trust your instincts,” Avery scoffed. “And frankly, just because a man was unreliable with you doesn’t mean he won’t learn to be different, or can’t be reliable with the next person. Don’t make me out to be some bitter and jaded man-hater. I’m not.”
“I wasn’t trying to do that.”
“That seems like where the line of questioning was going. And I won’t be led down that route. I’ve met just as many great men in my life as I’ve met bad ones. And if you edit this to make it look like I have a chip on my shoulder about men, I’ll sue you.”
“Um, I don’t think you can do that.” Roman smiled at her. “But it is noted.”
“Why can’t I sue you? If you hurt my reputation?” Avery demanded.
“Avery…” Roman pinched his nose and motioned for the cameramen to cut filming. “I’m not going to edit you to look like a manhater. And you can’t sue, it’s part of the terms of your contract. You agreed to be edited however we see fit. That’s the nature of the game.”
“Well, it’s stupid,” Avery said, pushing her lip out.
“Fine, it may be stupid. But again, why are you here? You’re the only woman in this group who gives me this much trouble.”
“How am I giving you trouble? I’m just speaking my mind, and I won’t be backed into a corner.”
“It’s not backing you into a corner to ask you about your life. How am I – I mean how are the viewers supposed to get to know you?” Roman said, his face flashing with an emotion that Avery couldn’t quite read.
“I’m sorry, I’m being a bitch.” Avery sighed and ran her hands over her face. “I’m tired and I’m being cranky again.”
“Did you eat?” Roman asked.
“No. I was going to, but I got called in to interview.”
“Okay. Making a note that I should only interview you after you’ve been well-fed.”
Despite herself, Avery grinned.
“Don’t you know that about women yet? We get cranky when we’re hungry.”
“Yes, so it seems. We’ll pick up this interview later. Go feed yourself.”
“I plan to. Sorry for my abrasiveness,” Avery said. She stood at the same time Roman did. They paused, a mere six inches between them, and Avery caught her breath as she looked up into Roman’s eyes. She wanted to ask him, again, if he had seen the mermaid last night or if she was slowly going crazy. But it was out of the question – not when the cameras were watching. The experience had been so breathtakingly beautiful that Avery wanted to hold it close to her heart, not take it out and pick it apart for its veracity.
“No problem. I’ll remember this for the future,” Roman said, clearing his throat and stepping back to let her pass. She brushed past him, feeling the warmth of his nearness, and paused at the door where Cherylynn stood.
“Feeling any better?” Cherylynn asked.
“Nope. I’m going to make a burrito and read my book,” Avery said.
“That sounds like the perfect cure.” Cherylynn patted her on the shoulder. “Oh, hi there, handsome…”
“I swear to god, Cherylynn,” Avery hissed, and stormed away when Cherylynn threw back her head and laughed.
To hell with them both, Avery thought and zeroed in on the food table.
Chapter 25
Avery did her best to avoid the other women, which didn’t seem to take much as they all seemed to be giving her a wide berth for some reason. At this point, Avery didn’t much care. She wasn’t used to being around this many people for this long a time, and the effort of making conversation and managing people’s emotions, including her own, was exhausting her.
After making a quick sandwich and filling her reusable water bottle, Avery shoved everything in her beach bag and hightailed it down the beach, far away from the cameras and where she thought they were allowed to go. She didn’t really care, since they were busy doing interviews anyway and they’d been told they could have a day off.
It wasn’t a shock to Avery that she needed a break from everyone. Ruby had always been the extrovert of the two, while Avery consistently needed time alone to recharge her batteries. Even on family trips, Avery would disappear after a few days together and hole up with a book for a few hours, needing the space to not speak to anyone. Today was one of those days, and Avery knew if she didn’t take this break now she’d be nothing but horrible the rest of the time.
Finding a shaded spot under a palm tree, she threw her towel down, leaned back against the tree, and just closed her eyes, letting her brain wander. She was too keyed up to focus on reading her book, so instead she just practiced some deep breathing exercises to bring some calm to the storm that seemed to rage inside her. Opening her eyes, she dug into her bag and ate her food, not really tasting it, and stared out at the crystal blue water.
What was she doing on this island? On this show even? She was an adult woman, capable of saying no to her sister. There was no reason she should have felt forced into taking this spot on a reality show. Ave
ry didn’t even like reality shows. And yet here she was, once again rushing to her sister’s aid. What was it in her that felt the need to take care of Ruby?
Perhaps if she was so focused on fixing Ruby, she wouldn’t have to focus on fixing herself. At that uncomfortable thought, Avery put the bag of chips down and wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them to her chest. Hugging herself, essentially.
So maybe her natural inclination toward introversion had gone a little far after her accident, Avery acknowledged, as she looked out across the beautiful water once more. Aside from going to work and the gym, she rarely socialized unless Ruby dragged her out. It shocked her to realize that maybe Ruby had been more of a crutch for her than she’d realized. No wonder she’d taken off to travel around the world, Avery sniffed. Here she’d thought of Ruby as someone she had to take care of – even a burden, at times – and it was likely that her sister felt the same exact way about her. Perhaps that wasn’t the most comfortable revelation, but there it was.
“You look like you’re mulling over something.”
Avery blinked up at Irma, not having even seen the woman approach. She shook her head as though to clear the clouds from her mind.
“I am, kind of. Just some uncomfortable truths is all.”
“Mind if I join you?” Irma asked. She was stunning in a flowing blue dress with pretty red beading on the straps. Her long grey hair was bound with a leather cord, and numerous bracelets jingled merrily on her wrists.
“Please do,” Avery said, shifting so Irma could lean against the tree as well if she chose. Instead, Irma sat to her side, looking half at Avery and half out at the sea.
“It’s a nice spot for reflection. I come here often to do so.”
“I can’t imagine you have much to reflect on. You seem entirely too put-together and wise to have any problems.” Avery winced at the way that sounded and held her hand up. “I’m sorry. That sounded rude. I have no idea where my filter’s gone today.”
“Everyone has problems. Even us wise old folks.” Irma smiled.
A Good Chance (The Siren Island Series Book 3) Page 14