Penny summoned a smile for the camera as she forced out a laugh at Paige's innuendo. "Oh, experience. I had lots of practice back home."
"Oh really?" Paige purred. "Do tell!"
Penny launched into a story about every school camp and outdoor education camp-out she could remember, leaving out the times she'd shared a tent with Craig Davies, even under the teachers' watchful eyes. Of course, that was before he'd hooked up with that complete skank Kristen, and dumped her at the school social in front of everyone.
She'd gotten her revenge, though. She'd managed to get a garden hose that reached from the outside tap to Kristen's locker. Then she'd sealed the locker with electrical tape and filled it with bore water on a hot Friday afternoon. By the time Kristen opened it on Monday morning, the locker had been absolutely rank. She'd had to throw all her books out, they'd reeked so badly. And her iPod, which she'd left in there over the weekend by accident.
"And how about you, Callie?" Paige asked.
"It's Calais," the girl corrected, reddening.
"Of course. Have you done a lot of camping, Calais?"
Calais stared at her feet. "I grew up on a farm. My brother and sister and I camped out at the creek a fair bit, growing up. When we were younger, we took horses down to the pool at the bottom of the waterfall, but when we got older, we'd all pile into one of the utes and take it up the coast so we could camp on the beach. But now – "
"That's not fair! You cheated!" Daphne screeched. "They had help, and you cheated!"
"Not my fault you're slow," Lorelei taunted, skipping down the dune as Luke finished tying her flysheet for her. He moved to help Daphne next.
"I'm not doing the dishes!" Daphne continued. "I'll ruin my nails."
While Paige wasn't looking, Calais slipped away into the bathroom block. Penny hid a triumphant smile. This was too easy. Lorelei and Daphne wouldn't last long, and Calais was too shy to want much camera time.
"I should go see if I can do anything for dinner," Penny said.
"You should've been first. Why did you stop to help the other girl?" Paige asked.
Penny glanced at the camera, which was firmly fixed on her. "She needed help, and we're all in this together, you know? Besides, I like cooking. I'm training to be a chef. I don't want to sit around doing nothing while someone else burns dinner. That's my passion."
"Not Jay Felix?"
Penny forced herself to laugh. "And him, of course. But you know, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Jay Felix might be a rock star, but he's still a man. Have you seen those washboard abs?"
Paige gestured to the cameraman to stop filming, to Penny's relief. "Damn, it's hot here. I need a drink." Paige said.
"Me, too," Penny replied, following her to the kitchen.
TWENTY-ONE
Jason rode in the bow of the jet boat, letting the fresh sea air cool his foggy head. So many girls and so much to remember. Their names, for a start. He scanned the shore, testing his memory with the people he saw. The little one sitting beside the fire pit was Calais from Katanning. Emerging from the nearest tent was the statuesque blonde. Lorelei, her name was. He couldn't remember where she was from. The curviest one was Maia, and the redhead was Melissa. Where were the other two?
The boat keel grated on the sand, and Jason took that as his cue to jump into the water.
"Your bag, Mr Felix." Baz handed it to him.
Jason nodded his thanks, slung the bag over his shoulder and splashed to shore. Paige met him with a big smile for the camera trailing behind her.
"Welcome to Camp Romance!" she trilled.
Jason couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing. The blokes at the pearl farm would pitch a fit at the new name for Shenton Camp. Come to think of it, so would the tour company who used the place. He had to get a hold of himself. With considerable effort, Jason swallowed back the rest of his laughter and tried to keep a straight face. "Thanks."
Paige's fixed smile didn't waver. "Let me show you to your oceanside cabin, Jay." She trudged along the sand track and Jason had no choice but to follow her.
Six years and she'd barely changed a bit. Paige had always had a fine, pert, little arse, which her shorts showed off nicely. There wasn't much Jason regretted about his past, but breaking up with Paige was one of those exceptions. He wished they could have done things differently, somehow, to save Paige from all the pain she'd gone through because of him, but it was too late for that now. What was done was done, and no amount of perving on her now would change that. She might as well be as distant as the moon; he'd never be able to touch her again. She didn't want the media baggage that came with him.
Would any of these girls want it? Flavia hadn't. She'd cursed him for it, too, even though Gaia had unleashed that particular media storm. But this was different. All the girls at Camp Romance had signed up to be seen with him on TV. They wanted the attention, or at least they'd agreed to it. Maybe this was how he should have done things in the first place.
Let the public warm up to the woman in his life before he declared their relationship to the world. Social media could go wild with rumours and predictions, while they watched love blossom, or at least the beginning of it. Four weeks wasn't long enough to fall in love.
Angel did, his traitorous mind reminded him. She'd vanished, reappeared and woken up from her coma in the space of four short weeks, only to fall for that psycho. The one she was going to marry in a matter of months.
"You don't look happy," Paige observed, peering through the door of Jason's cabin.
Cabin was a generous word for it. It was just a bigger tent than the ones the girls slept in, with canvas draped over a sturdier metal frame bolted to the concrete floor. Like one of those marquees he'd played in when it rained at outdoor concert venues. There were two single beds inside the cabin, instead of a stage, though.
"Who am I sharing with?" he asked.
"Nobody, or at least, not yet." Paige winked for the ever-present camera. "Each girl has her own tent, just like you get your own cabin. I'm at the opposite end, and the ones in between will sleep my camera crew and the tour company staff." She pointed up the slope to a wooden structure. "That's the bathroom, and the kitchen's at the other end. It's not Romance Island Resort, but the view's to die for."
She was right about the view. If you angled your head just right, the canvas was almost transparent, like it wasn't there at all, and you could see clear across King Sound. Not to the Buccaneer Archipelago, of course, which was hidden around the eastern headland, but that only added to the feeling of isolation. When all this was over, Jason wanted to come back here for a week with a few of his guitars and just chill. There was just something about this place...
A shriek shattered the peace. "Where's my bedding? My bags are here, but nothing else. Where am I supposed to sleep?"
Paige swore, then glanced at Jason. "What? It doesn't matter if the cameras are rolling. We'll edit that out, or bleep it, if we have to." She hurried toward the fire pit, where it looked like one of the girls was having the mother of all tantrums.
Jason wracked his brain to remember her name as he trailed behind Paige. The shrieking harpy wasn't his problem, so he hung back, watching. Daphne, that was it.
From her ear-splitting tirade, he learned that someone hadn't brought enough swags for all the campers, and she'd missed out. Baz and his boat were gone, and no one's mobile phone had any reception out here.
The girl wouldn't shut up, though almost everyone in the camp surrounded her, offering her all sorts of things to placate her. All except one. A woman Jason didn't know sat on the kitchen veranda, her expression mirroring his disgust at the girl's performance.
Jason sat beside the woman. "I don't think we've met." He extended a hand. "Jay Felix."
She laughed shortly and shook his hand. "I know you, Mr Felix. I'm Bec. It's nice to meet you." She jerked her head at the fire pit. "More than I can say for some. There were enough swags. I counted them myself. Someone's hidden one, and
my money's on him." She pointed at the man wearing a uniform that matched hers.
"I'd put my money on the TV crew, personally," Jay replied. "Trying to create drama for the show."
Bec shook her head. "Nah, it's just him being a dick. We've got cabins, but he insists on sleeping under the stars with a swag. Should've brought his own, but he didn't, so he took one of the company's. He won't admit it, though. Stubborn git."
Jason rose. "Which cabin's his?"
"Third one along." Bec pointed.
"Time for a hero to save the day, then." Jay hitched up a grin and strode into the midst of the mob. "What's this? A lady without a bed?"
Daphne opened her mouth to repeat her sob story.
"Can't have that," he continued quickly. "I'd be happy to keep you warm tonight, to make up for any mistakes that have been made."
Jason found himself surrounded by shocked and horrified expressions. Even Daphne's, though hers quickly morphed into triumph.
"All right, then," she said grudgingly.
"Follow me," he said, leading the way to Cabin Number Three. He waved her in and smothered a grin when she closed the door behind them. Jason crossed the floor to one of the metal lockers that contained linen in his cabin. Pulling out an armload of the stuff, he foisted it on her. "There. That should be enough. It won't be that cold a night." Nodding with satisfaction, he walked back to the veranda, whistling.
All eyes were on him, and Jason recognised the sort of awe he usually got for being a rock star instead of a harpy-wrangler. Well, he was that, too. He addressed the crowd, "Now, I want a beer."
He'd need a lot more before this was over. This reality TV business was a lot harder than he thought it'd be.
TWENTY-TWO
Penny did everything she could to make cooking look artistic, but even she had to admit there wasn't much she could do with sauce-out-of-a-jar spaghetti bolognaise. She just didn't have the ingredients to play with that would make it special. Not that it mattered, really – the cameraman kept his case clipped shut the whole time she was cooking.
More than once, she glanced over at Calais, sitting primly on her seat beside Jay. The other girls did various chores, stacking wood for the fire, preparing the salad and setting out the plates and cutlery for the meal, but Calais had earned the coveted spot by having her tent ready first.
Destiny had dumped on her again, Penny fumed. She should've been first, and not helped at all, seeing as no one was recording her culinary skills.
Jay leaned in and spoke to Calais, but the girl didn't react at all.
Penny smothered a laugh. In the gathering dusk, Jay evidently hadn't noticed her earbuds. Calais had her iPod clenched in one hand, playing music that drowned out anything he said.
Dinner didn't take long, so she dished up. She felt slightly mollified when the camera came out just in time to record everyone complimenting her on the delicious meal. Even Jay, who had his mouth full at the time. She hoped they showed that bit of footage when the show went to air. An endorsement from a rock star who was used to Michelin starred cuisine was quite the compliment.
Daphne whined and complained about having to do the dishes, but she quietened down after Luke said he'd come in and give her a hand.
Penny picked at her salad, still eating long after everyone else had finished. The sound of plates crashing around in the sink had ceased by the time she was done, so she slipped into the dimly lit kitchen to wash her own plate, figuring she was too late to avail herself of Daphne's dishwashing services.
A moan from the darkness stopped her dead. As her eyes adjusted, Penny realised she could see a shape beside the bench at the far end of the kitchen. No, not one shape – two, joined at the hip, humping on the bench.
"Oh, harder," Daphne begged. "I've dreamed about being with a rock star."
Penny fought down bile. The first night here, and she was already banging Jay? Was that what he wanted, someone who had sex at the slightest whim, where anyone could see them? Jealousy churned in her belly.
But Penny didn't want Jay now, she reminded herself. She wanted to cook on live TV, that was all. Jay was just a complication. A tempting complication, but no more than that. Like the mystery ingredient she had to incorporate into her dish to meet the challenge the judges had set.
She left her plate as quietly as she could and hurried off to bed. She might have seen Jay having sex with someone else, but in her dreams she was the object of his desire.
When day dawned, Penny still felt hot from the memories of her dream-sex with Jay. She headed straight for the shower to cool off. The cold water was lukewarm, like it always was in the Kimberley, so it wasn't the cold shower she expected, but it was pleasant enough to linger.
Penny reached to turn off the taps when a scream sounded from the next cubicle.
"Oh my God, it's cold! Is there no hot water?" Maia exclaimed.
Penny rubbed herself briskly with a towel. "You get used to it," she called back.
"Not bloody likely," Maia returned. "But better a cold shower than none. Jay's picking someone to take on a date today, Paige said, so we have to look our best."
For the cameras, not Jay, Penny added silently, pulling on her shirt before flinging the door open. She almost hit Daphne.
"Finally!" the other girl huffed, darting into the shower stall. She slammed the door behind her.
Penny heard Daphne's cold water scream from the other end of camp, and from Jay's disgusted expression she judged that he'd heard it, too. She grinned. Daphne might have slept with Jay last night, but she didn't stand a chance with him in the long run.
TWENTY-THREE
"Now, you have to choose one of the girls for a date today," Paige told Jason.
He nodded, his mouth full of cereal.
"We've booked a seaplane with one of the local tour companies, which will take you out to Horizontal Falls. You'll fly over the falls, then land on the water and transfer to a floating dock where – "
"Daphne," Jason mumbled through cornflakes.
" – where you'll enjoy a lunch of fresh-caught fish. You'll get to feed the pet fish, too, before a jet boat ride through the falls to – "
Jason swallowed. "Whatever. Sounds awesome. I'm taking Daphne."
Paige's jaw dropped. "Really? I thought you didn't like her much last night."
Jason shrugged. "You said I have to do a date with each of them, right? May as well make her first." Because the moment Paige asked him to eliminate one of them, she was gone. The sooner the better. He'd caught her in the kitchen with the tour guide bloke who managed the camp. What was his name? Luke? And not just in the kitchen – going at it hammer and tongs on the bench. Jason didn't think they'd seen him, seeing as the place had been lit by a single solar light, and they were very busy.
At the time, he'd been more surprised than anything, but as the evening progressed, irritation had replaced surprise. Weren't these girls here to try and seduce him, not some cranky tour guide? Not that Jason begrudged him the girl – she'd shown him very clearly that she was the last girl he wanted out of this lot. Tantrums were for two-year-olds, not women he wanted in his life. Two-year-olds were at least three years away, if not more. He wasn't ready to be a father yet. Fuck, it's not like he even had a woman he liked enough to want her to be the mother of his child.
"All right," Paige said haltingly. "I'll get the girls lined up so you can ask her out."
A line-up? He had to assemble them like some sort of army platoon every time he had an announcement to make?
Jason finished his cornflakes and a second cup of coffee before Paige had even half of the girls assembled. Apparently even five minutes of filming required makeup and an extended stint in the bathroom. With six girls and only two small mirrors, that took forever.
He was amused to see that Daphne wasn't last today. That honour went to Lorelei, who finally emerged from the bathroom in a pair of teetering heels, which she then minced along the track with while they waited. Jason had to hand it t
o her, though – she didn't trip once. That took some skill.
Paige made the girls stand on the edge of the veranda, with the Sound as their stunning backdrop.
The cameraman signalled for them to start.
Jason hated this bit, but Paige had insisted. "Penelope, you made the most delicious meal last night. Calais, you kept me company while everyone else was preparing dinner. Maia and Melissa, you put together that awesome salad. Lorelei, you stoked the fire so it didn't go out. And Daphne, you worked so hard last night, bent over that bench, getting all wet as you did the dishes." He grinned, catching her blush.
One of the other girls made a disgusted sound. He scanned their faces and found the culprit: Penelope. Her expression said she'd caught his innuendo. She probably knew what Daphne had done last night, too.
"But I can only take one of you on a date today, so I choose...." Jason waited for the cameraman to film each of the girl's anxious faces before he got the signal to continue. "Daphne."
Five jaws dropped open with shock, while Daphne sported a coquettish smile.
"Daphne, would you like to spend the day at Horizontal Falls with me?" Jason asked.
"Why, I'd love to," she said, fluttering her eyelashes.
Fuck. Did girls actually do that any more? Or just this crazy one? Jason shook his head. "Great. Let's get going. I got a seaplane on the airstrip, waiting for us."
Daphne threw herself at him in a limpet-like hug. "Oh, oh, oh! I've never seen a seaplane before!"
Jason gritted his teeth. This was going to be a long day.
TWENTY-FOUR
Penny waited until the camera crew had left before she stormed off. Jay had taken the little tramp on the first date! And he'd left them all at the beach camp with nothing to do all day while he took Daphne on an adventure she didn't deserve. Horizontal Falls! For all the time Penny had lived in the Kimberley, she'd never been able to afford to charter a plane or helicopter to visit the natural wonder that was the falls. And it went to ditsy Daphne.
The Rock Star Wants a Wife Page 6