The Rock Star Wants a Wife

by Demelza Carlton

  God, the world was so fucking unfair. She followed the track to the bathroom, then kept going, over the dunes, just wanting to walk until her fury was spent.

  "Hey, wait up!" Calais called.

  Penny didn't want to, but she had to admit Calais had a right to be just as pissed off as Penny was. So Penny stopped, waiting for the puffing girl to catch up.

  "Are you going to see the graveyard, too?" Calais asked when she reached Penny.

  Graveyard? "Is that where the track goes?"

  "That's what Bec said. It's quite a hike. Some of the graves are more than a century old, from when pearl diving first started out in Western Australia, and the divers had a camp here. She said the other divers built a sort of shrine out of bottles for them." Calais grinned. "We had something like that at my family's farm. No rubbish pick up out there, you see, so my great grandfather started paving the back garden with empty bottles. There's hundreds of them now, and Dad's scared to dig anything up in case he finds more. I think Great Grandpa was a huge drinker."

  Calais prattled on and Penny half-listened long enough for her fury to ebb a little. Or maybe it was the hard work of walking up and down endless sand dunes, looking for the mysterious graves. They didn't find them, though they did find a wild beehive in a dead, twisted tree, but finally it was close to lunchtime, so they returned to camp in search of something to eat.

  As she bit viciously into her sandwich, Penny hoped Daphne was having as miserable a day as she was. Jay, too.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Jason insisted on taking the co-pilot's seat, despite the insistence of both cameramen that he had to sit in the cabin with the rest of them. The plane was too small for him to miss Daphne's squeals of delight at everything from the headsets to the seatbelts to the map in her seat pocket.

  After take-off, the squeals were louder and almost constant, but Jason didn't mind them as much. For one thing, the view out the windows was enough to excite him, and the sound of the plane's engines drowned out most of the noise, anyway. He'd heard all the commentary before when he flew to the falls with Gaia, of course, but this time would be different. He got to take a boat through the falls, which he was looking forward to. And he'd heard the saltwater barramundi they served for lunch was some of the best in the world. If that was true, he had to get some supplied to the resort. Romance Island had a reputation for having the best, and Xan would be scandalised to think they were being outdone by a floating barge somewhere else in the Buccaneer Archipelago.

  Jason braced himself for a rough landing, but the seaplane skimmed across the surface so smoothly he wanted to applaud the pilot. He wondered if he had the money to get a dedicated seaplane for the resort. Something else to talk to Xan about. Right after he investigated learning to fly one. After all, wasn't John Travolta a pilot? If he'd found time in his busy career to learn to fly, Jason definitely could. Right after he'd dealt with this wife business.

  The cameramen climbed out first, insisting that Jason had to help Daphne out of the plane like a proper gentleman. Feeling like a fool, Jason offered her his hand as she hopped onto the floating deck. Daphne wobbled anyway, forcing him to catch her before she fell over. More eyelash fluttering accompanied her profuse thanks, and Jason wondered if the whole thing had been staged. By her or the TV crew? Not that it mattered, really. He set her firmly on her feet and set off to explore what he had to admit was a lot more than just a barge. A network of several multi-level floating platforms, helipads and landing areas for seaplanes, all attached to a luxury yacht, made up the installation. A splash caught his attention and he noticed the massive sea-cage attached to the barges, teeming with huge fish. Lunch, he realised.

  The captain and crew assembled on the yacht's deck, lined up much like the girls had this morning. The captain stepped forward, eyeing the cameras. "Welcome aboard the Falls Floating Palace. As you can see, you're our only guests today, as we show you our world-class restaurant, with a view to one of the world's natural wonders. After your lunch, I will personally take you through the only horizontal waterfalls in the world, so you can touch the water for yourself and feel the power of the current."

  Jason knew the spiel was more for the viewers at home than himself or Daphne, but she stood rapt at the captain's words. He might not like the girl much, but she was a way better travel companion than Gaia. At least this girl got excited by nature. Maybe the date wouldn't be so bad after all.

  Two hours later, he admitted defeat. Daphne had taken every opportunity she could find to bend over things, presenting her backside to him. After a couple glasses of wine, she'd started dropping hints about how she liked to be spanked. Jason had nearly choked on his beer. Shades of Gaia!

  He enjoyed the jet boat ride through the falls, whooping loud enough to drown out any noises Daphne made. He knew the camera guys were filming every moment, but that didn't stop him. He didn't care if the world knew he loved thrill rides like this. It was hardly out of character for a rock star. Not like reading romance books.

  Jason sighed and stared out of the window. What would the hundreds of romance heroes he'd read about do when faced with Daphne? Probably sweep her off her feet and ravish her, like she evidently wanted. He couldn't summon the enthusiasm to want to, though. Maybe there was something wrong with him. He just wasn't cut out for this hero shit.

  TWENTY-SIX

  "Oh, that man is hung!" Daphne moaned for what Penny was certain was the dozenth time. "And he wanted me every moment of the day. Couldn't get enough of me. I'll be so sore tomorrow, but, oh! He's so worth it."

  Jay and the camera crew had been called urgently back to civilisation, leaving six hopeful brides, two camp managers and a truckload of curiosity in their wake. Curiosity Daphne was only too happy to satisfy with every gory detail.

  To hear her tell it, Jay must have been using a supply of Viagra to make it through the day. He'd seduced her on the seaplane, done her on the deck, then fucked her at the Falls four times before doing it doggy-style all the way home. And all with the biggest, hardest dick Daphne had ever seen or felt.

  Penny wanted to call bullshit, but she'd seen them at it last night, and she definitely knew about Jay's reputation. Resignedly, she admitted to herself that Daphne might be telling the truth.

  That meant she had to garner attention some other way than sleeping with him. So Penny claimed the kitchen as her territory, cooking every meal and making sure everything was as perfect as it could be, on the off chance that the camera crew returned with Jay in tow.

  For two days she slaved, chopping vegetables with a ferocity only matched by her bitterness at Daphne. She wished it was the girl's fingers under her blade and not harmless carrots, but Daphne didn't come near the kitchen. She seemed to think doing the dishes once meant her drudgery was done, especially now she was Jay's favourite girl.

  On the third day, Penny had just finished setting up the trestle table for lunch when a boat roared into view, carrying several passengers. She hoped it held supplies, too, as they were getting low on food.

  Paige was the first one ashore, carrying her shoes while she walked barefoot through the sand. "Line up! It's elimination day!" she hollered.

  Penny prayed that she wouldn't be the one to go. Not that she had the faintest idea who would, though. Jay barely knew any of them. The only one he'd spent much time with was Daphne, and it didn't sound like there'd been much conversation on that date.

  It took time to assemble the other girls, who all wanted to redo their hair. Penny didn't need to – she always made sure her appearance was perfect before she entered the kitchen, just in case this was the time she'd be filmed.

  Plenty of time for the boatload of supplies to be brought ashore. Ice for the cooler boxes and food enough to last them a week. Less, if Jay and the camera crew stayed, as she hoped.

  Wanting to keep her hands busy, Penny grabbed a lettuce before it disappeared into the ice, so she could add it to the selection of sandwich fillings she'd prepared for lunch. She wondered i
f she should start setting it out now, or wait until after the line-up. Ice clawed at her heart. What if she was the one Jay chose to send home?

  "Where's Penelope?" Paige shouted.

  Penny stuck her head out the kitchen door. "Here." She shuffled across the veranda to join the other nervous girls. The only one who didn't look scared was Daphne. She looked like the cat who'd gorged herself on canary cream pie as she blew Jay a kiss.

  Jay didn't seem to notice. He was busy staring out over the water toward the line of black buoys that marked where the oyster cages floated.

  "Right, Jay, you're up," Paige said. One cameraman filmed Jay walking up the beach toward them, while the other kept his lens on the girls.

  Jay wouldn't look at any of them. Penny's heart turned colder still.

  "Wait!" Paige insisted. "Brides-to-be, you're all Jay's favourites to be his bride. But now, he has to choose to send one of you home. Whoever he sends home won't get to be his wife, and the whole world will know he didn't choose you. Now, I want you to think about how you'll tell your family and friends that you weren't good enough to be a rock god's wife."

  Oh God. Penny swallowed, wishing the woman would shut up. As if she wasn't worried enough about this.

  She couldn't go home now, and tell her family that, yet again, she'd failed. So Penny prayed for a miracle.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Jason shot Paige a look of irritation. She wasn't making it easy for him. He didn't like making women feel bad about themselves. He rarely rejected anyone for precisely that reason. Oh, Gaia had been an exception, with her overweening pride and that acquisitive look in her eye, at least at the beginning. Then her façade had begun to crack and he'd caved in to her, like he did to every woman.

  Yet here he was, supposed to reject someone in front of a recording camera.

  Not wanting to repeat the same speech as he had when he'd invited Daphne on a date, he kept it simple this time. "You're all amazing women, and it's been awesome to meet you. But I have to send someone home, and it's a hard decision for me. One I must make." His gaze swept the row of waiting women, meeting every pair of worried eyes before he settled on Daphne, as he knew he had to. "Daphne, it's time to go home."

  Jason wasn't sure which girl was more shocked – Daphne or the others. She recovered first, though. She let out a shriek and marched across the deck toward him.

  Jason knew a harpy when he saw one, and this girl was out for blood. His blood. He backed away across the sand, his bare feet carrying him out of her reach, because the girl's heels sank deep into the sand the moment she set foot on it. She pitched forward, but this time no one moved to catch her. This only enraged her further, as she clawed her way along the sand to where Jason stood.

  Someone snapped their fingers and two bulky security men hauled the screaming girl to her feet. They dragged her to a waiting four-wheel-drive, bookending her into the back seat, before the car drove off. The sound of her screeching faded away into the dunes.

  One of the cameramen had accompanied Daphne, but the other lowered his lens and laughed. "Good thing you had security on hand, or Mr Felix would've copped it. I remember in Season Six, there was this one girl who trashed the farmer's house when she was evicted. Slashed his sofas and everything. And in Five, there was a catfight between two of the girls after an eviction. Lots of hair-pulling and slapping, but not much damage. But that's the first one who really went for the kill."

  Paige just shook her head, looking grim.

  "I need a beer after that," Jason announced. "Who else wants one?"

  The drinks esky was duly brought from the boat, brim-full of beer from the local brewery.

  He cracked one open and drank deeply.

  "It's barely lunchtime," Paige said disapprovingly.

  Jason glanced at his wristband. He'd gotten so used to his resort ID tag that now he didn't take it off at all. After all, it was a GPS and watch, too. "It's three minutes after noon. Definitely drinking time. Lunchtime, too."

  "If someone will give me a hand, I'll have lunch on the table in the next few minutes. Everything's ready to go," one of the girls piped up. What was her name? Penelope, that was it.

  Jason grinned at her. "Thanks, Penelope. That sounds awesome. I'll give you two hands, if you like."

  There was a rush for the kitchen as everyone pitched in to help set out what turned out to be sandwich ingredients, but Jason didn't care. Anything tasted good if it covered the bile that had risen up in his throat when that girl had attacked him. Good riddance. He didn't want a crazy woman who'd try to kill him if he irritated her. No, one homicidal bride was enough for one lifetime.

  As Jason munched his sandwich, he tried to decide who he should date next. Penelope, the catering queen? Calais-not-called-after-the-car? Both seemed to have recovered from their shock and were taking their turn at kitchen duty. Lorelei was reapplying lip gloss while Melissa had settled down to read a book. Jason peered at her ereader, hoping it was one he'd read, but he couldn't see the cover at all. Stupid ereaders. Not his style.

  The sound of a door slamming drew his eye to the ablutions block at the top of the dune. Maia staggered out of the bathroom, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, like she'd just been sick. She wearily made her way back to the fire pit that had become their outdoor dining room, refusing all offers of food and drink, even from Paige. Jason waited until Paige returned to the veranda before he asked, "Is she sick? Gastro?"

  Paige shook her head. "She said it was just shock at the violence. She'd never seen anyone behave like that, she said."

  Jason wished he hadn't. Screaming fans were a normal part of life as a rock star, though usually they screamed for joy.

  After lunch, Jason insisted that they all go for a walk on the beach before he let Paige line them up again to await his invitation for the next date.

  He couldn't put it off forever, though. Sighing, he surveyed the remaining five girls. They all seemed sane enough. Maia still looked pale, though.

  Paige announced what she'd planned for the next date. Nothing special, really. Just dinner and a movie in town, then a night in one of the expensive hotels before returning to Camp Romance.

  Watching their faces carefully, Jason made his decision. "Maia, will you come to the movies with me?"

  Maia flashed a nervous smile. "Okay."

  Her hand was clammy as she took Jason's, but his smile didn't falter as he led her to the jet boat for the first leg of the trip into Broome.

  Yes, he had made the right choice this time.

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  Paige had picked the restaurant, which was a good thing, seeing as Jason usually ended up at the brewery. While the brewery did good food and beer, it held too many memories for him to want to take another girl there just yet. They didn't even get to place an order – Paige had fixed everything in advance, so they got some sort of degustation menu.

  "Disgustation?" Jason had quipped when the waiter told him. "Is that where you serve up every strange delicacy you can think of, give us plenty of alcohol to wash it down with, and hope we don't bring it all back up again?"

  He couldn't stifle his grin when both Maia and the waiter arced up in defence of the restaurant's premium offering. He'd done plenty of these sorts of meals back on the east coast, especially big charity events the band had been invited to. He hadn't exactly developed a taste for wine, but he could admit that it went well with some foods.

  "All right, all right, I'll do it," he said finally when they'd paused for breath. "Just as long as I'm not eating snails. Last time there was way too much garlic on them."

  Maia closed her mouth with a snap.

  The first course was pearl meat, apparently, served with a slightly fizzy white wine. Jason had visions of having to crunch through pearls, so he was pleasantly surprised to find a slice of oyster on his plate, carefully arranged on a polished pearl shell. The cameraman fixated on it, wanting to film their meal for nearly a minute before he let them eat.

  Jason
had to admit the pearl meat wasn't bad. Better than snails, anyway. The next course appeared to be a salad with...

  "Crocodile," said the waiter proudly.

  "It looks like crabmeat," Jason said, forking a bite into his mouth. It didn't taste like crab. It was chewier, too.

  More wine washed it down, though, and he asked Maia if she liked it.

  She hadn't touched her salad. "Aren't crocodiles endangered?" she whispered.

  The waiter heard anyway. "Wild ones are protected, but we get all our meat from a crocodile farm, where they're bred for the luxury leather market, and their meat, of course."

  Maia gulped down her entire glass of wine, not touching her plate until the waiter mercifully took it away and replaced it with the next course, some other local product that Jason didn't quite catch. It seemed to satisfy Maia, though, so he figured it was edible.

  By about the fifth course, she'd thawed enough to manage a conversation about her life outside of Camp Romance. Jason learned that she was an accountant, like his sister, and she sounded just as stressed. They just finished dealing with month end accounts when the next set arrived, in an endless cycle of too much work with never enough time, especially as no small business owner seemed capable of filling out the electronic forms correctly, which took dozens of phone calls to clarify. He was pretty sure he'd heard Jo swear about the same things.

  The waiter set fire to their dessert, to the cameraman's fascination, before the alcohol burned out and they were allowed to eat the caramelised mounds.

  Maia seemed to have talked herself out, so they ate in silence.

  Jason cursed inwardly. This was why he didn't date. He sucked at small talk, and all the things he was supposed to do to seduce a woman. Normally his rock star reputation was enough to clinch the deal, but Maia wasn't one of his fans. Like all the girls, she'd submitted her profile without knowing who he was. He regretted that now. It had seemed such a good idea at the time, letting each girl get to know him a bit first before they learned who he was, but now it made the whole affair like a lot of hard work.